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.

How can you make a difference?

Under the technical guidance of the Tigray WASH Specialist Mekelle, and general supervision of Emergency Manager/Head of Shire Sub office, the WASH Specialist (Emergency) supports the coordination and WASH in Emergency response activities in Shire and surrounding areas and is responsible for monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on the progress of WASH in emergency programmes/projects related to the Shire Area of Tigray Region. The Emergency WASH specialist provides technical guidance and management support throughout the programming processes, to facilitate the administration and achievement of the Emergency WASH-related output results for Tigray response.

In coordination with sub-national and local authorities, and in line with national agreed strategies and prioritization, the WASH Specialist will provide leadership and facilitate coordination processes between humanitarian actors at Shire level, as well as to ensure proper communication with the national cluster and other sectoral coordination platforms as appropriate. In support of the sub-national and local governments, as appropriate, act as interface between humanitarian WASH partners and duty bearers to ensure WASH related needs of the affected population are properly covered.

Summary Of Key Functions/accountabilities

• Coordination mechanism established
• Follow up, monitoring and oversight over UNICEF funded projects
• Needs assessment, analysis and alert of new crisis
• Monitoring and reporting
• Networking and partnership building
• Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

Coordination mechanisms

• Ensure appropriate coordination mechanisms between all WASH humanitarian partners at Shire level and with the national WASH cluster/coordination platform are in place, including effective links, communication, and information management.
• Ensure effective implementation of a monitoring plan to follow up the implementation of UNICEF’s response in WASH sector, incorporating required changes into WASH-specific activities, with special attention to ensure equitable and inclusive provision of services among IDPs, refugees and host communities.
• Coordinate with government and partners in the different stages of the program implementation, following up on PDs, recommendations, and other UNICEF commitments, including capacity development to national partners.
• Compile, analyze and keep up-to-date information on humanitarian WASH partners, their capacities and interventions at [sub-national level] (including Who, What, Where and When) and provide consolidated reports as feedback to partners and for the national WASH cluster/coordination platform.
• Support WASH Cluster to 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 mobilise resources for their activities through their usual channels.
• Identify core WASH advocacy concerns, including resource requirements, and convey these to the WASH Cluster Coordinator, local authorities, UNICEF, UNHCR, OCHA and other national WASH cluster partners.

Needs assessment, analysis and alert of new crisis

• Ensure effective and coherent WASH assessment and analysis, including identifying and closing gaps, involving all relevant partners, ensuring complementarity of their actions and identifying opportunities for collaboration that can contribute to the improvement of the humanitarian situation.
• Ensure effective links with other clusters or sectoral coordination platforms at [sub-national level] as well as with local authorities and stakeholders.

Monitoring and reporting

• Provide sector reports & updates to WASH Cluster at Mekelle level and national level as necessary.
• Provide UNICEF program reports to the Tigray WASH specialist based in Mekelle.
• Assist with WASH outcome reporting and effective information sharing to demonstrate the closing of gaps.
• When necessary, highlight specific issues for the attention of the Tigray WASH cluster coordinator and cluster partners to ensure priority and corrective measures are taken.

Networking and partnership building

• Build and sustain effective close working partnership with relevant government counterparts, OCHA, Other Clusters, donors, and academia through active networking, advocacy and effective communication to build capacity, exchange knowledge/expertise and to reinforce cooperation to achieve sustainable and broad results on WASH in emergency programmes.
• Prepares inputs for appeals and updates related to emergencies. Works with program sections and senior management to mobilize donor response and recovery/rehabilitation-related funding, including annual or multi-annual humanitarian appeals and documents (e.g., pitch documents). Communicates and advocates on the situation and needs of children through local and international media, as appropriate.

Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

• Apply and introduce innovative approaches and good practices to build the capacity of partners and stakeholders on WASH in emergencies and to support the implementation and delivery of concrete and sustainable programme results.
• Keep abreast, research, benchmark, and implement best practices in WASH in emergency management. Assess, institutionalize and share best practices and knowledge learned.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure optimum efficiency and efficacy of sustainable programmes and projects.
• Support the identification of capacities needed for implementing WASH response by partners and stakeholders and, in collaboration with the national WASH cluster, deliver training of WASH humanitarian personnel and capacity building of humanitarian partners.

Technical Requirements

• Community water supply for low- and middle-income countries – including water safety, sustainability
• Urban sanitation for low- and middle-income countries, incl sustainability
• Handwashing with soap
• WASH-in-Schools and Health Centres
• Menstrual hygiene management
• National government WASH policies, plans and strategies
• Analysis of national budgets and expenditure for basic WASH, and related advocacy
• Expert knowledge of three components and basic knowledge of three components
  • Humanitarian WASH – preparedness
  • Humanitarian WASH – response and recovery

Basic knowledge of both components

• Humanitarian WASH – coordination of the response

Basic knowledge

• Programme/project management
• Capacity development
• Knowledge management
• Monitoring and evaluation
• Expert knowledge of two components and basic knowledge of the other two components
  • Human rights and WASH
  • Gender equality and WASH

In-depth knowledge

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in in one of the following fields is required: public health, social sciences, behavior change communication, sanitary engineering or another relevant technical field.
• A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.
• A minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience in in WASH-related programmes for developing countries is required.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.