National Individual Consultant to provide Engineering Services for WASH (Train) (Harare, Zimbabwe)

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, clean water

UNICEF has been operating in Zimbabwe since 1982. We are a team of passionate professionals committed to the protection and fulfillment of children’s rights. 

Supporting the Government’s vision of a prosperous  and  empowered upper-middle-income society, the country programme is aimed at contributing to sustainable socioeconomic development that provides all children, including adolescents, with opportunities to fulfil their potential, lead a healthy life, access quality learning and protection and meaningfully participate in society.

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https://www.unicef.org/zimbabwe/work-us

How can you make a difference? 

UNICEF Zimbabwe is seeking to hire an innovative and self-motivated individual consultant to provide Engineering Services for WASH.

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

UNICEF Climate Resilient WASH requires a consultant who will work closely with Local Councils, District Water and Sanitation Sub Committees (DWSCC), communities, Department of WASH Coordiation, collaborating NGOs/CSOs and other relevant stakeholders and provide engineering support for community-led construction of water systems in line with build-back-better and protection standards.

Outputs foreseen under this consultancy include but are not limited to: Approving engineering designs, certifying construction works, WASH capacity mapping; Supervision of borehole drilling and installations; WASH supply plan and evaluation; mapping of risks, developing checklists and protocols, best practice protocols and guidelines; quarterly programme updates and progress reports.

BACKGROUND:

Zimbabwe has, over the years, grappled with negative effects of climate crisis, which have led to erratic rainfall patterns characterized by either severe floods or prolonged periods of drought. As a result, 2.8 million people have been left at risk of food and nutritional insecurity.An El Niño event is currently being experienced by the country and is poised to increase the severity of water stress in drought prone communities. The 2015/2016 El Nino created severe water shortages which resulted in safe water sources drying up, forcing people to resort to unsafe sources for water for drinking and other domestic uses and sharing these with livestock. Such shortages had multiple negative impacts on health, nutrition, functioning of clinics and risks of violence. Women and girls’ socially ascribed roles of water provision increased their exposure to the risk of GBV linked to El Niño as they had to travel longer in search of water.

Additionally, the country is currently experiencing a cholera outbreak and further shortages to safe water supply will only worsen the spread of cholera in the cholera active districts.

UNICEF Zimbabwe, together with the government strive to leave no one behind with regards access to safely managed water as well as hygiene as per the provisions of SDG 6. With a specific focus to vulnerable communities, 27 districts have been identified under the Anticiaptory Action Plan which need urgent support for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).  Interventions will include construction of water systems and provision of hygiene supplies to ensure the targeted communites have service levels that meet or are near the national standards for access to water.  

Alternative technologies, which are energy efficient, all-inclusive and durable solar powered water systems will also be considered for water reticulation systems in communities where the water source is found to be viable. The infrastructure requires technical skills for design and oversight of construction works, which in the majority of cases, government structures at district levels need capacity building on.

It is against this background that UNICEF Zimbabwe WASH Section now requires technical assistance services of a consultant with skills and demonstratable capacity to provide technical and coordination support in designing, implementing and supervising community water supply system work, including solar pumping systems; as well as project management, capacity building and coordination.

ASSIGNMENTS:

The consultant will carry out the following activities:

1. Provide engineering technical support in design, implementation, and supervision of water systems rehabilitation and/or constructions in selected communities.
1. Assess the feasibility study submision from implementing partners for water supply systems.
2. Provide technical review of designs and verification of associated costs.
3. Undertake a comprehensive technical assessment for rehabilitation / construction of WASH Infrastructure in communties and institutions. On the basis of the technical assessment prepare designs with detailed specifications, drawings (where required) as well as BoQs and cost estimates for the priority rehabilitation construction interventions.
4. Ensure environmental and social safeguard/environmental and social management plan requirements for specific activities are met including risk mitigation measures.
5. Assist implementing parnters and government in tendering the projects based on the verified bills of quantities.
6. Provide technical and logistical advice to project implementation, including field work as necessary.
7. Develop protocols, guidelines and training materials for best practices in WASH infrastructure rehabilitation including designs that are based on build back better principles.
8. Ensure project construction monitoring, supervision and certification of works.
9. Supervision and certification of works

2. Develop and monitor partnerships between UNICEF and NGOs / CSOs to implement activities:
1. Conduct field monitoring.
2. Provide input to lessons learned exercises and assist the development of knowledge products.
3. Establish and complete results monitoring templates with partners
4. Develop checklists and protocols.

3. Support the distribution and use of supplies provided by UNICEF to implementing partners and beneficiaries:
1. Prepare supply plans, distribution plans, and tracking tools for UNICEF supplies including construction materials, hygiene supplies, bush pumps, and spare parts.
2. Coordinate with UNICEF Zimbabwe on making and dispatching supply orders.
3. Monitor and account for supplies provided to implementing partners.
4. Coordinate the evaluation of UNICEF WASH supply assistance.

4. Provide technical support to WASH sector coordination
1. Serve as focal point for UNICEF emergency projects with Local Councils, PWSSC, DWSSC, GoZ, Zimbabwe Natonal Water Authority (ZINWA), collaborating with NGOs/CSOs, communities and other relevant stakeholders.
2. Assist with sub-national coordiation in Masvingo and/or Manicaland provinces, as and when requested by UNICEF and the National WASH sector coordinator. 

5. Provide capacity building support
1. Adapt existing training materials to train district officials, NGOs and private sector contractors on appropriate water supply system development in terms of drilling and construction procedures, standards and protocols.

Major tasks and deliverables: 

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

Education: 

Advanced University Degree in Civil Engineering,  Hydrology, Water Management or Sanitation Engineering.  

At least five years of relevant experience in WASH and engineering in developing countries

A university first degree in the same field plus at least 8 years relevant experience can be considered in lieu of a Masters degree

Languages:

Required:  English

Desirable: Shona and Ndebele

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

Excellent technical knowledge and experience in the planning, design and rehabilitation of water and sanitation infrastructure, small piped water systems and borehole development; deployment in emergency context will be an asset.

Highly Desirable:

Demonstrated experience in community engagement, hygiene promotion and social mobilisation.

Experience working with UN agencies and/or NGO and demonstrated ability to work in complex environment.

Proven experience supporting government agencies, international organizations, and development partners for the delivery of WASH services in humanitarian situations

Excellent communication skills including fluency in English (verbal and written).

If interested and available to undertake the individual consultancy, please submit your application online and attach the required documents including the technical proposal and an all-inclusive financial proposal incorporating an approximate number of travel days for field (local) travel. 

Technical proposal: The Technical Proposal should articulate an understanding of the TOR and include the proposed Tasks/Milestones, Deliverables/Outputs, Timeline and level of effort by deliverable. The similar table provided in the TOR is indicative. Applicants may use the indicative table as a guide or deviate as per the proposed approach. The proposal should also cost-effectively propose the local travel proposed by the applicant to undertake the assignment.

Financial proposal: The Financial Proposal should include the costs (providing a daily rate as justification) for each task, including consultant fee, proposed travel costs and perdiem, communications costs and any other proposed cost.

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:  

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.