WASH Officer (Sub sector Coordinator), NO-A, Aleppo, Syria

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.

Purpose for the job :

The purpose of this post is to support the UNICEF work programming as well as, on behalf of UNICEF as Cluster Lead Agency (CLA) in the field office, is to facilitate the process that will ensure a well- coordinated, coherent, effective and timely WASH response through its government counterparts and other implementing partners on the ground.

Under the direct supervision of the chief of field office in Aleppo, and technical guidance of the WASH sector coordinator in Damascus, and the technical guidance of the WASH Officer (NOB) in Aleppo, the WASH Officer/ WASH Sub Sector Coordinator will be responsible for supporting coordination, information management and monitoring of sector progress and program impacts in an aim to reduce duplication and maximize coverage among implementing partners in (water production, delivery and distribution), sanitation and environmental management services. The incumbent will work closely with all implementing partners, relevant departments, water board directorates, counterparts, SARC, to ensure that ongoing & emergency WASH needs are adequately addressed by implementing partners and coordinated in all affected areas to set priorities and fill gaps.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities: (i) The post holder, on behalf of UNICEF Field Office and National Sector Coordinator, has a joint responsibility to lead the sector in close collaboration with SARC, in support of the sector department and facilitate the processes that will ensure a well-coordinated, coherent and effective response of all WASH sector partners; (ii) as well under the technical guidance of the WASH Officer (NOB) in Aleppo, has responsibility to assist the UNICEF WASH section in achieving ints gols envisaged in annuwal work plnas

Key duties/tasks

• Maintain regular contacts with all relevant sector stakeholders, both national and international and facilitate WASH sector coordination, documentation and harmonized response;
• Closely work with AHCT and OCHA and represent and share sector progress, gap and develop appropriate action plan to overcome these limitations faced by local population in the programme areas;
• Maintain good working relationship with ICRC for complementary and converging results without any duplication of efforts on the ground;
• Formulate and facilitate use of sector assessment tools and techniques for systematically carry out quick/rapid assessment in onset of any emergency and also develop appropriate monitoring checklists and guideline for periodic monitoring including gender aspects as well;  
• Facilitate and carry out joint need assessment of the host population and IDPs in most vulnerable and hard to reached areas affected by ongoing conflict in targeted governorates;
• Collect, compile and manage flow of information and disseminate in an appropriate ways that facilitate sub sector partners in designing and implementing projects and programmes at local levels;
• Support and guide in formulation of contingency plan (preparedness/response plan) for a particular areas of the governorates in case of emergency scenario with possible influx of IDPs;
• Support and facilitate in developing preparedness plan with tentative case load and mobilize partners to maintain minimum life-saving WASH stocks for quick response to alleviate human suffering;
• Carry out regular joint monitoring with sector partners and counterparts of ongoing WASH interventions and document key learning and areas of improvement if required in future;
• Facilitate and contribute in carrying out sector assessment, study and evaluation of WASH response at local level in collaboration with sector partners with respect to formulation of HNO/HRP initiative undertaken at national level.

• Collect and maintain weekly/monthly/bi monthly/quarterly progress report including collection of 4Ws update from all sector partners and share with CFO, National Sector Coordinator and IM officer;

• Develop and strengthen local level information management system and capacity of sector partners through regular orientation and training as appropriate;
• Inform the chief of field office, sector coordinator of any critical gaps in the response that cannot be covered by any sector partners and that requires the chief of field office or the sector lead is required to intervene
• Undertakes and assists with assessment of local conditions resulting from the WASH emergency situation affecting children and women in Syria. Determines priorities for interventions.
• Assist UNICEF WASH Programme/Project Management in Aleppo. Ensure the availability of accurate, complete and up-to-date information required for effective UNICEF WASH programme and project design, implementation, management, monitoring and evaluation. Draft sound UNICEF WASH programme budgets for review by the supervisor including steps to enhance emergency preparedness and response.
• Enhance programme efficiency and effectiveness through evidence based approach and implementation follow-on, including monitoring UNICEF inputs, local conditions and resources, flow of supply, non-supply and emergency assistance and WASH programme status.
• Analyze collected data and information and prepare progress reports; draft changes in UNICEF WASH project work plans and assist in identification of required supplies and equipment (for both development and emergency orientated activities) as well as in the drafting of Country Programme Recommendation and other programme documentation, assuring accuracy and consistency with established rules, regulations and plans of action.
• Ensure the appropriateness of financial, administrative and supply documentation; verify that UNICEF WASH programme expenditures are within allotments and that data is consistent with the programme information and database (e.g., FLS, SAP). Follow up on queries or initiate corrective action on discrepancies. Collaborate with Monitoring & Evaluation office on maintaining a gender & equity focus in WASH data collection and reporting.

Recruitment Qualifications:

Education:

University degree in one of the disciplines relevant to the following areas: Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Geology, Hydrology, Sanitation Engineering and Public Health, or a field relevant to international WASH related development assistance.

Additional training/orientation in cluster/sector coordination mechanism an advantage.

Experience:

Minimum one year of professional work experience in the UN and national government and field work experience in coordination and harmonized sector/cluster in an emergency situation.  

Background/familiarity with Emergency (preparedness and response will be considered an additional asset.

Languages:

Fluency in Arabic and English.

Competencies and level of proficiency required :

Core Values

• Commitment
• Diversity and inclusion
• Integrity

Core competencies

• Communication
• Working with people
• Drive for results

Functional Competencies:

• Applying technical expertise
• Analyzing
• Planning and organizing

Duration: One year