UNICEF National Consultant: WASH Consultant for WASH Recovery Project ( Consultant- Based in Rukum and Jajarkot) Nepal (Only for Nepalese Nationals)

Job Description

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, result

UNICEF has been providing support for the activation of the WASH cluster, capacity building, and improvement of WASH services in communities and schools affected by the earthquake in Jajarkot and Rukum westUNICEF plans to enhance WASH services in these communities in alignment with the UN Joint Recovery Action Plan. The aim is to strengthen leadership and coordination in WASH response, recovery, and reconstruction and ensure safe water, sanitation, and hygiene education for all affected families through repair, maintenance, and reconstruction of damaged community water supply schemes, sanitation, and handwashing facilities in communities, schools, and health care facilities as well as enhance provincial and local capacities on effective coordination for emergency preparedness and response.

The WASH component includes the following areas:

Provide technical assistance to provincial and local governments for coordinated WASH response and recovery works in selected rural and urban municipalities of Jajarkot and Rukum West.
Capacity building and support for preparedness at local and provincial government levels.
Repair and maintenance of 50 damaged community water supply schemes in selected rural and urban municipalities.
Reconstruction of community water supply schemes.
Reconstruction of water supply facilities in schools.
Repair/reinstate partially damaged community/HH toilets including handwashing stations.
Reconstruction of sanitation and handwashing facilities in schools.
Reconstruction of fully damaged community/HH toilets including handwashing stations.
Conducting hygiene promotion sessions in earthquake-affected areas and most vulnerable communities.

How can you make a difference?

The purpose of this consultancy is to provide technical assistance to selected local governments and implementing partners for the implementation of the WASH Recovery Project in selected municipalities in Jajarkot and Rukum West. The consultants will be based in Jajarkot and Rukum West and support the WASH team in Karnali province in the effective execution of the WASH Early Recovery programme’s core functions, including technical support to implementing partners as well as selected local governments, monitoring and reporting as well as quality assurance of WASH service delivery. As such, the WASH consultants will support a diverse function of WASH team set of tasks, with a focus on supporting partners in the quality delivery of all the assigned tasks.

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of WASH Officer, WASH technical consultants will assist implementing partners in the selection of earthquake-affected water supply schemes and schools, monitor and check the the survey, design, and cost estimation of proposed projects, and oversee their implementation to ensure water quality and the provision of sustainable and safely managed WASH services. They will also be responsible for ensuring a systematic process of sanitation and hygiene promotion, repairing and installing sanitation and hygiene facilities at households/communities and schools.

Under the consultancy role, the WASH Technical Consultant will focus on the following key areas:

1. Support for capacity building of the WASH cluster, and development of WASH contingency plans of local governments.

2. Establish and maintain coordination and supportive relationships with Palika focal persons, local authorities and NGOs/CSOs implementing the WASH programme.

3. Provide technical support and field assessments for water supply projects, affected communities, schools, and health care facilities for WASH recovery and reconstruction services.

4. Support implementing partners and local governments in project planning, field surveys, design, cost estimation, and contractual agreements. This includes preparing & reviewing the technical documents (design/BoQ/Cost estimates).

5. Support Implementing partners in preparing and executing the procurement process (Tendering, bid evaluation, contracting, procurement etc.) complying UNICEF procedures.

6. Regularly supervise and monitor the effective implementation of WASH activities/projects in earthquake-affected communities.

7. Building capacity and providing support to local governments and implementing partners on technical options for WASH projects, Disaster and climate-resilient WASH services, WASH in schools, and technical options and promotion tools.

8. Providing technical support to selected municipalities and implementing partners to enhance the water quality monitoring and surveillance system, updates of progress in NWASH system revising WASH plan including recovery and reconstruction plan

9. Coordinate with other sectors such as nutrition, education, health and shelter and within WASH cluster members for coordinated efforts and for initiating joint monitoring and reporting at the local level

10. Support in donor visits, intergovernmental/intersectoral joint visits in the EQ-affected areas

11. Collecting photographic evidence and documenting best practices and lessons learned on WASH recovery and reconstruction initiatives.

12. Supporting UNICEF’s WASH team on field data collection/verification to contribute to SitReps, monthly reports, and donor reports.

