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International Consultant, Formative Evaluation of Water Safety Planning Pilot, Accra, Ghana

Job no: 538584

Position type: Consultancy

Location: Ghana Division/Equivalent: Dakar (WCAR), Senegal

School/Unit: Ghana

Department/Office: Accra, Ghana

Categories: WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), Consultancy

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,

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on WASH places special emphasis on the quality of drinking water. The indicator for Goal 6.1, on universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all, seeks to measure the "Population using safely managed drinking water services."

This is particularly important in Ghana. Recent data indicate that in Ghana as much as 48% (57% in rural areas) of the population are at risk of drinking contaminated water from source (including improved water sources). The risk is worse at the point of use, where 76% (88% in rural areas) of the population may drinking contaminated water at the point of use. (MICS 2017).

As part of the ongoing efforts to enable the country to achieve the SDGs in a faster and more sustainable way, The Government of Ghana, with support from UNICEF, has developed a National Drinking Water Quality Management Framework (NDWQMF). The framework is designed to address the key threats to the quality of drinking water from the source to the point of use, on a consistent basis. In that respect the implementation of Water Safety Plans (WSPs) - a risk management-based approach, is the main WASH sector tool (Appendix 1). The approach has been successfully adopted in a number of countries, with positive outcomes, both in terms of water quality, and water infrastructure and service improvement.

The successful implementation of the approach has potential to reduce the risks associated with drinking water quality (SDG 6.1) across the entire country and in that respect, UNICEF has a strategic, catalytic role. Consequently, as part of its cooperation with the Government of Ghana in the WASH sector, UNICEF has provided support for the implementation of the WSPs approach on a pilot scale in 10 rural communities (Appendix 2). This pilot project is expected to provide a better understanding of how WSPs would work in the Ghanaian context and to what extent it could be scaled-up in other parts of the country. The results of this pilot are, therefore, relevant to the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA), who are responsible for facilitating the provision of rural water services in Ghana, sector partners (supporting the scale-up effort e.g. Development Partners and CSOs), service managers at the decentralised level and households. Perhaps more significantly the CWSA, who are the main implementing partner of the pilot initiative, has already started scaling-up the approach as part of on-going rural water sub-sector reforms.

How can you make a difference?

This evaluation will have two purposes: accountability and learning.

This evaluation will provide both the donor (vertical accountability) and the expected beneficiaries (horizontal accountability) some solid evidence on the extent to which the WSP pilots/ initial implementation across the country achieved its envisaged objectives.

With respect to learning, this evaluation is expected not only to inform the programme implementation strategies in the years to come but it will also shed some light on potential corrective actions that may want to be explored further in the future.

More specifically, this evaluation is expected to generate recommendations that will help the WASH Sector in Ghana successfully adopt the approach at scale within the context of the NDWQMF

The evaluation also has the following specific objectives:

• Assessing improvements in terms of microbial water quality in the pilot/ initial scale-up communities as compared to baseline levels.
• Assessing relative improvements in terms of microbial water quality in the pilot/ initial scale-up communities as compared to other non-participating communities.
• Assessing other apparent benefits arising from the WSP pilot in the 10 pilot and 10 initial scale-up communities including infrastructural, sanitation and hygiene and service management improvements.
• Identifying important regulatory and technical support systems that would enhance the effectiveness of Water Safety Planning in the rural water sub-sector in Ghana.

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

• Advanced university degree in Water and Sanitation/ Civil Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Public Health, Project management, Evaluation, Sociology or any WASH/ Programme/ Emergency Management related discipline.
• Advanced academic or professional qualification in Water Quality Management, and or evidence of specific knowledge/ qualification in Water Safety Planning would be a clear advantage.
• A minimum of 10 years post qualification experience in the WASH sector, working with government at the policy/ strategy level, in assessments, the development of policies, guidelines and frameworks and sector coordination mechanisms in different countries.
• A minimum of 6 years of conducting program and policy evaluations, especially in the WASH sector
• Demonstrated experience in implementation, assessment, monitoring and evaluation of WSPs or Water Safety Planning approach, would be a clear advantage.
• Have good knowledge and understanding of the WASH sub-sector in a developing country context, such as Ghana.
• Must be proficient in English (writing and verbal communication).
• Demonstrable analytical ability.
• Ability to work and relate well with people.

Detailed TOR is attached. WASH - TOR for WSP Pilot Evaluation.pdf

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are: Working with people

Drive for results

Networking

Analytical Thinking

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF's values and competencies.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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.

Advertised: Mar 26 2021 Greenwich Standard Time Application close: Apr 09 2021 Greenwich Standard Time

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