81282992-Capacity building for the successful implementation of the MRC Core River Monitoring Network

GIZ"s Technical Cooperation (TC) module Transboundary water cooperation in the Lower Mekong Basin II aims at increasing the relevance, effectiveness and efficiency of the Mekong River Commission (MRC), particularly for coping with development challenges in the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB) in the face of climate change. The TC module uses a combined approach that not only continues to strengthen capacity at regional level, but also addresses identified bottlenecks at national level, thereby further supporting the creation of an environment conducive to cross-border cooperation and effective and equitable use of resources in the water sector. The principal aim is to strengthen the governance in the water resources sector in order to balance competing uses of water, e.g. for hydropower production, fishing and agricultural irrigation in the Lower Mekong Basin. The module thus supports the MRC and its Member States at regional and national level in implementing the core functions of river basin management. In that context, the TC module will support the MRC with the design and implementation of a Core River Monitoring Network (CRMN), aimed at collecting strategically important environmental and social data. The data shall provide the basis for sound decision making in the context of a developing basin facing several key challenges including Climate Change and increasing infrastructure on the mainstream and key tributaries. The existing routine monitoring network that is being implemented in some disciplines for already more than 20 years, has shown to have some pending issues in order to be effective and efficient. Harmonized data collection across the different countries and consistent and continuous sampling is still a challenge. In addition, the financial implications of the current monitoring network make it hard to be sustained in the long term, considering MRC"s ambition to be self-financed by 2030. To address these challenges, the MRC decided to launch an assessment of the existing network and propose a redesign. The TC module is supporting the assessment and redesign phase through technical and financial support in 2021 and 2022. In addition, Germany wants to support the MRC and the Member Countries with the successful implementation of the newly designed CRMN, once it is ready. Through this tender, the GIZ TC module is seeking a service provider to carry out three key components of capacity building: i) design and prepare a gender-sensitive Capacity Development Strategy (CDS) to be implemented at the regional, national and local level, ii) carry out some elements of the CDS, including trainings of trainers, and iii) procure one lot of technical monitoring equipment for 14 hydromet stations. The design of the CDS shall be an inclusive process, including stakeholder engagement at all different levels, to ensure the strategy is tailored to the needs of the target group. The strategy shall be sustainable and feasible to ensure its implementation can continue beyond the implementation timeframe of the project. Trainings shall take place during the last year of the TC module (2024), based on the identified needs and approached within the CDS.