The objective of this research is to support the Forum to develop policy advice on the implementation of the 3rd cycle RBMP and development of the 4th plan. Learnings from the research are expected to inform Forum members about the existing obstacles in implementing the WFD in Ireland and to make recommendations about what can be strengthened going into the 4th cycle. In 2021, the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) assessed water governance in Ireland using the OECD Water Governance Indicator Framework to support the development of the third-cycle RBMP for Ireland 2022–2027. The primary objective of the Water Governance Indicator Framework (OECD, 2018) is to stimulate a transparent, neutral, open, inclusive and forward-looking dialogue across stakeholders on what does and does not work, what should be improved and who can do what. The IPA evaluated how Ireland was doing in relation to the 12 OCED principles of water governance, categorised each principle as “strong progress”, “good progress” or “limited progress”. In preparation for the development of the 4th cycle RBMP, the Water Forum is commissioning research to re-evaluate water governance around four OCED principles: 1. Policy coherence 2. Managing trade offs 3. Financing 4. Capacity Research Questions The Research should include an evaluation of how Ireland is doing in relation to the 4 OECD Principles below, identifying any relevant obstacles to implementation of the WFD in Ireland. Drawing on international case studies, the research should then present policy recommendations on how they could be strengthened going into the 4th cycle. 1. Policy Coherence • Review and evaluate policy coherence and cross-sectoral coordination which influence the implementation of the WFD, especially between policies for water and the environment, health, energy, agriculture, industry, spatial planning and land use. • Identify and evaluate the co-ordination mechanisms to facilitate coherent policies across ministries, public agencies and levels of government, including cross sectoral plans. • Identify and evaluate the barriers to policy coherence from practices, policies and regulations within and beyond the water sector. Develop policy recommendations on how to strengthen policy coherence and cross sectoral coordination to support the implementation of the WFD in Ireland. 2. Managing Trade-offs • Review and evaluate how trade-offs are managed across water users, rural and urban areas and generations. • Review and evaluate how trade-offs are identified and communicated, and if efforts are made to minimise potential negative impacts on water. Develop policy recommendations on how to improve the management of trade-offs to support the implementation of the WFD in Ireland. 3. Financing the WFD • Provide an overview on how the implementation of the WFD is financed in Ireland and evaluate if financial resources are allocated / used in an efficient, transparent and timely manner. • Identify financial / resourcing challenges which are impeding the implementation of the WFD in Ireland. Drawing from international best practice or funding models to finance the WFD, develop policy recommendations on how to improve the financing of the WFD for strengthened implementation of the 4th RBMP. 4. Capacity • Provide an overview of the level of capacity both required and available to meet the complexity of meeting WFD objectives. • Identify capacity gaps which are impeding the implementation of the WFD in Ireland (e.g. policy, planning, project management, funding, scientists, advisory, monitoring, data, administration). Develop recommendations on how to improve capacity to strengthen the implementation of the WFD in Ireland.
Deadline
The time limit for receipt of tenders was 2026-04-15.
The procurement was published on 2026-03-13.
Contract notice (2026-03-13) Object Scope of the procurement
Title: Implementation of the Water Framework Directive - Policy Coherence, Managing Trade-Offs, Financing and Capacity
Short description:
“The objective of this research is to support the Forum to develop policy advice on the implementation of the 3rd cycle RBMP and development of the 4th plan....”
Short description
The objective of this research is to support the Forum to develop policy advice on the implementation of the 3rd cycle RBMP and development of the 4th plan. Learnings from the research are expected to inform Forum members about the existing obstacles in implementing the WFD in Ireland and to make recommendations about what can be strengthened going into the 4th cycle. In 2021, the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) assessed water governance in Ireland using the OECD Water Governance Indicator Framework to support the development of the third-cycle RBMP for Ireland 2022–2027. The primary objective of the Water Governance Indicator Framework (OECD, 2018) is to stimulate a transparent, neutral, open, inclusive and forward-looking dialogue across stakeholders on what does and does not work, what should be improved and who can do what. The IPA evaluated how Ireland was doing in relation to the 12 OCED principles of water governance, categorised each principle as “strong progress”, “good progress” or “limited progress”. In preparation for the development of the 4th cycle RBMP, the Water Forum is commissioning research to re-evaluate water governance around four OCED principles: 1. Policy coherence 2. Managing trade offs 3. Financing 4. Capacity Research Questions The Research should include an evaluation of how Ireland is doing in relation to the 4 OECD Principles below, identifying any relevant obstacles to implementation of the WFD in Ireland. Drawing on international case studies, the research should then present policy recommendations on how they could be strengthened going into the 4th cycle. 1. Policy Coherence • Review and evaluate policy coherence and cross-sectoral coordination which influence the implementation of the WFD, especially between policies for water and the environment, health, energy, agriculture, industry, spatial planning and land use. • Identify and evaluate the co-ordination mechanisms to facilitate coherent policies across ministries, public agencies and levels of government, including cross sectoral plans. • Identify and evaluate the barriers to policy coherence from practices, policies and regulations within and beyond the water sector. Develop policy recommendations on how to strengthen policy coherence and cross sectoral coordination to support the implementation of the WFD in Ireland. 2. Managing Trade-offs • Review and evaluate how trade-offs are managed across water users, rural and urban areas and generations. • Review and evaluate how trade-offs are identified and communicated, and if efforts are made to minimise potential negative impacts on water. Develop policy recommendations on how to improve the management of trade-offs to support the implementation of the WFD in Ireland. 3. Financing the WFD • Provide an overview on how the implementation of the WFD is financed in Ireland and evaluate if financial resources are allocated / used in an efficient, transparent and timely manner. • Identify financial / resourcing challenges which are impeding the implementation of the WFD in Ireland. Drawing from international best practice or funding models to finance the WFD, develop policy recommendations on how to improve the financing of the WFD for strengthened implementation of the 4th RBMP. 4. Capacity • Provide an overview of the level of capacity both required and available to meet the complexity of meeting WFD objectives. • Identify capacity gaps which are impeding the implementation of the WFD in Ireland (e.g. policy, planning, project management, funding, scientists, advisory, monitoring, data, administration). Develop recommendations on how to improve capacity to strengthen the implementation of the WFD in Ireland.
