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Job no: 577821
Contract type: Fixed Term Appointment
Duty Station: Niamey
Level: NO-3
Location: Niger
Categories: WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene)
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.
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Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.
For every child, clean water.
Niger is a landlocked Sahelian country of 24 million population predominantly by young and rural people (81.3%). Children aged 0-14 is 51% of the total population and 20% for those aged 15-24. Although poverty has declined, inequality persists, as the progress made has been lost owing to a combination of many vulnerabilities. While two thirds of the country is a desert, it also experiences high population growth, accelerating natural disasters, the effects of climate change and significant insecurity in the cross-border regions of the central Sahel.
The current country program of UNICEF in Niger is aligned to the UNSDCF and covers the period 2023 – 2027 with the aim at ensuring all girls and boys, from birth through adolescence, survive, thrive, learn, develop to their full potential, are protected from all forms of violence and exploitation, and thus contribute to positive social change in their communities.
Niger is also particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, being ranked the second most vulnerable country in the world (ND-GAIN Country Index) and the seventh country where children are most at risk from climate change (UNICEF Children's Climate Risk Index, 2021).
Despite efforts to ensure access to water and sanitation for all, progress remains limited, particularly in rural areas and in IDP sites and host communities. According to the Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP, 2023), less than 50% of the population has access to basic drinking water, while 66% of the population still practices open defecation, with significant geographical and socio-economic disparities. Access to WASH services in schools and health/nutrition centres is also limited: in 2023, 75% of schools did not have access to safe drinking water, 57% did not have access to sanitation (JMP, 2023), and most schools and health centres did not have handwashing facilities.
How can you make a difference?
The WASH Specialist reports to the Chief of WASH 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
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 for programme implementation
● Actively monitor UNICEF-supported activities through field visits, surveys and exchange of information with 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 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, 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.
● 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.
● 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 national 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.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
● 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 are a strong asset.
● A minimum of five years of professional experience in WASH-related programmes is required.
● Fluency in French is required. Knowledge of English or another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.
For every Child, you demonstrate...
UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values
The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
● Builds and maintains partnerships (1)
● Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (1)
● Drive to achieve results for impact 1)
● Innovates and embraces change (1)
● Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)
● Thinks and acts strategically (7)
● Works collaboratively with others (1)
Advertised: 11 Dec 2024 W. Central Africa Standard Time
Deadline: 25 Dec 2024 W. Central Africa Standard Time
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