Consultancy: Climate Resilient Sanitation Consultant – WASH Section, PD, NYHQ/Home based – Req # 540425

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For every child, hope.

 

Consultancy Title: Climate Resilient Sanitation Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station: WASH/PD/NYHQ

Duration: 43 days

 

About UNICEF

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. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection, and development. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

It is estimated that over 4 billion people worldwide live without access to safely managed sanitation and with the current trajectories, the goal of universal access will not be achieved.  The impacts of climate change on sanitation systems, services and infrastructure are already being felt globally further worsening the deplorable sanitation situations and compromising water quality. Climate change is one of the main threats to the achievement of SDG 6.2. Yet, global and national climate policy rarely identifies the adaptation needs and mitigation opportunities of the sanitation sector, and use of climate finance for basic sanitation remains anecdotal. At the same time, it is also perceived that more guidance is needed for the sanitation sector to integrate climate resilience within sanitation policies, strategies and development plans.

Guided by GWP-UNICEF´s Strategic Framework for WASH climate resilient development, and as part of UNICEF’s commitment to mitigate, and adapt to, the impacts of climate change, UNICEF is incorporating climate resilience into its WASH programme to ensure that WASH services are climate resilient; programmes contribute to the resilience of communities, and technologies use low-carbon solutions where possible.

To support UNICEF’s commitment to scale-up climate resilient WASH programming, a number of guidance documents have been produced and some initiatives have been implemented to enhance the capacity of WASH staff on climate resilience. Building on all these initiatives, there is need to update GWP-UNICEF´s Strategic Framework for WASH climate resilient development, and strengthen the position of sanitation in the global climate resilient WASH agenda to better identify the risks posed by climate change to sanitation services and approaches, and to identify possible climate resilient and scalable solutions, while mobilizing the required support to address sanitation related climate challenges.

Enhancing the capacity of government and sector partners and UNICEF WASH staff on climate resilient sanitation programming is critical to the overall achievement of SDG 6, target 6.2 and to the organization’s goal and commitment. Hence this consultancy is aimed at strengthening sanitation sector guidance and the capacity of UNICEF to effectively scale-up climate resilient sanitation programme in line with the shift towards climate resilient WASH programming.

The consultancy has three main focus areas- landscaping review of the GWP-UNICEF’s Strategic Framework for WASH climate resilient development materials and other sector resources to identify gaps and what is needed to strengthen climate resilient sanitation; development of a technical brief on climate resilient sanitation; and rollout of the technical brief to UNICEF country offices and other sector partners.

The technical brief is to be developed to complement the Strategic Framework for WASH climate resilient development based on the identified gaps from the landscaping review of sector materials and provide more information on climate resilient sanitation.

 

Terms of Reference / Deliverables

Under the supervision of the WASH specialist, the consultant will:

• Conduct desk review of key WASH resources on climate resilient sanitation including the UNICEF’s Strategic Framework for WASH climate resilient development and its associated technical briefs, UNICEF’s Guidance Note on how to shift to climate resilient WASH programming and other relevant sector publications.
• Review the 2020 UNICEF results for sanitation and climate resilient sanitation to gain an understanding of the scale and context of the programming and current approaches being implemented.
• Hold online consultations and meetings with key UNICEF WASH staff at global, regional and country levels and key sector partners for better understanding of programme priority areas, emerging issues, approaches and strategies being adopted for climate resilient sanitation for both rural and urban settings.
• Develop the technical brief on “Linking risk with response: options for climate resilient sanitation and mitigation opportunities” with inputs from UNICEF and other key sector partners.
• Prepare a field note documenting experiences on climate resilient sanitation programme based on UNICEF and other partners’ experiences to identify what has worked, and what has not worked, and how existing approaches can be expanded. UNICEF countries to be selected for the field note can be drawn from those that are implementing climate resilient sanitation activities with focus on those countries implementing FCDO funded Accelerating Sanitation and Water Supply (ASWA) projects.
• Organize and deliver at least two webinars to present the technical brief and case studies on climate resilient sanitation programming to UNICEF WASH staff and other sector partners.
• Provide technical inputs and support the preparation of a chapter on climate resilient sanitation in the UNICEF Sanitation and Hygiene Team gameplan 2.0.
• Conduct a literature review on the impact of non-climate resilient sanitation on communities and sanitation programmes; and contribution of poor sanitation to greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and prepare a snapshot of the findings and recommendations.
• Provide technical inputs and support the preparation for the urban sanitation session at 2021 virtual Stockholm World Water Week (SWWW).
• Prepare final consultancy report with key recommendations on how to move forward and scale up climate resilient sanitation programme by UNICEF in line with the shift towards climate resilient WASH programmes.

Qualifications

• Advanced university degree in one of the disciplines relevant to the following areas:  Public Health, Behavioral and other Social sciences; Engineering, Climate change or another field relevant to WASH.
• A minimum of 8 years of professional experience in WASH programming. 
• A good working knowledge of recent developments and approaches on climate change adaptation, mitigation, and climate resilient sanitation. 
• Demonstrated experience implementing climate resilient sanitation approaches in different programme and climate contexts
• Experience in designing and implementing innovative climate resilient sanitation approaches, including urban wastewater treatment and reuse, would be a considered advantage
• Proven skills in analysis, synthesis and ability to communicate complex issues clearly and succinctly both orally and in writing.
• Strong communication skills (written and oral) in English are required.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated experience working in a multicultural environment.
• Passion and demonstrated commitment to UNICEF’s mission and core values
• Background/familiarity with UNICEF’s WASH programme will be an asset.

Requirements:

• Completed profile in UNICEF’s e-Recruitment system and provide Personal History Form (P11) Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include:
• your daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.