JOB DESCRIPTION

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture., coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to innovate

UNICEF has a 70-year history of innovating for children. We believe that new approaches, partnerships and technologies that support realizing children’s rights are critical to improving their lives. The Office of Innovation is a creative, interactive, and agile team in UNICEF. We sit at a unique intersection, where an organization that works on huge global issues meets the start-up thinking, the technology, and the partners that turn this energy into scalable solutions.

The Sustainable WASH Innovation Hub, based in Copenhagen, Denmark, aims to source, pilot and scale transformational and frontier climate resilient innovations that respond to key programmatic challenges that, if solved, will unlock faster progress for a water secure future for children and young people. One of the key global challenges that the Hub will address through exploration and scale of innovative solutions will be tackling foreseen climate change impacts on WASH services and delivery access. The Hub will also support research and innovation on the links between climate change and water, sanitation and hygiene.

The Hub will bring together a passionate community of strategic partners including children and young people, academia, private entrepreneurs, public policy makers, social development and humanitarian actors, and our global UNICEF WASH / CEED and innovation colleagues in 150+ countries. Collectively we will co-create, advocate, enable, convene, and motivate for innovative sustainable solutions to long-standing barriers and emerging opportunities for a WASH secure and climate resilient future for every child.

How can you make a difference?

The consultant will play a pivotal role in laying out the groundwork for an innovative approach to successful, sustainable, and evidence-based groundwater resource development and management. They will work closely with the Kenya Country office and the WASH innovation hub team which includes water and finance experts. The outcome of the consultancy work will be the identification of up to 4 potential pilot sites in the ASL counties (Wajir, Garissa, Mandera, Marsabite, Turkana and Samburu) of Northern Kenaya.

The consultant will outline for each potential site:
• Overview of the sustainability of the water source for identified location and logic for selection
• Top line overview of community expenditure on water and other investments
• County government appetite for innovation
• Outline any further studies needed to inform pilot design in identified sites

Map and assess the different financing models that support water resource management and governance

Your main responsibilities will be:
The consultant will be expected to compile reports for up to 4 locations outlining the below to the best of their ability with existing data sets. They will be expected to keep a database of the data used to compile the reports and outline how the data can be accessed in future.

The work for this consultancy is split into two areas.

1. Summary of potential sites, which should outline (to the best of their ability with the data available):
   • Local Water Resources Assessment
     • Based on existing data, studies and reports, assess the current status of groundwater, surface water, aquifers, recharge, and seasonal variability.
     • Climate risk assessment on availability and use of water sources – rainfall patterns and projections, drought cycles / water scarcity, floods, community dynamics and conflicts. Identify and collate existing resources (e.g., hydrogeological surveys, research from universities and development partners, etc).
     • Document accessibility of this information (custodians, portals, MoUs).
     • Identify gaps in monitoring, climate impact projections, and spatial coverage.
   • Water Demand Assessment
     • Review current and projected water demand, considering population distribution, agricultural uses and needs, livestock, migration patterns, and climate forecast for the regions
     • Establish the average number of months /days that livestock depends on permanent groundwater sources per year and patterns overtime in the climate cycle calendar.
     • Map existing datasets
     • Assess accessibility of data sources.
     • Identify gaps in disaggregated demand data and climate-linked projections.
   • Stakeholder Mapping and Capacity Needs
     • Identify and map all relevant stakeholders, including county water departments, utilities, water user associations, NGOs, CBOs, donor agencies, and private-sector actors active in water supply and resource management in ASAL counties.
     • Document their roles, mandates, geographic coverage, and current interventions, highlighting overlaps, gaps, and opportunities for improved coordination.
     • Assess institutional capacities (technical, financial, human resource, governance) to plan, operate, and regulate water services in the ASAL context.
     • Identify critical capacity development needs for both government and non-government actors, especially in areas such as data management, monitoring, operation and maintenance, water quality, climate resilience, and financial sustainability of services.
   • Review of existing Tariff Structures and Setup
     • Review current water market across the focus counties in Northern Kenya and water tariff-setting mechanisms in rural schemes for both domestic and livestock, urban utilities, private and informal water markets.
     • Identify and collate available tariff data (Utilities, NGOs, county records as appropriate).
     • Document accessibility of this information.
     • Identify gaps in rural and informal market tariff data
   • Affordability and Willingness to Pay analysis
     • Review household-level affordability and willingness-to-pay studies in ASAL contexts.
     • Collate socio-economic datasets on household income and livelihood, agricultural needs and expenditure, water expenditure, and coping mechanisms.
     • Document accessibility of this information.
     • Identify knowledge gaps, including ASAL-specific and gender-disaggregated data.
     • Identify sources of conflict and possible mitigation measures
   • Establishing What Finance Models Exist
     • Map and document existing financing models for water resources and governance in Northern Kenya, covering public, community, private, donor/NGO, and emerging/innovative mechanisms.
     • In discussion the WASH hub finance team analyze the sustainability and inclusiveness of these models, including their effectiveness in covering operation and maintenance, and their reach to marginalized and vulnerable groups.
     • With inputs on criteria from the WASH hub finance team assess alignment with governance systems at county and national levels, including transparency and accountability.
     • Identify financing gaps and opportunities for scaling up resilient, innovative, and blended financing approaches to strengthen water resources management and governance.
   • Clarity on data leveraged
     • Compile a clear report on the data used, available data and where to find it
     • Design and populate a structured format that outlines all identified datasets, studies, and information sources, organized by theme (resources, demand, stakeholders, tariffs, affordability etc).
2. Outline further studies required for selected sites

Based on the sites proposed by the consultant they are asked to outline existing data gaps and outline how studies in those sites would need to be designed to ensure data gaps are addressed.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  ToR National Consultant- Water Resource and Water Governance Data collection .pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Hydrogeology, Hydrology, Water Resources Management, other Water related sciences or other relevant field.
  *A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.

• Work Experience:
  • A minimum of 8 years of relevant professional experience at the national and/or international levels, in water resource assessments, water governance, and/or other directly related technical fields is required.
  • Demonstrated ability to identify and extract key data relevant to governance strategies and technical programs for water
  • Demonstrated ability to synthesize complex data and produce actionable insights and reports

• Skills:
  • Excellent analytical, report-writing, and communication skills.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.

Desirables:

• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.
• Strong understanding of Kenya’s water governance, water sector policies and institutional landscape is an asset
• Experience of supporting county or national actors in the Kenyan context is considered an asset
• Knowledge and experience of finance in WASH considered an asset
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

 

Travel:

• The consultant will be based in Kenya and is expected to travel to relevant counties in Northern Kenya if required to access relevant existing data
• The consultant will work closely with the UNICEF team in Nairobi and will be encouraged to visit at least 3 times during the contract
• The consultant is responsible for arranging his/her own travel, including travel insurance. No visa requirements are expected for this contract.

Payment details and further considerations

• Payment of professional fees will be based on the submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

How to apply:

• Interested applicants are required to submit a comprehensive CV with a financial proposal with all-inclusive fee. Please see the financial proposal template. Consultancy Financial Offer template.docx
• Financial proposal must include travel costs (economy class) and daily subsistence allowance, if travel is required as per TOR and any other estimated costs: visa, travel/health insurance
• Applications without a financial proposal will not be considered.

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 nearmejobs.eu 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