National Financing Consultant, Basic Sanitation Fund, Accra, Ghana (For Ghanaian National only)

UNICEF Ghana seeks the services of a highly experienced professional with a profound commitment to achieving impactful result for every child. The consultant will provide support for the financial close-out and documentation of the Basic Sanitation Fund (BSF) Pilot. The consultancy is based in Accra-Ghana for a duration of 45 working days spread over 2 months. The consultant will report to the WASH Specialist. ONLY Ghanaian nationals are eligible to apply.

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.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture., coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to safety. 

UNICEF has been the leading child-rights organization, and a respected partner, for saving and improving children’s lives. In Ghana, UNICEF cooperates with the Government and other partners to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to ensure equitable access to quality social services, and to expand children’s opportunities to reach their full potential. With offices in Accra and Tamale, the UNICEF team seeks to achieve results in strategic programme areas. The overall goal is for every child to survive and thrive, to live in a safe and clean environment, to learn, to be protected from violence and exploitation, and to have an equitable chance in life. The current Country Programme of cooperation is aligned with the Government priorities, the UN Sustainable Development Framework (UNSDF) and Key Results for Children (KRCs) in the West and Central African Region (immunization, nutrition, learning outcomes, ending violence and open defecation). UNICEF main strategies include evidence-based advocacy, system strengthening, integrated programming across sectors, emergency preparedness and response, and innovation.

Kindly click on the link https://www.unicef.org/ghana/ to know more about what we do.

How can you make a difference? 

The main purpose of the consultancy is to provide support for the financial close-out and documentation of the Basic Sanitation Fund (BSF) Pilot

Scope of Work:

UNICEF Ghana has been implementing the Basic Sanitation Fund pilot which aims at making financing affordable and accessible to household and small and medium enterprise active in sanitation.

APEX Bank has been the Fund Manager and has engaged eleven Financial Service Providers which comprise Rural Commercial Banks and Financial NGOs over the span of the pilot.

Throughout the pilot, UNICEF has provided technical oversight of the BSF with a dedicated team that has evolved over the pilot period and which at this point consists of Innovative Finance Specialist and one national consultant.

The BSF is being wound up and the funds managed by APEX will be returned to UNICEF in December 2025. As part of the close out process, a comprehensive compilation of all reports is required to ensure a smooth closure as well as contributing to informing future steps on innovative financing for sanitation.

The specific tasks required for the assignment include but are not limited to the following:

• Support the Innovative Financing and Partnership Specialist, in navigating the local banking and micro-financing context
• Obtain all official supporting documentation from FSPs and APEX Bank in relation to the disbursement of BSF loans, including beneficiary list
• Check the computational accuracy and consistency of submitted reports
• Create a filing and documentation archive for the report

To effectively deliver the outlined scope of work, expertise in financial management (micro-credit and loan management) with experience in banking and the BSF is required.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  ToR INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT - WASH FINANCE.docx

Financial Proposal:  Proposed Budget from Consultant - Financing Consultant, Basic Sanitation Fund.docx

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

Minimum requirements:

Education: 

• Masters degree or equivalent educational background in Financing, Banking, Business Development or any other related field linked to Financing, Micro-credit and Business Management 

Work Experience:

• At least 7 years of professional experience in the area of Financing, Banking and Business Development.
• Working experience with Mutual Savings and Loan Association (MSLA), micro-finance, credit and loan institutions and rural banks in Ghana is desirable.
• Proven experience of supporting Financial Service Providers (FSPs) and knowledge of SPs, knowledge of lending mechanisms, including the BSF would be an asset

Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) and/or local language(s) is an asset.

Desirables:

• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency.

How to Apply.

Interested Candidates should submit a one-page motivation/ application letter, Technical Proposal on how they will execute the assignment as well as the Financial Proposal, as per the attached template (stipulating the daily professional fees for the assignment)

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…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:  

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable females are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.