Cluster Coordinator-WASH in Emergencies Specialist, NO-C, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Temporary Appointment (TA) for 364 days - Only for Bangladeshi nationals

The Cluster Coordinator-WASH in Emergencies Specialist will provide this support as WASH cluster coordinator at the national level. At the same time, S/he will support the WASH section in UNICEF related humanitarian response in accordance with UNICEF’s Core Commitment for Children in Emergencies (CCCs) and national and international humanitarian standards if required. S/he will also support resource mobilization and policy advocacy efforts relating to WASH emergency response.

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, a safe environment

According to the World Risk index 2012, Bangladesh ranks as the world’s fifth-highest disaster risk country. Bangladesh thus is one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, with nearly all of its area and nearly all of its people at risk of multiple hazards. While cyclones and floods pose the greatest risk to Bangladesh at national level, the north-eastern and south-eastern regions are vulnerable to earthquake as well.

In 2011, about 92.5 million people (64 per cent of the total population) were exposed to flood hazards to some degree. More than two thirds of these people were subject to low or moderate river flooding or low flash flooding, which are the processes by which historically soil fertility has been maintained. However, about 10 per cent of these – some 9.3 million people – were exposed to severe flash and river flooding. Another 7.2 per cent were exposed to severe tidal surges, which produce inundation, a form of flooding that can have long-lasting effects. Recurrent hazards erode development gains and perpetuate vulnerability. Moreover, the impact of hazards is evident in reduced food intake and reduced levels of sanitation and hygiene, as well as limited health expenditures.

Owing to its generally low-lying topography and its location, much of Bangladesh is vulnerable to frequent flooding due to cyclonic storm surges. Approximately 60 per cent of the country is susceptible to floods, where 25-30 per cent of the area becomes inundated annually. It is estimated that between 50,000 and 200,000 people are displaced each year due to river erosion. Also, the sea level rise resulting from the effect of climate change have devastating effect along the South-Western coast of Bangladesh increasing the problem of saline intrusion and water logging.

UNICEF (as the lead agency for the IASC Water, Sanitation and Hygiene cluster), and in collaboration with the relevant line ministries of Government of Bangladesh, aims to ensure the well-coordinated, strategic, adequate, coherent, and effective response of WASH partners in Emergency.

How can you make a difference?

The Cluster Coordinator-WASH in Emergencies Specialist will provide this support as WASH cluster coordinator at the national level. At the same time, S/he will support the WASH section in UNICEF related humanitarian response in accordance with UNICEF’s Core Commitment for Children in Emergencies (CCCs) and national and international humanitarian standards if required. S/he will also support resource mobilization and policy advocacy efforts relating to WASH emergency response. He/she reports joint to the Chief of WASH and the Chief, Field Services based in Dhaka.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

Coordination mechanisms

• Support the national and local authorities to ensure coordination mechanisms between all WASH humanitarian partners, including effective links, communication and information management, as well as technical working groups and/or sub-national coordination platforms as appropriate.
• Support the national and local authorities to ensure the inclusion of key WASH humanitarian partners in a way that respects their mandates and programme priorities as well as civil society and other actors working and related to the WASH sectoral response.
• Ensure information on all current and potential WASH partners, their capacities and areas of work (including Who, What, Where and When) are properly collected, analyzed and fed back to partners
• In coordination with the DPHE and MoDMR co-lead and prepare coordination meetings according to guidelines and represent the WASH sector in coordination meetings with Government Institutions and participate to coordination efforts led by MoMDR (Information Management, multi-sectorial Emergency preparedness plan, multi-sectorial assessment).

Needs assessment, analysis and strategy development

• Support effective and coherent WASH assessment and analysis involving all relevant partners, including the identification of gaps and implementation of sectoral responses through collective delivery, involving all relevant partners and ensuring complementarity of their actions.
• Support the Government to ensure WASH sector and its partners and technical working groups to: agree on technical standards, strategies and action plans, in line with national relevant policies, guidelines and governmental commitments;are aware of relevant policies, guidelines, technical standards and relevant commitments that the Government and national and sub national authorities have undertaken under international human rights law; and that sectoral response is in line with them.develop an exit/transition strategy for the WASH sector and key sector partners.
• Facilitate integration of agreed priority cross-cutting issues in WASH assessments, analysis, planning, monitoring and response (e.g. age, diversity, environment, gender, HIV/AIDS and human rights) as well as the utilization of participatory and community-based approaches in WASH design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the WASH response.
• Facilitate WASH humanitarian responses build on local capacities.
• Ensure adequate WASH related contingency planning and preparedness for potential significant changes
• Promote WASH emergency response actions while ate the same time considering WASH within early recovery planning as well as prevention and risk reduction concerns.

Monitoring and reporting

• Ensure adequate monitoring mechanisms are in place to review outcomes of WASH interventions and progress against strategy and action plans; including an analytical interpretation of best available information in order to benchmark progress over time (monitoring indicators: quantity, quality, coverage, continuity and cost; with target population data disaggregated by sex, age, etc.).
• Ensure adequate WASH outcome reporting and effective information sharing (with government and other partner support) to demonstrate closing the gaps.

Inter-sectoral coordination and advocacy

• Ensure effective links with other sectoral coordination platforms and represent the interests of the WASH sector in discussions with the UNICEF Representative and Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator (RC/HC) and other stakeholders on prioritization, resource mobilization and advocacy.
• Identify core WASH advocacy concerns, include resource requirements, and contribute key messages to broader advocacy initiatives of the RC/HC, UNICEF and other actors.
• Advocate to donors to fund WASH actors to carry out priority WASH activities in the sector concerned, while mobilize at the same time encouraging WASH actors to mobilize resources for their activities through usual channels.
• Where critical gaps in addressing WASH, priorities are identified: lobby for implementing humanitarian partners (including UNICEF) to address the gaps; with advice/support from the UNICEF Representative, RC/HC and other humanitarian partners advocate, as appropriate, on the adequate provision of resources and safe access.

Effective Management of Assigned UNICEF WASH in Emergency Responses

• Update the Emergency Preparedness Platform for BCO, with specific focus on the WASH inputs corresponding to the agreed risks and scenarios for 2017-2020
• In the event of an emergency, support the Chief of Field Services and the Chief WASH by ensuring flow of information and communication for emergency WASH response, as well as in collating information from the Field Offices towards the development of a SitRep;
• In coordination with Field Offices/OICs and WASH Staff in FO, identify availability of resources for anticipated emergencies and support the supply and logistics planning as per emergency preparedness plan and contingency plan.
• In relation of FO, identify implementing/operational partners and support FOs and establish implementing arrangements including preparation of needed documents for implementing the assigned projects.
• Implement and manage Emergency response of the WASH Section Rolling Work Plan in coordination with Field offices. Undertakes field visits to emergency project areas, to assess local conditions and monitor project progress. Make technical decisions on project administration (e.g., activates, requests or re-programmes allocation of emergency funds).
• Ensure that the project funds are properly utilized, managed and reported duly considering UNICEF procedures and internal timelines.
• Contribute to the preparation of quality reporting on the project progress and completion including identification of potential human-interest stories.
• Emergency preparedness and response strategies are mainstreamed in Sectoral work plans.  Sectoral input is provided for all related documents for the office’s Emergency Preparedness and Response, as well as for the Situation Analysis and the Country Programme Document.
• Contribute to the preparation of Emergency appeals and project proposals (Flash Appeal, CAP, ERF/CHF, CERF), and concerted efforts are put forward to mobilize donor response and recovery/rehabilitation-related funding.
• Communicates and advocates on the situation and needs of children through local and international media, as appropriate.
• Support risk-informed programming in BCO.

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

Education: University degree, preferably at an advanced level, in a subject area relevant to the WASH cluster. Extensive work experience relevant to this post may be considered as a replacement for formal qualifications. Formal training in cluster coordination an advantage.

Experience: At least 5/8 years progressively responsible humanitarian work experience with UN and/or NGO, including programme management and/or coordination in the first phase of a major emergency response relevant to the cluster.

Other requirements:

• Understands key technical issues for the WASH in Emergency (WiE) Working Group sufficiently well enough to be able to: engage with WiE Working Group participants; make full use of their experience and knowledge; guide strategy and plans; communicate and advocate on important issues.
• Understands the rationale behind Humanitarian Reform, its main components and recent developments including the Transformative Agenda.
• Familiar with children's rights and gender in the context of climate change adaptation and mitigation. Previous experience within UNICEF is an asset
• Demonstrates ability to work harmoniously in a multi-cultural environment and establishes harmonious & effective working relationship both within and outside an organization
• Communicates, works and networks effectively with a wide range of people to reach broad consensus on a well-coordinated response, and demonstrates leadership where required.
• Excellent analytical and writing skills, advocacy and presentational skills an asset.
• Fluency in English required. Working knowledge of local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The competencies required for this post are….

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.