Assessment Specialist WASH Cluster

Position:Assessment Specialist WASH Cluster

Contract duration:Fixed term contract

Location: Global FST Hub, UNICEF Geneva, Switzerland

Deployment time 60%,Remote Support & FST20%, Agency time 20%

Starting Date:01st September 2015 (until December 2016)

Employing Agency: IMPACT Initiatives (on behalf of ACTED)

Supervisor:

Immediate Supervisor: Field Support Team (FST) Manager, IFRC

Administrative Supervisor: IMPACT Initiatives

Technical Supervisor(s): GWC - Coordination Advocacy and Support Team (CAST)

I. Background on ACTED

ACTED is a French humanitarian NGO, founded in 1993, which supports vulnerable populations, affected by humanitarian crises worldwide. ACTED provides continued support to vulnerable communities by ensuring the sustainability of post-crisis interventions and engaging long-term challenges facing our target populations, in order to break the poverty cycle, foster development and reduce vulnerability to disasters. Our interventions seek to cover the multiple aspects of humanitarian and development crises through a multidisciplinary approach which is both global and local, and adapted to each context. Our 3,300 staff is committed in to responding to emergencies worldwide, to supporting recovery and rehabilitation, towards sustainable development.

Our teams in the field implement some 340 projects in 34 countries covering the following sectors emergency relief, food security, access to health, education and training, economic development, microfinance, advocacy, institutional support, and regional dialogue, cultural promotion.

Based on considerable experience addressing the needs and situations of vulnerable communities, ACTED contributes to the international agenda towards reaching the Millennium Development Goals, through a wide range of partnerships, innovative initiatives, and campaigns.

For more information, please visit our website at www.acted.org

II. Position Profile

The Assessment Specialist will work as part of the FST of the Global WASH cluster to contribute to improved and strengthened WASH coordination (pre, during, after operations) by enhancing the cluster’s assessment capacity.

Specifically, the Assessment Specialist will:

• Develop / improve assessment methodologies, indicators and practices to support National WASH coordination platforms through stages of the Humanitarian Program Cycle (HPC)
• Strengthen assessment and related IM processes and practices by WASH coordination structures
• Participate in and contribute towards relevant assessment-related interagency and multi-cluster / sector fora/processes

Function 1:Support country level WASH coordination platforms in the organization of baseline, monitoring and evaluation assessments

A - Main activities during deployment time

Activity 1A:Deployments to support country-level WASH coordination platform in the organisation of assessments. For each related deployment, with the WASH cluster coordination Team in country. Tasks will include:

• Promote a broad participation of country-level cluster members in all stages the assessment
• Support assessment preparation, including clear TORs, and the identification of an effective sampling and data collection methodology, and analytical framework. Promote operational and strategic relevance of the assessment
• Support identification and training of enumerators for data collection. Follow up enumerators, centralise and review data during the data collection stage
• Ensure that field primary data collection is complemented by secondary data reviews and, where relevant, other primary data collection tools including remote sensing and crowd sourcing
• Support data collation and analysis, including drafting of assessment factsheet, reports and other products
• Support effective dissemination of assessment findings, for operational and strategic purposes
• Assess the quality and learning from each assessment

Note the following:

• The assessment specialist may be required for rapid surge and requested to travel with immediate (72 hours) notice to crisis affected areas.
• Assessments could be baselines, as well as response monitoring and evaluation.

B - Main activities during non-deployment time

Activity 1B: Remotesupport on assessments facilitated by country-level WASH coordination structures. Tasks will include:

• Remote support to country level assessments as required, including at preparation, implementation, analysis and dissemination stage/s
• Consolidation and follow up of country level WASH assessment, promoting capitalisation of lessons learnt and best practices
• In coordination with IM focal points, and where relevant and requested, support the development of country IM systems and processes which promote an effective use of assessment data along the HPC
• Work in close collaboration with the FST members This will include:

a. Ensure pre-departure support for preparation with the FST to improve confidence and understanding of the context, the work expected and the appropriate tools, ToR and resources to fulfil the tasks and processes.

b. Ensure technical debriefings with FST members, ensuring collection of lessons learned and areas for technical follow-up

c. Ensure strong two way communication between the FST and inter-function, to ensure a sturdy support and rapid follow up on identified needs

d. Provide knowledge / competencies for skills development on specific topics including tools and practices.

