WASH Specialist
Organizational Context
UNICEF's core mission is to uphold the rights of every child globally, focusing on equity to ensure all children can reach their full potential. In Papua New Guinea, UNICEF collaborates with the government and partners to enhance children's rights and equitable access to essential services. The WASH programme specifically aims to strengthen systems, policies, and service delivery for safe water, sanitation, and hygiene, addressing significant national challenges like limited financing, weak capacity, and persistent inequalities to achieve SDG 6.
Job Purpose
This UN Volunteer assignment supports UNICEF Papua New Guinea's efforts to bolster sustainable WASH service delivery by strengthening sector systems and institutional capacities. The role will focus on generating evidence, monitoring sector progress, analyzing data, and managing knowledge to inform policy and decision-making. Key contributions include supporting public finance analysis, budget tracking, and advocating for increased WASH investment. Additionally, the volunteer will assist in resource mobilization through proposal development, partnership building, and donor reporting, ultimately aiming to improve programme impact and sustainability through enhanced coordination and resource leveraging.
Responsibilities
The UN Volunteer WASH Specialist will support the planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of UNICEF's WASH programme in Papua New Guinea. Key responsibilities include strengthening national and sub-national WASH sector systems, institutional capacities, policies, and frameworks, and supporting government counterparts in sector planning and coordination. The role involves coordinating studies, analyzing data, and managing knowledge products to inform decision-making. Public finance for WASH will be supported through analysis, budget tracking, and advocacy for increased investment. Resource mobilization efforts will be advanced by contributing to strategy development and preparing fundraising materials. The volunteer will also lead donor proposal development and reporting, monitor programme progress against targets, document results and lessons learned, and contribute to emergency preparedness and response activities within the WASH sector.
Work Experience
A minimum of five years of progressive professional experience in WASH programme management, systems strengthening, sector coordination, public finance, evidence generation, resource mobilization, or donor proposal development is required. Experience with UNICEF, the UN system, governments, or international development organizations is advantageous. Demonstrated experience in developing technical reports and donor proposals, along with strong analytical, communication, and interpersonal skills, is essential.
Skills
Key competencies include accountability, adaptability, creativity, teamwork, client orientation, analytical thinking, results orientation, and stakeholder engagement. Expertise in administration, engineering, construction, and community development is also relevant. Strong analytical skills, data management, knowledge management, and proficiency in Microsoft Office applications are necessary.