UNICEF Zimbabwe is inviting applications for an individual consultant to provide technical support towards the delivery of WASH Emergency and Resilience activities
Consultancy, Research Jobs
Job Description
UNICEF Zimbabwe is inviting applications for an individual consultant to provide technical support towards the delivery of WASH Emergency and Resilience activities (Open to Zimbabwean nationals only)
Job no: 542136
Contract type: Consultancy
Level: Consultancy
Location: Zimbabwe
Categories: WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene)
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.
Background
In Zimbabwe, vulnerable women, children and men continue to face multiple humanitarian challenges including but not limited to recurring droughts, cholera/typhoid outbreaks, at risk of flooding and the recent COVID-19 global pandemic. In 2018/19, the country experiencing the second worst cholera outbreak, with a cumulative 10,730 suspected cholera cases and 69 deaths. In 2019, the country was hit by tropical Cyclone Idai, that left a trail of destruction, affecting an estimated 270,000 people including women and children. While the country was recovering from the effects of tropical cyclone Idai and the 2019/2020 drought, the COVID-19 global pandemic came in 2020. Zimbabwe is currently facing a third wave of COVID-19, affecting all provinces. As of 29 June 2021, the country registered 1,249 new cases, all of which are local. Cumulatively, since March 2019, the country recorded 48,533 positive COVID-19 cases and 1,761 deaths. Within this multi-risk environment, it is often difficult to pinpoint when people and communities enter into a situation of acute humanitarian need. The on/off view of crisis masks the reality that many people in Zimbabwe live perpetually close to the edge of a humanitarian crisis. An erosion of coping mechanisms in an increasingly uncertain and unpredictable socio-economic environment has exacerbated vulnerabilities.
This situation calls for strengthened coordination and increased need for timely and improved information management and analysis, to ensure interventions are based on need, and gaps in the field are identified and addressed. In addition, it is important to identify strategic interventions, and ensure that relevant timely information is communicated back to WASH partners, in a useful format to support action. UNICEF is responsible to support the Humanitarian related coordination for the WASH sector in Zimbabwe, within the framework of the WASH Sector Coordination and Information Forum (WSCIF) and its Emergency Strategic Advisory Group (E-SAG), co-chaired by UNICEF. As such, UNICEF is responsible for supporting effective humanitarian coordination, information management and technical support to implementing partners. With these elevated risks on so many fronts, UNICEF is seeking a skilled WASH in Emergency consultant support to bolster the on-going office response.
Duties and Responsibilities
WASH Sector Coordination:
Under the framework of National Action Committee (NAC) structures at national, provincial and district level and, in conjunction with other WASH stakeholders, including disaster response mechanisms and on behalf of UNICEF, support the overall analysis of sectoral needs and priorities and the definition of strategies and standards to ensure the delivery of safe drinking water to affected population, in accordance with national and international humanitarian standards.
Attendance & participation in WASH sector Technical Working Groups and forum as and when require including dissemination of progress updates with stakeholders and ensure alignment and complementarity with other sectors
In collaboration with ESAG and other development partners, contribute to the development, implementation and monitoring of the WASH sector national response plan, ensuring optimisation of resources, synergies with other sectors and timeliness of the response
Ensure appropriate coordination mechanisms between all WASH humanitarian partners are in place, including effective links, communication and information management, as well as technical working groups and/or sub-national coordination platforms as appropriate.
Contribute to enhancing the quality of the national WASH response including incorporating Early Recovery and Disaster Risk informed approaches as integrated component of UNICEF’s response in the WASH sector
Based on overall sectoral needs analysis, support ongoing WASH response strategy and plans including supporting donor engagement, tracking and monitoring of the WASH sector response and plans
Effective links with other clusters or sectoral coordination platforms and represent the interests of the WASH sector
Support UNICEF’s WASH response including interacting with government and partners (including UN, Donors, NGOs, CSOs, etc.) in the different stages of the emergency programme implementation, following up on cooperation agreements, recommendations and other UNICEF’s commitments for the emergency response, including the development of partners’ capacity.
