WASH Specialist (Cluster Coordinator), P-4, Fixed Term, Juba- South Sudan (Open to non-South Sudanese Only
Job no: 564450
Position type: Fixed Term Appointment
Location: South Sudan Division/Equivalent: Nairobi Regn’l(ESARO)
School/Unit: South Sudan
Department/Office: Juba Zone Office, South Sudan
Categories: WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene)
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.
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For every child, A Healthy Environment
The South Sudan humanitarian crisis continues to affect millions of children, remaining one of the largest, most volatile in the world. The pace of displacement has been significant, with nearly 2.2 million people currently estimated to be internally displaced. 9.4 million people are in need, of which, half are children. With this scale of humanitarian need, the affected population continue to require a broad range of life-saving and specialized assistance. WASH needs currently exist for over 75 per cent of the total population.
How can you make a difference?
Purpose of the job:
UNICEF South Sudan is seeking a WASH Cluster Coordinator required to support a coherent, strategic ,coordinated, effective and efficient system of partnerships to maximize reach, with limited resources; ensuring that those in need are well served, at standard, by WASH partners. On behalf of UNICEF as the lead agency for the IASC Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Cluster, and in collaboration with the State Authorities, provide leadership and facilitate the processes that will ensure a well-coordinated, coherent, strategic, and effective WASH response in South Sudan. In support of the national government, act as interface between humanitarian WASH partners and duty bearers to ensure WASH related needs of the affected population are properly covered.
Key function, accountabilities and related duties/tasks
The Key functions are aligned with the IASC Cluster Coordination functions and minimum requirements (MRs) for coordination at country level. The MRs are designed to provide a light-approach mechanism to monitor WASH humanitarian platforms (clusters or sectors) at the country level.
1. Inclusion of key humanitarian partners:
Coordination
- Provide a platform that ensures service delivery is driven by the Humanitarian Response Plan and strategic priorities.
- Developing mechanisms to eliminate duplication of service delivery.
- Ensure the inclusion of key WASH humanitarian partners in a way that respects their mandates and programme priorities, as well as national and local authorities, other governmental actors, civil society and other actors working and related to the WASH sectoral response.
- Promote WASH emergency response actions while at the same time considering WASH within early recovery planning as well as prevention and risk reduction concerns;
- Ensure appropriate coordination mechanisms between all WASH humanitarian partners are in place, including effective links, communication and information management, as well as technical working groups and/or sub-national coordination platforms as appropriate.
- Cluster/sector meetings organized with minutes and action points and frequency and structure of meetings is in-line with needs for coordination
- Strategic decisions for the cluster / sector are taken by a group of partners representing the interest of all the WASH Stakeholders involved in the response (for instance, a Strategic Advisory Group (SAG)
- Secure commitments from WASH humanitarian partners in responding to needs and filling gaps, ensuring an appropriate distribution of responsibilities within the WASH Cluster, with clearly defined focal points for specific issues where necessary;
- Ensure effective links with other Cluster/sector groups;
- Ensure that WASH coordination mechanisms are adapted over time to reflect the capacities of local actors and the engagement of development partners
- Ensure information on all current and potential WASH partners, their capacities and areas of work (including Who, What, Where and When) are properly collected, analyzed and feedback to partners
- Participate in the national cluster meetings with inputs/feedback from the sub-national cluster.
- Represent the interests of the WASH Cluster/sector in discussions with the Humanitarian Coordinator and other stakeholders on prioritization, resource mobilization and advocacy;
Needs assessment, analysis and strategy development
- Ensure effective and coherent WASH assessment, analysis and feedback involving all relevant partners, including the identification of gaps and conceptualize how sectoral needs can be met through collective delivery, involving all relevant partners and ensuring complementarity of their actions.
