UNICEF WASH Specialist Job in Kenya

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
Kenya Country Office
WASH Specialist – TA – NOC - Lodwar

Date of Issue:  16 May 2012                                            

Closing Date: 29 May 2012

Applications are hereby invited from qualified candidates to fill the above Fixed Term position in the WASH Section. 

Purpose of Post:  

Under the general guidance of the Chief WASH and direct supervision of the  Head of Office, Lodwar, the WASH Specialist NO-C will be responsible for  planning, implementing and monitoring UNICEF WASH Programme in Turkana, support the WASH Sector in mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction in programming and coordinating emergency response interventions where required.

Justification:

In Kenya the 2011 Long Rains was characterised by an erratic and below normal performance, particularly in parts of North Eastern and Eastern Provinces where in many districts rainfall was less than 20 per cent of normal. 

The poor performance of the rains has resulted in the drying up of traditional surface water sources and placed a greater burden on more reliable water supplies such as deep drilled boreholes.

In 2011, UNICEF has been addressing the pressing humanitarian needs in WASH sector through a number of lifesaving activities. Emergency supplies have been distributed along with hygiene and HWTS promotion training. 

Through this intervention, 2,010,000 people received basic WASH emergency supplies including hygiene promotion messages & training. Moreover, 1,426,330 people in emergency affected districts have gained access to improved water supplies while 30,000 school children in 51 schools have improved access to WASH facilities in their places of learning.

In line with the 2011-2013 humanitarian strategy, the focus of the Emergency Humanitarian Response Plan remains on assisting households to recover fully from recurrent shocks and hazards, through offering immediate and medium-term food and non-food interventions that seek to mitigate urgent needs while concurrently restoring livelihoods and building their resilience. 

Indeed the twin-track approaches (which include improving disaster risk reduction to withstand climate change) will require investment which has been particularly challenging, all the more because emergencies are taking place at a much more frequent rate. However, disaster risk reduction approaches have proved more efficient in the long term.

The programme will continue building on disaster risk reduction (DRR) activities conducted throughout 2011 leading to increased community resilience to drought emergencies through provision of more sustainable water supply schemes. This programme will support joint WASH and Nutrition projects especially high impact interventions. 

This will include introduction of effective HHWTS (Household Water Treatment & Safe Storage) and rapid hygiene & sanitation promotion activities towards achieving the reductions in child morbidity and mortality from diarrhoea through combining the benefits of community water supply and/or HHWTS and improved sanitation with hygiene practices in the home.

As part of improving sustainability of water supplies, the project includes a focus on water quality through household water treatment technologies. The need is to prepare affected communities for WASH emergencies and to enable them to mitigate these effects.

UNICEF will continue working closely with the Ministry of Water & Irrigation (MoWI) and the Ministry of Public Health & Sanitation (MoPH&S) to support their coordination and oversight role during the emergencies including emergency WASH response.

To this effect UNICEF has opened a field office in Turkana to strengthen emergency response to ensure that DRR is integrated in emergency preparedness and response in order to build community resilience in emergency prone areas.

Thus there is a need for additional capacity in the WASH to ensure adequate technical support for the implementation of planned WASH projects throughout 2012. 

It is recommended that this technical support be provided by a WASH specialist recruited under a temporary assignment. The scope of work and terms of reference for the Technical assistance are laid out below.

Scope of Work

The WASH Specialist will be based in Lodwar and be responsible for planning, implementing and monitoring UNICEF WASH Programme in Turkana, support the WASH Sector in mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction in programming and coordinating emergency response where required. 

Reporting to the Programme Specialist (Head of UNICEF Office in Lodwar), the post will have the following responsibilities:-Responsible for supporting the district level WESCOORD (WASH sector coordination platform) to build consensus among Government and partners on good practices in Disaster Risk Reduction in the WASH sector and develop common strategies, plans and monitoring frameworks for scaling up these approaching in Turkana CountyEnsure effective links with other Cluster/sector groups operating in the County as well as maintaining linkages with the national level WESCOORD and Health Promotion coordination mechanism.The position will be responsible for providing technical support to stakeholders in Disaster Risk Reduction in WASH in the CountyResponsible for UNICEF emergency preparedness and response in Water and ensure affected populations have access to safe drinking water in sufficient quantitiesPrepare relevant WASH situation reports, donor proposals, briefing documents etc. as necessary. Provide support to MoWI, MoPH&S and partners to conduct emergency response interventions & monitor activities on the ground.Provide technical assistance to the MOWI (Ministry of Water and Irrigation) and other development partners for timely quality WASH assessments in the County.  Analyse findings and recommended actions on priorities, technical options, including operations and maintenance with involvement of communities.Work closely with other UNICEF Sections to ensure an integrated response and promotion of key sanitation and hygiene-related messages are conveyed to the affected population.Ensure that Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency interventions supported by partner agencies conform to national norms and standards. Ensure that inputs reinforce best practices in the sector and contribute to national priorities.Assist in providing input for the regular monitoring and reporting system for WASH database.Provide technical assistance to the UNICEF WASH Project Officer - Nairobi in terms of WASH Supply planning and utilisation. Make recommendations on effectiveness and appropriateness of WASH supply inputs. Provide support to the UNICEF Office in Lodwar under the direction of the Programme Specialist (Head of Office) as necessary.WESCOORD strengthened at County level as a common coordination, planning and response mechanism for common approaches to Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Response WASH Disaster Risk Reduction strategy is developed to guide the work of Government and partners in Turkana County Field visits to affected districts as required in coordination with UNICEF, Ministry and other partners. Water and sanitation needs and gaps, available capacity, resources and gaps among partners involved are identified and information/knowledge is used in establishing an effective WASH response.Strategic planning to respond to affected population.WASH situation reports, field reports, donor updates etc. are prepared as and when required.Desired background and experience Advanced University degree in Water/Civil Engineer, Public Health /Management Administration At least 5 years of field experience in management and technical assistance to WASH programmes in developing countries, including emergencies and Disaster Risk Reduction.Knowledge & experience of WASH emergency activities & management of WASH Emergency response programmesSolid technical background, coordination and managerial skills
Communication; Working with people; Drive for Results; Analyzing; Applying Technical Expertise; Coping with pressure and schedule; and planning and organizing.

Interested and suitable candidates should ensure they forward their applications along with their curricula vitae to:

The Human Resources Manager
UNICEF Kenya Country Office
Email address: kenyahrvacancies@unicef.org

Please indicate Reference No. “KCO/WASH/2012-022” in the email subject

Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse  UNICEF is a smoke-free environment