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Type of contract: Services
Products/services: Research consultancy services📦
Estimated value excluding VAT: 40 000 EUR 💰
Description
Description of the procurement:
“The objective of this research is to support the Forum to develop policy advice on the implementation of the 3rd cycle RBMP and development of the 4th plan....”
Description of the procurement
The objective of this research is to support the Forum to develop policy advice on the implementation of the 3rd cycle RBMP and development of the 4th plan. Learnings from the research are expected to inform Forum members about the existing obstacles in implementing the WFD in Ireland and to make recommendations about what can be strengthened going into the 4th cycle. In 2021, the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) assessed water governance in Ireland using the OECD Water Governance Indicator Framework to support the development of the third-cycle RBMP for Ireland 2022–2027. The primary objective of the Water Governance Indicator Framework (OECD, 2018) is to stimulate a transparent, neutral, open, inclusive and forward-looking dialogue across stakeholders on what does and does not work, what should be improved and who can do what. The IPA evaluated how Ireland was doing in relation to the 12 OCED principles of water governance, categorised each principle as “strong progress”, “good progress” or “limited progress”. In preparation for the development of the 4th cycle RBMP, the Water Forum is commissioning research to re-evaluate water governance around four OCED principles: 1. Policy coherence 2. Managing trade offs 3. Financing 4. Capacity Research Questions The Research should include an evaluation of how Ireland is doing in relation to the 4 OECD Principles below, identifying any relevant obstacles to implementation of the WFD in Ireland. Drawing on international case studies, the research should then present policy recommendations on how they could be strengthened going into the 4th cycle. 1. Policy Coherence • Review and evaluate policy coherence and cross-sectoral coordination which influence the implementation of the WFD, especially between policies for water and the environment, health, energy, agriculture, industry, spatial planning and land use. • Identify and evaluate the co-ordination mechanisms to facilitate coherent policies across ministries, public agencies and levels of government, including cross sectoral plans. • Identify and evaluate the barriers to policy coherence from practices, policies and regulations within and beyond the water sector. Develop policy recommendations on how to strengthen policy coherence and cross sectoral coordination to support the implementation of the WFD in Ireland. 2. Managing Trade-offs • Review and evaluate how trade-offs are managed across water users, rural and urban areas and generations. • Review and evaluate how trade-offs are identified and communicated, and if efforts are made to minimise potential negative impacts on water. Develop policy recommendations on how to improve the management of trade-offs to support the implementation of the WFD in Ireland. 3. Financing the WFD • Provide an overview on how the implementation of the WFD is financed in Ireland and evaluate if financial resources are allocated / used in an efficient, transparent and timely manner. • Identify financial / resourcing challenges which are impeding the implementation of the WFD in Ireland. Drawing from international best practice or funding models to finance the WFD, develop policy recommendations on how to improve the financing of the WFD for strengthened implementation of the 4th RBMP. 4. Capacity • Provide an overview of the level of capacity both required and available to meet the complexity of meeting WFD objectives. • Identify capacity gaps which are impeding the implementation of the WFD in Ireland (e.g. policy, planning, project management, funding, scientists, advisory, monitoring, data, administration). Develop recommendations on how to improve capacity to strengthen the implementation of the WFD in Ireland.
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Place of performance: Mid-West 🏙️
Duration: 7 (MONTH)
The time frame below is expressed in number of months.
Title
Lot Identification Number: LOT-0001
Procedure Type of procedure
Open procedure ✅ Administrative information
Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate: 2026-04-15 00:00:00 📅
Conditions for opening of tenders: 2026-04-15 00:30:00 📅
Conditions for opening of tenders (place): https://www.etenders.gov.ie/epps/cft/prepareViewCfTWS.do?resourceId=7708088
Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted: English 🗣️
Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender: 12
Complementary information Review body
Name: The High Court of Ireland
National registration number: The High Court of Ireland
Postal address: Four Courts, Inns Quay, Dublin 7
Postal code: D07 WDX8
Postal town: Dublin
Region: Dublin🏙️
Country: Ireland 🇮🇪
E-mail: highcourtcentraloffice@courts.ie📧
Phone: +353 1 8886000📞 Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained
Name: The High Court of Ireland
National registration number: The High Court of Ireland
Postal address: Four Courts, Inns Quay, Dublin 7
Postal code: D07 WDX8
Postal town: Dublin
Region: Dublin🏙️
Country: Ireland 🇮🇪
E-mail: highcourtcentraloffice@courts.ie📧
Phone: +353 1 8886000📞 Information about electronic workflows
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic ordering will be used
Electronic payment will be used
Source: OJS 2026/S 052-180952 (2026-03-13)
Contract notice (2026-03-20) Object Scope of the procurement
Estimated value excluding VAT: 32 500 EUR 💰
Procedure Administrative information
Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate: 2026-04-15 14:00:00 📅
Conditions for opening of tenders: 2026-04-15 14:30:00 📅
Changes Other additional information
“Budget edited to 32500 excluding VAT to reflect the 40000 including VAT stated in the RFQ Document”
Source: OJS 2026/S 058-200596 (2026-03-20)