WASH Specialist (Cluster), FT, NOC, East Jerusalem, State of Palestine

Contract

This is a NO-3 contract. This kind of contract is known as National Professional Officers. It is normally only for nationals. It's a staff contract. More about NO-3 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 fulfil 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 chance

UNICEF in the State of Palestine works to uphold the rights of children to access services and protection, from early childhood through to adolescence. Our objective is to ensure that every child in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, irrespective of background or circumstance, has an equal chance to fulfil their potential. We are working for every child and young person in the State of Palestine.

How can you make a difference?

Under the overall direction and guidance of the Emergency Specialist and the WASH Section Chief, the WASH Specialist Cluster Coordinator will provide leadership and representation of the Cluster Working Group. They will facilitate the processes that will ensure a well-coordinated, strategic, adequate, coherent, and effective response by participants in the Cluster Working Group that is accountable to those who are affected by the emergency. In their effort to provide an efficient and effective response to the humanitarian crisis, the WASH Specialist Cluster Coordinator is responsible for building relationships with stakeholders, for securing the overall coordination of sectoral responses and for ensuring inter-sectoral collaboration at the national level and for ensuring adequate coordination with the sub-national level.

The WASH Specialist cluster coordinator will also be responsible for supporting UNICEF as a cluster lead agency to perform and strengthen its role as the last resort provider for the cluster to ensure an adequate and appropriate response.

As an advocate for children, you will have the following duties/tasks:

1. Coordination, representation and leadership

• Establish/strengthen and maintain a coordination mechanism that facilitates the effective achievement of the cluster functions (as outlined by the IASC Reference Module) and the requirements of the HPC (HNO, HRP and CCPM) and which builds on pre-existing coordination structures where appropriate and furthers the development of current or future national and subnational capacities,
• Oversee the functioning of any sub-national Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group where they exist, ensuring alignment of work and priorities, effective communication, reporting, engagement, and coordination between the two levels,
• Coordinate with UNICEF WASH programme section, ensuring alignment of work and priorities, effective communication, reporting, and engagement., and overall coherence in light of UNICEF’s role as cluster Lead Agency.
• Supervise the Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group coordination team,
• Ensure appropriate coordination and build partnerships with all relevant sector stakeholders, including government counterparts and national authorities, local, national and international organizations, other AoRs/ Clusters/Sectors/ Working Groups, and affected populations as appropriate,
• Build complementarity of partner actions within the Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group, pro-actively negotiating with partners to avoid and resolve duplication and gaps,
• Coordinate, collaborate and represent the Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group with stakeholders across all sectors, including through inter-cluster coordination, developing cross-sectoral relationships as appropriate.

2. Needs assessment and analysis

• Lead the planning and implementation of needs assessment and analysis, including representing the Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group in multi-sectoral needs assessments and joint analysis of need, at national and sub-national levels,
• Analyse needs assessment data and work collaboratively with the Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group partners to create analytical products, including an HNO based on evidence-based information.

3. Strategic response planning

• Lead and coordinate strategic planning, response prioritization and the development of the sectoral response plan that is based on the HNO and aligned with national priorities, policies and plans,
• Ensure all programme delivery modalities (in-kind, cash, voucher and services) are given equal consideration in the strategic response planning and establish and implement systematic measures for supporting their consideration and use,
• Provide relevant technical expertise and advice to Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group partners to ensure activities are aligned with national priorities and communities' needs,
• Ensure that Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group response planning is regularly updated according to evolving needs and that it establishes indicators by which performance of the Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group can be measured,
• Engage with OCHA and other AoRs/ Clusters/ Sectors/ Working Groups to contribute to the development of the HRP, advocating for a response that reflects and addresses the concerns of the Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group.

4. Resource mobilization and advocacy

• Support and coordinate the mobilization of adequate resources to ensure the effective functioning of the Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group and its response, as well as for the HDP nexus and system strengthening components and subsequent handing over and establishment of medium to long-term capacities when the cluster approach is deactivated,
• Monitor, analyse, and communicate information about the Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group’s financial situation and resource mobilization and identify appropriate actions to address gaps or constraints,
• Advocate for improved sectoral outcomes, network with advocacy allies, and influence stakeholders' decision-making.

