WASH Officer (JPO), WASH, P-2 at UNICEF

Duties and responsibilities

The WASH Officer reports to the Chief of WASH (Level 5) for supervision. The JPO WASH Officer provides technical, operational and administrative assistance throughout the WASH programming process. The Officer prepares, manages and implements a variety of technical and administrative tasks, related to the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the WASH output results of the country programme. The Kenya context is conducive for and requires a strong emphasis on climate resilience, rural and urban WASH, involvement of the private sector, and leveraging public and private resources for WASH. The JPO will support these innovations across the portfolio.

Responsibility 1: Programme development and planning.

Summary of duties/tasks:

• Draft updates for WASH in the situation analysis, to inform the development of WASHrelated outcome and output results. Research and report on trends in WASH, for use in programme development, management, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Prepare technical reports and inputs for programme preparation and documentation, ensuring accuracy, timeliness and relevance of information.
• Contribute to the development/establishment of WASH-related outcome and output results, as well as related strategies, through analysis of WASH sector needs and priorities.
• Provide technical and administrative support throughout all stages of programming processes by executing/administering a variety of technical programme transactions, preparing materials/documentations, complying with organizational processes and management systems, to support progress towards the WASH-related outcome and/or output results in the country programme.
• Prepare required documentations/materials to facilitate review and approval processes.

Responsibility 2: Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results.

Summary of duties/tasks :

• Work collaboratively with colleagues and partners to collect/analyze/ share information on implementation issues, provide solutions on routine programme implementation and alert appropriate officials and stakeholders for higher-level interventions and/or decisions. Keep records of reports and assessments for easy reference and/or to capture and institutionalize lessons learned.
• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual sectoral reviews with government and other counterparts and prepare reports on results for required action/interventions at the higher level of programme management.
• Monitor and report on the use of sectoral programme resources (financial, administrative and other assets), verify compliance with approved allocations, organizational rules, regulations/procedures and donor commitments, standards of accountability and integrity. Report on issues identified to enable timely resolution by management/stakeholders.
• Prepare sectoral progress reports for management, donors and partners.

Responsibility 3: Technical and operational support for programme implementation.

Summary of duties/tasks:

• Undertake field visits and surveys, collect and share reports with partners/stakeholders. Report critical issues, bottlenecks and potential problems to supervisor, for timely action.
• Provide technical and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners and other country office partners/donors on the application and understanding of UNICEF policies, strategies, processes and best practices in WASH, to support programme implementation.

Responsibility 4: Humanitarian WASH preparedness and response.

Summary of duties/tasks:

• Draft requisitions for supplies, services, long-term agreements and partnership agreements to ensure UNICEF is prepared to deliver on its commitments for WASH in case of an emergency.
• Study and fully understand UNICEF’s procedures for responding in an emergency.
• Take up support roles in an emergency response and early recovery, as and when the need arises. 

Responsibility 5: Networking and partnership building.

Summary of duties/tasks:

• Build and sustain close working partnerships with government counterparts and national stakeholders through active sharing of information and knowledge to facilitate programme implementation and build capacity of stakeholders to achieve WASH output results.
• Draft communication and information materials for WASH programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnership/alliances and support fund-raising for WASH.
• Participate in inter-agency meetings on UNDAF planning, to integrate and harmonize UNICEF output results and implementation strategies with UNDAF development and planning processes.
• Research information on potential donors and prepare resource mobilization materials and briefs for fund raising and partnership development purposes.

Responsibility 6: Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building.

Summary of duties/tasks:

• Assist in the development, implementation, monitoring and documentation of WASH action research and innovation (technical or systems).
• Assist in the preparation of learning/knowledge products, covering innovative approaches and good practices, to support overall WASH sector development. Assist in creating and delivering learning opportunities for UNICEF WASH staff, to ensure our sector capacity remains up-to-date with latest developments. Participate as a resource person in capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients/stakeholders.
• Training component - Learning elements and expectations:
• Upon completion of the assignment the JPO will have/ will be able to:
• Strengthen knowledge and experiences for the WASH
• Be familiar with the WASH contexts in the country
• Be familiar with the UN systems including the sector coordination, policies, and strategies
• Strengthen capacities in the management of the programme/project
• Enhance skills in monitoring and evaluation.
• The JPO training programme includes the following learning elements:
• Participate in office wide trainings on programme planning, management and career development support
• Participate in other trainings identified by the JPO and the supervisor
• JPO Orientation Programme – Designed towards development of professional skills and personal insights into performance and collaboration and create an understanding of how the organization functions and carries out its work around the world
• E-learning opportunities in performance management: create the conditions for high performance and development
• E-learning opportunities on basic UNICEF programme & operational strategies: assimilate UNICEF’s approaches to programming and operations, thematic programme areas as well as cross-cutting functional areas
• JPO Coaching & Mentoring Programme – driven by individual needs and targeted towards insights into organizational culture and targeted training opportunities and support
• Stretch assignments- opportunity, normally from to max of six months that goes beyond the current description and creates an opportunity to learn new skills in a different Duty Station, Division or Section
• Career Transition Programme tailored to support the JPOs in their final year with their future career aspirations
• The JPO position includes a Duty travel and training allowance (DTTA) of $4000 per year which may be used for learning activities related to the assignment and career development.

Required Qualifications and Experience

Education:

• Master degree or equivalent in one of the following fields is required: public health, social sciences, behavior change communication, sanitary engineering or another relevant technical field. 

Experience:

• Minimal 2 years to maximal 4 years relevant working experience in WASH-related programmes for developing countries is required.
• Working experience within the UN system should not exceed 50% of the relevant working experience including UNV, UN internship and UN consultancy.
• All paid work experience since obtaining Bachelor’s degree will/can be considered.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Key competencies:

Basic knowledge of three of the eight components

• Rural water supply for low- and middle-income countries – including water safety, sustainability
• Rural sanitation for low- and middle-income countries, including sustainability applying CATS principles;
• Urban sanitation for low- and middle-income countries
• Handwashing with soap;
• WASH-in-Schools and Health Centres;
• Menstrual hygiene management;
• National government WASH policies, plans and strategies;
• Analysis of national budgets and expenditure for basic WASH, and related advocacy Basic knowledge of Humanitarian WASH
• Programme/project management
• Monitoring and evaluation
• Gender equality and WASH 

Closing date: 21 June 2022