Consultant (Country Engagement - Lusophone), Sanitation and Water for All (SWA), 9 months, REMOTE, Req: 561861

The Country Engagement Consultant will coordinate the mobilization and engagement of SWA’s partners in 8 Lusophone countries (Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Timor Leste, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and Sao Tome and Principe), develop and implement strategic partnerships, and provide the Secretariat’s support to the priority countries.

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, CLEAN WATER 

Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) is a global partnership of over 350 partners, including governments, private sector and civil society organizations, external support agencies, research and learning institutions, utilities and regulators working together to catalyse political leadership and action, improve accountability and use scarce resources more effectively. Partners work towards a common vision of sanitation, hygiene and water for all, always and everywhere.

The Secretariat of the SWA global partnership is hosted by UNICEF at its Headquarters in New York. The SWA Secretariat, as the operational arm of the Partnership and of the Steering Committee, is responsible for supporting the implementation of the partnership’s strategy 2020 to 2030 that focuses on three objectives:

1. Build and sustain the political will to eliminate inequalities in water, sanitation and hygiene.
2. Champion multi-stakeholder approaches towards achieving universal access to services.
3. Rally stakeholders to strengthen system performance and attract new investments.

How can you make a difference? 

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

The Country Engagement Consultant will coordinate the mobilization and engagement of SWA’s partners in 8 Lusophone countries (Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Timor Leste, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and Sao Tome and Principe), develop and implement strategic partnerships, and provide the Secretariat’s support to the priority countries.

Expected Results

The Consultant is expected to deliver the following results:

• Liaise with the Secretariat of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa -CPLP) regarding Head of State/Government engagement and provide regular support to the development of a strategic relationship between SWA and the CPLP.
• Support 8 Lusophone partner countries to prepare for the series of Ministers Meetings on Finance and Governance.
• Strengthen government-led multistakeholder processes in 2 Lusophone countries – Brazil and Cabo Verde.
• Coordinate outreach and mobilisation of political decision-makers to increase priority accorded to water, sanitation and hygiene at Head of State/Government level.
• Support the implementation of the Mutual Accountability Mechanism in Lusophone countries.
• Documentation and communication of country engagement.

