To contract the services of a Team Leader/Gender and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Expert with sub-Contracted Team Members

Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action, and peace and security.

The communities of Northern Clarendon and West Kingston face significant human security issues. The complexities and the interconnectedness of these issues can only be addressed by undertaking effective and rights-based interventions to reduce poverty and to bolster economic growth, particularly those that serve to improve people’s health and livelihood systems as well as build climate resilience. For communities to be truly resilient they must be organized, be able to manage their natural resources, be knowledgeable and have access to the requisite infrastructure and systems to support their development. A multi-sectoral human security approach addresses multiple and interrelated insecurities and builds on synergies to maximize efficiency and sustainability.

It is estimated that 70% of Jamaica’s population is supplied with water via house connections from the National Water Commission (NWC). The remaining 30% obtains water from standpipes, water trucks, wayside tanks, community catchment tanks, rainwater catchment tanks and direct access to rivers and streams. Approximately 30% of the population is served by sewerage facilities operated by the NWC. With groundwater representing 84 % of the island’s exploitable water, and stream flow data indicating deficits in several major rivers, water security is an important national concern. Already recognized as a critical development challenge and inhibitor of economic growth, water insecurity contributes to poverty and further impacts economic, food, health and environmental security. Rural communities have been disproportionately impacted by poor access to water for economic and social activities such as agriculture and household use. Only 40 % of the rural population has piped water supply and the draft Water Sector Policy estimates that 13 % of rural residents get water from risky sources.

Jamaica’s National Water Sector Policy is being revised with a view to ensuring that the abovementioned challenges are addressed. The clear majority of the population that experience challenges with water access and supply are poor; and it is widely acknowledged that gender inequality places poor women and their families at an even greater disadvantage. The disproportionate family responsibilities of women in particular, limits their potential in both income and non-income dimensions. For example, their limited income earning capacities limits their ability to access and procure water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services. The greater amount of time spent on domestic duties and care work (such as washing, cooking, and other duties required for household and child care) are often unpaid and unremunerated, but require a greater utilisation of WASH services.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objectives of the assignment

Under the overall supervision of the UN Women MCO - Caribbean Representative, the Team Leader/Gender and WASH Expert, will be contracted to undertake a Gender Aware Beneficiary Assessment (GABA) of the delivery of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Services (WASH) provided by the National Water Commission (NWC) and other relevant service providers to the residents of Northern Clarendon and West Kingston areas.

The GABA is mainly intended to provide data and information on the gender dimensions of the procedural and operational limitations that beneficiaries experience in accessing WASH services. Effective approaches and good practices currently employed in the service delivery systems of the NWC and other service providers will also be highlighted in the analysis.

The geographical scope of the assessment will include the Northern Clarendon and West Kingston areas. The population in these areas experience geological susceptibility to drought; high rates of poverty and unemployment; limited alternative livelihood opportunities; limited climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction efforts at the community level; crime and violence; critical water security and sanitation challenges, the impacts of which are even more significant in poor and vulnerable groups where unemployment and poverty are high; and education and skills are low. Consequently, the coping mechanisms to shocks (to be identified during the conduct of the GABA) will need to be strengthened.  In West Kingston, the communities experience environmental issues. Some communities have challenges with accessing consistent piped water, further exacerbated by the drought conditions in 2014 and 2015. On average, over 50% of households received water piped into their yard from a public source, but some communities have inconsistent water pressure. In both communities, residents in some areas access water from communal water sources which, if not managed efficiently, can cause public health issues as well as potential conflict around water usage. Pollution is also a major environmental issue, as illegal dumping of garbage has led to blocked drainage systems and, in times of heavy rainfall, to flooding of households.

The GABA will identify and map the entire cycle of the beneficiaries’ interface with the NWC and other relevant service providers, in the abovementioned two areas of West Kingston and Northern Clarendon, in order to rigorously assess the gender dimensions of the bottlenecks in policies and operations of the services. The GABA will clarify beneficiaries’ experiences in engaging with the NWC, starting from the application stage and/or the initial point at which the beneficiaries interact with the service provided by the institution.

Gender-based vulnerabilities and disparities result in men and women experiencing poverty differently. Consequently, the differential experiences of male and female beneficiaries will be a key component of the methodology of the GABA. Furthermore, the disproportionate responsibility that women bear in caring for children and other dependents implies that their experiences in accessing WASH services may differ from those of some men who may not have these responsibilities.  

The GABA will assist the NWC and other relevant service providers, in probing further into beneficiaries’ experiences with accessing WASH services and specifically whether services are considered affordable, delivered efficiently and in a manner that is responsive to the needs of clients; and in particular from a gender lens. The GABA will also provide insight to issues pertaining to water quality, sanitation and hygiene. Discussions with women and men beneficiaries will also include questions related to what further support they require to address their difference and disproportionate needs.

The GABA methodology will take this into account the demographic profiles of the population in both the West Kingston and Clarendon areas. Variables such as location (i.e. rural vs. urban), age, levels of education and skills and employment status among other key characteristics, will be analysed from a gender lens.

Finally, recommendations for procedural and operational reform of the NWC, and other relevant service providers, will be put forward, based on the results of the GABA with the intent of informing the finalisation of the National Water Sector Policy.

The methodology utilised will be a mix of desktop research of previous Beneficiary Assessments carried out by the NWC and other service providers, if available; as well as participatory discussions with beneficiaries and officials and staff of these institutions. The methodology will also ensure that the NWC’s staff capacity is strengthened to conduct gender-responsive Beneficiary Assessments.

