Vacancy Announcement Consultancy to support WASH knowledge management activities

Consultancy to support WASH knowledge management activities in South Asia Regional and Country Offices

Job no: 548184
Contract type: Consultancy
Level: Consultancy
Location: Nepal
Categories: WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene)

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, a future

How can you make a difference?

1. Background and Rationale:

In the frame of UNICEF’s work in WASH, knowledge management (KM) activities represent one of the strategic tools to support the achievements of sectoral output results for children. KM underpins the effectiveness and efficacy of the WASH programme to maximize its impact with the available resources. KM should be used to generate, capture, use and share UNICEF’s organizational WASH knowledge to improve the quality, equity and sustainability of WASH services.

UNICEF aims to ensure that programmes design is based on the best available information and knowledge and that advocacy is based on rigorously analysed evidence. As WASH sector leader, UNICEF aims at sharing and applying knowledge and innovative practice with global partners, international institutions and across the wider development community, to support global decision making and advocacy and help building best practice.

UNICEF WASH programme’s KM actions are based on the WASH KM strategic framework, that focuses on the 4 pillars of KM, which are generating, customizing, disseminating knowledge and building staff capacity.

The UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA) WASH section is supporting country offices (CO) in the region to strengthen their KM activities, in accordance with the WASH and ROSA frameworks. A key element is to support the country offices to develop high quality knowledge products such as short publications, outreach and advocacy materials, (studies, research, evaluation, reports, etc.).

SAR UNICEF country offices’ WASH sections are very active in Knowledge generation and they produce multiple knowledge products every year, in the frame of the implementation of their WASH programmes, both internally and in coordination with the sector partners, and often in collaboration with Academy or with other external support. Examples of these knowledge products are: studies, researches, evaluations, reports, field notes and other global templated items, etc. 

While knowledge generation is not perceived as an issue, the transfer of tacit to explicit knowledge is time consuming and often stretches the capacity (related to availability of time and writing skills) of CO staff. Therefore, regional support is often requested to facilitate and support knowledge product development, which includes, re-packaging of existing documents, development of knowledge products using global WASH sector templates and dissemination to external knowledge platforms, as well as regional research to strengthen national level advocacy efforts. The format and content of publications will depend on the audiences to whom they are addressed, and the same document could have different shapes according to its final users.

Based on the above analysis, UNICEF ROSA is seeking the support of an experienced WASH expert and editor to support UNICEF country offices in the region to develop knowledge products as per annual rolling workplans using innovative formats as well as existing UNICEF templates.

The UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA) WASH section is supporting country offices (CO) in the region to strengthen their KM activities, in accordance with the WASH and ROSA frameworks. A key element is to support the country offices to develop high quality knowledge products such as short publications, outreach and advocacy materials, (studies, research, evaluation, reports, etc.).

SAR UNICEF country offices’ WASH sections are very active in Knowledge generation and they produce multiple knowledge products every year, in the frame of the implementation of their WASH programmes, both internally and in coordination with the sector partners, and often in collaboration with Academy or with other external support. Examples of these knowledge products are: studies, researches, evaluations, reports, field notes and other global templated items, etc. 

While knowledge generation is not perceived as an issue, the transfer of tacit to explicit knowledge is time consuming and often stretches the capacity (related to availability of time and writing skills) of CO staff. Therefore, regional support is often requested to facilitate and support knowledge product development, which includes, re-packaging of existing documents, development of knowledge products using global WASH sector templates and dissemination to external knowledge platforms, as well as regional research to strengthen national level advocacy efforts. The format and content of publications will depend on the audiences to whom they are addressed, and the same document could have different shapes according to its final users.

Based on the above analysis, UNICEF ROSA is seeking the support of an experienced WASH expert and editor to support UNICEF country offices in the region to develop knowledge products as per annual rolling workplans using innovative formats as well as existing UNICEF templates.

2. Purpose:

The purpose of this consultancy is to support UNICEF country offices in South Asia and ROSA in their WASH knowledge management activities, particularly to enhance the knowledge and capacities of the WASH staff by supporting the development of high-quality technical WASH knowledge products.  The main objective of this consultancy is to ensure WASH staff in the region are supported with the analysis of information and data available to enhance knowledge of staff and partners are kept informed and updated on latest technological advancements, new developments and project information of the countries in the region. Analytical expertise will also be used for the elaboration of several high-quality WASH knowledge products using UNICEF WASH templates and extracting and synthesizing from existing knowledge initiatives developed by the country offices.  The knowledge products elaborated by the consultancy will be ready for dissemination and use by UNICEF and partners in the region and beyond.

3. Key Assignments and Tasks:

The elaboration of each WASH knowledge product will include the following detailed activities, estimated no. of working days, and final deliverables:

• Identification, analysis and compilation of global advancements in Water, Sanitation, Hygiene, Climate change related sectors on a regular basis.
• Elaborate a zero draft of knowledge products per batch (total of 4), using agreed templates,
• Discuss the zero draft with ROSA and country office focal points as necessary and get initial comments and inputs.  Incorporate the comments and inputs and elaborate the second draft of the knowledge products, per batch.
• Present the second draft to ROSA and get the final comments and inputs.  Incorporate the final comments and inputs and elaborate the final knowledge products, per batch.
• Publish and disseminate products through UNICEF formats for the benefit of WASH staff in the region.

4. Key Deliverables:

Deliverables                                   estimated number of working days               Due date

Knowledge products Batch 1                       25                                                   15 May 2022

Knowledge products Batch 2                       25                                                   15 August 2022

Knowledge products Batch 3                       25                                                   15 November 2022

Knowledge products Batch 4                       25                                                   31 January 2023

Working modalities: Work from home

Duration of consultancy assignments: 20 February 2022 – 31 January 2023 (100 effective days of work)

Note: Please submit your application with the financial proposals indicating your fees. 

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

Education:

•        Master University degree in public health, hydrogeology, or any related discipline.

•       A University degree with equal years of relevant work experience in lieu of a Master degree is acceptable.

Work Experience:

• A minimum of 8 years’ experience in the WASH sector, related with management of water and/or sanitation programmes in developing countries.
• Experience in editing and writing on different topics related to the WASH sector and social science.
• Excellent writing skills and demonstrated record of high quality publications on WASH, social science and development issues.
• Knowledge and demonstrate experience of review, editing, report writing and proofreading.
• Previous experience editing and writing for UNICEF and familiarity with UNICEF’s style guidelines would be an asset.
• Excellent communication skills.

Language Proficiency:

The consultant should be proficient in English, with proven ability to write high level papers for different type of audiences.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

Competencies:

The Consultant should be familiar with working on standard graphics and UNICEF global templates.

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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: 04 Feb 2022 Nepal Standard Time
Deadline: 11 Feb 2022 Nepal Standard Time

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