13. Conducting any other task assigned by the supervisor.

Duration of Contract (For Lead Consultant): The total duration of the contract is for 9 months

Duty Station: Two Consultants - 1 Consultant will be based in Bheri Municipality of Jajarkot and 1 consultant will be based in Saniveri Rural Municipality of Rukum West

Deliverables:

Tasks/Milestone	Deliverables/Outputs	Timeline	Proposed Fee (In Nepalese Currency)
1st Deliverable: Submission of a detailed report with evidence
Support for capacity building of the WASH cluster, development of WASH contingency plans of local governments.	Submission of meeting minutes, training reports, plan and other supporting documents	By end of June 2024 ( 33 days)
Establish and maintain coordination and supportive relationships with Palika focal persons, local authorities and NGOs/CSOs implementing the WASH programme.	Submission of meeting minutes of regular coordination meetings and sharing
Provide technical support and field assessments for water supply projects, affected communities, schools, and health care facilities for WASH recovery and reconstruction services.	Submission of assessment report, technical verification reports, meeting minutes of local governments
2nd deliverable: Submission of a detailed report with evidence
Support to implementing partners and local governments in project planning, field surveys, design, cost estimation, and contractual agreements. This includes preparing & reviewing the technical documents (design/BoQ/Cost estimates).	Submission of technical documentation, design and cost estimate of selected project interventions	By the end of September 2024 (64 days)
Support Implementing partners in preparing and executing the procurement process (Tendering, bid evaluation, contracting, procurement etc.) complying UNICEF procedures.	Submission of documentation of tendering and procurement
Regularly supervise and monitor the effective implementation of WASH activities/projects in earthquake-affected communities.	Submission of progress and field monitoring report: 4W reporting
Third deliverable: Submission of a detailed report with evidence
Building capacity and providing support to local governments and implementing partners on technical options for WASH projects, Disaster and climate-resilient WASH services, WASH in schools, and technical options and promotion tools.	Submission of training completion report	By the end of December 2024 ( 64 days)
Providing technical support to selected municipalities and implementing partners to enhance the water quality monitoring and surveillance system, updates of progress in NWASH system revising WASH plan including recovery and reconstruction plan	Submission of water quality testing and progress report and certification of projects
Coordinate with other sectors such as nutrition, education, health and shelter and within WASH cluster members for coordinated efforts and for initiating joint monitoring and reporting at the local level	Submission of meeting minutes and monitoring reports
Fourth deliverable: Submission of a detailed report with evidence
Support in donor visits, intergovernmental/intersectoral joint visits in the EQ-affected areas	Submission of programme schedule and visit reports	By 15th February 2025 (34 days)
Collecting photographic evidence and documenting best practices and lessons learned on WASH recovery and reconstruction initiatives.	Submission of final report including lessons learnt and recommendations for future implementation of ER projects.
Supporting UNICEF’s WASH team on field data collection/verification to contribute to SitReps, monthly reports, and donor reports.	Submission of weekly and monthly updates, sit rep and 4W reports, briefing notes and other reports
Conducting any other task assigned by the supervisor.	Submission of detailed action plan and reports

To qualify as an advocate for every child the consultant will have…

Academic Qualification:

Master’s degree in one of the disciplines relevant to the following areas: Civil Engineering, Environment/Sanitation Engineering, WASH in Emergency, DRR, Sociology and Rural Development with specialization in water supply and sanitation, and Emergency from a reputed Institute/university
Additional training in Social Behavior Change, Health Education; Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation focusing on WASH is an asset.

Work Experience:

Five years of progressive professional work experience WASH in Emergency, water supply and sanitation facilities designing and implementation in community, schools and health care facilities experience working with INGO/UN organizations in WASH and WASH in emergency will be an asset.
Strong understanding of the project cycle management (especially monitoring and evaluation steps) and technical supervision, review and analysis of technical documents (engineering design, BoQ, cost estimates) of rehabilitation/ reconstruction projects
A good working knowledge of recent developments and approaches and demonstrated experience implementing water supply projects, WASH in school initiatives, water quality, WASH in emergency, DRR, recovery and reconstruction.
Excellent knowledge and skills of computer in Autocad, Microsoft office, and data management including result-based, human rights and gender/disability issues, specifically relating to children and women.
Experience working with Provincial and Local Governments with knowledge of government financial, supply and administrative rules and regulations Government of Nepal will be preferred.
Strong communication skills (written and oral) in English are required.
Candidates who meet the required knowledge and experience and are from the working province, and Competent females and people from disadvantaged group, person with disability, marginalized and indigenous community are highly encouraged to apply.

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:

Request to submit financial proposal (Nepalese currency) based on the deliverables for this assignment.

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.

This position is no longer open.