National WASH Consultant at UNICEF

Job Number: 516818
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Work Type: Consultancy
Contract duration is 11.5

Background
Per 2017 JMP report, Nigeria ranks among those countries where the population of people having access to safely managed drinking water is less than 25% and the proportion of those having access to at least a basic drinking water services is less than 65%. Per MICS 2017, access to safely managed water supply is 3.7%. Similarly, Nigeria is among those countries in Africa where less than 50% of the population have access to basic sanitation and hand washing facilities. It is estimated that more than 49million people practice open defecation and 60% of those involved in the practice are living in rural areas.

There are socio-economic consequences resulting from Nigeria's poor access to improved water and sanitation services. Using the records for the year 2012 as reported by the 2017 GLAAS report, Nigeria was second from the bottom among its peers in terms of number of diarrhea deaths due to inadequate WASH in children under 5 years. Placing the child survival index across countries in the sub-region side by side with access to improved drinking water, the report shows that countries that are backward in terms of access to improved water services also recorded high under 5 mortality.

According to the 2016 World Economic Forum global risk report, water crises ranks top among global risk to industry and society over the next decade. In 2015, United Nations noted that countries where open defecation is widely practiced are the same countries with the highest prevalence of poverty, high under-five child deaths, and widespread resource disparities. Therefore, water and sanitation remain a major factor in driving economic growth and human development in developing countries. As the most populous country in Africa, if Nigeria achieves the SDG, then the chances are that the rest of the sub-region might also have achieved the SDG.

Factors responsible for slow growth of water and sanitation sector in Nigeria are identifiable. The GLAAS report for 2017 ranked the water and sanitation sector in Nigeria as one of the less developed globally and within the nation, the sector compares badly with others in terms of institutional arrangements, capacities and resources. Policies generally are initiated but not finalized, even when finalized, they do not reflect in the resource allocation process. It has been observed that, existing policies are not evidence based and do not align with the SDGs neither are they likely to address gender and equity issues. At sub-national level, allocations are hardly provided for water and sanitation and when budgets are made, they are incredible. There is inadequate and poor management of data for planning and existing systems to support monitoring and evaluation are weak. The gap in intuitions range from lack of dedicated institutions to multiple institutions with overlapping unclear mandate. The water sector remains largely uncoordinated, unregulated and with no focused plans to mobilize investments all of which contributes to making service delivery inefficient and ineffective.

To be able to address these organizational capacity gaps, UNICEF facilitates states to enlist Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) in the water and sanitation sector as a strategy to promote sector leadership, institute sector mechanism, strengthen institutions, build capacities and skills for effective service delivery. Consequently, the SWAp will seek to:

• Promote sector leadership and regulation which is much required for effective sector governance
• Introduce coordination mechanisms to address challenges arising from multiple institutions and overlapping mandates and functions
• Institute sector coordination mechanism, facilitate development of evidence based sector policy, regulatory frameworks, investment plans and budget reforms
• Promote standardization in product, facilities and services by setting measurable targets
• Plans for addressing inequities in service delivery to women, children in schools and people in deprived and marginalized places
• Establish and strengthen institutions (RUWASSA at state level, WASH Departments at LGA level) by law
• Create enabling environment for private sector participation
• Encourage sector review with the involvement of civil society organizations, private partners and communities.
• Create sustainable markets for uptake of improved sanitation by households, create jobs and wealth in the sector

Purpose of the Assignment

• The purpose of this Consultancy is to facilitate States to enlist WASH-SWAp and develop a roadmap to institute a broad-base sector governance system which when implemented will enhance capacities to effectively and efficiently deliver WASH services in those States as a departure from project based approach to a coordinated sector development planning.

Major Tasks to be accomplished
Under the supervision of the WASH Specialist in Abuja in collaboration with the WASH Specialist in the affected Field Offices, the Consultant is expected to undertake the following tasks within the 12-month contract cycle:

• Carry out a Stakeholders Consultation and Desk Review, develop a technical assistance report that shows sector institutions & situation assessment & propose a best fit sector model for each of the 14 States.
• Organize a two-day stakeholder's workshop to present the Technical Assistance Report for stakeholders to adopt and validate the sector model proposed and secure their commitment to kick-start SWAp process in each of the 14 states;
• Conduct a three (3) day state level workshop for each of the states on the development of SWAp Road Map (sector priorities, performance indicators and costed activities plan drawing from the technical assistance report) for each of the 14 states;
• Monitor States uptake of SWAp and carry out quarterly update on the progress made and support them to implement their SWAp costed activity Plans
• Organize a one day Zonal Level SWAp implementation review meetings for high level stakeholders from the five states (including civil society and private sector) on sector performance, present monitoring update on the implementation of sector activity plans, identify gaps and plan for improvement.

Qualifications or specialized knowledge/experience required

• At least a Master's Degree or comparable level Economics, Political Science, Public Administration or any field related to development or public sector management;
• Five years of relevant working experience in the public sector;
• Experience in programming or implementation of a water and sanitation programme
• Demonstrated skills and ability to work with the Government and Development partners and CBOs/NGOs
• Excellent in writing project document with UNICEF procedures;
• Ability to work independently in the field
• Knowledge in social sciences with a focus on behaviour changes in developing country;
• Good analytical and ability to think strategically;
• Excellent communication skills in English language.