81280949-Pool d'experts : développement organisationnel, régulation, maîtrise d'ouvrage et ingénierie dans le secteur de l'eau

With about 52% of Africa's surface water reserves and 23% of its renewable water resources, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is Africa's richest country. Nevertheless, at the national level, only 33% of the population, including 52% in urban areas and only 19% in rural areas, have access to an improved supply of drinking water. Among the country's 26 provinces, there are large differences in improved access to safe drinking water. Only five provinces have an urban access rate of more than 50%, including South Kivu (64%), one of the project's partner provinces. The other partner provinces have an access rate not exceeding 35%. DRC is also one of the poorest countries in the world with a poverty rate of about 63% and an average annual gross domestic income per person of USD?1,063. Only 17% of poor households have access to safe drinking water, while 82% of the richest households have access to it. Women and girls also suffer particularly from poor access to safe drinking water, as they"re traditionally responsible for the time-consuming supply of household water. The political and humanitarian situation in the DRC remains very tense. Water supply infrastructures are almost exclusively financed (about 95%) by international development partners and is mainly owned by the main public water operator (REGIDESO) which is being privatized. There are also small private water operators/suppliers and local non-governmental organizations as well as user associations. With the Water Law of 2015, project management of the sector is delegated to the provinces. The provincial technical structures that should take over this responsibility are under construction. The complementary structures necessary for the liberalization of the sector have yet to be put in place, such as the Public Water Service Regulatory Authority (ARSPE). The National Water Service Policy (PNSPE) exists but is still awaiting validation by the Ministry of Water Resources and Electricity. REGIDESO, has been undergoing a reform and restructuring process for some time, which is not progressing as planned. Water supply, especially for the poor population in provincial cities, cannot be guaranteed sustainably by REGIDESO in its current configuration The objective of the project "Strengthening the Efficiency of Drinking Water Services in the DR Congo" is therefore to improve institutional conditions to ensure a high-quality, sustainable and inclusive urban water supply. The project is financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the U.S. Agency for International Development with a duration from January 2022 to December 2024. It contributes to the effort of the Congolese Government to improve access to drinking water. The project supports on one hand the increase of performance of REGIDESO (component 1) and on the other hand the capacity development of institutions at central (component 3) and decentralised (component 2) level; including the regulation of the sector. The project works to strengthen accountability between local authorities, the population and the private sector. This tender aims a substantial contribution to all components.