JOB DESCRIPTION

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For every child, the right to health!

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

The Republic of Uzbekistan has prioritized Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) as a cornerstone of its national development agenda, recognizing its vital role in improving children”s health, education outcomes, and gender equity—especially for girls and children with disabilities. This commitment is embedded within the National Development Strategy of New Uzbekistan for 2030 and the Compact for Education, both of which emphasize inclusive, safe, and climate-resilient learning environments.

 

Despite progress, significant WASH gaps persist across the education system. According to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) 2023 data, 70% of schoolchildren (6.6 million) have access to basic drinking water, 80% (7.5 million) to basic sanitation, and 90% (8.5 million) to basic handwashing with soap and water. However, approximately 1.4 million children (15%) still attend schools with no access to water or toilets. Stark urban-rural disparities remain; only 50% of rural schools have basic drinking water access, compared to 80% in urban areas; similar gaps exist for sanitation (62% rural vs. 86% urban).

 

UNICEF’s work in the Aral Sea region, Republic of Karakalpakstan, has shown the value of combining school-based WASH infrastructure with community-level engagement. Solar-powered boreholes, piped water systems, and renovated hygiene facilities were implemented alongside behaviour change communication, community mobilization, and local governance strengthening. These efforts have fostered not only better WASH conditions in schools but also sustained hygiene practices at home and increased community ownership—crucial for long-term impact.

 

As the Government of Uzbekistan prepares to roll out a national WASH in Schools (WINS) programme, this integrated model offers a foundation for scale. The programme aims to bridge urban-rural divides and promote climate-resilient WASH services in schools, communities, healthcare facilities, and other institutions.

 

The purpose of this assignment is to support UNICEF Uzbekistan in effectively implementing the WASH Vision 2030 Project and to provide technical leadership for climate resilient WASH in school programming. The position will also guide the development of holistic, community-focused, and climate-resilient WASH programming in the country which includes system strengthening and institutional delivery.

 

Scope of Work:

Reporting to the Chief of Health and Development, the WASH Specialist will work closely with cross-sectoral teams to lead programme development, implementation, monitoring, and partnership building aligned with the Government of Uzbekistan’s Vision 2030 and UNICEF’s global WASH strategy. The role will be instrumental in advancing climate adaptation, gender equity, and community resilience through integrated WASH solutions.

 

Key Responsibilities

• Vision 2030 Inception Planning and Programme Management
• Lead the development of the Vision 2030 WASH inception plan, including detailed implementation roadmap, stakeholder roles, and risk mitigation strategy.
• Provide technical and operational support to government counterparts (MoPSE, Ministry of Health, and UNDP) and UNICEF teams to roll out climate-resilient, inclusive WASH in schools, in line with national standards and UNICEF global WASH strategy.
• Contribute to the development of terms of reference for national and international consultants required for programme implementation

Ensure integration of gender, disability, climate resilience, and community engagement across programme design and planning documents.

 

Baseline Assessment and EMIS Integration

• Design and coordinate a pilot baseline assessment of WASH in 50 schools using national and JMP-aligned indicators.
• Develop WASH data collection tools and sampling methodology for both the pilot and national scale-up.
• Train enumerators and establish a pool of regional master trainers to support future data collection across all 10,000 schools.
• Lead data cleaning and analysis and produce a visualized baseline report.
• Provide technical inputs for the integration of WASH indicators into EMIS, including definitions, data flow, and institutional arrangements.

Coordination, Partnerships, Resource Mobilisation and Systems Strengthening

• Facilitate regular coordination meetings with MoPSE, UNDP, and other partners to ensure alignment of WASH activities with Vision 2030 and the New Uzbekistan Development Strategy.
• Coordinate with Ministries of Health and Local Governance on WASH in health facilities and community rollouts, including support to water quality monitoring, sanitation, and hygiene promotion.
• Represent UNICEF in national WASH coordination platforms, technical working groups, and joint planning exercises.
• Support the development of concept notes and donor engagement strategies for resource mobilization, including for IFIs and philanthropic partners.
• Draft inputs for high-level engagement with the Clean Hands Programme and the Compact for Education.

Standards Implementation and Capacity Building

• Develop and validate a WASH in Schools Implementation Toolkit aligned to national and global standards.
• Design a school-level budgeting and costing tool for WASH infrastructure and service delivery.
• Deliver regional training workshops for teachers, school heads, and community stakeholders on climate-resilient, gender-responsive WASH, and inclusive engagement practices.
• Draft technical notes and guidance briefs to support institutionalization and scale-up.

