WASH Specialist, NOC (FT) – UNICEF

Deadline 10 May 2022 India Standard Time

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WASH Specialist, NOC (FT), Gandhinagar, India, SAR Post Number 52004 (This post is open only for Indian Nationals)

Contract type: Fixed Term Appointment
Duty Station: Gandhinagar
Level: NO-3
Location: India
Categories: WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene)

How can you make a difference?

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world’s leading children’s rights organization would like to hear from you.

Job Organizational Context

The WASH Specialist level 3 GJP is to be used in a Country Office (CO) where the WASH Programme is a major component of the Country Programme (or CCPD). The WASH Specialist reports to the Chief Field Office in the Gujarat Field Office.

Ever since its set up in 1992, the Gujarat field office has collaborated with the Government of Gujarat, civil society, Academia, and other partners to accelerate and sustain results for the well-being of children in the state. UNICEF interventions with diverse partners in the state are pioneering efforts in health, nutrition, education, protection, and water and sanitation sectors that have, over the years, been replicated to scale within and outside the state. While Gujarat has evolved to an economic powerhouse in India, UNICEF in Gujarat continues to focus on addressing disparities in the quality of life of children among vast sections of the population.  Our focus is on strengthening government capacities for quality service delivery and demand generation, facilitating evidence-based policies that address bottlenecks in reaching the last mile, building institutional partnerships for women and children in the state, and empowering communities to engender positive norms that enable children, especially girls, to rightfully realize their full potential.

Purpose of the job: The WASH Specialist reports to the for guidance and general supervision. The Specialist supports the development, preparation, management, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the WASH programme within the country programme. The Specialist provides technical guidance and management support throughout the programming processes, to facilitate the administration and achievement of the WASH-related output results in the country programme.

Key functions, accountabilities, and related duties/tasks

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

• Programme development and planning.
• Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results.
• Technical and operational support to programme implementation.
• Humanitarian WASH preparedness and response.
• Networking and partnership building.
• Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building.

1. Programme development and planning

• Draft the WASH inputs for the situation analysis.  Provide timely, comprehensive, and current data to inform WASH policy and programme development, planning, management and implementation. Keep abreast of WASH sector development trends, for maximum efficiency and effectiveness in programme design, management and implementation.
• Participate in strategic WASH programme planning discussions. Prepare WASH donor proposals, ensuring alignment with UNICEF’s Strategic Plan, UNICEF’s global WASH strategy and the Country programme, as well as government plans and priorities, and the role of other external support agencies.
• Assist in the formulation of the WASH outcome and output results, related indicators, baselines, targets and means of verification. Prepare required documentation for programme reviews.
• Work with colleagues and partners to discuss strategies and methodologies for the achievement of WASH output results in the country programme.
  Provide technical and operational support throughout all stages of programming processes and ensure integration, coherence, and harmonization of WASH with other UNICEF sectors, for the achievement of the WASH output results.
• Draft assigned sections of the annual work plan, in close cooperation with government and other counterparts

2. Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results.

• With other external support agencies, strengthen national government WASH sector monitoring systems, with a focus on WASH outcomes (behaviors), using bottleneck analysis tools available in the sector (WASH-BAT, CSOs, SDAs).
• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual sectoral reviews with government and other counterparts and prepare reports on results for required action/interventions at the higher level of programme management.
• Prepare/assess monitoring and evaluation reports to identify gaps, strengths/weaknesses in programmes and management, identify and document lessons learned.
• Monitor and report on the use of sectoral programme resources (financial, administrative, and other assets), verify compliance with approved allocations, organizational rules, regulations/procedures and donor commitments, standards of accountability and integrity. Report on issues identified to enable timely resolution by management/stakeholders.
• Prepare sectoral progress reports for management, donors, and partners

3. Technical and operational support to programme implementation

• Actively monitor UNICEF-supported activities through field visits, surveys, and exchange of information with Government and partners, to assess progress, identify bottlenecks and potential problems and take timely decisions to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for timely interventions.
• 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 WASH, to support programme implementation.
• Plan for use of technical experts from the WASH Section, Regional Office and HQ, as and where appropriate in the WASH programme, through remote support and on-site visits.
• Participate in WASH programme meetings, to review progress, with government, other sector agencies and implementation partners, involved at various stages of WASH programme implementation, to provide expert advice and guidance.
• Draft policy papers, briefs, and other strategic materials for use by management, donors, WASH Section, UNICEF regional offices and headquarters.

