India nationals: UN Volunteer - Sanitation (UNICEF)

General

Description of assignment title: National UN Volunteer – Sanitation

Assignment country: India

Expected start date: 10/09/2023

Sustainable Development Goal: 6. Clean water and sanitation

Volunteer category: National UN Volunteer Specialist

Host entity: UNICEF

Type: Onsite

Duration: 12 months (with possibility of extension)

Number of assignments: 1

Duty stations: New Delhi

Details

Mission and objectives
The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

Context
Provision of safe sanitation is one of the major socio-developmental issues that the Government of India has focused on, especially in the last 8 years. Responding to the fact that as in 2014, over 60% of the persons without access to toilets at home in the whole world were from India, and therefore most were
often practicing open defecation, i.e., over 550 million people, the India government launched the Swachh Bharat Mission – Gramin SBM (G), a national-level sanitation programme, that aimed at providing access to all 180 million rural households by 2019.

Under the programme, by 2019, over 105 million new toilets were built, and this was accompanied by large-scale capacity building and communication campaigns rolled out nationally, to ensure that people use these toilets. By October 2019, over 255,000 Gram panchayats and 650,000 villages declared themselves open defecation free (ODF). During the entire period of SBM G I programme, UNICEF supported the central government and governments in 15 states as the principal development partner, with significant success.

In addition to providing technical assistance covering multiple aspects of the sanitation programme, UNICEF also carried out a number of research studies, that influenced the Government of India to launch the SBM G phase II in 2020. This is now looking at interventions focused on sustaining the gains in achieving ODF status and also implementing Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM) works in all 255,000 Gram panchayats. UNICEF is once again the major partner of government, providing technical and managerial assistance, on the various components of ODF+ programme of SBM G II, that includes the ODF Sustainability as well as the SLWM areas of work including on (i) policy advocacy and programme implementation support (ii) capacity building (iii) Technical aspects of management of solid waste like faecal sludge, plastic and biodegradable wastes as well as grey water management (iv) Social and behavior change communication (v) monitoring (vi) Knowledge management and documentation (vii) research.

In this activity, UNICEF is supported by multiple financial donors including – Unilever- Domestos; Lixil corporation, BMGF; and World bank. The total value of the donor supported programmes amounts to about USD 4.2 million, over the next 3 years. There are also multiple other partnerships that UNICEF has engaged in particular components of the sanitation programme, like with WaterAid; Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS); Institute of Economic Growth (IEG), National Institute of Health management and Research (NIHMR); Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) and SIGMA foundation etc. All these donor and project partnerships require significant management efforts and handholding work from UNICEF. This high requirement for support to efficiently and smoothly service these partnerships requires work force assistance in the section for the sanitation output.

It is thus proposed to engage a national UNV for this activity to support the sanitation programme.

Task description
The National UN Volunteer – Sanitation shall support cross-cutting tasks involving engagement with sanitation programme donors and implementation partners. The NUNV will be placed in the UNICEF Delhi office and will be directly supervised by the Programme Specialist (Sanitation), WASH Section with oversight by the Chief, WASH, UNICEF India.

The NUNV will work closely and provide support to the Programme Specialist (Sanitation), in coordinating the interaction with donors and development programme partners. The interaction with the supervisor will take place regularly, allowing continuous performance monitoring.

The duties of the NUNV shall include:

• Supporting the planning, monitoring, and reporting requirements of the donor partner- ships; support in quality assurance of reports and data and supporting the section in meeting all requirements.
• Coordinating, participating in discussion and review sessions, providing technical sup- port and quality assurance of the tasks related to meetings with donor partners regarding the projects under implementation.
• Supporting Climate change linked initiatives within the sanitation programme of UNICEF
• Coordinating, providing technical support and quality assurance of the activities related to the interaction with UNICEF programme partners, working under the sanitation out- put, regarding the projects under implementation.
• Support to the HACT based Programme Monitoring Visit and spot check requirements of PCA partners under the guidance of the programme specialist sanitation. This may include field visits as per direction of the programme specialist.
• Monitoring implementation and progress of the PCA partnership projects plans and identifying constraints and delays for the attention of the lead focal point. Support concurrent monitoring of the deliverables on various sanitation and hygiene programmes.
• Supporting the development of written material, presentations, and reports for the meetings, including the review meetings with the Government, on the partnership projects under implementation by UNICEF.
• Developing inputs for the various reporting requirements from the sanitation programme for the RAM reports and publications including the UNICEF Annual Report.
• Supporting the WASH section in organising and preparing for regular meetings, including disseminating information related to the development partners platform on rural sanitation, that is hosted by UNICEF.
• Work on the various data sources and data sets like NFHS V, NSSO, NAARS and ana- lyse them as per requirements of the section and direction of WASH sanitation specialist. Development of written material, presentations, and reports for dissemination within UNICEF WASH network and outside UNICEF.
• Support development of content to disseminate and present UNICEF ICOs sanitation programme work at the global platform level.
• Work with Monitoring and Reporting team of WASH section to support in streamlining guidance, systems related to planning, monitoring, and reporting processes and modalities in ICO, particularly on the sanitation programme requirements.
• Support in knowledge management of WASH pillar, including managing UNICEF- ECM library and ECM sites related to sanitation.
• Assist programme specialist sanitation in engaging with the network on the sanitation programme, especially on partnerships at the national and state levels.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to:

• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and taking an active part in UNV activities (for instance, in events that mark IVD).
• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country.
• Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities.
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers.
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organisations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service when- ever technically possible.

Eligibility criteria

Age: 27 – 80

Nationality: Candidate must be a national or legal resident of the country of assignment.

Requirements

Required experience
3 years of experience in work related to the WASH sector, preferable rural sanitation.

• Familiarity with Swachh Bharat Mission is essential.
• Proficient computer skills (Word, Excel, Power point, database programs, etc.); familiarity with online reporting/data entry software desirable.
• Good understanding of quantitative methods desirable.
• Proven track record of organisational skills, ability to take the initiative, meet deadlines, work with minimal supervision.
• Knowledge/Experience of UN systems and logic framework, planning and results- based management will be an advantage.
• Excellent communication skills in English: good interpersonal skills, with ability to work in a multi- cultural environment.

Area(s) of expertise: Development programmes

Driving license: .

Languages
English, Level: Fluent, Required
Hindi, Level: Fluent, Desirable

Required education level: Bachelor degree or equivalent in Social science, Engineering, or Science

Competencies and values

• Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to UNICEF; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to UNICEF procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented;
• Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNICEF in daily activities and behaviors while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behavior; does not abuse power or authority;
• Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues;
• Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment;
• Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities;
• Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups;
• Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary;
• Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNICEF’s mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

Other information

Living conditions and remarks
New Delhi and the surrounding National Capital Region is a large and bustling metropolis of some 14 million people undergoing rapid changes. The capital city is an administrative, cultural and commercial center with modern amenities and well connected by air. It is a safe place with large expatriate community drawn from embassies, UN agencies, MNCs and foreign businesses. It has short moderate winter and long hot summer.

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. This position is based in New Delhi National UN Volunteers are part of the malicious insurance plan. National UN Volunteers are expected to be culturally sensitive and adjust to the prevailing culture and traditions.

The contract lasts for the period indicated above with possibility of extensions subject to availability of funding, operational necessity and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectation of renewal of the assignment.

The applicable Volunteer Living Allowance is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities and normal cost of living expenses. Life, health and permanent disability insurance are included (health insurance for up to 3 dependents – except for UN Community Volunteers), as well as final repatriation (if applicable). You can check full entitlements at https://app.unv.org/calculator .

For information specific to your assignment please see below:

• Voluntary Living Allowance (VLA): INR 50,604.24 per month
• Entry lump sum (one-time payment): USD 400 (equivalent in INR)
• Relocation costs (both ways @ USD 200 at the beginning and end of assignment, if duty station is outside of commuting distance)
• Exit allowance (paid on successful completion of the assignment): 1 VLA / 12 Months
• Medical and life insurance Cigna Private Insurance
• Access to UNV Learning Portal for Online Courses

Leave entitlements:

• Annual leave: 2.5 days accrued per calendar month
• Certified sick leave: 30 days
• Uncertified sick leave: 7 days
• Learning leave: 10 working days per consecutive 12 months
• Maternity leave: 16 weeks
• Paternity leaves: 10 days

Inclusivity statement
United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Reasonable accommodation
UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for UN Volunteers 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 recruitment process and afterwards in your assignment.

Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements
In addition to duty station-specific vaccine requirements, appointments 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 appointment. It does not apply to UN Volunteers 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 contracts.