WASH Consultancy (Iranian Nationals only)

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1.            Background/Rationale

Access to improved drinking water supply in Iran is high and stands at 96.2% while 3.8% of the population is using unimproved water sources. Access to improved sanitation is 90%, and 10% is unimproved. The rainy season in Iran is between October to March and the rest of the year is dry. Rainfall ranges from 1,280 mm per year in the North to only 100 mm in the Center and South. In the recent decades, per capita, water access dropped from 7,000 cubic meters in 2004 to 2,000 cubic meters in 2020. Annual water production is estimated at 93 billion cubic meters with 92% of water being used for agriculture, 6% for domestic use, and 2% for industrial needs. In recent years, Iran has faced several natural disasters including drought, earthquakes, floods, and major water scarcity in some parts of the country. 

UNICEF WASH strategy and response plan will address water and sanitation needs of the refugee populations and will be implemented in a 2-tier (hybrid) approach over a 12-month period, built on an initial emergency WASH interventions and simultaneously building a durable water and sanitation infrastructure based on the Government of Iran guidance and overall sectoral needs. Emergency WASH interventions, such as water tankering and provision of emergency pre-fabricated latrines, will be implemented only in case of refugee influx occurs suddenly and exceeds available capacity to accommodate them in the camps. UNICEF will also support the Government of Iran in the installation of WASH facilities in urban and peri-urban settlements, provide technical assistance to the relevant authorities in designing and construction of water and sanitation systems.

UNICEF’s WASH interventions will be implemented in three main border provinces of Sistan and Baluchestan, South Khorasan, and Khorasan Razavi and address refugee needs in camps and host communities.

UNICEF will comply with UNHCR planning figures and threshold on the target population and address refugee needs in water and sanitation services in 5 refugee camps (40,000 beneficiaries) and host communities (250,000 beneficiaries).

2.            Purpose & Objectives

In light of the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and the possible influx of refugees to Iran, the overall goal of UNICEF is to provide technical, financial, and coordination support to the Government of Iran in its efforts to provide appropriate water, sanitation, and hygiene services to the refugee populations. Specifically, UNICEF will support the Bureau of Alien and Foreign Immigrant Affairs (BAFIA) to coordinate various actors and resources while establishing, operating, and maintaining sufficient water and sanitation services for the affected populations in the camps. UNICEF will also collaborate and support the Ministry of Energy (MoE) to address the water and sanitation needs of host communities. This support will be guided by the Humanitarian Principles requiring UNICEF to take urgent and appropriate measures to provide equitable services for all and fill the critical gaps when and where needed.

The key elements UNICEF WASH strategy for refugees and host communities include:

•             Provision of quality technical assistance and coordination of the WASH sector;

•             Provision of safe, equitable, and sufficient access to water – both in quantity and quality – for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene;

•             Provision of access to safe, appropriate, and locally acceptable sanitation facilities;

•             Provision of appropriate solid waste management facilities and services as needed;

•             Support sustainable Operation and Maintenance (O&M) of WASH facilities in camps through the development of relevant protocols, monitoring systems, and involvement of the user committees; 

•             Provision of access to culturally appropriate, gender- and age-sensitive information, services, and supplies related to hygiene promotion and adoption of safe hygiene practices;

•             Development and implementation of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) protocol and standards including awareness campaigns;

•             Address the ongoing risks of Covid-19 through the integration of Covid-19 information and awareness into hygiene promotion and community engagement, and provision of the necessary supplies to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the community;

•             Provision of safe access to, and use of, appropriate WASH services in institutions such as health centers, schools, and other community facilities;

•             Use of Market Based Approaches to address WASH needs where appropriate;

3.            Scope

The Incumbent will work closely with the local authorities and agencies providing WASH services in refugee camps and host communities. S/he will provide technical and engineering support in planning, construction, monitoring and evaluation of specific activities in WASH response to the Afghan Refugee Crisis in Iran. 

4.            Responsibilities / Key Assignments

The Incumbent under the supervision of the UNICEF Emergency Coordinator will undertake the key assignments listed below:

•             Contribute to coordination between WASH humanitarian partners (UN agencies, national and international NGOs, CBOs, etc.), through the establishment of WASH sector working groups to ensure complementarity of WASH humanitarian actions and linkages with other sector working groups;

•             Contribute to the development of adequate WASH emergency preparedness and response plan and its gradual transition to the longer-term sustainable WASH interventions;

•             Facilitate identification of gaps in WASH services provision, draft/recommend update WASH response and action plans and advocate for addressing the sectoral needs and critical gaps;

•             Ensure those sector actors are aware of relevant policy guidelines, technical standards and assist WASH agencies and sector working groups to ensure that WASH responses are in line with existing policy guidance and technical standards;

•             Facilitate monitoring of WASH interventions and progress against implementation plans with disaggregated indicators for adequacy of WASH services in terms of quantity, quality, coverage, etc. and access of disadvantaged and marginalized groups;

•             Facilitate timely information sharing on WASH activities with WASH partners;

•             Facilitate/assist tracking of WASH supplies and the monitoring of the end-use of delivered supplies;

•             Facilitate the integration of agreed priority cross-cutting issues in WASH emergency assessments, analysis, planning, monitoring, and response (e.g. children and women, gender, age, diversity, environment, COVID and human rights);

5.            Time Frame

The Incumbent will be hired for a six months period from December 2021 to May 2022. Within this period, he/she is expected to provide a monthly progress report on implementation activities, progress made, lessons learned, and recommendations for improvement.

6.            Qualifications and Experience of Incumbent

•             University degree in water and sanitation management, water supply engineering, sanitation, water operations, Public Health Engineering or other related technical fields;

•             Minimum of five years WASH programming experience;

•             Previous experience in assessment/survey of water, sanitation, and hygiene situation in camps, communities, schools, and/or other institutions;

•             Experience in management of WASH interventions in camps and host communities;

•             Knowledge/experience of data collection, analysis, and interpretation tools and programs;

•             Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships with government partners, communities, and WASH actors;

•             Previous work experience with the UN and/or NGO will be an advantage;

•             Familiarity with UNICEF processes and procedures, as well as operational and implementation modalities will be an advantage;

•             Good writing skills, fluency in written and spoken Persian (Farsi) and English;

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

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.

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.