Monitoring, Reporting, and Knowledge Management

• Lead the design of a results-based monitoring framework and indicator tracking tool, incorporating climate-sensitive and community-informed metrics.
• Provide technical oversight to the National WASH Officer on partner monitoring and field-level verification.
• Draft donor reports, analytic presentations, and internal updates showcasing progress, challenges, and emerging opportunities.
• Contribute to documentation of lessons learned and success stories, and facilitate knowledge sharing across sectors.

Final Reporting and Handover

• Consolidate and finalize all tools, reports, datasets, and training materials produced during the consultancy.
• Draft a comprehensive final report with implementation summary, lessons learned, and strategic recommendations.
• Present final outputs and debrief UNICEF and government counterparts to ensure knowledge transfer and sustainability.

Other Duties

• Keep the Chief of Health and Development informed of programme performance, risks, and opportunities.
• Provide technical oversight and support to National WASH Officer and contribute to internal UNICEF planning, reviews, and reporting exercises.
• Perform other tasks as assigned in line with UNICEF’s mandate and the evolving context in Uzbekistan.

Work Assignments Overview Deliverables/Outputs Timeline: 

1. Vision 2030 Inception Planning & Programme Management – 15 days

• Draft and finalize Inception Plan for Vision 2030 WASH (with timeline, roles, risk matrix)
• Develop detailed Implementation Roadmap (Gantt chart)
• Contribute to drafting ToRs for national consultants
• Monthly progress report

2. Baseline Assessment of WASH in Schools (47-school sample & EMIS preparation) – 25 days

• Design sampling frame and methodology for both pilot (47 schools) and national rollout (10,000 schools)
• Conduct training of enumerators for 47-school pilot baseline
• Establish and train a pool of regional master trainers (at least 1 per region) to support full-scale rollout
• Oversee field data collection and spot-check validation for the 47-school pilot
• Clean and analyze pilot dataset
• Produce pilot Baseline Assessment Report with indicator dashboard
• Draft technical inputs for integration of WinS JMP indicators into EMIS

3. Coordination with MoPSE, UNDP, Stakeholders (IFIs, MOH) – 10 days

• Attend and Convene Vision 2030 technical meetings (MoPSE, MoH, UNDP, UNICEF) on Vision 2030, Clean Hands Programme, WASH in HCF, etc
• Draft joint coordination plan with UNDP
• Submit written inputs to national WASH & Vision 2030 policy documents
• Lead the development of concept notes, proposals, and donor briefs to secure resources from bilateral
  and multilateral partners (e.g. LDS, Cherry, Zayed Foundation etc).
• Monthly stakeholder engagement updates

4. Standards Implementation & Budgeting Tools – 20 days

• Develop and pilot WASH-in-Schools and Health Care Facilities Standards Implementation Toolkit (aligned to national norms)
• Create a simplified school-level budgeting and costing tool
  raft Technical Note on WASH budgeting for scale-up
• Facilitate validation workshop with stakeholders

5. Capacity Building and Community Engagement – 15 days

• Design training curriculum and materials (gender-, climate-, and disability-inclusive)
• Facilitate 3 regional workshops for teachers, school heads, and community actors
• Produce training reports (attendance, pre/post-test, and action plans)
• Draft school-community engagement guidance brief

6. Monitoring, Reporting & Quality Assurance – 14 days

• Design indicator tracking tool (aligned to Vision 2030, SDGs, and community indicators)
• Draft narrative donor and internal reports
• Support WASH Officer with partner monitoring visits
• Develop presentation package for donors and internal briefings

7. Final Reporting, KM, and Handover – 10 days

• Draft Final Consultancy Report with implementation summary, recommendations, and handover notes
• Submit all finalized tools, reports, datasets, and workshop documentation
• Present debrief to UNICEF and government counterparts

Total: 109 working days

Travel International: Round trip from home to duty station – One time

Travel Local: The consultant will be required to travel once a month (5 in total) to the fields to monitor WASH programming and provide training/supportive supervision

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Advanced university degree in Public Health, Economics, development studies Environmental Science, or a related field relevant to WASH programming.
• Work Experience:
  • Minimum of 5-8 years of experience in WASH programmes, with a preference for school-based WASH, climate-resilient WASH programming in a development country context
  • Demonstrated experience in programme design and coordination with government bodies and stakeholders.
  • Expertise in climate-resilient WASH solutions and hygiene promotion practices.
  • Experience in WASH in Schools programme development
  • Strong analytical and report-writing skills, with the ability to communicate complex technical information clearly.
  • Prior experience working with UNICEF or any other UN organisation will be an asset.
  • Experience in WASH in Schools programme development
  • Strong analytical and report-writing skills, with the ability to communicate complex technical information clearly.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in written and spoken in English. Knowledge of Russian is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility jobs-near-me.org UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks: 

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements