WASH Consultant, Odessa, Ukraine, 11 months (Office based work)

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, hope

UNICEF Ukraine

Background:

Odessa FO has WASH programme under its AOR covering Odessa, Mykolaiv Oblasts respectively, with potential addition of areas in Kherson Oblast aslo. WASH programme in Odessa FO has estimated annual budget of size USD 15 million to implement both humanitarian responses and early recovery projects. The annual work plan of WASH programme has wide range of programme activities including WASH Hygiene kits distribution, rehabilitation of Water & sanitation Infrastructures in cities, municipalities and villages, rehabilitation of WASH facilitation in educational institutions and health care facilities. The progarmme also includes emergency response such as emergency water trucking, emergency rehabilitation of infrastructures. The activities are being implemented by different partners such as City Vodokanals, NGOs, CSOs and peri-urban/rural communal enterprises. Further, there will also be new implementing partners through new HPDs for convergent municipality approach in Odessa nd Mykolaiv oblasts.

The recent escalation and potential escalations with counter offensive measures in southern and eastern part of Ukraine will most likely increase the need of UNICEF support to the population to ensure continuous safe water and sanitation services and hygiene supply provision.   

How can you make a difference? 

Purpose of assignment: 

The objective of this position is to support the WASH team in Odessa AoR in the effective execution of the WASH programme’s core functions, including technical support to implementing partners, monitoring and reporting as well as quality assurance of service delivery. As such, the WASH consultants will support a diverse function of WASH team set of tasks, with a focus on supporting partners on quality delivery and monitoring and reporting.

Key Tasks/Responsibilities under the assignment:

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of WASH Specialist in Odessa FO, WASH consultant will support and closely work with WASH officers and Field Monitoring officers for delivery of primarily, shared, or contributory results for all or part of the following areas of major duties and key end-results:

• Establish and maintain coordinative and supportive relationship with Vodokanals, communal enterprises, local authorities and NGOs/CSOs implementing the WASH programme in Odessa, Mykolaiv oblasts (potentially in Kherson).
• Support on verification of the requests or needs from implementing partners.
• Support Implementing partners (Vodokanals and communal enterprises, CSOs) for preparing & reviewing the technical documents (design/BoQ/Cost estimate).
• Support Implementing partners for preparing and executing the procurement process (Tendering, bid evaluation, contracting) complying UNICEF procedure.
• Technical support to Implementing partners and contractors during implementation.
• Monitoring of the progress of work execution implemented by partners.
• Supporting WASH team on field data collection/verification to contribute to SitReps, Quarterly reports, donor reports.
• Support on verification of works reported by implemented by partners.
• Support on verification of supplies distributed by UNICEF partners.
• Collect photographic evidence of the executed works.
• Represent WASH in different coordination forum, when necessary, upon request from supervisor.
• Any other relevant task assigned by supervisor.

Work assignment overview:

Please provide an all-inclusive financial proposal including travels to carry out the deliverables listed above.

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

Education: Master’s degree or higher in one of the following fields is required: in civil, hydraulic/sanitary and/or construction engineering.

Professional experience:

• A minimum of two (2) years of relevant experience, at the national and/or international levels, in WASH infrastructures project monitoring, site supervision, quality assurance and/or other directly-related technical fields is required.
• Understanding of development and humanitarian work.
• Emergency responses experience an advantage.

Languages: 

• Ukrainian: Proficient/Native [C2];
• English: Upper-intermediate [B2].

Skills and competencies

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

• Strong understanding on the project cycle management (especially monitoring and evaluation steps) and technical supervision.
• Good understanding on water supply and sanitation infrastructure rehabilitation/reconstruction.
• Good understanding on review and analysis of technical documents (engineering design, BoQ, cost estimates) of rehabilitation/reconstruction projects.
• Good understanding on legislation and regulations of government of Ukraine regarding contracting and construction of infrastructure projects.
• Good understanding and skills on communication with different stakeholders (local authorities, contractors, consulting firms, NGO/CSO).
• Good understanding of the humanitarian approach.
• Ability to perform several tasks in a timely manner with a focus on quality.
• Communicate key messages to different audiences.

Technical competencies:

• Understands key technical issues of ground water, wastewater for the cluster sufficiently well enough to be able to engage with implementing partners and local authorities.
• Proficient knowledge of MS Excel, MS Word and MS PowerPoint.
• The ability to lead assessment processes and/or technical working groups is an asset.

Functional competencies:

• Analyzing [ II] 
• Applying Technical Expertise [ II]
• Planning and Organizing [ II]

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. 

Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

 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.