WASH Officer

C

FamilyFamily

PR3

Professional

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

No

2022-11-01-07:00

December 15, 2022WASH Officer Organizational Setting and Work Relationships The WASH Officer will be responsible for provision of professional technical support and guidance on activities within the areas of Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) in the locations within the Areas of Responsibility (AoR). Furthermore, the incumbent is required to play a lead role in formulating appropriate project proposals and assistance activities that should be incorporated into the relevant operation programmes of UNHCR. S/he is normally supervised by the Senior Programme Officer and will receive the technical backup and support from the Senior WASH Officer. In addition, the incumbent will be expected to work within multi-functional and interdisciplinary teams. The WASH Officer will support the UNHCR Operation, in coordination with the Government, to assess needs and coordinate the provision of WASH services to Persons of Concern (PoC) to UNHCR. This will include WASH contingency and preparedness planning, assessment and development of long-term WASH strategies and operational plans. The incumbent will be responsible for the coordination of WASH partners in conjunction with government authorities, and for monitoring progress and quality of WASH programme implementation to ensure that an adequate level of WASH services are provided at each site in accordance with the UNHCR WASH manual, technical guidelines, and applicable UNHCR and/or national standards and the Sustainable Development Goal targets. S/he will follow a rights-based and community focused approach to programme design and implementation. The incumbent will follow the five principles for protection, accountability and WASH as outlined in UNHCR's WASH Manual. Where there is no senior WASH colleague in operation or the region, the incumbent should maintain regular communication with the WASH team in HQ for technical advice, information, and access to updated global tools and resources. All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR's core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity. Duties Leadership and Coordination - Coordinate activities of WASH implementing partners, together with other UN agencies, governmental and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other partners to ensure delivery of WASH services to beneficiaries (PoC and host community) meets UNHCR and /or nationally recognised and most up-to-date standards and policies. - Where there are PoC living outside of camps/settlements, strongly lead and collaborate with partners to ensure the enjoyment of the human right to water and sanitation by all PoC. - Work closely with government and partners, following the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), to unlock resources (humanitarian and development) for the design and construction of community-centred infrastructure, improved hygiene conditions, safe management of water and sanitation services and service provision upgrades in refugee hosting areas. - Promote all decision making regarding WASH services to take in to account the needs and capacities of PoC, and the solutions proposed by PoC. - Facilitate WASH coordination among partners, ensuring that inclusive and good practice coordination structures for all technical sectors covered are in place, and that sector coordination functions at national and field levels are in line with operational and partner requirements. - Address gaps and overlaps in UNHCR funded WASH programmes and unmet needs, and the activities are oriented to address priority WASH issues. - Manage and provide support to a multi-sector ¿technical unit¿ in the AoR, including sector functions covering site planning, shelter, health, nutrition, and environment. - Provide support to national government(s) for inclusion of PoC within national SDG 6 development plans (Urban and Rural) and financing mechanisms and service delivery systems. - Support key WASH strategic partnerships with development and humanitarian agencies to support inclusion of refugee WASH services within national systems and development financing mechanisms. - Engage with Urban WASH actors (GAUC, UCLG, UNHABITAT, Municipal Authorities, Utilities, and relevant government line ministries) for preparedness planning, inclusion in pro-poor tariffs, and provision of WASH services to PoC hosted in urban areas. WASH Strategy, Planning and Programme Support - Maintain a WASH strategy which identifies the targets and approaches for water supply, excreta management, personal and environmental hygiene (including menstrual health), solid waste management, vector control, and institutional WASH facilities. The strategy should include a contingency plan for potential epidemics, refugee and returnee movement. - Jointly with WASH partners and other stakeholders, update detailed needs and resource assessments and revise designs and technical plans, taking into account practical aspects of implementation, long-term sustainable solutions, and relevant technical specifications and guidelines. - Closely advise and assist the UNHCR programme staff on the development of WASH aspects of the programme including planning, budgeting and input to financial management of the programme. - Ensure PoC are consulted during planning, design, implementation, and monitoring of WASH services using an age, gender and diversity approach. - Ensure the WASH Strategy