Individual Consultancy: Design a comprehensive internal M&E system for the UNICEF WASH Programme (Open to Non-Mozambican Nationals Only)

Consultant Programme & Policy Medical & Health

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

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 new idea

How can you make a difference?

Purpose of Activity/Assignment: Provide consultancy services to develop a comprehensive internal M&E System for the UNICEF WASH Section (Mozambique Country Office)

Scope of Work

The water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) needs in Mozambique are significant. The Joint Monitoring Program estimates that 27% of the population still did not have access to improved drinking water sources and up to 63% did not have access to at least basic sanitation, with strong disparities among regions and between urban and rural areas (JMP, 2020). Similarly, only 48% of schools and 54% of HCFs had access to water in 2020 (JMP, 2020).

Mozambique is facing recurrent emergencies such as cholera outbreaks, cyclones, floods, as well as conflict in the Northern Provinces. A massive cholera outbreak started late 2022 with more than 36,000 cases declared to date. Cabo Delgado Province is entering its fifth year of conflict with insecurity and violence leaving an estimated 1.3 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and protection. All those emergencies require a coordinated emergency response from the GoM and partners including UNICEF.

As per the recently approved Country Programme (2022-2026), UNICEF WASH Programme is structured around 5 outputs, namely: enabling environment, access to water services at community level, access to sanitation services at community level, access to WASH in institutions (Health Care Facilities and Schools), and access to WASH in Emergencies. UNICEF operates mainly in 4 provinces, i.e., Nampula, Sofala, Zambezia, and Cabo Delgado, supporting government authorities to improve service delivery. At the same time, UNICEF supports WASH system strengthening at all levels. Multiple funding sources from various donors, both in the development and emergency sub-sectors, are mobilized each year to achieve the expected targets.

Evidence and data in the WASH Sector is overall quite poor in Mozambique. The National Water and Sanitation

Information System (SINAS) is an online platform designed to collect, analyze, disseminate, and store data for WASH sector development and is managed by the National Directorate of Water Supply (DNAAS). However, this system is facing various challenges, namely a shortage of human and institutional capacity at different levels to implement the system; the coordinates of the water infrastructure were not always correct due to GPS calibration errors and because the province staff and WASH partners supporting the implementation of water and sanitation programmes in the country were using different platforms to collect WASH data (namely Excel, AKVO flow, mWater, Kobo Collect and ODK) which entailed a substantial workload for data management and harmonization at province and national levels.

Internally, UNICEF Programme implementation is monitored through the Government-UNICEF Annual Work Plans (AWPs) on one side. On the other side, UNICEF also reports bi-annually on its Core Standard Indicators (CSIs) and its programme performance management and reporting platform (Results Assessment Module -RAM) as well as for Country Office Annual Report (COAR). In addition to that, donor reports are required at different moments during implementation, and those reports, including logframe and indicators are harmonized with the initial respective donor proposal. However, UNICEF MCO is facing challenges in terms of monitoring due to the various funding sources, the variety of interventions, and the multiplicity of contracts held for both soft and hard interventions in a significant

number of provinces and districts. Some attempts to design an internal monitoring tool have been made but the existing capacities and workload of the WASH Team are delaying the completion of the exercise. As of today, a simple infrastructures database has been put in place but needs to be revised and further developed.

Based on the above, UNICEF WASH Section for MCO is willing to develop a comprehensive and standardized internal monitoring and evaluation tool that will cover all the 5 programme outputs as well as all grants and funding sources to systematize and improve the timeliness, reliability, and quality of the internal monitoring mechanisms.

Objective

Design an internal monitoring system that will cover the 5 programme outputs as well as all grants and funding sources to systematize and improve the timeliness, reliability, and quality of the UNICEF WASH Programme internal monitoring mechanisms.

Expected Results

A comprehensive monitoring tool guaranteeing efficient tracking of all indicators by grant/project and by UNICEF WASH Programme Outputs (Core Standard Indicators and RAM Indicators), as well as for a clear and simple visualizations, using available technologies such as Excel and/or Power-BI, is developed, piloted, and handed over to the WASH Team;

A simple, to the point, and actionable Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) to be used at WASH Section level to ensure data are timely entered into the M&E Tool and used for both donor reports and UNICEF reporting system (CSI, RAM and the summary narrative report) is developed.

Capacities of the WASH Team are built to ensure the tool is used to strengthen the quality of the internal monitoring and evaluation of the WASH Section.

