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

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

In the frame of UNICEF’s work overall and in WASH, knowledge management (KM) represents one of the change strategies to support the achievements of results for children. Fulfilling the 2030 Agenda depends on our ability to provide governments and other WASH actors with knowledge and expert advice to help ensure their decisions and actions are based on the best information available and deliver the best possible outcomes for children and the poor, as efficiently as possible. (UNICEF Strategic plan 2022-25) KM underpins the effectiveness and efficacy of the WASH programme to maximize its impact with the available resources. KM activities need to be supported by an enabling environment consisting of sufficient resources (financial and human), a KM oriented culture, good governance, and robust technology. It should be used to generate, capture, use and share UNICEF’s organizational WASH knowledge to improve the quality, equity, and sustainability of WASH services. UNICEF WCARO engaged to deliver support to knowledge management (documentation) and facilitation of knowledge exchange in person and virtually as part of its 2024 BMGF project workplan. This consultancy will facilitate the documentation and capacity building aspects for CO colleagues on knowledge generation under the direct supervision of the WASH specialist Sanitation and Hygiene. The purpose of this consultancy is to support UNICEF country offices in West and Central Africa and WCARO in their WASH knowledge management activities, by supporting the development of high-quality, innovative technical WASH knowledge products, especially around sanitation outcomes documenting the progress towards Ending Open Defecation (KRC8). The main objective of this consultancy is to ensure WASH staff in the region are supported with the development of WASH knowledge products. The consultant’s analytical expertise will be used for the elaboration of innovative high-quality WASH knowledge products including those using UNICEF WASH templates and extracting and synthesizing from existing knowledge initiatives developed by country offices. The knowledge products elaborated by the consultancy will be ready for external dissemination and use by UNICEF and partners in the region and beyond.

How can you make a difference?

Scope of Work:

• At the beginning of the consultancy and quarterly going forward the consultant will facilitate a WASH KM planning meeting, with the objective to develop a KM workplan for each CO for the following 2 months.
• Based on CO request the consultant will develop a detailed workplan for her/himself, assigning working days as per identified regional documentation priorities and knowledge gaps to CO support and knowledge product development. Priority topics focus on sanitation, but in detailed framing will vary by CO and for the RO include: urban sanitation, Climate Resilient sanitation, Evidence Based Behaviour Change Approaches, Hand and Menstrual Hygiene, Systems Strengthening (batch of knowledge products).
• The elaboration of each WASH knowledge product can include the following detailed activities and final deliverables:Identification and validation of documentation value of proposed knowledge products by CO (up to 0.5 days per CO) as per “Knowledge product pre-approval checklist”, which includes specific criteria such as: alignment with the CO publication plan, responding to the evidence gap mapping of COs, providing original knowledge and insights relevant to the wider sector,
• Support the elaboration of a final draft of knowledge products, using agreed formats, incl. UNICEF WASH templates, especially Fieldnotes, technical papers and discussion papers and innovativeproducts targeting digital external dissemination channels, such as MS Sway versions, short summaries and infographics for social media of WASH templated products, (zero draft to be delivered by COs) once proposed knowledge product was approved for support by the consultant, through the RO
• Discuss the final draft with WCARO and country office focal points as necessary and get initial comments and inputs. Incorporate the comments and inputs and elaborate the final version of the knowledge products.
• Submit final version of the knowledge product to WCARO WASH team for publication through HQ or direct.

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

• An Advanced (Master) University Degree in Public Health, Engineering, Development Studies, Social Sciences, Communications Sciences, International Relations, or related fields.
  • A Bachelor’s degree with 8 years of relevant work experience in lieu of a Master degree is acceptable.
• minimum of 8 years’ experience in the WASH sector, related with management of water and/or sanitation programmes in developing countries.
• Experience in editing and writing technical WASH UNICEF WASH templates related to the WASH sector and social science.
• Excellent writing skills and demonstrated record of high-quality publications on WASH, social science and development issues.
• Knowledge and demonstrated experience of review, editing, report writing and proofreading of UNICEF WASH knowledge products in English.
• Previous experience editing and writing for UNICEF and familiarity with UNICEF’s style guidelines
• Proven excellence in writing WASH knowledge products in English required, French an asset
• Fluency in English and French

Other Requirements

• Completed profile in UNICEF’s e-Recruitment system /Resume
• Academic credentials/certificates
• Consultancy proposal
• Financial proposal that will include
  • Costs for each deliverable and total all-inclusive (lump sum) fees for the whole assignment
  • Travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TO
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
• Previously relevant consultancy products & final evaluations (if available)
• Indicate your availability
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory 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.

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.