UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA) is looking for committed professional and expert to support UNICEF country offices in the region in developing knowledge products. The consultant will be engaged for approx. 264 days withing a period of 11.5 months.
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
In the frame of UNICEF’s work overall and in WASH, knowledge management (KM) represents one of the change strategies to support the achievement of results for children. Fulfilling the 2030 Agenda depends on our ability to provide governments and other WASH actors with knowledge and expert advice to help ensure their decisions and actions are based on the best information available and deliver the best possible outcomes for children and the poor as efficiently as possible. In the UNICEF Strategic Plan, 2022-25, KM underpins the effectiveness and efficacy of the WASH programme to maximize its impact with the available resources. KM activities must be supported by an enabling environment consisting of sufficient resources (financial and human), a KM-oriented culture, good governance, and robust technology. It should 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 programme design is based on the best available information and knowledge and that advocacy is based on rigorously analyzed evidence. As the WASH sector leader, UNICEF aims to share and apply knowledge and innovative practice with global partners, international institutions, and the wider development community to support decision-making and advocacy and help build best practices.
The UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA) WASH section supports country offices (COs) in the region in strengthening their KM activities in accordance with the WASH and ROSA frameworks. The South Asia Region (SAR) UNICEF country offices’ WASH sections are very active in Knowledge generation, and they produce multiple knowledge products every year, both internally and in coordination with the sector partners, and often in collaboration with the Academy or with other external support.
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 the availability of time and writing skills) of CO staff. Therefore, regional support is often requested to facilitate and support, especially innovative knowledge product development, which includes re-packaging existing documents, knowledge product co-creation with external partners and dissemination to external knowledge platforms, and regional research to strengthen national-level advocacy efforts. The format and content of publications will depend on the audiences to whom they are addressed; the same content could have different formats according to its final users. It is also vitally important the WASH network uses the KPs produced in-house and externally to increase thematic knowledge and that ROSA support the process of the uptake of new knowledge.
Purpose of Activity/Assignment:
The Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA) is seeking the support of an experienced WASH Knowledge Management expert to do the following:
• Support UNICEF country offices in the region in developing knowledge products for both internal and external dissemination on a need-basis using innovative formats and existing UNICEF templates.
• Support the staging of activities (webinars and other training events) that leverage learning from ROSA WASH and others’ KPs to strengthen the UNICEF WASH network’s capacity on various topics.
• Implement a range of activities to widen access to UNICEF’s and partners’ WASH knowledge resources and support the uptake and utilization of WASH knowledge.
Scope of Work:
1. Assist Country Offices (COs) to prepare Knowledge Products (KPs) using HQ templates and other innovative formats as required and
a. Prepare a quarterly KP pipeline
b. Support COs to identify topics and appropriate templates for the topic, support drafting, undertake quality checks, and provide guidance on design and layout as required
2. Prepare a monthly WASH ROSA network newsletter. This will entail
c. Working closely with country KM focal points to gather content
d. Review and draft the newsletter, including the design and layout of text and visual elements (graphics, charts, pictures, etc.)
3. Identify and curate one peer-reviewed journal article a month highlighting innovative advances in the WASH field relevant to UNICEF CO WASH programmes
4. In consultation with the Regional Adviser (RA), organize ROSA WASH participation at key regional and global events
5. Organize capacity-strengthening events such as webinars for the WASH network and beyond. This will include developing the training concept note, scheduling, logistical arrangements, note taking and post-training dissemination of materials
6. Organize peer-to-peer learning exchanges between countries or regions, including developing the training concept note, scheduling, logistical arrangements, note taking and post-training dissemination of materials
7. In consultation with the RA, coordinate the organization of WASH network and other technical meetings
8. In consultation with the WASH team, undertake research to support the preparation of funding proposals, including identifying appropriate data and evidence, pictures, preparing charts and graphics, etc.
9. Support COs to prepare at least three Human Interest Stories (HIS) on each of the WASH pillars – climate resilient water services, citywide inclusive and safely managed sanitation, and hand hygiene, including Infection Prevention and Control (IPC)
10. Maintain the ROSA WASH SharePoint libraries
11. Develop and implement a dissemination plan and M&E framework to track and evaluate the reach and use of ROSA WASH knowledge assets
The language of all written knowledge products will be English.
Duration of the Contract: The assignment is for approx. 264 days within 11.5 months starting from 15 October 2024.
Tasks and Deliverables for the assignment:
| Tasks/Milestone | Deliverables/Output | Target Delivery Date |
| Assist Country Offices (COs) to prepare Knowledge Products (KPs) Prepare a monthly WASH ROSA network newsletter Identify, curate and disseminate one peer-reviewed journal article a month | At least one country office knowledge product One RO Newsletter A monthly log of articles disseminated | Monthly Monthly |
| Organize capacity-strengthening events such as webinars for the WASH network and beyond Organize peer-to-peer learning exchanges between countries or regions Organize WASH network and other technical meetings | At least one training event/peer-to-peer learning exchange is organized every quarter Training concept notes & post-training materials | Quarterly |
| Maintain the ROSA WASH SharePoint libraries. | Updated ROSA WASH SharePoint libraries | Monthly |
| Support COs to prepare at least three HIS on each of the WASH pillars | One quarterly HIS prepared | Quarterly |
| Develop and implement a dissemination plan and M&E framework to track and evaluate the reach and use of ROSA WASH knowledge assets | Log of KPs disseminated and reach | Quarterly |
Remarks: Please submit your application with a financial proposal. Application without the financial proposal will not be considered.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Education qualifications:
- Advanced (Master) University Degree in Public Health, Sanitary Engineering, Development Studies, Social Sciences, Communications Sciences, International Relations, or related fields.
Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:
- A minimum of 8 years’ experience in the WASH sector, related to managing water and/or sanitation programmes in developing countries.
- Strong understanding of WASH programme and contexts is desirable
- Experience in editing and writing on different topics related to the WASH sector and social sciences more broadly.
- Excellent analytical and writing skills, and demonstrated record of high-quality publications on WASH, social sciences and/or development studies.
- Knowledge and demonstratable experience of reviewing, editing, report writing, and proofreading.
- Previous experience editing and writing for UNICEF and familiarity with UNICEF’s style guidelines would be an asset.
- Proficient ability to efficiently manage large amount of information and cloud-based filing systems (i.e.: Microsoft SharePoint, Teams)
- Excellent communication (written and oral) skills.
- Experience in related capacity development and trainings is an asset.
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).
To view our competency framework, please visit 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.
UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.
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.
The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.