includes all UNHCR PoC, and considers at a minimum WASH access data collection, and advocacy for inclusion of all PoC (both in camp and out of camp) within national systems of WASH service provision Technical Assistance and Capacity Building - Ensure that the needs of women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities are adequately addressed in planning and implementing WASH activities. - Support operations to define the scope of UNHCR involvement, expressed in terms of overall and operational objectives during emergency, transition, and protracted phases. - Lead in the review and analysis of partner project proposals and budgetary submissions. - Use community-based approaches, including clear involvement of women, girls, boys, and men, elderly, persons with disabilities in the design of WASH related infrastructure, products, and services. - Provide technical assistance to UNHCR offices and programmes in the development, integration and mainstreaming of appropriate client-focused and cost effective WASH programmes. - Develop or ensure development of information, education and communication materials through community consultations, collaborating with women, girls, boys, men, elderly, persons with disability, and other potentially marginalised groups. - Assess needs and facilitate capacity strengthening activities of UNHCR and its implementing/operational partners to address key areas of WASH importance to PoC. - Build the capacity and competence of UNHCR's staff on both hardware and software components of WASH - Ensure community capacity building is carried out through multi-discipline teams working with women, girls, men, and boys of the community to train and empower them on WASH related aspects including: menstrual health, hygiene promotion, operation and maintenance, monitoring and reporting, and other topics. Monitoring, Evaluation and Quality Assurance - Monitor and evaluate WASH programmes against standard UNHCR and SDG indicators to ensure that programmes are evidence-based and implemented in a comprehensive, client-focused, and cost effective manner. - Ensure robust monitoring and evaluation is carried out following UNHCR's WASH monitoring system using standard resources for data collection, analysis and interpretation. - Ensure that all data regarding the boreholes and WASH infrastructure is updated on UNHCR's GIS portal and relevant website(s). - Ensure SDG 6 WASH access data is collected and recorded in the WASH Monitoring System for all UNHCR PoC to enable comparative reporting against national averages, to ensure that refugees/IDPs are not being ¿left behind¿. - Collate WASH services access data (for both in-camp and out-of-camp PoC) to identify and promote inclusion of PoC within national SDG 6 development plans and financing mechanisms and service delivery systems. Reporting and Accountability - Foster PoC's access to feedback and accountability mechanisms for the WASH services. - Collate and analyse data on the satisfaction of PoC with regards to WASH services. - Prepare regular sectorial reports and submit material for preparation of periodic project monitoring reports as required. - Report regularly on WASH activity implementation by all WASH partners, while maintaining accurate records of all relevant performance indicators. - Ensure adequate reporting, timely updates and briefings to donor and management. - Perform other related duties as required. Minimum Qualifications Years of Experience / Degree Level For P3/NOC - 6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree Field(s) of Education Agriculture Civil Engineering Environmental Sciences Hydrology Geology Natural Resources Management Project management Construction Public Health Rural Development Community Development Social Science Anthropology Sociology Social work Social Developmnt Architecture Urban policy & planning Water resource /development Water/Sanitation Engineering or other relevant field. (Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential) Certificates and/or Licenses Not specified. Relevant Job Experience Essential Proven expertise in the area of WASH including surveys, programme implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and coordination. Desirable Knowledge and understanding of water and wastewater hydraulics and physical, chemical and biological properties; solid waste management practices, vector control and hygiene promotion/awareness raising strategies. Knowledge and understanding of relationship between water, wastewater, solid waste, vector control to public health indicators, and value of hygiene promotion/awareness raising and behaviour change methodologies. Functional Skills WA-WASH-related Technologies CO-Reporting skills SP-Natural Resources Management WA-Drinking-Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance WA-WASH Assessment: Survey planning, implementation and oversight IT-Geographic Information Systems (GIS) PG-Programme Management (programme cycles and reporting standards) SP-Vector Control Systems Management (Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential) Language Requirements For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English. For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language. For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English. All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination and abuse of power. As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise. This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.

