UNICEF Zimbabwe is inviting applications for a consultant to support with development of a WASH in Schools Strategy and Action Plan

This opening expired 1 year ago. Do not try to apply for this job.

UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund

Open positions at UNICEF
Logo of UNICEF

Application deadline 1 year ago: Thursday 1 Dec 2022 at 21:55 UTC

Open application form

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, WASH

UNICEF has been operating in Zimbabwe since 1982. We are a team of passionate professionals committed to the protection and fulfillment of children’s rights.

Supporting the Government’s vision of a prosperous and empowered upper-middle-income society, the 2022 to 2026 UNICEF Zimbabwe country programme is aimed at contributing to sustainable socioeconomic development that provides all children, including adolescents, with opportunities to fulfil their potential, lead a healthy life, access quality learning and protection and meaningfully participate in society.

For more information about UNICEF Zimbabwe please click here

You can also access and explore all new UNICEF vacancies and create job alerts via the UNICEF Zimbabwe website link below:

https://www.unicef.org/zimbabwe/work-us

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF Zimbabwe is seeking to hire an energetic and enthusiastic WASH in Schools Strategy and Action Plan Development Consultant to support the Government of Zimbabwe (GoZ), primarily the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to develop a WASH in Schools (WinS) Strategy and Action Plan.

BACKGROUND

School is where 4.6 million Zimbabwen children spend large part of their day. Although school interventions often focus on improving the availability of classrooms, teachers, and other learning materials, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) conditions have not been given enough attention. The Joint Monitoring Programme for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (JMP) estimated that in 2021, 38.9% of schools in Zimbabwe did not have access to basic water services. Limited availability of WinS data did not allow JMP to estimate the status of sanitation and hygiene services. As improved WASH services contribute to educational opportunities and disease prevention in schools, it is of foremost importance to enhance WASH service availability in schools, ensuring there is an integrated approach to WASH Service delivery in schools and that WASH in Schools is institutionalised within the Education Sector.

The recent WASH Sector coordination mechanism reform has recognised the need to have a WASH in Schools Task Force. It is a multi-sectoral platform envisaged to provide strategic direction leading to transformational change to achieve sanitation and water for all in schools. The Task Force is chaired by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE) serves as the chair of this taskforce. The Task Force has prioritised the development of a WinS Strategy as a critical initial step to define clear pathways, buidling blocks and game changing approaches that are adequate and sustainable to ensure Zimbabwe achieve its national targets on Sanitation and Water for All even in schools. The Strategy will inform policy development, program planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and resource mobilization. It is from this background that UNICEF is supporting the WASH Sector to engage a consultant to develop a national WinS strategy and roadmap for the next 5 years in Zimbabwe. The strategy should align to the Zimbabwe National Development policies primarirly the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS 1) and be responsive to emerging challenges including embracing lessons drawn from the COVID-19 pandemic.

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

The purpose of the consultancy is to support the Government of Zimbabwe (GoZ), primarily the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to develop a WASH in Schools (WinS) Strategy and Action Plan.

The WinS Strategy will be used to:

  • Guide the mandate and operations of the WinS Task Force;
  • Influence WinS program planning in the WASH and Education sectors; and
  • Serve as an advocacy tool to government, development partners, civil society, private sector, research and learning institutions and utilities constituencies.

ASSIGNMENTS:

The consultant will cupport the Government of Zimbabwe, primarly through the Minisry of Primary and Secondary Education (MOPSE) and in close collaboration with the Department of WASH Coordination (DWASHC) in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development (MoLFWRD) to:

  1. Develop a situation analysis document through a desk review of relevant Zimbabwe documents as well as documentation from other countries with similar context, conduct field visits and lead a facilitated stakeholder consultation processes across sector constituencies that include government (with MoPSE at the center), development partners, civil society, private sector, research and learning institutions and rights holders to systematically achieve specific objectives of the assignment.
  2. Develop a ten-year WinS Strategy that contributes to the attainment of SDGs 4, 6 and 13 and sustaining services.
  3. Develop a five-year Action Plan to implement the WinS Strategy (2022-2026).

The consultant is expected to work closely with MoPSE and DWASHC as key government departments that will ensure access to all other relevant sector ministries for WinS. Additionally, the consultant will closely work with the WinS Task Force to ensure the ownership and use of the WinS strategy and roadmap by the Government and WinS stakeholders.

Major tasks and deliverables:

Tasks/Milestone:****Deliverables/Outputs:****Approximate Timeline (days) [Candidates to propose level of effort]Conduct detailed desk review and consultations to inform methodology.

Develop and submit an Inception report. Participate in an inception meeting, present proposed methodology to sector stakeholders with a detailed three-month workplanInception report, detailing an updated work plan for the assignment. This should include a more complete assessment of the appropriate references and information sources to be utilized. By Week 1 (5 days)Conduct stakeholder consultations to inform the situation analysis, strategy development and action plan (with a possibility of short field trips)

Produce Situation Analysis Report, including key findingsA progress report/presentation on key issues raised stakeholder engagement

A report summarizing findings and early recommendations including the Strategy and Action Plan outline, presented to stakeholders for feedback

By Week 4 (15 days)

Payment – 30% Draft WinS Strategy and Action PlanDraft document and presentation to stakeholder groupBy Week 8 (20 days)

Payment – 30% Revise and finalize WinS, Strategy and Action Plan, based on feedback

Final WinS Strategy and Action Plan

By Week 12 (20 days)

Payment - 40% To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Education:

Advanced degree in Public Health, Social Sciences, Behavior Change Communication, Engineering or another relevant technical field

Experience:

  • A minimum of 10 years of professional experience working in the WASH and/or Education sectors
  • A minimum of 3 years of work experience in developing countries
  • Demonstrated experience supporting government-led approaches in WASH in Schools programming, policy guidance, strategy formulation and capacity development
  • Demonstrated experience in facilitating multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder consultations
  • Demonstrated expertise in developing policies, strategies and roadmaps
  • Experience in undertaking similar work on strategy and action plan development in the WASH and/or Education sectors
  • Proven skills in preparing and communicating high quality documents and reports for policy advocacy and programming

Bachelors degree with over 15 years of professional experience will be considered for selection in lieu of master’s degree.

Desirable experience

  • Experience working in the WASH and/or Education sectors in Zimbabwe
  • Familiarity with UNICEF mission, mandate and WASH programme

Languages:

Required: English

Desirable: Shona and/or Ndebele

The detailed consultancy terms of reference is downloadable via this link ToR WinS Strategy.pdf

If interested and available to undertake the individual consultancy, please submit your application online and attach the required documents including the technical proposal and an all-inclusive financial proposal incorporating an approximate number of travel days for field (local) travel.

Technical proposal: The Technical Proposal should articulate an understanding of the TOR and include the proposed Tasks/Milestones, Deliverables/Outputs, Timeline and level of effort by deliverable. The similar table provided in the TOR is indicative. Applicants may use the indicative table as a guide or deviate as per the proposed approach. The proposal should also cost-effectively propose the local travel proposed by the applicant to undertake the assignment.

Financial proposal: The Financial Proposal should include the costs (providing a daily rate as justification) for each task, including consultant fee, proposed travel costs and perdiem, communications costs and any other proposed cost.

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.

Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org