Mission and objectives

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 fulfil 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.

Context

UNICEF provides support to 24 UNICEF Country Offices of Latin America and the Caribbean. The programme support helps to inspire a common vision on the rights of children, adolescents and to mobilize societies so that they can become a reality in the lives of all children. On the average, 74% of households in the region have access to safely managed drinking water and 51% to safely managed sanitation, figures that mask significant inequalities, rapid urbanization pressures, climate risks, and recurring emergencies. LAC is the second most disaster-prone region in the world, where extreme weather events, climate variability, displacement, and infrastructure disruptions repeatedly generate acute Water, Sanitation and Hygiene ( WASH) needs. UNICEF supports both humanitarian response and long-term development programming in line with the UNICEF Strategic Plan, 2026–2029, which integrates WASH across two major impact results: Impact Result 1: Enabling child survival, health and development — including reaching: 100 million people with safely managed drinking water and 200 million with safely managed sanitation/hygiene. Impact Result 5: Protecting children from climate and environmental risks — including: 300 million children benefiting from climate-resilient WASH, health, and education services. To meet these ambitions, UNICEF is scaling up high-quality technical assistance globally through four Centres of Excellence (CoEs) located in Nairobi, Panama, Bangkok, and Amman. This UN Volunteer assignment is positioned within the Global WASH Systems & Governance Team, outposted in Panama, with a primary focus on supporting WASH systems, governance, and humanitarian preparedness across the LAC region.

Task Description

Under the direct supervision of the Senior Adviser, WASH Systems and Governance, the UN Volunteer will undertake tasks categorized under the following broad areas: 1. Support Humanitarian WASH programming (50% of the time) - Provide technical support to WASH emergency preparedness, response, and coordination in LAC Country Offices and at regional level. - Provide technical assistance for the design and implementation of climate-resilient WASH programmes, including risk-informed planning, resilient infrastructure, and service delivery models. - Support the strengthening of the national institution to operational WASH sector coordination and improve the continuity and sustainability of WASH services in disaster-prone, and climate-vulnerable settings. - Contribute to the facilitation of regional WASH coordination, in particular the regional WASH LAC platform, R4V WASH Working group and the Caribbean Development WASH Working Group engaging with partners and counter parts and identifying strategic and operational priorities for the sector in the region. 2. Support in-country WASH Program design, review and implementation (30%) - Monitor UNICEF WASH capacity, programming and technical assistance needs in LAC countries, organising quarterly meetings with colleagues active in WASH programming in countries - Support programme design and oversight of UNICEF Country Programmes in WASH, contributing to Strategic Moment of Reflection, development of Country Programme Document, Country Programme Management Plan, Technical Review Team, reviewing Country Strategy Indicators on WASH. - Provide ad-hoc technical assistance to Country Offices on related WASH areas, based on UNICEF principles, guidance documents, tools and approaches. - Support strategic planning and programming processes. 3. Capacity building & Knowledge Management (20%) - Contribute to the development of a regional WASH capacity building strategy, engaging with strategic partners, including with IADB, CAF, WB, donors, regional institutions and civil society. - Prepare and support the development of WASH learning/knowledge products, covering innovative approaches and good practices - Organize peer to peer exchanges - Contribute to knowledge generation and cross-country learning.

Competencies and values

• Accountability • Adaptability and flexibility • Creativity • Judgement and decision-making • Planning and organising • Professionalism • Self-management

Living conditions and remarks

Officially known as the Republic of Panama, the country is transcontinental, located between Central America and South America, and bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the east, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The capital and largest city is Panama City. Panama is classified as a family duty station with generally good living conditions, particularly in Panama City, where most international organizations and services are based. The country offers relative political stability, adequate infrastructure, and good regional and international connectivity. The United States dollar is used as legal tender, alongside Balboa coins, which constitute the national currency. Panama has a tropical climate, with an average temperature of approximately 27°C year-round and high humidity. The country is rich in biodiversity, with jungles home to a wide range of tropical flora and fauna. Panama is a founding member of the United Nations and belongs to several international organizations, including OAS, LAIA, G77, WHO, and NAM. Several international schools operate in Panama City, offering Cambridge (IGCSE/GCSE), French, and American curricula. Panama is generally considered safe, although petty crime occurs and a reasonable level of personal vigilance is advised. For more info, you may visit: Welcome to Panamá | Places to Visit & Things to do. The United States dollar is widely used alongside the local currency, facilitating financial transactions. Private healthcare facilities of good standard are available, including English-speaking medical professionals. For updated information on Covid19 travel conditions and restrictions please visit the official government pages: Visit Panama Safety Guidelines for your next trip to Panama and Ministry of Health of the Republic of Panama