French

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English

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Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

Kinshasa is currently a security level 2 duty station. The security situation in Kinshasa is relatively calm. The security related threats staff may face in Kinshasa are mainly from crime and civil unrest. Criminality is prevalent in Kinshasa, including Gombe commune in the city centre. Criminality activities include street and house robbery, vehicle-related crimes such as break-ins. UN personnel are not specifically targeted, but criminals focus attacks on those perceived to have money and valuables. Identified crime actors are street children locally called Shegués, organized gangs and unemployed youth called Kulunas, and sometimes uncontrolled elements of the national security forces. Of special concern are armed robberies committed by criminals posing as policemen who target foreigners walking alone. These criminals present what looks like a legitimate ID card of the security forces, get the victim inside a vehicle and rob them of valuables before letting them go. UN personnel must also be aware of the danger from driving in Kinshasa. Road traffic accidents are the most common security incident for the UN in Kinshasa.

The presidential election scheduled for 2023 may generate significantly more tensions and protests in the country overall and not only in the East. This in a context of a rise in the anti-UN sentiment, a difficult socio-economic situation and a number of inter-community tensions, compounded with a rise in violence due to armed or terrorists’ groups in the East.

To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit this link:

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

Nature of Position:

As of 30 September 2022, DRC hosts 522,803 refugees in the country and more than 5 million IDPs located mainly in the provinces of Ituri, Kasai, Kivu (north and south) and Tanganyika. UNHCR leads the Refugee Coordination Model (RCM) in the DRC and has refugees located in Nord Kivu (167,450), Nord Ubangi (114,898), Sud Kivu (78,763), Nas-Uele (54,036), Sud Ubangi (42,790), Haut Uele (31,572), and Ituri (13,354). An additional 6,926 refugees and asylum seekers are located in Haut-Katanga, Kinshasa, Lualaba, Lomami, Kongo-Central, Maniema, Tanganyika, Equateur, Tshuapa and Kasai-Oriental provinces.

With regard to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPS) UNHCR is the Protection Cluster, Shelter Cluster and CCCM Cluster lead, and plays a key role in supporting the DRC Government to cater to the needs of IDPs and implement a durable solutions strategy to help end the protracted displacement in the country. 

Overall, the DRC operation has a five-year strategy that is focuses on ensuring a favourable protection environment for the persons we serve, ensuring social economic inclusion of all displaced persons, enhancing self-reliance and resilience and putting in place durable solutions. The ifve year sytrategy is a solutions strategy that depends largely on the DRC's ability to work with key stakeholders including the Government of the DRC, displaced persons, host communities, donors, Development Partners such as the World Bank, and the African Development Bank, NGO partners, and UN sister agencies, and regional entities among others.

There are five sub-offices, all of which cover several field offices, employing more than 450 personnel. The five sub offices are in the provinces of Kasai, Nord Ubangi, Nord Kivu, Tanganyika and Haut Uele/Bunia.

Intense fighting continues mostly in the Eastern part of DRC resulting in massive population displacements. Indeed, more than two million persons have been displaced in North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri provinces over the last 18 - 24 months.

At the same time, while addressing the dictates of responding to the IDP caseload, UNHCR has a respo0nsibility of being present to deliver multi-purpose assistance under its mandate to refugee caseloads scattered in various locations across the vast DRC territory as highlighted above.

The incumbent of the position reports to the Assistant Representative (Programme) and provides strategic and technical guidance to focal points in 17 offices across the DRC.
 

Living and Working Conditions:

DRC is the third largest country in Africa, and as a result is quite diverse. Living conditions therefore vary between UNHCR duty stations, with all usual amenities present in the capital Kinshasa, but only very basic conditions in remote duty stations in the provinces, were, for instance, there may be no guarantee of public power supply nor running water. Accommodation remains expensive in Kinshasa. There are several Supermarkets in town, but consumer items are generally very expensive (as everything is imported). For food, local markets offer a much cheaper alternative. UN international personnel are only allowed to reside within an established Residential Security Perimeter.
The unit of currency is the Congolese Franc. The US dollar is the other preferred currency. It may be impossible to exchange traveller 's checks away from the capital city. Credit cards are usually accepted in major hotels and some supermarkets in Kinshasa. In larger towns and cities (e.g. Kinshasa, Goma, Bukavu, Kisangani), it is recommended to open US Dollar bank accounts, while in other places, banks may be absent (including ATMs) and payments will be processed in cash.

In addition to French, there are four major spoken languages in DRC, namely Lingala, Kikongo, Tshiluba and Swahili.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

PR-Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Operations, WA-Community-based approaches for WASH activity implementation, WA-Large scale WASH activities in developing countries, WA-WASH for refugees and other persons of concern in out-of camp settings (urban WASH), WA-WASH in emergencies

BA: Water/Sanitation Engineering (Required), BA: Water Resources Development (Required)

Certifications

Annual Budget OL in Operation/Office, Number of Persons of Concern Served, Number of Workforce in Operation/Work Setting, Workforce to Supervise, Working with Persons of Concern: Asylum Seekers, Working with Persons of Concern: Internally Displaced Persons, Working with Persons of Concern: Refugees, Working with Persons of Concern: Returned IDPs, Working with Persons of Concern: Returned Refugees, Working with Persons of Concern: Stateless

Competencies

Accountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Innovation & creativity, Judgement & decision making, Managing performance, Managing resource, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Teamwork & collaboration, Technological awareness

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Compendium

Bi-annual Compendium 2022 Part B – November 2022#4LKDN - job post also available on LinkedIn

This position requires Functional Clearance