Consultancy: Governance and Finance Adviser, Sanitation Water for All (SWA), Remote Based (90 days – 17 Jan – 31 Dec 2022) REQ#546709

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.

And we never give up.

For every child, clean water…

Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) is a global partnership of over 300 partners, including governments, private sector and civil society organizations, external support agencies, research and learning institutions, utilities and regulators working together to catalyse political leadership and action, improve accountability and use scarce resources more effectively. Partners work towards a common vision of sanitation, hygiene and water for all, always and everywhere.

How can you make a difference?

The Secretariat of the SWA global partnership is hosted by UNICEF at its Headquarters in New York and Geneva. Several Secretariat Members are posted with various SWA partners including IRC in the Netherlands, AMCOW, IADB, Lis-Water, MARI-FANSA and WaterAid. The SWA Secretariat, as the operational arm of the Partnership and of the Steering Committee, is responsible for supporting the implementation of the partnership’s strategy 2020 to 2030 that focuses on three objectives:

1. Build and sustain the political will to eliminate inequalities in water, sanitation and hygiene
2. Champion multi-stakeholder approaches towards achieving universal access to services
3. Rally stakeholders to strengthen system performance and attract new investments

The first two objectives build on previous strategic focus areas on which the Secretariat had developed capacity. However, the third objective is an area where SWA has more recently started to engage systematically with its partners outside the cycle of the Finance Ministers’ Meetings.

Accordingly, the SWA Secretariat has recently hired a Senior WASH consultant to lead the political dialogues with priority countries on finance and prepare a learning note on the key bottlenecks, opportunities and solutions identified. The Secretariat is now looking for a skilled Good Governance and Finance Expert to work had in hand with the Senior Financing Consultant to support the secretariat in various areas such as liaising with the Systems and Finance Work Group; provide strategic advice on good governance, including accountability, transparency and integrity, strengthening the sector’s building blocks, including implementation of the financial aspects of the SWA framework, including improvement of sector performance; supporting the development of national and sub-sector financing strategies; supporting the identification of new sources of finance and promoting greater efficiency in the use of existing sources and other finance related matters to the SWA CEO, Senior Management Team and partners. 

Indicative activities and deliverable(s)	Duration (days)	Deadline
Instalment Deliverables   Duration (Estimated # of Days) Deadline   Principle support to Systems and Finance Work Group Monthly on-going 31 December 2022   Support to the Secretariat’s Country Engagement Team, as well as to the Objective 3 Priority Countries on good governance and finance Monthly on-going 31 December 2022   Provide strategic advice on good governance and finance related matters to the SWA CEO and Senior Management Team Monthly on-going 31 December 2022   Input to good governance and finance related events in which the SWA leadership is involved, as needed Monthly on-going 31 December 2022   Analyze and provide support to countries on the implementation of finance and good governance related commitments of the mutual accountability mechanism Monthly on-going 31 December 2022   Produce papers and learning notes on good governance and financing related matters including on SDG and development finance as needed by the SWA Secretariat and its partners Monthly on-going 31 December 2022   Conceptualize and roll out a dissemination plan for the Finance Ministers Handbook.   Monthly on-going 31 December 2022   Initiate the conceptualization of the 2023 FMM and support the CEG to identify priority countries on WASH Finance for 2023   Monthly on-going 31 December 2022   Ad-hoc support to the Secretariat Monthly on-going 31 December 2022   Total 90 days

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

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in economics, business administration or relevant social sciences.
• At least ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in development finance and high-level multilateral and multi-stakeholder platforms and partnerships, incl. international financial agencies, governmental authorities, private sector and NGOs
• Experience in WASH is not a prerequisite, but would be welcomed
• Experience working with national government(s) in areas related to good governance and finance is strongly desirable
• Excellent drafting and communication skills.
• Ability to work independently but in collaboration with a variety of stakeholders
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Core Competencies

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (1)
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)
• Works Collaboratively with others (2)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (2)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)
• Drives to achieve impactful results (2)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)

Functional Competencies

• Analysing (2)
• Persuading and influencing (1)
• Applying technical expertise (2)
• Learning and researching (2)
• Planning and organizing (1)

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.

UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. This position is not considered an elevated risk role. However, UNICEF reserves the right to conduct further vetting/ assessment within the scope of child safeguarding as appropriate.

Remarks:

Apply:

• 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.

PROPOSED PAYMENT SCHEDULE

By Deliverable (Monthly)

Payment upon deliverables/milestones:  UNICEF will only make milestone payment based on achievement of specific deliverables as listed on the table above. These payments should be stated in terms of percentage.  Also note that UNICEF does not make advance payment except under certain conditions in line with UNICEF Financial Rules and Regulations.

Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed 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

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.

If selected for this consultancy, the resulting appointment will be limited to SWA, a UNICEF Hosted Fund.