Consultancy - Sub-Regional WASH Coordinator and Information Management, LACRO, Panama

The purpose of this consultancy is to support the Regional WASH Sector Coordination with focus on the sub-region of the Caribbean. Therefore support national WASH sector platforms with coordination and manage the collection, analysis and sharing of information that is important to make informed (evidence based) strategic decisions at regional and country office levels.

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 champion

How can you make a difference?

BACKGROUND

The cluster approach ensures clear leadership, predictability and accountability in international responses to humanitarian emergencies by clarifying the division of labour among organizations and better defining their roles and responsibilities within the different sectors of the response. It aims to make the international humanitarian community better organised and more accountable and professional, so that it can be a better partner for the affected people, host governments, local authorities, local civil society and resourcing partners.

A well-run coordination platform including Information Management is a formal deliverable of the Cluster Lead Agency and forms a part of the agency’s work. UNICEF, as highlighted in their Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action, is fully committed to interagency humanitarian reform and supports this through provision of leadership and participation in assigned clusters and sectors.

In the context of COVID-19 pandemic, the whole Latin America and Caribbean region is affected requiring UNICEF and host government’s leadership in WASH sector coordination to address the needs of affected population. The WASH coordination platforms vary across countries in the region. The Regional WASH Coordination Group hosting the IM Specialist needs to cater for the different needs and varying levels of experience and expertise in a rapid fashion.

The Regional WASH LAC group entails partners working at a regional and national level. The stakeholders range from UNICEF staff, to national coordinators and co-leads such as the government, and members such as local and international organizations. The group has met on a quarterly basis, has a new website and basic contact lists.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this consultancy is to support the Regional WASH Sector Coordination with focus on the sub-region of the Caribbean. Therefore support national WASH sector platforms with coordination and manage the collection, analysis and sharing of information that is important to make informed (evidence based) strategic decisions at regional and country office levels.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The consultant is responsible for all WASH Information Management responsibilities including:

• Respond to the coordination platform participants’ needs.
• Adapt existing regional or in-country coordination and information management approaches and systems for collecting, analysing and reporting activities and resources, and identifying information gaps
• Work in close collaboration with the different national platforms to address urgent needs related to COVID-19 response
• Establish and maintain fluid relationship to support with coordination and information databases that consolidate, analyse and report/disseminate information critical to decision making.
• Maintain regular reporting from coordination participants, including 5Ws (‘Who does What, Where, When and for Whom?’ databases).
• Support the estimation of spatial and temporal gaps, overlaps and coverage of platform activities and projects.
• Work with members/ participants to identify information gaps at regional, national and sub-national levels and propose ways to bridge those gaps
• Work with the OCHA Information Management Specialist at regional level and where required at national level via the national coordination leads to develop appropriate supportive strategies.
• Use GIS mapping for map production and geographic data management
• Adopt and promote the use of global standards for information management for inter-operability.
• Manage flows of information and dissemination in an appropriate way, including website management.
• Manage an inventory of relevant documents on the humanitarian situation, write technical document and guidance, develop training and capacity building opportunities.
• Support the development and analysis of needs assessment and monitoring programmes
• To provide information management leadership in assessments and monitoring, including joint assessments and training.
• Lead on the preparation of SitRep inputs with emphasis on plans, targets and achievements.
• Develop and strengthen information management capacity through the training
• Contribute to the core cluster and sector coordination functions

Core cluster/coordination functions:

1. Supporting service delivery

1.1. Provide a platform to ensure that service delivery is driven by the agreed strategic priorities
1.2. Develop mechanisms to eliminate duplication of service delivery

2. Informing strategic decision-making of the HC/HCT for the humanitarian response

2.1. Needs assessment and gap analysis (across other sectors and within the sector)
2.2. Analysis to identify and address (emerging) gaps, obstacles, duplication, and cross-cutting issues.
2.3. Prioritization, grounded in response analysis

3. Planning and strategy development

3.1. Develop sectoral plans, objectives and indicators directly support realization of the HC/HCT strategic priorities
3.2. Application and adherence to existing standards and guidelines
3.3. Clarify funding requirements, prioritization, and cluster contributions to HC’s overall humanitarian funding considerations (Flash Appeal, CAP, ERF/CHF, CERF)

4. Advocacy

4.1. Identify advocacy concerns to contribute to HC and HCT messaging and action
4.2. Undertaking advocacy activities on behalf of cluster participants and the affected population

5. Monitoring and reporting the implementation of the cluster strategy and results; recommending corrective action where necessary

6. Contingency planning/preparedness for recurrent disasters whenever feasible and relevant.

7. Accountability to affected populations

ACCOUNTABILITY

The consultant is accountable to:

• Regional WASH Specialist who leads and coordinates the Regional WASH Sector Group and will in turn ensure that the consultant is provided with all necessary support and guidance
• WASH Cluster and coordination platform leads and co-leads at national level as well as their participants, who will in turn ensure that they deliver on their agreed minimum commitments (see IASC Reference Module for Cluster Coordination at the Country Level, November 2012)
• Inter-cluster coordination bodies established by the HCT/UNOCHA
• Affected populations through agreed mechanisms

Deliverables

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

• University degree, preferably at an advanced level, in a subject area relevant to information management or WASH related studies including civil and environmental engineering, public health and related subjects
• Extensive work experience relevant to this post may be considered as a replacement for formal qualifications.
• Formal training in cluster coordination or information management an advantage
• At least 7/10 years progressively responsible humanitarian work experience with UN and/or NGO, including information management experience in the first phase of a major emergency response relevant to the cluster.
• Extensive work experience outside the humanitarian sector which is relevant to this consultancy may be considered as a replacement for humanitarian experience

Technical competences

• Understands key technical issues for the cluster sufficiently well enough to be able to: engage with cluster participants at regional and national level; understand their cluster-specific information management needs.
• Excellent knowledge of MS Excel or MS Access (e.g. pivot tables and functions); proven technical expertise for managing data capture and storage, for analysing diverse datasets, and presenting information in understandable tables, charts, graphs and reports; knowledge of establishing and managing basic websites (e.g. UNOCHA’s Humanitarian Response platform); proven skills in using GIS and map-making packages, and in web design and software development are an asset.

Languages

• Fluency in English and French.

Reports to: WASH Specialist, Regional (P3)

Duration: 3 months

Workplace: Work from home / remote

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

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

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.