Work Assignments Overview	Deliverables/Outputs	Timeline
Liaise with the Secretariat of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa -CPLP) regarding Head of State/Government engagement and provide regular support to the development of a strategic relationship between SWA and the CPLP	Develop one comprehensive proposal (incl. briefings, talking points, plans and similar) to the CPLP Secretariat on the inclusion of water, sanitation and hygiene in the 2023 CPLP Heads of State Summit Develop an action plan with the CPLP on Head of State engagement Develop one comprehensive proposal to  Sao Tome and Principe as the host of the 2023 CPLP Head of State Summit to recommend the incorporation of water, sanitation and hygiene by providing proposals for the agenda and inclusion of the topic in the preparatory process. Support Mozambique and other partners to develop specific areas of actions around high-level political engagement on water, sanitation and hygiene by providing a comprehensive plan, incl. proposals, briefings and jointly developed  action plans for high-level political engagement.	5 days, May     3 days, May 5 days, May     7 days, May-Jun
Support 8 Lusophone partner countries to prepare for the series of Ministers Meetings on Finance and Governance	Draft an action plan outlining 3-5 activities for countries to engage ministers and other political leaders around the Ministers’ Meetings on Finance and Governance Coordinate with partners to identify and roll-out 3-5 relevant preparatory activities such as the National Finance Dialogues Prepare digital background briefing materials on the engagement of ministers and other political leaders and on preparatory activities outlined above and ensure they are provided to participants at least 7 days in advance, including templates for government and constituency preparations at country level Invite countries to participate in webinars, bilateral calls and other activities where the above will be presented, ensuring participation of at least 4 countries In-country, multi-stakeholder dialogues are prompted at least every second month, to prepare ministers to represent their countries at the meetings Draft up to 8 stories (news articles, social media posts) for SWA’s website on the ongoing work.	3 days, May-Jun   5 days, May- Oct   4 days, May-Oct       2 days, May-Oct   2 days, May-Oct   2 days, May- Jan
Strengthen government-led multistakeholder processes in 2 Lusophone countries – Brazil and Cabo Verde	Provide Brazil and Cabo Verde with plans and briefings on high-level political engagement and strengthening multistakeholder platforms Identify 2 specific opportunities for Brazil to support regional convenings including possibly the Ministerial Meeting on Finance and Governance, and provide Brazil with relevant briefings to ensure their active participation Identify the most critical needs and bottlenecks of the sector in the country; identify and prepare action plans that include available support mechanisms (such as the different catalytic funding mechanisms, networking and pairing with appropriate partners, conceptual tools and frameworks, etc.) in collaboration with relevant SWA partners, committees, and the Secretariat. Identify country multi-stakeholder processes in the Lusophone countries and provide Brazil and Cabo Verde with relevant experiences from across the SWA partnership, including on how they can use the Mutual Accountability Mechanism. Hold 2-3 (online) meetings with Equatorial Guinea to engage and encourage them to join and use the SWA partnership.	3 days, May-Jun   4 days, May-Jun     5 days, May-Jan       4 days, Jun-Aug     3 days, May-Jan
Coordinate outreach and mobilisation of political decision-makers to increase priority accorded to water, sanitation and hygiene at Head of State/Government level	Identify 3 priority countries, map out pathways to reach the highest levels of politics - Head of State or Government - and draft the most appealing arguments in support of each pathway. Provide assessments on the likelihood of Presidential Compacts on WASH in each priority country and, where positive, outline the pathway to such a Compact and initiate its first steps.  Identify appropriate pathways to reach Ministers of Finance / Economy / Budget / Development / Planning, so that water, sanitation, and hygiene are afforded more attention in national budget cycles and negotiations with financial partners. Disseminate and promote the use of the SWA Finance Ministers’ Handbook in all 3 countries by sharing it with relevant counterparts and mentioning it in relevant (online) meetings.	5 days,  May-Jun   4 days, May-Jan     4 days, May-Jan     2 days, May-Jan
Support the implementation of the Mutual Accountability Mechanism (MAM) in Lusophone countries	Encourage Mozambique to report on its commitment that is due for reporting, and to develop follow-up plans for the mid-term review of new commitments, including those made at the 2022 Sector Ministers’ Meeting, by providing a briefing with suggested steps on the above, organising an opportunity for an online exchange with relevant government counterparts to present and discuss the briefing, holding up to 5 bilateral online meetings or calls to address questions arising.   Encourage SWA partners in Mozambique to table commitments corresponding to those of the Government, with the aim of 20% of partners doing so, and encourage them to support, participate in and document the implementation of the MAM, by providing a corresponding briefing with suggested steps on the above, organising an opportunity for an online exchange with SWA partners to present and discuss the briefing.   In SWA partner countries that have not yet tabled commitments, encourage all relevant government partners to convene at the national level for the purpose of developing and tabling commitments, and encourage other SWA partners in these countries to engage in the MAM, by providing a briefing for SWA partners to explain the MAM and how they can engage in it, providing a briefing for relevant government partners with suggested steps for developing and tabling commitments, organising two opportunities for an online exchange with relevant government counterparts.	5 days, Jun-Jan                 2 days, May-Jan             3 days, Jul-Jan
Coordination, documentation and communication of country engagement	Contribute to identification and preparation of at least 3 stories for the website and other communications outlets Update the list of national focal points, especially from non-government constituencies, at the beginning and the end of the assignment	1 day, Jun, Sep, Dec   1 day, Aug, Dec

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in political economy, government studies, public relations or relevant social sciences.
• A minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience in high-level multilateral and multi-stakeholder platforms and partnerships, incl. international financial agencies, governmental authorities, private sector and NGOs.
• Experience in WASH is not a prerequisite, but a strong asset.
• Experience working with national government(s) in areas related to good governance and policy analysis is strongly desirable.
• Excellent drafting and communication skills.
• Ability to work independently but in collaboration with a variety of stakeholders.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset. 
• Fluency in English and Portuguese is required. Knowledge of another official UN language is an asset (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

  

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

  

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

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:  

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. 

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.