Details
Mission and objectives
UNICEF is supporting health, nutrition, HIV prevention, education, access to safe drinking water, sanitation and protection for children and families caught in the conflict.
Context
This United Nations Volunteers (UNV) assignment is part of UNICEF Ukraine's WASH programme, specifically supporting the coordination of WASH restoration and infrastructure development activities in conflict-affected communities across Ukraine.
Now in the fourth year of full-scale armed conflict, Ukraine's water and sanitation infrastructure faces critical degradation. Thousands of water supply and wastewater facilities have been damaged or destroyed, leaving millions of people — particularly children — without reliable access to safe water. Restoring and modernizing WASH infrastructure is essential not only for public health but for Ukraine's broader recovery, resilience, and EU integration trajectory. UNICEF, as WASH Cluster lead, coordinates a large portfolio of infrastructure restoration projects implemented through government partners, NGOs, and civil society organizations, requiring robust programme management, technical oversight, and strategic coordination.
Key stakeholders include the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine (MinDev), regional and local authorities, vodokanals and communal enterprises, international financial institutions (EIB, World Bank, EBRD), and NGO/CSO implementing partners. Programme outcomes include restored WASH services for conflict-affected populations, strengthened institutional capacity of utilities and local authorities, and evidence-based infrastructure planning aligned with national recovery frameworks. Further information: www.unicef.org/ukraine. Ukraine is undergoing an extensive recovery effort following the devastation caused by conflict, with significant damage to critical infrastructure, including water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems.
The destruction of key facilities, such as the Kakhovka dam, has severely disrupted water and sanitation services impacting public health and essential services.
The Ministry for Restoration is pivotal role to this recovery, leading efforts to rehabilitate infrastructure vital for the well-being of the population and economic revitalization. Given the complexity of the recovery, the Ministry requires expert advisory support to guide the restoration of WASH infrastructure. This role is particularly important to ensure that recovery efforts are sustainable, aligned with international standards, and designed to meet the immediate and long-term needs of affected communities. Furthermore, the role must address the integration of cross-cutting issues such as gender, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability, which are essential for equitable, inclusive and resilient development. The technical advisor will play a crucial role in developing the Ministry's strategy for rebuilding WASH systems, bringing specialized knowledge and a global perspective to Ukraine's restoration agenda. The purpose of this assignment is to provide high-level strategic and technical advisory support to the Minister for Restoration, specifically in the rehabilitation of WASH infrastructure.
Now in the fourth year of full-scale armed conflict, Ukraine's water and sanitation infrastructure faces critical degradation. Thousands of water supply and wastewater facilities have been damaged or destroyed, leaving millions of people — particularly children — without reliable access to safe water. Restoring and modernizing WASH infrastructure is essential not only for public health but for Ukraine's broader recovery, resilience, and EU integration trajectory. UNICEF, as WASH Cluster lead, coordinates a large portfolio of infrastructure restoration projects implemented through government partners, NGOs, and civil society organizations, requiring robust programme management, technical oversight, and strategic coordination.
Key stakeholders include the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine (MinDev), regional and local authorities, vodokanals and communal enterprises, international financial institutions (EIB, World Bank, EBRD), and NGO/CSO implementing partners. Programme outcomes include restored WASH services for conflict-affected populations, strengthened institutional capacity of utilities and local authorities, and evidence-based infrastructure planning aligned with national recovery frameworks. Further information: www.unicef.org/ukraine. Ukraine is undergoing an extensive recovery effort following the devastation caused by conflict, with significant damage to critical infrastructure, including water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems.
The destruction of key facilities, such as the Kakhovka dam, has severely disrupted water and sanitation services impacting public health and essential services.
The Ministry for Restoration is pivotal role to this recovery, leading efforts to rehabilitate infrastructure vital for the well-being of the population and economic revitalization. Given the complexity of the recovery, the Ministry requires expert advisory support to guide the restoration of WASH infrastructure. This role is particularly important to ensure that recovery efforts are sustainable, aligned with international standards, and designed to meet the immediate and long-term needs of affected communities. Furthermore, the role must address the integration of cross-cutting issues such as gender, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability, which are essential for equitable, inclusive and resilient development. The technical advisor will play a crucial role in developing the Ministry's strategy for rebuilding WASH systems, bringing specialized knowledge and a global perspective to Ukraine's restoration agenda. The purpose of this assignment is to provide high-level strategic and technical advisory support to the Minister for Restoration, specifically in the rehabilitation of WASH infrastructure.
Task description
Coordinator for the WASH restoration and infrastructure development will provide high-level strategic, technical, and policy advisory support to accelerate Ukraine's WASH sector recovery, reform, and EU integration. The Advisor will:
- Develop risk assessment frameworks and contingency protocols for WASH infrastructure resilience under active conflict conditions, including advice to the Minister on rapid-response mechanisms for service disruptions;
- Facilitate establishment of a national WASH Task Force and operationalize the Water Sector Working Group (Water SWG), advising on inter-agency coordination between MinDev, regional vodokanals, IFIs, and international partners;
- Provide advisory support for drafting regulatory and normative legal acts aligned with EU Directives (Urban Wastewater, Drinking Water) and Ukrainian legislative frameworks, supporting the corporatization and PPP reform agenda;
- Advise on design and delivery of capacity-building programmes for regional and local authorities, with emphasis on planning, procurement, and M&E of WASH infrastructure projects;
- Establish a national M&E framework with KPIs linked to Ukraine's National Recovery Plan (NRP) and RDNA findings, ensuring transparent tracking of WASH recovery progress;
- Support resource mobilization by developing high-priority project proposals for international donors (EU, IFIs, bilateral) and advising on financial mechanisms including EIB and EBRD instruments;
- Mainstream gender equality, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability into WASH recovery strategies, ensuring alignment with UNICEF's equity mandate and vulnerable population needs;
- Provide strategic advisory input to strengthen the E-Water digital platform as a national WASH monitoring and data management tool, supporting its institutionalization under MinDev.
- Develop risk assessment frameworks and contingency protocols for WASH infrastructure resilience under active conflict conditions, including advice to the Minister on rapid-response mechanisms for service disruptions;
- Facilitate establishment of a national WASH Task Force and operationalize the Water Sector Working Group (Water SWG), advising on inter-agency coordination between MinDev, regional vodokanals, IFIs, and international partners;
- Provide advisory support for drafting regulatory and normative legal acts aligned with EU Directives (Urban Wastewater, Drinking Water) and Ukrainian legislative frameworks, supporting the corporatization and PPP reform agenda;
- Advise on design and delivery of capacity-building programmes for regional and local authorities, with emphasis on planning, procurement, and M&E of WASH infrastructure projects;
- Establish a national M&E framework with KPIs linked to Ukraine's National Recovery Plan (NRP) and RDNA findings, ensuring transparent tracking of WASH recovery progress;
- Support resource mobilization by developing high-priority project proposals for international donors (EU, IFIs, bilateral) and advising on financial mechanisms including EIB and EBRD instruments;
- Mainstream gender equality, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability into WASH recovery strategies, ensuring alignment with UNICEF's equity mandate and vulnerable population needs;
- Provide strategic advisory input to strengthen the E-Water digital platform as a national WASH monitoring and data management tool, supporting its institutionalization under MinDev.
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