- Identify and find solutions for (emerging) gaps, obstacles, duplication and cross-cutting issues. Formulate priorities on the basis of analysis. Facilitate WASH cluster/sector and its members/partners: – develop/update agreed WASH responses strategies and prioritized action plans and ensure these are adequately reflected in the overall country strategies and appeals. – are aware of relevant policies, guidelines, technical standards and relevant commitments that the Government/concerned authorities have undertaken under international human rights law; and that sectoral response is in line with them. – Standard WASH indicators have been agreed by cluster/sector partners and have been integrated into various multi-sector data collection initiatives (DTM, CCCM tracking, SMART Surveys) – Ensure a cluster/sector mechanism or protocol in place to collect assessment data from partners. – Ensure Cluster/sector partners are regularly submitting activities data (4Ws)
- Facilitate integration of agreed priority cross-cutting issues in WASH assessments, analysis, planning, monitoring and response as well as the utilization of participatory and community-based approaches in WASH in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the WASH response.
2. Participatory and community-based approaches:
Ensure utilization of participatory and community-based approaches in WASH related assessments, analysis, planning, monitoring and response.
3. Accountability to Affected Population
Ensuring that women, men, girls and boys of all ages and diversity backgrounds, affected by a crisis have equitable and meaningful access to:
- Appropriate, relevant and timely information
- Two-way communications channels that facilitate feedback and complaints and provide redress for complaints.
- Means to participate in decisions that affect them, including fair and transparent systems of representation; and Active involvement in the design, monitoring and evaluation of the goals and objectives of programmes.
- Ensure the WASH cluster/sector has conducted a training or workshop on AAP yearly and AAP remains a standing agenda item during coordination meetings.
- Develop / update WASH cluster/sector specific policy or guidance for the minimum level and means of communication with affected communities.
4. Attention to priority cross-cutting issues:
- Ensure integration of agreed priority cross-cutting issues in WASH assessments, analysis, planning, monitoring and response (e.g. age, diversity, environment, gender, HIV/AIDS and human rights);
- Ensure specific cluster/sector focal points for cross-cutting issues have been identified and are equipped and capacitated to lead on the cross-cutting area.
5. Emergency preparedness:
- Ensure adequate WASH related contingency planning and preparedness for potential significant changes in the nature of the emergency and for high risk or recurring disasters (for example Floods).
- Identify hazard, assessment and monitoring of risk is undertaken as part of the Humanitarian Programme Cycle or on a needs basis and reflected into the national WASH Cluster contingency plans.
- Ensure that core pipeline is adequately replenished, gaps managed.
6. Planning and strategy development: Ensure predictable WASH action within;
- Develop sectoral plans, objectives and indicators that directly support realization of the overall response’s strategic objectives.
- Apply and adhere to common standards and guidelines.
- Clarify funding requirements, help to set priorities, and agreeing cluster contributions to the HC’s overall humanitarian funding proposals.
- Ensure WASH standards and guidelines for humanitarian response have been developed and agreed by partners and are based on national standards where applicable (or global otherwise) with consideration made for the local context
- Draw lessons learned from past WASH activities and revising strategies and action plans accordingly;
- Developing an exit, or transition, strategy for the WASH interventions and key Cluster/sector partners.
7. Application of standards:
- Ensure that WASH cluster/sector participants are aware of relevant policy guidelines, technical standards and relevant commitments that the Government/concerned authorities have undertaken under international human rights law;
- Ensure that WASH responses are in line with existing policy guidance, technical standards, and relevant Government human rights legal obligations.
- Ensure critical WASH issues are identified and brought to the attention of the relevant stakeholders
- Undertake advocacy initiatives when required to communicate these WASH issues to key stakeholders (HCT, Donors, CLA, Government etc.)
8. Monitoring and reporting:
- Ensure adequate monitoring mechanisms are in place to review impact of WASH interventions and progress against implementation plans. This specifically needs to include an analytical interpretation of best available information in order to benchmark progress of the emergency response over time. That is – monitoring indicators (quantity, quality, coverage, continuity and cost. Target population data including desegregation by sex, age etc…) of service delivery which are derived from working towards meeting previously defined standards.