Information Management
Support the development of data requirement, collection and analysis to inform required corrective action and knowledge management of the response as well as for reporting and advocacy
Adequate monitoring mechanisms are in place to review outcomes of WASH interventions and progress against strategy and action plans; including an analytical interpretation of best available information in order to benchmark progress over time (monitoring indicators: quantity, quality, coverage, continuity and cost; with target population data disaggregated by sex, age, etc.).
Information on all current and potential WASH partners, their capacities and areas of work (including Who, What, Where and When) are properly collected, analyzed and fed back to partners
Adequate WASH outcome reporting and effective information sharing (with government and other partner support) to demonstrate closing the gaps.
Provide support to UNICEF WASH team for quality monitoring and reporting on its response
Facilitate documentation of sector and UNICEF impact stories
WASH Climate Change Strategy
Support City of Harare in the development of the WASH Climate Change Strategy
Facilitate and support implementation of urban WASH resilience activities in urban areas, including City of Harare and Bulawayo
Monitoring, Technical Support and Reporting
Provide overall technical guidance to Implementing partners, Rural District Councils (RDCs) and Department of WASH Coordination (DWASHCo) to carry out WASH emergency humanitarian programme delivery, formulate, implement and monitor planned WASH activities while ensuring alignment with the country strategies and Quality of rights-based approach.
Conduct field visits to cyclone affected areas as required in coordination with the RDCs and other government counterparts and ensure dissemination of findings with the appropriate authorities for necessary action
Support donor missions to cyclone affected areas
Collaborate with the design and effective implementation of a monitoring plan to follow up the implementation of UNICEF’s emergency humanitarian response in the WASH sector, incorporating required changes into WASH activities, with special attention to special needs of women, children and people with disabilities and other cross-cutting areas.
Provide Emergency WASH situation reports, field reports and donor update reports as and when required with inputs from IPs and RDCs
Support collation of data from the field including making inputs for donor proposals
Promote effective Knowledge management and communication through sharing good practice, lessons learned, including providing inputs /liaising with Communications on Human-Interest Story for reporting and advocacy purposes
Ensure UNICEF’s engagement and contribution/participation in cross-sectoral assessment, analysis and evaluations of the emergency response such as Damage Loss Assessment (DLA), Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA), Post Distribution Monitoring of Supplies
WASH and UNICEF Section Interactions
Provide technical support to the WASH section in emergency preparedness and response plans, based on WASH emergency programmatic requirements
In coordination with other members of the WASH team, explore possibilities to strengthen UNICEF’s WASH regular/development programme/intervention through recovery/reconstruction/stabilization activities
Support convergence and joint implementation with other UNCIEF sections.
Qualifications and Experience
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
An advanced University degree in any of the following disciplines; Civil/ Environmental/ Water/ Mechanical Engineering, Public Health or other technical sciences related to the WASH field. * A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 10 years of relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.
At least 5 years of field experience in management and technical assistance to WASH programmes in developing countries, including emergencies.
Knowledge of WASH sector as a whole and its priority issues; an ability to strategize on how sectoral needs are met through collective delivery, and ensuring that the roles, responsibilities and functional linkages among Cluster support team are clear and well-coordinated.
Proven experience supporting government agencies, international organizations, and development partners for the delivery of WASH services in humanitarian situations.
Strong knowledge of WASH sector IM needs and broader response IM needs.
Strong knowledge of Google Earth Excel and preferably MS Access or other databases.
Ability to present information in understandable tables, charts and graphs.
Knowledge of multi-variable mapping techniques.
Data storage and file management expertise.
Assessment, survey, and monitoring and evaluation expertise.
Knowledge of ArcGIS or other mapping software.
Knowledge & experience of WASH emergency activities & management of WASH Emergency response programmes.
Demonstrable understanding and experience of cross cutting issues including disability and gender equity issues and their relevance to humanitarian response work.
Strong report writing skills.
Previous experience in a UN agency will be an advantage.
How to Apply
If interested and available to undertake the consultancy, please submit your application online and attach the required documents including the technical and an all-inclusive financial proposal (detailing professional fees, DSA, airfare etc. where necessary). This consultancy involves 30 field travel days. UNICEF will provide transport support for the field trips related to this assignment.
