Associate WASH Officer (N)

Grade

NOB

General Service

Reason

Temporary > Temporary Assignment/ Appointment

B

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2024-12-09

2025-06-08

December 4, 2024

Standard Job Description

Associate WASH Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Associate WASH Officer assists in the provision of professional technical support and guidance on activities within the areas of Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) in the locations within the Areas of Responsibility (AoR). The Associate WASH Officer is normally supervised by (Senior) Programme or WASH Officer and may receive technical guidance and support from the functional unit in Headquarters. In addition, the incumbent will be expected to work within multi-functional and interdisciplinary teams.
The Associate WASH Officer will support UNHCR, in coordination with the Government, to assess needs and coordinate the provision of WASH, and in particular, hygiene promotion services to Persons of Concern (PoC) to UNHCR. This will include coordination at site level with WASH partners in conjunction with the government authorities, and monitoring progress of hygiene promotion programme implementation to ensure that an adequate level of hygiene promotion service is provided at each site in accordance with the UNHCR WASH Manual and Technical Guidelines, and applicable UNHCR Standards and/or National Standards.
S/he will follow a rights-based and community focused approach to programme design and implementation. The incumbent will follow the five principles for protection, accountability and WASH as outlined in UNHCR’s WASH Manual.
Where there is no senior WASH colleague in operation or the region, the incumbent should maintain regular communication with the WASH team in HQ for technical advice, information, and access to updated global tools and resources.

In order to ensure wider reach out to the refugees and other persons of concern and ensure their close involvement in the delivery and management of the Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) services, the incumbent will need to establish an appropriate consultative and monitoring framework which would draw the experience and expertise of a wide range of actors both internally and externally.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR’s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties
Leadership and Coordination
– Coordinate activities of WASH implementing partners, together with other UN agencies, governmental and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other partners within the AoR to ensure delivery of WASH services to beneficiaries (PoC and host community) meets UNHCR and /or nationally recognised and most up-to-date standards and policies.
– Where there are PoCs living outside of camps/settlements, work with partners to ensure the enjoyment of the human right to water and sanitation by all PoCs.
– Work with senior WASH staff (or management) to engage government and partners, following the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), to unlock resources (humanitarian and development) for the design and construction of community-centred infrastructure, improved hygiene conditions, safe management of water and sanitation services and service provision upgrades in refugee hosting areas.
– Work towards ensuring that all decision making regarding WASH services takes in to account the needs and capacities of PoC, and the solutions proposed by PoC.
– Facilitate WASH coordination among partners, ensuring that inclusive and good practice coordination structures for all technical sectors covered are in place, and that sector coordination functions at national and field levels are in line with operational and partner requirements.
– Address gaps and overlaps in UNHCR funded WASH programmes and unmet needs, and the activities are oriented to addressing priority WASH issues.
– Facilitate and provide support to a multi-sector ‘technical unit’ in the AoR, including sector functions covering site planning, shelter, health, nutrition, and environment.
– Where relevant, provide support to national government(s) for inclusion of PoC within national SDG 6 development plans (Urban and Rural) and financing mechanisms and service delivery systems.
– Contribute to building key WASH strategic partnerships with development and humanitarian agencies to support inclusion of refugee WASH services within national systems and development financing mechanisms.
– Engage with Urban WASH actors (GAUC, UCLG, UNHABITAT, Municipal Authorities, Utilities, and relevant government line ministries) for preparedness planning, inclusion in pro-poor tariffs, and provision of WASH services to PoC hosted in urban areas.

WASH Strategy, Planning and Programme Support
– Maintain and follow a WASH strategy which identifies the targets and approaches for water supply, excreta management, personal and environmental hygiene (including menstrual health), solid waste management, vector control, and institutional WASH facilities.
– Jointly with WASH partners and other stakeholders, update detailed needs and resource assessments and revise designs and technical plans, taking into account practical aspects of implementation, long-term sustainable solutions, and relevant technical specifications and guidelines.
– Advise and assist the UNHCR programme staff on the development of WASH aspects of the programme including planning, budgeting and input to financial management of the programme.
– Involve PoC during planning, design, implementation, and monitoring of WASH services using an age, gender and diversity approach.
– Work towards the inclusion of all UNHCR PoC into the WASH Strategy, which considers at a minimum WASH access data collection, and advocacy for inclusion of all PoC (both in camp and out of camp) within national systems of WASH service provision

Technical Assistance and Capacity Building
– Plan and address adequately the needs of women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities in planning and implementing WASH activities.
– Support operations to define the scope of UNHCR involvement, expressed in terms of overall and operational objectives during emergency, transition, and protracted phases.
– Support the review and analysis of partner project proposals and budgetary submissions.
– Use community-based approaches, including clear involvement of women, girls, boys, and men, elderly, persons with disabilities in the design of WASH related infrastructure, products, and services.
– Provide technical assistance to UNHCR office(s) and programmes in the development, integration and mainstreaming of appropriate client-focused and cost effective WASH programmes.
– Ensure development of information, education and communication materials through community consultations, collaborating with women, girls, boys, men, elderly, persons with disability, and other potentially marginalised groups.
– Facilitate capacity strengthening activities of UNHCR and its implementing/operational partners to address key areas of WASH importance to PoC.
– Contribute to capacity and competence building of UNHCR1s staff on both hardware and software components of WASH
– Ensure community capacity building is carried out through multi-discipline teams working with women, girls, men, and boys of the community to train and empower them on WASH related aspects including: menstrual health, hygiene promotion, operation and maintenance, monitoring and reporting, and other topics.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Quality Assurance
– Monitor and evaluate WASH programmes within the AoR against standard UNHCR and SDG indicators to ensure that programmes are evidence-based and implemented in a comprehensive, client-focused, and cost effective manner.
– Ensure monitoring and evaluation is carried out following UNHCR’s WASH monitoring system using standard resources for data collection, analysis and interpretation.
– Ensure that all data regarding the boreholes and WASH infrastructure is updated on UNHCR’s GIS portal and relevant website(s).
– Monitor the collection and recording of SDG 6 WASH access data in the WASH Monitoring System for all UNHCR PoC to enable comparative reporting against national averages, to ensure that refugees/IDPs are not being ‘left behind’.
– Collate WASH services access data (for both in-camp and out-of-camp PoC) to identify and promote inclusion of PoC within national SDG 6 development plans and financing mechanisms and service delivery systems.

