Quality assurance and certification of WASH infrastructure consultant, 36 months, Lusaka, Zambia

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, clean water……

The UNICEF Programme of Cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) is designed to address and mitigate the threat of poverty the country's children face, while responding to the needs with interventions addressing the multiple causative factors.

To find out more about UNICEF's work in Zambia, please visit https://unicef.sharepoint.com/sites/ZMB/SitePages/About-us(1).aspx

How can you make a difference?

Join our team to supervise the quality of water and sanitation infrastructures in communities, schools, and health centres in all Provinces.

Scope of Work:

UNICEF is supporting the Government of Zambia in improving access to safe water and sanitation in line with the provisions of Vision 2030. Since 2015, UNICEF support to the Government of Zambia has resulted in provision of access to improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services to over 3.9 million people across the 10 provinces of Zambia. In addition, over 1,364 schools and 122 health centres were also provided access to improved WASH services.

As part of continued efforts to support the Government of Zambia in improving the coverage of WASH services, UNICEF is currently assisting in implementation of interventions aimed at strengthening enabling framework as well as provision of WASH services in communities, schools, and health centres. Moreover, assistance has been provided to support construction and maintenance of WASH infrastructure and in emergency settings. In this context, it is planned to engage individual consultants to provide expert services for monitoring/quality assurance and certification of the WASH infrastructure being constructed and supportive spot check monitoring for those already constructed with support of UNICEF. The consultant will become part of a group of stand-by technical assistants who will be called upon when needed. After the consultant is hired, detailed assignments will be sent to the consultant for engineering work related to specific sites on an as needed basis. The consultant will then submit a Terms of Reference with a workplan and budget for each assignment.

The main objective of the consultancy is to ensure that the water and sanitation works being carried out with UNICEF support are in line with the best engineering practices. There are two elements to the consultancy to allow that objective to be achieved:

• To provide expert advice and assistance including for technical assessments for civil works as well as equipment (e.g. chlorinators, pumps, pipes, water tanks) and preparation of BoQ for water and sanitation infrastructure; and

• To ensure that the construction works adhere to quality standards, designs, BoQs and specifications through regular supervision of construction work and reporting back to UNICEF on status, progress and challenges.

  Specific Tasks

Depending upon the needs/demand, the following specific tasks may be undertaken by the consultant:

1. Carry out a technical assessment/feasibility for water and sanitation infrastructure.
2. Prepare based on the above, (a) detailed specifications for supplies and equipment, where required). (b) detailed designs and detailed drawings/schedules, and (c) BOQs/cost estimates for the most appropriate technical options. Also provide technical assistance for review of the available designs/BoQs.
3. Monitor the status, progress and quality of the works, use of supplies provided and delivery of WASH services (including emergency WASH interventions);
4. Create maps and other technical tasks as assigned
5. Prepare technical reports in respect of the works carried out in line with (i) above, as per agreed timeline

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

• A Master’s degree in civil engineering, geology, hydrogeology, groundwater engineering or a related field;
• At least eight years’ relevant experience including in design/supervision of water and sanitation infrastructure including piped water supply, boreholes and sanitation infrastructure.
• Strong communication skills in English (spoken and written);
• Proven ability to work effectively in cross-cultural and multi-cultural settings and teams, and to deliver high-quality results within expected time frames; and
• Experience of working in African countries, especially in Zambia and familiar with UNICEF WASH related.

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.

Costs indicated are estimated. Final rate shall follow the “best value for money” principle, i.e., achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible fee. Consultants will be asked to stipulate all-inclusive fees, including lump sum travel and subsistence costs, as applicable.

Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed 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.

The rates in the Terms of Reference must be the same as what was agreed to in the contract with UNICEF. Applications should include a daily rate that includes all costs in the field including: professional fee, vehicle hire, mileage charge per kilometre, and daily subsistence allowance. The Terms of Reference will be approved by the UNICEF WASH Service Delivery Output lead before undertaking each assignment. While assignments may vary, they will typically last 5 to 15 days. The overarching contract with UNICEF should be valid for a period of 36 months.

Please remember to express your financial proposals (and/or professional consultancy fees) in Zambia Kwacha.