5. Implementation and monitoring

• Monitor, evaluate and report on the coverage, equity, quality, and progress of the response against the Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group strategy, priorities, and agreed results, including system strengthening and HDP nexus.
• Plan and support gap and coverage analysis to identify spatial and temporal gaps, overlaps and coverage of the Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group humanitarian response,
• Monitor Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group’s adherence to IASC cluster approach principles, relevant humanitarian and sectoral agreements, standards, initiatives and guidelines and encourage partners to make improvements.

6. Operational peer review and evaluation

• Lead the annual cluster coordination performance monitoring (CCPM) exercise and annual review and contribute to other sectoral and humanitarian evaluations as appropriate.

7. Accountability to affected populations

• Be accountable to the affected population by promoting inclusive and consultative feedback mechanisms and encouraging the involvement of affected population in the response,
• Ensure the inclusion of cross cutting issues (age, child protection, disability, gender, gender-based violence (GBV) mitigation and response and HIV & AIDS) in Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group activities throughout the HPC,
• Encourage partners to demonstrate a positive and systematic approach to inclusion and diversity,
• Adhere to child safeguarding and PSEA policies including procedures for challenging and reporting incidents and ensure other members of the coordination team comply.

8. Strengthen national and local capacity

• Encourage participation of local and national actors in Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group activities and strategic decision-making, removing barriers to access,
• Lead the development of a capacity assessment and capacity strengthening strategy for Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group members and oversee implementation and harmonization of initiatives,
• Lead early warning, contingency planning, and emergency preparedness efforts for the Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group, ensuring adequate cluster participation in inter-cluster early warning, contingency planning and emergency preparedness activities.
• Be responsible for Supporting UNICEF as a cluster lead agency to perform and strengthen its role as the last resort provider for the cluster to ensure an adequate and appropriate response.
• Lead efforts to support UNICEF’s work on strengthening national systems, engaging national authorities, communities, humanitarian and development donors, and planning and preparing for future emergencies in line with the realization of the HDP nexus.

To qualify as a Champion for every child you will have:

• An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: public health, social sciences, health and hygiene behavior change communication, WASH-related engineering or another relevant technical field. Additional relevant post-graduate courses that complement/ supplement the main degree are a strong asset. Extensive work experience relevant to this post may be considered as a replacement for formal qualifications.
• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in WASH-related programmes planning, management is required. Relevant experience in programme management in WASH related areas in a UN system agency or organization is considered an asset.
• Experience of working in the humanitarian coordination system and WASH cluster is required.
• Experience in effective management of human resources/teams in high stress/risk environments is an advantage.
• Experience in a mixed set of country contexts, in multiple geographic regions, including a deployment mission with UN, Government or INGO is strongly desirable.
• Experience in humanitarian contexts is required with experience in development contexts an added advantage.
• Fluency in English and Arabic is required.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The functional competencies required for this post are:

• Formulating strategies and concepts (I)
• Analyzing (II)
• Applying technical expertise (II)
• Learning and researching (I)
• Planning and Organizing (II)

Core Competencies

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (2)
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)
• Works Collaboratively with others (2)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (2)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)
• Drive to achieve impactful results (2)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)

Coordination Competencies

• Applies Humanitarian Principles, Standards and Guidelines (1)
• Applies Key WASH Concepts and Tools (1)
• Operates Safely and Securely (1)
• Demonstrates Commitment to a Coordinated Response (1)
• Promotes Cooperation and Collaboration (1)
• Demonstrates Accountability (1)
• Promotes Inclusion (1)
• Provides Influential and Strategic Leadership (1)
• Analyses and Communicates Information (1)
• Supports Resource Mobilization (1)
• Advocates for Improved WASH Outcomes (1)
• Monitors the Response (1)
• Strengthens National Capacity to Respond and Lead (1)

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework 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. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities.

UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. 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 is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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:

This position is not considered an elevated risk role. However, UNICEF reserves the right to conduct further vetting/assessment within the scope of child safeguarding as appropriate.

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable males are encouraged to apply.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.