Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Contractor at the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF)

United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Contractor – Hygiene & Sanitation in Communities, Institutions & Public Places)

Job No: 553636
Location: Sokoto
Contract type: Consultancy
Duration: One year
Level: Consultancy
Categories: WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene)
Supervisor: Chief, Management for Result

How can you make a difference?

• Under the guidance and general supervision of the WASH Specialist, the WASH Contractor will provide technical, operational, and administrative support throughout the programming process with a focus on Sanitation, Hygiene and WASH in Institutions and public places while mainstreaming gender and emergency preparedness and response into these focus areas.
• The WASH Contractor will manage the delivery of results for sanitation and hygiene in households, schools, Health Care Facilities (HCFs) and public places like community markets and motor parks.
• The WASH Contractor will support the creation of demand for improved sanitation and hygiene services in households and institutions through Community Approaches for Total Sanitation (CATS/CLTS), Water Safety Planning (WSP) and hygiene behaviour change promotion.
• The WASH Contractor will support in strengthening of market-based sanitation to ensure supply of improved sanitation and hygiene products and services for households and institutions, and support in establishment of public-private-partnerships (PPPs) to provide and operate sanitation facilities in public places.
• The WASH Contractor officer will engage with and support State RUWASSA, State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SPHCDA), State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), CSOs, media, private sector among other partners in planning, design, implementation, monitoring and reporting for the assigned result area in line with the annual work plans for Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states.

Scope of Work
Programme development and planning

• Prepare updates and reports for assigned result areas. Research and report on trends in the assigned result area, for use in programme development, management, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Provide technical and administrative support throughout all stages of programming for sanitation & hygiene in communities, institutions and public places, mainstreaming gender and humanitarian preparedness and response.

Programme management, monitoring, and delivery of results:

• Work collaboratively with colleagues and partners to collect/analyze/ share information on implementation issues, provide solutions on routine programme implementation and alert appropriate officials and stakeholders for higher-level interventions and/or decisions.
• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual sectoral reviews with government and other counterparts and prepare reports for required action/interventions at the higher level of programme management.
• Monitor and report on the use of programme resources (financial, administrative, and other assets), verify compliance with approved allocations, organizational rules, regulations/procedures and donor commitments, standards of accountability and integrity.

Technical and operational support for programme implementation:

• Undertake field visits and surveys, collect, and share reports with partners/stakeholders. Report critical issues, bottlenecks, and potential problems to supervisor, for timely action.
• Provide technical and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners and other country office partners/donors on the application and understanding of UNICEF policies, strategies, processes and best practices in sanitation and hygiene and WASH in institutions, to support programme implementation.
• Champion implementation of CATS/CLTS, market-based sanitation and sanitation and hygiene behaviour change and provide technical support to partners in the implementation of sanitation voucher subsidy targeting the most vulnerable households.

Humanitarian WASH preparedness and response:

• Support humanitarian sanitation and hygiene preparedness and response, as and when need arises.

Networking and partnership building:

• Build and sustain close working partnerships with government counterparts and national stakeholders through active sharing of information and knowledge to facilitate programme implementation and build capacity of stakeholders to achieve sanitation and hygiene behaviour change output results.
• In collaboration with Social Behaviour Change (SBC) section at the field office, draft communication, and information materials for WASH programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnership/alliances and support fund-raising for WASH.
• Prepare resource mobilization materials and briefs for fund raising and partnership development purposes.

Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building:

• Assist in the development, implementation, monitoring and documentation of sanitation and hygiene, and WASH in institutions action research and innovation (technical or systems).
• Assist in the preparation of learning/knowledge products, covering innovative approaches and good practices, to support overall WASH sector development.
• Participate as a resource person in capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients/stakeholders.
• Support in the design and management of a sanitation and hygiene database.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have
Education:

• A University Degree in Public Health, Social Sciences, Social and Behaviour Change Communication, Sanitary Engineering, or other specialist field related to WASH is required. An advanced degree or other post graduate qualification will be an added advantage

Experience:

• A minimum of three years of proven professional experience work in WASH-related programmes is required with specific experience in WASH behaviour change programming
  • Understanding of WASH development and humanitarian work.
  • Experience implementing development projects, with a good understanding of the operations of the government, donors, and other development organizations
  • Experience in project planning/ management to include development of end-to-end project plans, which include supported budgets, timelines, and resource utilization
  • Experience in coordination, community mobilization and intersectoral collaboration
  • Emergency experience is an advantage.

Language:

• Fluency in English (verbal and written) is required. Fluency in Hausa language is an asset, and an added advantage

Knowledge / Expertise / Skills required:

• Technical skills/knowledge of sanitation and hygiene promotion and behaviour change approaches (CATS, CLTS and BCC) in communities, institutions and public places.
• Knowledge and understanding of sanitation programming including trends in market-based sanitation, sanitation cash transfer/voucher programme, urban sanitation, and fecal-sludge management targeting most vulnerable.
• Ability to engage with local entrepreneurs such as Toilet Business Owners (TBOs), local sanitation suppliers and the private sector at large to deliver affordable sanitation products and to promote equitable uptake of improved and climate resilient sanitation facilities by households, institutions, and public places.
• Skills in hand hygiene promotion activities and Menstrual Health and Hygiene (MHH) interventions in schools, health care facilities and communities in general.
• Knowledge of institutional arrangements and policy framework for sustainable gender responsive WASH services in Schools, Health Care Facilities and Public Places.
• Knowledge of the national and SDG standards, targets and indicators for sanitation and hygiene services in communities, institutions and public places.
• Skills in engaging stakeholders at the state, LGA and community level including private sector, media, traditional and religious leaders etc to mobilize support for sanitation and hygiene services in households, institutions and public places
• Skills in information management to track/ monitor gaps in sanitation and hygiene services at the household and institutional levels for planning, advocacy and reporting purposes.

Application Closing Date
17th August, 2022 (W. Central Africa Standard Time).

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.
• UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination.
• UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
• Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
• Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage).
• Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors.
• Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.
• The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract.
• Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment.
• It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.