WASH Officer Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Development of Water Utilities

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Description

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Under the direct supervision of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Manager (P4) in Dnipro Field Office (DFO), and the overall guidance from the Chief of WASH (P5) of UNICEF Country Office in Ukraine (UCO), the WASH Officer (Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Development of Water Utilities – Level 2/NOB) will be responsible for managing the institutional strengthening and capacity development projects/activities delegated to her/him, including the eventual and associated capital and operational investments (CapEx and OpEx) for Ukrainian water utilities being supported.

The WASH Officer (Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Development of Water Utilities – Level 2/NOB) will help along the whole project cycle in the negotiation, design, formalization, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of STAPs and MTIPs to be developed and implemented, including the management of contracts and cooperation agreements with and between specialized technical partners.

Finally, the WASH Officer (Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Development of Water Utilities – Level 2/NOB) will also support the development, preparation, management, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the WASH programme within UCO country programme, and provide technical guidance and management support throughout the programming processes, to facilitate the administration and achievement of the WASH-related output results in the country programme.

Duties and responsibilities:

Summary of key functions/accountabilities under the incumbent’s Area of Responsibility (AOR): 

• Programme development and planning
• Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results
• Technical and operational support for programme implementation
• Humanitarian WASH preparedness and response
• Networking and partnership building
• Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

Programme development and planning:

• Provide timely, comprehensive, and current data to inform WASH policy and programme development, planning, management and implementation. Keep abreast of WASH sector development trends, for maximum efficiency and effectiveness in programme design, management, and implementation.
• Participate in strategic WASH programme planning discussions. Contribute to the preparation of WASH donor proposals and reports, ensuring alignment with UNICEF’s Strategic Plan, UNICEF’s global WASH strategy and the Country programme, as well as government plans and priorities, and the role of other external support agencies.
• Assist in the formulation of the WASH outcome and output results, related indicators, baselines, targets and means of verification. Prepare required documentation for programme reviews.
• Work with colleagues and partners to discuss strategies and methodologies for the achievement of WASH output results in the country programme.
• Provide technical and operational support throughout all stages of programming processes and ensure integration, coherence, and harmonization of WASH with other UNICEF sectors, for the achievement of the WASH output results.
• Draft assigned sections of the annual work plan, in close cooperation with government and other counterparts.

Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results :

• With other external support agencies, strengthen national government WASH sector monitoring systems, with a focus on Ukrainian water utilities institutional strengthening and capacity development. 
• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual sectoral reviews with government and other counterparts and prepare reports on results for required action/interventions at the higher level of programme management.
• Prepare/assess monitoring and evaluation reports to identify gaps, strengths/weaknesses in programmes and management, identify and document lessons learned.
• Monitor and report on the use of sector programme resources (financial, administrative, and other assets), verify compliance with approved allocations, organizational rules, regulations/procedures and donor commitments, standards of accountability and integrity. Report on issues identified to enable timely resolution by management/stakeholders.
• Prepare sector progress reports for management, donors, and partners.

Technical and operational support for programme implementation:

• Actively monitor UNICEF-supported activities through field visits, surveys, and exchange of information with partners, to assess progress, identify bottlenecks and potential problems and take timely decisions to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for timely interventions.
• Provide technical and operational support to government counterparts, UN system partners and others, to support programme implementation.
• Participate in WASH programme meetings, to review progress, with government, other sector agencies and implementation partners, involved at various stages of WASH programme implementation, to provide expert advice and guidance.
• Draft policy papers, briefs, and other strategic materials for use by management, donors, and UNICEF.

Humanitarian WASH preparedness and response :

• Take up support roles in the overall emergency response and early recovery for WASH, as and when the need arises. 

Networking and partnership building:

• Build and sustain close working partnerships with government counterparts and national stakeholders through active sharing of information and knowledge to facilitate programme implementation and build capacity of stakeholders to achieve WASH output results.
• Prepare materials for WASH programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnerships and support fund-raising.
• Participate in inter-agency discussions, ensuring that UNICEF’s position, interests, and priorities are fully considered and integrated in the UNDAF development planning and agenda setting.

Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building:

• Support the development, implementation, monitoring and documentation of WASH action research and innovation (technical or systems). 
• Prepare learning/knowledge products, covering innovative approaches and good practices, to support overall WASH sector development.
• Suport learning opportunities for UNICEF WASH staff, to ensure our sector capacity remains up to date with latest developments. 
• Contribute to the systematic assessment of WASH sector capacity gap analysis, in collaboration with government and other stakeholders, and support the design of initiative to strengthen capacities systematically.
• Participate as a resource person in capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients/stakeholders.

Impact on results:

The support provided by the WASH Officer (Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Development of Water Utilities – Level 2/NOB) will enable the country office to achieve the WASH-related output results of the country programme.  This, in turn, will contribute to the achievement of the outcome results of the country programme document. When done effectively, the achievement of the outcome results will improve child survival, growth and development and reduce inequalities in the country.  

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

Education:

• An university degree in one of the following fields is required: Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, environmental management, or another relevant technical field.
• Additional relevant post-graduate courses on Water Utilities Management that complement/supplement the main degree is a strong asset.

Experience:

• A minimum of two (2) years of professional experience in water utilities management in Ukraine is required.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in Ukrainian and English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.

Source: https://jobs.unicef.org/cw/en-us/job/571161

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