Description of the Assignment

Tasks

1. Map and compile all indicators from: (1) all grants/projects and (2) Core Standard Indicators, Programme Outcome & Output indicators (Standard and Additional Indicators) and Humanitarian Programme Monitoring (HPM) Indicators; against which UNICEF needs to be report on: A comprehensive mapping of all the existing grants/projects and UNICEF internal indicators is completed, including funding sources both for development and emergency. The consultant will also need to look at all construction contracts, both for the soft and hard interventions, under the 5 Programme Outputs and ensure the data set is comprehensive.

2. Match grant/project indicators with Core Standard Indicators, Programme Outcome & Output indicators and Humanitarian Programme Monitoring indicators. A comprehensive matching exercise will be completed to understand how the existing grant/project indicators contribute to the advancement of the CSI, Standard/Additional and HAC indicators.

3. Review and improve the existing reporting tools and mechanisms used by CSO partners and contractors, to ensure that all required data and disaggregation requirements are duly included in the reporting tools.

4. Design a simple tool that will allow for efficient tracking of all indicators per grant/project and per UNICEF WASH Programme Outputs as well as for a clear and simple visualization (Excel or Power-BI). A simple monitoring tool will be designed, tested, and rolled out. The tool will need to have at least a double entry, i.e. grant monitoring as well as CSI/ Programme Outcome & Output indicators/HPM indicators. The technology used will be Excel or preferably Power-Bi (especially for the visualization component). Clear and simple

visualization will be developed to show progress against the main CSI/ Programme Outcome & Output indicators /HPM indicators. This tool will be adaptable, i.e. new indicators/grants will be easy to add whenever new funding sources are mobilized or new indicators are developed. Regular check-ins will be organized during the development process to ensure the proposed tool matches with the WASH team's expectations. The tool will be piloted over a 3-months period to verify its practicability. Users' feedback will be provided to the consultant to refine the tool and produce the final version.

5. Develop a simple user guide manual. A simple user guide manual will be developed and will be used for the training.

6. Build the capacity of the WASH Team to ensure there is an appropriation of the proposed tool. A training will be organized to ensure Team Members are trained to use the tool. This is foreseen to be a 1-day training. Focal points will be identified and will benefit from a stronger training component.

7. In a consultative manner, develop a simple, to the point, and actionable SOP to be used at WASH Section level to ensure data are timely entered into the M&E Tool. This short document will clarify roles and responsibilities for system users at Maputo and provincial level in terms of data entry, data control and verification, as well as system modification when needed. Strong quality assurance mechanisms will be developed to ensure reliability. This will be done in a consultative and participatory manner to ensure a

strong appropriation.

8. Handover the tool to the WASH Team Focal Points. A handover workshop will be organized where the final tool will be presented, and the roles and responsibilities will be clarified to ensure a proper roll-out of the tool.

9. Helpdesk. The consultant will be available during 6-months after system development and handover to ensure trouble-shooting and remote support when needed. This will be needs-based and only a limited number of days will be allocated to this task.

Deliverables, timelines, and payment schedule

The total duration of this assignment is a maximum of 10 months with an estimated 35 working-days. Part of the

assignment can be conducted remotely but at least one mission in-country is expected.

All deliverables are to be drafted in English.

Deliverables

Deliverable 1. Inception Report validated by UNICEF

Timeline

2 weeks after signature of the contract

Schedule of Payment

20%

Deliverables

Deliverable 2. M&E Tool validated by UNICEF

Timeline

2 months after contract signature

Schedule of Payment

40%

Deliverables

Deliverable 3. Training completed and 2-pages training report and related SOP validated by UNICEF

Timeline

3 months after contract signature

Schedule of Payment

20%

Deliverables

Deliverable 4. Help-Desk report

Timeline

10 months after contract signature

Schedule of Payment

20%

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

UNICEF is looking for an individual consultant to perform this assignment. Consultant based within and outside

Mozambique are welcome to apply.

The consultant must demonstrate the following:

studies, WASH or sanitation and hygiene, public health, or economics and social sciences; monitoring and

evaluation.

Minimum 10 years of relevant work experience in the WASH Sector;

Minimum 10 years of experience developing M&E tools and systems;

Experience working with the JMP is an asset;

Experience working with/in UNICEF, the UN or other international development organizations is an asset;

Fluency in written and oral English;

Sensitivity to cultural and political issues;

Integrity and respect to all stakeholders;

In-country travel

At least one mission is required, to Maputo, if the selected candidate is based outside Maputo. There will be no need for

in-country missions at province level.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

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.

Apply now

Added 3 months ago - Updated 3 months ago - Source: unicef.org