- Measure progress against the cluster strategy and agreed results and recommend corrective action where necessary.
- Ensure mechanisms are in place to monitor the quality of WASH services delivered to the affected population against established standards (relevance, quantity, quality, continuity of WASH services)
- Ensure adequate WASH impact reporting and effective information sharing (with OCHA support) to demonstrate the closing of gaps.
9. Advocacy and resource mobilization:
- Identify core WASH advocacy concerns, including resource requirements, and contribute key messages to broader advocacy initiatives of the HC, UNICEF and other actors;
- Act as the media spokesperson for the sector;
- Advocate for donors to fund WASH actors to carry out priority WASH activities in the sector concerned, while at the same time encouraging WASH actors to mobilize resources for their activities through their usual channels.
10. Training and capacity building:
- Identify capacity gaps and needs of the WASH cluster/sector partners, including government and development capacity development action plan and initiative.
- Promote and support training of WASH humanitarian personnel and capacity building of humanitarian partners, based on the mapping and understanding of available capacity;
- Support efforts to strengthen the WASH capacity of the national/local authorities and civil society.
develop an exit/transition strategy for the WASH sector and key sector partners
11. Transition planning
- Lead on the design of appropriate transition strategies for the cluster to ensure continuity between the humanitarian response, recovery and development phases and disaster risk reduction initiatives. Ideally this will involve working closely with national counterparts and development actors to ensure a resumption of national ownership of cluster activities. It will also involve consideration of how coordination mechanisms and cluster membership should change as the humanitarian emergency subsides.
12. Advocate for provision of assistance or services as a last resort:
Where critical gaps in addressing WASH priorities are identified the WASH Cluster Coordinator will:
- Lobby for implementing humanitarian partners (including UNICEF) to address the gaps.
- With advice/support from the HC and support from other humanitarian partners will advocate, as appropriate, on the adequate provision of resources and safe access.
- If persistent gaps remain then with the full support of the UNICEF Country Representative will specifically request that the UNICEF take action to fill the critical gaps through direct implementation action, where funds and access allow.
Impact of Results
The support provided by the level 4 WASH Cluster Coordinator will enable the achievement of prioritized targets within the Humanitarian Planning Cycle, and more specifically within the Humanitarian Response Plan. When done effectively, the achievement of the outcome results will improve child survival, growth and development and reduce inequalities in the country.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Education: Advanced University Degree qualification desirably in subjects/ areas of WASH e.g. Health Promotion or Education, Civil or Public Health Engineering, Public Health (MPH), Environmental Health. Note that work experience may substitute for higher degree qualification.
Experience:
A minimum of 8 years of professional work experience, including direct WASH emergency experience, with the UN and/or NGO. WASH Cluster experience an advantage.
Language Requirements:
Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values
UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
- Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (1)
- Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)
- Works Collaboratively with others (2)
- Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)
- Innovates and Embraces Change (2)
- Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)
- Drive to achieve impactful results (2)
- Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)
During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework 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. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.
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 is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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:
UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.
Advertised: Jul 26 2023 E. Africa Standard Time
Application close: Aug 04 2023 E. Africa Standard Time
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- Closes Aug 04 2023WASH Specialist (Cluster Coordinator), P-4, Fixed Term, Juba- South Sudan (Open to non-South Sudanese Only in South Sudan
UNICEF South Sudan is seeking a WASH Cluster Coordinator required to support a coherent, strategic ,coordinated, effective and efficient system of partnerships to maximize reach, with limited resources; ensuring that those in need are well served, at standard, by WASH partners. On behalf of UNICEF as the lead agency for the IASC Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Cluster, and in collaboration with the State Authorities, provide leadership and facilitate the processes that will ensure a well-coordinated, coherent, strategic, and effective WASH response in South Sudan. In support of the national government, act as interface between humanitarian WASH partners and duty bearers to ensure WASH related needs of the affected population are properly covered.
