Citywide Inclusive Sanitation Consultant, Remote - Req # 561579

The purpose of this consultancy is to support documentation and dissemination of UNICEF’s experiences in the implementation of CWIS/FSM projects in Bangladesh, Ethiopia and India and based on these experiences produce a technical note on scaling up the CWIS approach in other countries through UNICEF support.

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, hope 

Vacancy Announcement: Consultant

Consultancy Title: Citywide Inclusive Sanitation Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station: WASH, Programme Group, New York HQ

Duration: 22 May 2023 to 20 October 2023 – Remote/Home Based

About UNICEF

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. Over 75 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. 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.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/Assignment: 

The UNICEF urban sanitation project is focusing on promoting Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) which is aimed at ensuring safe, equitable and sustainable access to inclusive safely managed sanitation services in urban areas. The CWIS project is being piloted by UNICEF in Bangladesh and Ethiopia with Nepal and Kenya as learning countries with the aim of scaling up this approach to other countries based on lessons learnt from the project. The primary objective of this project is to support UNICEF to demonstrate scalable models to provide sanitation services for the poor and most marginalised populations in urban areas and small towns through City-Wide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) approach.

The project mainly focuses on strengthening systems and capacity for implementation of urban sanitation using the CWIS approach. A major component of the project is to ensure that UNICEF has the capacity and experience to promote CWIS and support government and sector partners to deliver equitable urban sanitation services. Towards achieving this, the documentation and dissemination of lessons learned are integral parts of this project to support scaling up of the CWIS approach to other countries in line with the new UNICEF Game Plan to Reach Safely Managed Sanitation.

The purpose of this consultancy is to support documentation and dissemination of UNICEF’s experiences in the implementation of CWIS/FSM projects in Bangladesh, Ethiopia and India and based on these experiences produce a technical note on scaling up the CWIS approach in other countries through UNICEF support.

Scope of Work:

The consultancy will cover three broad areas: documentation of UNICEF’s CWIS/FSM experiences; dissemination of CWIS experiences; and production of technical note on scaling up of CWIS approach by UNICEF.

Under the supervision of WASH Specialist and in collaboration with UNICEF ESARO, ROSA, Bangladesh, Ethiopia and India WASH teams, the consultant will support the following:

1. Documentation of CWIS/FSM experiences:

• Conduct an extensive review of the ongoing CWIS/FSM projects in Bangladesh, Ethiopia and India.
• Support UNICEF Bangladesh, Ethiopia and India to produce field/learning/guidance notes on CWIS/FSM project experience that clearly distils UNICEF’s comparative advantage in this space, core interventions that should be focused on with this in mind, and best practise from ongoing experience in each of the countries.
• The field notes should also clearly articulate CWIS approach as one of the primary approaches integral to UNICEF’s overall shift toward Safely Managed Sanitation and the new GamePlan to Reach Safely Managed Sanitation.

2. Dissemination of CWIS/FSM experiences:

• Support 2 regional webinars to disseminate CWIS/FSM experiences to UNICEF WASH staff.
• In collaboration with other relevant partners, support the preparation for CWIS/FSM sessions at regional and global events.
• Provide technical support to HQ, Regional and Country offices in developing capacity of UNICEF staff on CWIS/FSM approach.

3. Production of Technical note on scaling up CWIS/FSM approach by UNICEF:

• Conduct desk review of all relevant UNICEF’s urban sanitation programme strategy, framework, guidance note, reports, etc.
• Hold consultations with relevant UNICEF WASH staff at HQ, regional and country offices for better understanding of the UNICEF’s urban sanitation programme.
• Apart from the ongoing work in Ethiopia, Bangladesh and India, conduct mapping of CWIS implementation in other UNICEF supported countries to determine the extent their urban sanitation programmes have incorporated elements of CWIS approach. 
• Based on the experience in implementing CWIS/FSM projects in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India and mapping of CWIS implementation in other UNICEF supported countries, draft the Technical note for scaling up CWIS/FSM approach.
• Share an initial outline and then a draft Technical note with relevant WASH staff at HQ, Regional and Country offices for review and inputs.
• Produce a revised outlines/drafts of the Technical note based on the inputs/feedback received from WASH staff.
• Support the organization of one global webinar for dissemination of CWIS/FSM as a core approach of the UNICEF Game Plan.
• Finalize the Technical note based on additional inputs and comments from the global webinar

Terms of Reference / Deliverables / Deadlines

1. Introductory meeting and Desk review of relevant UNICEF’s urban sanitation programme documents, Sanitation Game Plan and ongoing CWIS project:

• Workplan for the consultancy developed

By May 30, 2023

2. Conduct mapping of CWIS implementation in other UNICEF supported countries

• Report on mapping of CWIS implementation produced

By July 10, 2023

3. Support the production of field/learning and guidance notes on CWIS/FSM project experience. Production of each document should follow a process of developing an initial annotated outline, a draft and a final draft which are circulated for comment to HQ/CO/RO levels.

• 1 field note on CWIS/FSM project in Bangladesh produced
• 1 field note on CWIS/FSM project in India produced
• 1 CWIS implementation guidelines for UNICEF Bangladesh produced
• UNICEF Ethiopia CWIS Learning notes reviewed

By September 30, 2023

4. Support 2 regional webinars to disseminate CWIS/FSM experiences to UNICEF WASH staff

• 2 regional webinars on CWIS/FSM held

By October 10, 2023

5. Support the preparation for CWIS/FSM sessions at regional and global events.

• 2 CWIS/FSM sessions at regional and global events held

By October 20, 2023

6. Draft Technical note on scaling up CWIS/FSM by UNICEF which will follow a process of an initial outline, a draft and a final draft for comment.

• Draft Technical note on CWIS/FSM produced

By September 30, 2023

7. Support the organization of one global webinar for dissemination of the Technical note on scaling up CWIS/FSM

• One global webinar on the Technical note on CWIS/FSM organized

By October 10, 2023

8. Finalize and submit the Technical note on scaling up CWIS/FSM by UNICEF

• Final Technical note on CWIS/FSM produced and submitted

By October 20,2023

9. Travel – trips to India and Bangladesh – 10 days

Qualifications

(1) Education

• Advanced university degree in one of the disciplines relevant to the following areas:  Public Health, Behavioural and other Social sciences; Engineering, or another field relevant to WASH.
• Strong communication skills (written and oral) in English are required.

(2) Work experience

• A minimum of 8 years of professional experience in WASH programming, including country level experience. 
• Experience working on Citywide Inclusive Sanitation approach for urban sanitation delivery.
• Demonstrated experience in the design and implementation of urban sanitation projects
• Proven skills in analysis, synthesis, and ability to communicate complex issues clearly and succinctly both orally and in writing.
• Background/familiarity with UNICEF’s WASH programme will be an asset.

(3) Competencies

•     Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated experience working in a multicultural environment.

•     Passion and demonstrated commitment to UNICEF’s mission and core values

Requirements: 

• Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and provide Personal History Form (P11)
• Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include:

• All-inclusive (lump sum) fees for the deliverables noted above.
• Travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR
• Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
• Indicate your availability

• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

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

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. View our competency framework at: Here

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

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:  

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. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.