4. Humanitarian WASH preparedness and response

• Prepare requisitions for supplies, services, long-term agreements, and partnership agreements to ensure UNICEF is prepared to deliver on its commitments for WASH in case of an emergency like flood, cyclone, earthquake and Industrial accidents.
• Contribute to the coordination arrangement for humanitarian WASH, for instant robust coordination in case of an emergency.
• Ensure that all UNICEF WASH staff are familiar with UNICEF’s procedures for responding in an emergency depending disaster profile of the state.
• Take up support roles in an emergency response and early recovery, as and when the need arises.

5. Networking and partnership building

• Build and sustain close working partnerships with government counterparts and other stakeholders through active sharing of information and knowledge to facilitate programme implementation and build capacity of stakeholders to achieve WASH output results.
• Prepare materials for WASH programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnerships and support fund-raising.
• Participate in inter-agency discussions, ensuring that UNICEF’s position, interests, and priorities are fully considered and integrated in the UNDAF development planning and agenda setting.

6. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

• Lead the development, implementation, monitoring and documentation of WASH action research and innovation (technical or systems).
• Prepare learning/knowledge products, covering innovative approaches and good practices, to support overall WASH sector development.
• Create and deliver learning opportunities for UNICEF WASH staff, to ensure our sector capacity remains up to date with latest developments.
• Contribute to the systematic assessment of WASH sector capacity gap analysis, in collaboration with government and other stakeholders, and support the design of initiative to strengthen capacities systematically.
• Participate as a resource person in capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients/stakeholders.

Impact of Results:

The support provided by the WASH specialist will enable the Field Office to achieve the WASH-related output results of the country programme.  This, in turn, will contribute to the achievement of the outcome results of the country programme document.  When done effectively, the achievement of the outcome results will improve child survival, growth and development and reduce inequalities in the country.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Requirements of the position (QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES):

Education:

An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: public health, social sciences, behavior change communication, sanitary engineering, or another relevant technical field.

Additional relevant post-graduate courses that complement/supplement the main degree is a strong asset.

Experience:

DEVELOPMENTAL:  a minimum of five years of professional experience in WASH-related programmes for developing countries is required.

One year of deployment in a developing country is required.

HUMANITARIAN: At least one three-month deployment mission in a humanitarian situation (with UN-Govt-INGO) is required.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Technical requirements:

Expert knowledge of three components and basic knowledge of three components:

• Rural water supply for low- and middle-income countries – including water safety, sustainability.
• Rural sanitation for low- and middle-income countries, incl sustainability; applying CATS principles.
• Urban sanitation for low- and middle-income countries, incl sustainability.
  Handwashing with soap.
• WASH-in-Schools and Health Centres.
• Menstrual hygiene management.
• National government WASH policies, plans and strategies.
• Analysis of national budgets and expenditure for basic WASH, and related advocacy.
• Basic knowledge of both components:

Humanitarian WASH – preparedness.
Humanitarian WASH – response and recovery.

Basic knowledge:

1. Humanitarian WASH – coordination of the response.

Expert knowledge of two components and basic knowledge of the other two components:

• Programme/project management.
• Capacity development.
• Knowledge management.
• Monitoring and evaluation.

In-depth knowledge:

• Human rights and WASH.
• Gender equality and WASH.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

Core competencies skills:

Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
Works Collaboratively with others (1)
Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
Drives to achieve impactful results (1)
Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)
Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

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, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children.

Remarks:

• This position is based in Gandhinagar (India).
• Selected applicant will have an initial two (2) year fixed-term contracts, with possibility of extension subject to satisfactory performance.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.