Objective and Purpose of the Assignment
 | ADB’s Water and Urban Development Sector Group is implementing a regional knowledge and support technical assistance (TA) which aims to strengthen Pacific developing member countries’ (DMCs) capacity to prevent disease transmission through enhanced water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices and the associated enabling environment. Interventions will directly strengthen the sustainability and resilience of WASH improvements and address the impacts of climate change and coronavirus disease (COVID- 19) pandemic by (i) improving WASH practices through behavioral change campaigns; and (ii) strengthening the capacity of WASH service providers and other stakeholders. This assignment for Sanitation Specialist will be until December 2024 intermittently, with the potential to extend depending on performance and business need. The TA is working with governments and sector stakeholders in Pacific DMCs to identify the most vulnerable groups and highest-risk schools, markets, health clinics, and other public facilities. The WASH and behavior change campaign will be designed to meet the needs of women, children, girls, and elderly people. The TA will also address the enabling environment of WASH services, and mobilize water utilities and other agencies with a hygiene mandate into functional WASH clusters. Water utilities are expected to play a more proactive role in WASH campaigns in urban centers, following their mandate to improve water supply and/or sanitation services coverage. They will require support for WASH campaign to improve people’s behavior towards willingness to pay for WASH services, workplace safety and health, water conservation, and financial sustainability, which will facilitate the expansion of utility’s core business, particularly as they face challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. The TA will ensure the sustainability of the WASH interventions by (i) aligning and collaborating with existing WASH- related infrastructure projects by ADB and other donors and development partner programs, (ii) building consensus among decision makers on the need to prioritize WASH interventions and support WASH improvements, and (iii) supporting longer-term WASH service investments, operational improvements and financial sustainability of utilities with support for infrastructure and services planning to expand WASH activities. The project team will identify and develop further measures to overcome barriers to improving WASH campaigns throughout TA implementation. |
Scope of Work
| The Sanitation Specialist will work with the TA 6551-REG international and regional team members to advance the sanitation agenda across the Pacific, and to plan for demonstration interventions and sustainable solutions with transformative impact. Several clients under the TA require support for analytical work and diagnostics related to networked and onsite sanitation systems, assistance in defining sanitation strategies and implementation plans, and technical advice in developing sanitation policies and programs. There is also a need to improve knowledge around good practices and options for improving onsite sanitation and household wastewater management in the Pacific context. The specialist will be expected to provide thought leadership on sanitation, and practical ideas in role that is a combination of advisory and analytical work, knowledge production and project design. The consultant will also provide support to ADB and governments to identify opportunities for implementing citywide inclusive sanitation (CWIS) approaches through pipeline projects and to ensure more sustainable and impactful sanitation projects. The specialist will contribute to knowledge products to build greater understanding among sanitation stakeholders of technical, institutional, financial and social factors. |
Detailed Tasks and/or Expected Output
| TA 6551 – WASH RETA Project Activities (i) Specific tasks required for support to NGO–led projects within TA 6551 that incorporate sanitation, including Hygiene Promotion Project Phase 2 in the Solomon Islands and any further NGO-led piloting to strengthen rural sanitation and hygiene WASH in Vanuatu. This includes: review NGO outputs and deliverables and provide technical advice and guidance as required; attend regular progress review and steering committee meetings; ensure the NGO’s work is aligned with government policy and good practices; and, help resolve challenges as they arise and find solutions with stakeholders; (ii) In PNG, support the preparation of a new urban water and sanitation investment program, specifically the review of the Port Moresby Sanitation Masterplan, scoping and identification of rehabilitation works and upgrading of existing sewage ponds/septage treatment facilities, updating of sanitation strategies and technical solutions, and provide relevant capacity building support to Water PNG; (iii) Identify opportunities for alignment and synergies across ADB and other donor-supported NGO and sanitation research projects; (iv) Support countries on a demand basis to prepare sanitation diagnostic reports and studies. These may include fecal sludge diagrams, policy and regulatory reviews; (v) provide mentoring and training to utility and/or government staff on sanitation system optimization and management in PICs as requested by utilities (with Samoa Water Authority and Water PNG with potential to expand to other countries) (vi) Contribute to the knowledge products prepared under the TA, including participating and presenting in sanitation-related webinars and contributing to a publication on Onsite Sanitation in the Pacific. (vii) Provide technical inputs and guidance to the development of the Good Enough Guide for on-site sanitation facilities in the Pacific, including in partnership with research institute(s). (viii) Identify opportunities to advocate for increased focus on sanitation amongst Pacific water and sanitation service providers and stakeholders, such as through training activities, webinars, workshops or knowledge products. (ix) other inputs as discussed and agreed with ADB and/or the Team Leader / WASH advisor during implementation. Participate in WASH TA meetings, review documents, participate in dialogue with clients and provide other support as requested related to the above scope of work. |
Minimum Qualification Requirements
| The specialist should have a bachelor’s degree in engineering, environmental science or related discipline, with preferably a master’s degree in public sector policy and international development related discipline. S/he should have at least 10 years’ experience in policy/ regulation development/ guidance with at least 5 years’ practical experience in the WASH sector. Working experience in the Pacific region is required and background in gender-related work will be an added advantage. Experience in Melanesian countries is preferred. |