Reporting and Accountability
– Foster PoC’s access to feedback and accountability mechanisms for the WASH services.
– Collate and contribute to analyse data on the satisfaction of PoC with regards to WASH services.
– Draft regular sectorial reports and submit material for preparation of periodic project monitoring reports as required.
– Report regularly on WASH activity implementation by all WASH partners, while maintaining accurate records of all relevant performance indicators.
– Provide input to adequate reporting, timely updates and briefings to donor and management.

– Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).

– Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P2/NOB – 3 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 2 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 1 year relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education
Agriculture, Civil Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Hydrology,
Geology, Natural Resources Management, Project Management, Construction,
Public Health, Rural Development, Community Development, Anthropology,
Social Science, Sociology, Social Work, Architecture,
Social Development, Urban Planning, Water Resources Development,
Water/Sanitation Engineering or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Not specified.
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Proven expertise in the area of WASH including surveys, programme implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and coordination.

Desirable
Knowledge and understanding of water and wastewater hydraulics and physical, chemical and biological properties; solid waste management practices, vector control and hygiene promotion/awareness raising strategies.
Knowledge and understanding of relationship between water, wastewater, solid waste, vector control to public health indicators, and value of hygiene promotion/awareness raising and behaviour change methodologies.

Functional Skills
CO-Reporting skills
IT-Computer Literacy
IT-Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
PG-Programme Management (programme cycles and reporting standards)
PR-Country Operations applying the Cluster Approach
UN-UN/UNHCR Mandate and Global Strategic Priorities
WA-WASH Assessment: Survey planning, implementation and oversight
WA-WASH-related Technologies
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.

• Demonstrated technical experience in urban/small town water engineering including low-income communities (Desired).
• Demonstrated context knowledge and professional WASH/Energy/Environment/Climate sectors experience, preferrable from the East, Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes Region. (Desired).
• Proven expertise in WASH including surveys, programme implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and coordination (Desired).
• Experience of working with refugees, internally displaced, and hosting communities (Required).
• Experience of risk assessment and management (Required).
• Knowledge and understanding of UNHCR/UN administrative and financial rules and regulations (Desired).
• Experience of engineering project management including procurement and coordination (Required).
• Demonstrated ability to resolve conflict, troubleshoot sources of tension, and to unite different interest groups (Required).
• Demonstrated ability to achieve results by constant monitoring and adapting project cycle to ongoing lessons learned (Required).
• Cultural and political sensitivity, and ability to communicate clearly to all audiences (Required).
• Excellent budgeting skills (Required).
• Proficiency in computer software such as MS Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, water modelling software (EPANET), GIS Software (MapInfo, Arc GIS), AutoCAD (Desired).
• Good knowledge and understanding of WASH standards for emergencies and refugee camps including SPHERE and UNHCR Emergency Handbook technical guidelines and standards (Required)
• Knowledge and understanding of water and wastewater hydraulics and physical, chemical, and biological properties; solid waste management practices, faecal sludge management, vector control, sanitation and hygiene promotion/awareness raising strategies (Required).
• Knowledge and understanding of relationship between water, wastewater, solid waste, human waste, vector control to public health indicators, and value of hygiene promotion/awareness raising (Required).
• Knowledge and understanding of risk-based monitoring and evaluation, multi-criteria analysis and project management and control (Required).
• Sound Knowledge of WASH/Energy/Environment/Climate and its impact on protection and other UNHCR sectors such as health and nutrition, education (Required).
• Experience in conducting WASH trainings (Desired).
• Knowledge of English (written / oral / comprehension) is required. Knowledge of the local language is added advantage.

This position requires Functional Clearance

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Skills

CO-Reporting skills, IT-Computer Literacy, IT-Geographic Information Systems (GIS), PG-Programme Management (programme cycles and reporting standards), PR-Country Operations applying the Cluster Approach, UN-UN/UNHCR Mandate and Global Strategic Priorities, WA-WASH Assessment: Survey planning, implementation and oversight, WA-WASH-related Technologies

Education

Bachelor of Arts (BA): Anthropology, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Architecture, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Civil Engineering, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Community Development, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Construction, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Environmental Sciences, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Geology, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Hydrology, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Natural Resources Management, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Project Management, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Public Health, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Rural Development, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Social Development, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Social Science, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Social Work, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Sociology, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Urban Planning, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Water/Civil Engineering, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Water/Sanitation Engineering, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Water Resources Development

Certifications

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales