Long Term Agreement (LTA) for Engagement of Individual Consultants on WASH Monitoring and WASH Data Analysis, Data and Analytics Team (DAT), DAPM NYHQ (remoted-based)

Title: Long-Term Agreement (LTA) for Engagement of International Consultants on WASH Monitoring and WASH Data Analysis
Duty Station: Remote-based and field consultancy contracts
Duration of LTA: Two years with the possibility of extension for one more year (max. 3 years)

 LTA Financial Proposal WASH Monitoring.docx

About UNICEF
If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world’s leading children’s rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection and development. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

About WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program (JMP)
The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program (JMP) is responsible for global monitoring of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets related to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). The JMP team comprises 5 full time staff who are responsible for preparing estimates for all countries, areas and territories, producing global progress updates and supporting countries to strengthen national monitoring and to analyse national data on WASH in households, schools and health care facilities. In 2016, the JMP established a roster of international consultants to support the integration of water quality testing in 10-20 household surveys per year and in 2020 the roster was expanded to include consultants with expertise in other new areas of SDG WASH monitoring, including on-site sanitation, schools, and health care facilities.
This LTA of consultants replaces the previous JMP roster of international consultants and is also open to UNICEF Regional and Country Offices and other UN agencies in case of a need.
Selected consultants will be eligible for a long-term agreement contract to provide on-demand technical support to the WHO/UNICEF JMP team, to WHO and UNICEF regional and country offices and to other UN agencies.
On average selected consultants will be expected to complete approximately 3 assignments per year with each assignment lasting at least 20 days, LTAs are non-binding arrangements that do not constitute a commitment to acquire a consultant service.

BACKGROUND/RATIONALE
PURPOSE OF ASSIGNMENT
To meet these requirements, UNICEF would like to engage the services of consultants to enable the WHO/UNICEF JMP HQ team and WHO/UNICEF Country/Regional Offices (as needed) to diversify and scale up country support on SDG WASH monitoring and WASH data analysis.
PROGRAMME AREA AND SPECIFIC PROJECT AREA
Specific roles and responsibilities may vary depending on support needs, which would be defined at the start of the engagement. It is anticipated that international consultants will provide countries and/or regional offices with technical guidance on a range of different aspects of WASH relevant monitoring and reporting, including the following tasks:
a) Development or adaption of technical guidance materials (such as presentations, methodological notes, and training materials) to facilitate local dialogue on the selection of indicators and data collection, processing and analysis methods.
b) Support planning and preparations for surveys and censuses with WASH elements (e.g., survey design and training on water quality testing in a household survey and/or assessing safe management of on-site sanitation) including liaison with regional and country offices on arrangements to be made for the overall implementation.
c) Support regional and country offices and national counterparts in preparing methodological and analytical materials (e.g., methodological tools, data analysis scripts and templates for data analysis and visualization) for facilitating the monitoring and reporting of WASH relevant results and their programmatic and policy implications.
d) Produce concise technical reports describing the implementation of the defined tasks and summarizing lessons learned and recommendations for any follow up actions/modifications as needed.
More specific and detailed deliverables and their deadlines will be agreed prior to each contract based on regional and country office needs.
OBJECTIVE(S)
The overall objective is to set up a Long-Term Agreement to facilitate and expedite the process by which WHO/UNICEF JMP team will hire consultants to provide technical support in different parts of the world.
MAJOR TASKS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED
Selected applicants will be trained on core aspects of the WHO/UNICEF JMP framework for global monitoring and reporting of WASH services in households, schools and health care facilities and learn how to support regions and countries to strengthen their monitoring and reporting of SDG WASH indicators. The selected consultants will then be deployed rapidly and flexibly to provide technical support in different parts of the world. Consultants will be contracted to support one or more country or regional offices as needed depending on their expertise and experience in the following main areas of monitoring and reporting:
1. WASH in households, including water quality and/or on-site sanitation, menstrual health
2. WASH in schools
3. WASH in health care facilities
4. WASH data collection, processing and analysis, and methods
Responsibilities of the Consultant:
i The consultant will use their own equipment: laptops, software and other accessories that may be required for this LTA.
ii The consultant will not give the content/material or any part thereof, to any third party without the written permission of UNICEF. All components will be property of UNICEF, and the consultant will not share the same with anyone else.
iii The consultant will not put their own name or logo/emblem on the content/final product. The only organization branding will be UNICEF and or WHO, if required.

Responsibilities of UNICEF:
i. UNICEF will provide all details pertaining to the activity and the requirements.
ii. UNICEF will provide the latest UNICEF and WHO’s style guide and branding guidelines.

Consultants may be required to work on Saturdays and Sundays, based on the requirements of the assignment. (if applicable)

DELIVERABLES
Note: Candidates are free to apply to any category/deliverable based on their qualifications and experience. They can also apply for both categories. UNICEF will award LTA(s) to top ranked 5 or 10 candidates under each category. A candidate may be awarded an LTA for one or more than one category.

Deliverables Category 1: For WASH Data Analysis
Work Assignment Overview/Tasks/Milestone:
Home-based: region and country support for WASH Monitoring:
1. Support regional and country offices and national counterparts in planning and preparation for methodological and analytical materials with focus on WASH and its programmatic and policy implications.
a. Development of sampling methods and their guideline for implementation in survey design for WASH
b. Development of methodological documents for testing and improving WASH estimates and projections/extrapolations.
c. Development of methods and tools for analysis of disaggregated WASH data.
2. Development of required analytical tools to be used in the production of statistical outputs. Ensuring clear documentation and organization of all outcomes.
a. Preparation of thematic reports on WASH with compilation of the required data for analysis and development of tools required to generate the analytical outputs for the report
b. Development of snapshots/dashboards and their tools required to generate the relevant analytical outputs
c. Development of methods and tools for analysis of WASH data at subnational level and in combination with other economic, social, environmental and geospatial variables.

Deliverables Category 2: For WASH Monitoring
Work Assignment Overview/Tasks/Milestone:
Home-based: country support for WASH Monitoring:
1. Development or adaptation of information to facilitate local dialogue on selecting indicators and data collection methods.
a. Support country offices to identify relevant questions, indicators and tools for collection of national data on WASH in households, schools or health care facilities.
2. Development or adaptation of training materials to selected indicators and data collection methods
a. Support country offices to adapt questions, indicators and tools in order to integrate them into national monitoring systems for WASH in households, schools or health care facilities.
3. Support planning and preparations for national surveys or censuses with WASH elements in water quality testing in households, schools and/or health care facilities, including liaison with regional and country offices on arrangements to be made for the overall implementation:
a. Support procurement of supplies as needed
b. Support involvement of national laboratories/regulators as needed
c. Support validation of methods against national standards as needed
d. Follow-up support and technical advice in selected countries/regions.
4. Support planning and preparations for national surveys or censuses with WASH elements including safely managed on site sanitation, menstrual health, WASH in schools and/or WASH in health care facilities, including liaison with regional and country offices on arrangements to be made for the overall implementation:
a. Support procurement of supplies as needed
b. Support involvement of national laboratories/regulators as needed
c. Support validation of methods against national standards as needed
d. Follow-up support and technical advice in selected countries/regions.
5. Produce technical reports describing the implementation of the defined tasks and summarizing lessons learned and recommendations for any follow-up actions/modifications as needed.
a. Preparation of report summarizing technical support provided, lessons learned and recommended follow-up actions/modifications as needed
b. Preparation of a report documenting country office efforts to strengthen national monitoring of WASH in households, schools or health care facilities and synthesizing lessons learned from experience
Field/Office in country support for WASH Monitoring:
6. Assist regional and country offices in planning and preparation for surveys and censuses with WASH elements, including trainings, procurement of supplies and timely deployment of training materials.
7. Development or adaptation of training and information materials to facilitate local dialogue on the selection of indicators and data collection methods.
8. Timely deployment of technical support for training enumerators and other national counterparts, including field visits for training courses and follow-up support in selected countries/regions.
9. Participation in international workshops requested by WHO/UNICEF JMP team.
10. Produce technical reports describing the implementation of the defined tasks and summarizing lessons learned and recommendations for any follow-up actions/modifications as needed.

TRAVEL:
Consultants that apply for Field/Office in country support for WASH Monitoring will be asked to travel to UNICEF regions for in-country support. Consultants will need to make their travel arrangements and will be reimbursed for travel costs and subsistence allowance in line with and limited to those payable by UNICEF.
The payment of travel costs shall be limited to economy class air travel, regardless of the length of travel.
Airfare and terminal expenses will be paid upon completion of each duty travel against the invoices.

ESTIMATED DURATION OF LTA
The Long-Term Agreement will be for a duration of three years. The initial period would be for two years with an option for renewal for a subsequent year on the same rates, terms and conditions, subject to satisfactory performance evaluation and continuing need for the service. The services of the consultants selected under the LTA would also be made available to other UN agencies, UNICEF Regional and Country offices.

