Consultancy to support hand hygiene evidence generation in South Asia - UNICEF South Asia

Contract

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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, a hope

Background and Rationale:

Three billion people – 40 per cent of the world’s population – do not have a place in their homes to wash their hands with water and soap. Three quarters of those who lack access to water and soap live in the world’s poorest countries and are amongst the most vulnerable: children and families living in informal settlements, migrant and refugee camps, or in areas of active conflict. This puts an estimated 1 billion people at immediate risk of COVID-19 simply because they lack basic handwashing facilities. Hand hygiene facilities are lacking even in places where they are most needed: nearly half of all schools do not have handwashing facilities with water and soap, affecting 900 million school-age children. Forty-three per cent of health care settings do not have hand hygiene facilities at points of care where patients are treated. With limited or no hand hygiene facilities and improvement programmes, health care workers’ compliance with hand hygiene best practices can be as low as 8 per cent. This puts teachers, doctors, nurses, patients – everyone – at risk.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a stark reminder that one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of a virus is also one of the simplest: hand hygiene. It not only protects us from contracting the disease, but also stops transmission to other people. To beat the virus today – and be better prepared for future pandemics – universal access to hand hygiene must become a reality for everyone, in all settings. This approach is reiterated in WHO’s recommendations on ensuring universal access to hand hygiene and improving hand hygiene practices to prevent COVID-19 transmission.

To scale-up and sustain the momentum, UNICEF and WHO in June 2020 launched the Hand Hygiene for All global initiative (HH4A). This effort has mobilized global partners including the World Bank, UNHCR, ILO, the World Economic Forum, UK Government, WaterAid, IFRC, Civil Society and others to join forces to accelerate hand hygiene for all at home, school, heath care facilities, workplaces, markets, transportation hubs, and all other public spaces.

To achieve hand hygiene for all, we need individual behaviours to change, but we also need to improve access to the products and services that enable new behaviours by making handwashing easy, convenient and desirable. This includes access to water supply and physical infrastructure, innovative product handwashing solutions to fit different contexts, and supplies like soap and alcohol-based hand-rub that are both available, affordable and desirable.

Understanding consumer behaviour and markets is not only important to target future interventions, but also to monitor the impact of implemented behaviour change activities.

How can you make a difference?

Key assignments and tasks:

• Mapping of actors (private sector, development partners) actively engaged in hand hygiene programming in South Asia (excl. Afghanistan)
• Support the preparations for future hand hygiene market assessments in Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
• Value based prospecting of the hygiene industry in South Asia
• Development of investment case for hand hygiene in South Asia
• Develop WASH Guidance (global templated item) on working with the private sector for hand hygiene
• Support professionalization of HH4Asia network
• Support development and implementation of regional Global Handwashing Day celebrations

Note: The duration of the contract is for 80 days between 20 September to 31 December 2022. The consultancy is remote based with some travel in the region.

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

Education:

• Advanced University Degree in Public Health, Engineering, Development Studies, Social Sciences, Communications Sciences, International Relations, or related fields.

• A University degree with 8 years of relevant work experience in lieu of a Master degree is acceptable.

Experience:

• A 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 on different topics 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 demonstrate experience of review, editing, report writing and proofreading.
• Previous experience editing and writing for UNICEF and familiarity with UNICEF’s style guidelines would be an asset.
• Excellent communication skills.

Language proficiency:

• The consultant should be proficient in English, with proven ability to write high level papers for different type of audiences.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

• The Consultant should be able to work collaboratively and use their existing WASH sector network. She/he needs to adopt a consultative approach and solicit the input of key stakeholders at critical stages of the work.

  To view our competency framework, please visit here.

  UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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.