Scope of Work and Deliverables

The Team Leader/Gender and WATSAN Expert is expected to be in Jamaica for the full duration of the consultant; and sub-contract within her/his team qualified members. The Team Leader and his/her team are expected to deliver the following results:

•  Develop and review existing methodologies utilised by UN Women and other organisations in conducting Gender Aware Beneficiary Assessments (GABA) and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Assessments.

• Based on this review, develop a robust methodology for the Gender Aware Beneficiary Assessment (GABA) of WASH services for Northern Clarendon and West Kingston. The components of the GABA will include at a minimum:
  • Desktop Review of relevant policy, institutional, programme and operational documents relevant for the NWC and other service providers. 
  • Focus groups with male and female beneficiaries, taking into account important variables such as location (i.e. rural, urban suburban, etc.), age, employment status among others to be identified.
  • Individual interviews with male and female beneficiaries, taking into account important variables such as location (i.e. rural, urban suburban, etc.), age, employment status among others to be identified.
  • An observation component which will allow for an assessment of how beneficiaries and services providers interact.
  • The Methodology must also ensure strengthened capacity of NWC staff to replicate this process in the future. Additional components of the methodology may be included based on contextual need and relevance for the National Water Sector Policy, the NWC and other service providers.
• Development and drafting of the GABA research tools and instruments, drawing from existing international tools and best practices.
• Coordination of the execution of all the GABA components to ensure a completion of the exercise as outlined in the methodology to be developed.
• Analysis of the data and information from the conduct of the GABA.
• Drafting of the Report “Gender Aware Beneficiary Assessment of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Service Delivery System for Northern Clarendon and West Kingston.” This report must be limited to a set number of pages and in accordance with a report structure agreed to with UN Women.
• Presentation of the Draft Report in a validation meeting with the NWC, other relevant service providers and representatives of the UN Country Team for Jamaica.
• Conduct of a 2-Day Capacity Building Workshop for Staff of the NWC and other relevant service providers to be identified, on the GABA Methodology.
• Presentation of the Final Report in a Dissemination Meeting on the Results of the “Gender Aware Beneficiary Assessment of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Service Delivery System for Northern Clarendon and West Kingston.

Reporting Requirements

The consultant will work under the overall supervision of the UN Women MCO-Caribbean Representative, with direct reporting to UN Women Programme Specialist for Economic Empowerment and Statistics.

Competencies

Core Values/Guiding Principles:

• Respect for Diversity;
• Integrity;
• Professionalism.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies:

http://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/about%20us/employment/un-women-employment-values-and-competencies-definitions-en.pdf.

Functional Competencies:

• Strong gender and social research and analytical skills.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills including the conveying complex concepts and recommendations, in a clear and persuasive style tailored to match different audiences.
• Ability to interact independently as part of a team.
• Ability to multi-task and operate effectively in stressful situations.

Required Skills and Experience

Required skills and experience:

Education:

The Team Leader/Gender and WASH Expert should herself/himself meet the following criteria:

• Advanced University Degree in any of the following: Civil Engineering, Environmental Public Health, Mechanical Engineering, Geology, Hydrogeology, Sanitation Engineering or equivalent.

The Team Leader will be assessed on the qualifications members of his/her team who should, either individually or combined, possess the following:

• Advanced University Degree in Gender and Development, Sociology, Public Health, Public Policy or equivalent.

Experience:

The Team Leader/Gender and WASH Expert should herself/himself meet the following criteria:

• Minimum/At least ten years of experience working on water, sanitation and participatory approaches in health and hygiene promotion.
• Minimum/At least ten years conducting participatory social research in CARICOM, evidenced by a written body of work, is required.
• Minimum/At least five years working on gender equality and/or human rights is required.
•  Specific experience working on gender and WASH in the Jamaican context is an asset.
• Experience working on programmes to prevent open defecation is an asset.

The Team Leader will be assessed on the strength of the members of his/her team whose skillsets either individually or combined, should meet the following criteria:

• Minimum/At least five years of experience working on health and hygiene promotion.
• Minimum at least five years gender policy analysis and/or gender research.

Languages :

• Fluency in English is required.

References:

• Minimum of three client references that include the name of the contact person, title and contact information.

Remuneration:

• The consultancy fee will be negotiated before contracting. Each payment will be based on a predefined and formal agreement between UN Women and the consultant and will be disbursed based on satisfactory completion of agreed deliverables.

Hardware, Software and Communication:

• The consultant must be equipped with a laptop, which must be portable and must run at least Windows 7. The consultant must be reasonably accessible by email and telephone (preferably mobile). The use of reliable, internet-based (Skype or equivalent) is required.

Location and Duration:

• The consultancy will be based in Jamaica.
• The consultant will be engaged for a maximum of 70 working days during the period 1st  April  – 31st August 2019.

Other

• Interviews will be conducted with the consultant.
• The consultant contracted will be required to sign a statement of confidentiality and freedom from any conflict of interest with potential future contractors with respect to the TORs and work that they will be delivering.
• The consultant should submit, along with his/her application, the curriculum vitae of team members.

Note:

Submissions to UNDP Jobs are limited to a maximum of 10 MB, virus-free or corrupted contents to avoid rejection, and no more than 1 email transmission.   As such, all application materials must be scanned into one document and submitted.

All applications must be submitted through UNDP jobs.  Please do not send applications to UN Women staff as they will not be accepted.