QUALIFICATIONS / SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE / EXPERIENCE/ COMPETENCIES
(CORE/TECHNICAL/FUNCTIONAL) / LANGUAGE SKILLS REQUIRED FOR THE ASSIGNMENT

Category 1 – WASH Data Analysis: For statistical methodology improvements and applications in data collection, processing, and analysis in at least one of WASH domains:
• Advanced degree in statistics, mathematics, economics, sociology or related field with training in statistics.
• This is a mid-level position; consultants should have a minimum of five years working experience in data collection, processing, analysis, and/or survey design and management preferably in WASH and at both field office and headquarters levels.
• High levels of computer literacy including quantitative/analytical skills with statistical software packages (such as STATA, R, SPSS) and advanced proficiency with MS Excel are needed.
• Experience in the analysis of data from national surveys or censuses and/or preparation of methodological guidelines
• Experience in developing technical materials and guidelines to explain statistical processes to various audience at different levels.
• Good written and verbal communication skills in English is essential and, depending on the region and country, other languages, particularly French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Chinese is an advantage
• Strong organizational, planning, and analytical skills is essential
• Demonstrated cultural sensitivity and ability to establish harmonious working relations in a multicultural environment.) is essential

Category 2 – WASH Monitoring
• Advanced Degree in Engineering, Biology, Public Health, or a related discipline
• This is a mid-level position, consultants should have a minimum of five years’ working experience with water and sanitation preferably at both field office and headquarters levels and have extensive experience with project management.
• High levels of computer literacy including quantitative/analytical skills and advanced proficiency with MS Excel is needed
• Knowledge of and experience of data collection in at least one of WASH domains in low- and middle-income settings is essential:
o WASH in households: water quality monitoring
o WASH in households: management/monitoring of on-site sanitation
o WASH in households: menstrual health (hygiene)
o WASH in schools
o WASH in health care facilities
• Experience working with national counterparts responsible for water and sanitation service delivery and/or regulation.
• Experience in the delivery of training courses and experience of household and facility-based surveys (design, implementation and/or data analysis).
• Good written and verbal communication skills in English is essential and, depending on the region and country, other languages, particularly French, Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese or Russian is an advantage
• Strong organizational, planning, and analytical skills is essential
• Demonstrated cultural sensitivity and ability to establish harmonious working relations in a multicultural environment.) is essential

TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA (WITH WEIGHTS FOR EACH CRITERIA)

The selection of consultants for the LTA will be based on technical evaluation and financial offers in the ratio of 80:20. The criteria for technical evaluation will be as follows:

FINANCIAL PROPOSAL

For each deliverable the candidate wants to apply for, candidates should submit daily fees.

Consultants must send a financial proposal (for all categories applied) in the below format in a separate Word document with the consultant’s name of the consultant, signature, address, contact no., email address, and date.

CONTRACTS CREATED AGAINST THE LTA

Whenever consultancy services are required, details of the assignment/deliverables including quantities and deadlines will be presented to the top-ranking LTA holder based on relevant technical skills, previous experience, language skills and country experience. Should this consultant not be available for this assignment, UNICEF will contact the second-ranked consultant (if applicable).

Upon receipt of confirmation of availability and interest in the assignment, a contract will be issued with the prices/fees as agreed in the LTA. The consultant must sign the contract prior to the commencement of work.

Payment will be made after the completion of deliverables and submission of invoices for the actual work completed, subject to satisfactory performance and timely delivery.

HOW TO APPLY:  The application to be submitted through the online portal should contain five separate attachments:

1. A Cover letter explaining the motivation for applying and explaining how the qualifications and skillset of the candidate (to be uploaded online under “Cover Letter” tab)
2. Curriculum Vitae (CV) (to be uploaded online under “Resume” tab)
3. Minimum of two work samples for each Category applied (to be uploaded online under “Other – Applicant” as a single document containing work samples for all categories applied)
4. A financial proposal (for each category applied) as per the template  LTA Financial Proposal WASH Monitoring.docx. Please do not forget to specify your name in the file while saving (to be uploaded online under “Financial Proposal” tab).  
5. Copy of educational qualifications (to be uploaded online)

Important Note: Please do not indicate financials anywhere else in the online application form, please mark “n/a or 00”, under the fee related questions in the online application form.

Without all the above 5 documents, your application will be considered incomplete and invalid and will not be considered further.

Note: Courses will be required for the successful LTA holders: Certificates of mandatory courses (Ethics and Integrity at UNICEF (2020 version); Prevention of Sexual Harassment and Abuse of Authority (2021 version) & Sexual Exploitation Abuse (PSEA) (2021 version) consolidated in one single pdf. For LTAs which include travel assignments, BSAFE will be a mandatory course requirement to be added to the list of certificates to be uploaded.

• Any attempt to unduly influence UNICEF’s selection process will lead to automatic disqualification of the applicant.
• Joint applications of two or more individuals are not accepted.
• Please note, UNICEF does not charge any fee during any stage of the process.
• Female candidates meeting the requirements are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion and encourages qualified candidates from all backgrounds including persons living with disabilities to apply.

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.