Provincial Refugee WASH and CEED Officer

Details

Mission and objectives

UNICEF helps build a world where the rights of every child are fully realized. It is our conviction that nurturing and caring for children are the cornerstones of human progress. UNICEF was created in 1946 to work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path. It has global authority to influence decision-makers, and a wide variety of partners at grassroots level to turn the most innovative ideas into reality. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, 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.

Context

Zambia is located in the Southern African region and has a population of approximately 19.6 million people with approximately 56% living in rural areas though rapid urbanisation is evident. A survey conducted in 2018 indicated that 15% of children under the age of 5 years in Zambia had diarrhoea within the two weeks prior to the survey and 34.6% were stunted. Global evidence shows linkages between consumption of poor-quality water , diarrhoea and waterborne diseases which may contribute to child stunting . Climate change may increase the consumption of contaminated water, especially in drought prone areas . Climate variability in the future threatens the sustainability of WASH investments. Some of the areas where UNICEF operates in Zambia have been experiencing adverse climate change effects. There are four resettlement areas in Zambia with an estimated 100,000 Persons of Concern . Approximately 18,000 Persons of Concern are living at Mantapala Refugee settlement area in Luapula Province where UNICEF is implementing WASH and drainage activities in 2023. The Provincial Refugee WASH and CEED Officer will be hosted at the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation office in Mansa, Luapula Province. UNICEF requires the services of an International UN Volunteer to support the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Climate Change, Energy, Environment, and Disaster Risk Reduction/Response (CEED) team in Luapula Province. The incumbent will support Provincial and District Government Officers from the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation, Ministry of Green Economy, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Education on WASH and CEED related activities. The incumbent will also work directly and daily with Government staff in their offices using locally provided government logistics and resources.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the WASH CEED Specialist in Lusaka, the Provincial Refugee WASH and CEED Officer will perform the following tasks: • Support refugee WASH related activities in Luapula Province. This will include working in close collaboration with UNHCR, and the Zambian Government through the Commissioner of Refugees Office, as well as relevant contractors and consultants to monitor drainage construction in Mantapala Refugee Settlement; • Build environmental and social safeguard capacity at the Provincial, District and Town Council level among Government Officers and contractors; • Strengthen the WASH component of ongoing Scaling Up Nutrition activities, by attending regular Village, District, and Provincial Water sanitation and hygiene commitment meetings and assisting planning and implementation activities; • Monitor water quality treatment and private sector trials been conducted by contractors in the Province; • Support the Commercial Utility with their mandate to include rural water systems and sanitation in their plans and budgets. This may include support in conducting economic analysis, such as identifying appropriate costs for small-piped water schemes; reviewing engineering designs; or creating behaviour change campaigns to improve payments or household sanitation construction; • Conduct programme monitoring visits on UNICEF works vis a vis water, sanitation, and hygiene field activities; • Prepare back to office reports on the work of UNICEF’s implementing partners’ progress and challenges; • Document lessons learnt during implementation using UNICEF internal knowledge products or international peer-reviewed journal formats; • Share photographs and human-interest stories with UNICEF communications teams.