Function 2: Strengthen assessment processes and practices by WASH coordination structures

Activity 2A: Capitalisation of lessons learnt and best practices

· Consolidate existing best practices and lessons learnt from humanitarian baseline, monitoring and evaluation assessments; from WASH cluster but also other relevant clusters / intercluster / agency initiatives

· Ensure these are readily available and usable by WASH coordination platforms

· Establish processes to ensure systematic capitalisation of assessment lessons learnt and best practices after each assessment exercise and/or deployment

Activity 2B: Development of tools, guidance notes and processes

· Liaise with external assessment specialists, organisations and institutions (i.e ACAPs, CDC, Clusters) to support the development of global assessment (and related IM) systems and processes, including the drafting of assessment guidance notes (building on what is already existing)

· Promote use of appropriate technology for data collection (eg: Mobile Data Collection, remote sensing, crowd sourcing, data collection portals ), and analysis (data analysis portals, webmapping, GIS, etc);

· Review indicators to be used in assessment, linking them to regular response monitoring

Activity 2C: Capacity Building

• Capacity Building of WASH Coordination bodies: Work closely with the National Humanitarian WASH Coordination Initiative of UNICEF (NHWC) to support WASH coordination structures, identify challenges and constraints to enhance capacity at government level for strengthened national ownership and leadership in humanitarian WASH (in support to Regional hubs)
• Support capacity building of WASH partners through trainings, WebEx sessions, seminars, participation in simulations, etc.
• Support Regional platforms with regular cluster performance assessments and identify needs for support.
• Maintain close relationships with UNICEF and other GWC member agencies regional & country offices and promote a high degree of collaboration between the FST and specific country level government bodies and other national or sub-national WASH actors.

Function 3:Participating in and contributing towards relevant assessment-related interagency and multi-cluster fora/processes

A - Main activities during deployment time

Activity 3A: Coordinate with other clusters /sectors throughout the assessment cycle

• Promote an effective and pro-active participation by WASH cluster / sector in inter-cluster assessments (such as MIRA, PDNA, etc)
• Encourage synergies with other key sectors / clusters during assessment cycles, including the organization of multi-cluster/sector assessments where and when relevant
• Coordinate with other relevant assessment actors during a response, including provision of regular updates on ongoing assessment during coordination fora

B - Main activities during non-deployment time

Activity 3B: Actively engage with other global clusters and inter-cluster processes on assessments at global level

• Participate in relevant inter-cluster / sector working groups (e.g.: in relation to MIRA)
• Promote linkages with assessment focal points from other clusters / relevant agencies

III. Qualifications:

• Bachelor degree in relevant field (can be economics, statistics, research methods, sociology, development / humanitarian studies, etc), master’s degree is desirable
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in assessment, Information Analysis, M&E and/or Information Management related to complex crisis
• Minimum 4 years of relevant field experience in contexts of humanitarian crisis, preferably in WASH, in different contexts.
• Proven track record of having successfully organised assessments on behalf of humanitarian coordination structures in a complex crisis, including WASH components
• Experience in humanitarian M&E
• Proven experience and understanding of WASH activities and strategy.
• A good understanding of the humanitarian policy environment including current knowledge of the latest assessment-related policies, research, international standards and developments in the field.
• Proven ability to plan, monitor and evaluate programmes, as well as to teach skills and build team capacity.
• Experience with natural and complex political emergencies in diverse cultural and climatic settings.
• Experience in liaison with a broad range of stakeholders, ability to build relationships and networks with international donors, UN agencies and INGOs, national authorities, national/local partner agencies and emergency affected communities
• Proactive problem solving and operational decision making
• Highest-level technical, analytical, negotiation, communication and advocacy skills.
• Strong skills in presentation and facilitation.
• Technical integrity
• Ability to encourage and contribute to a climate of team-working and collaboration in a multi-cultural environment.
• Excellent training, coaching and mentoring skills.
• Consistently achieves high-level results, managing and delivering projects and activities on-time and on-budget.
• Excellent leadership and supervisory skills; provides others with a clear direction; motivates and empowers others.
• Ability to analyse and present diverse and complex quantitative and qualitative data from a wide range of sources.
• Quickly builds rapport with individuals and groups and nurtures good relationships across organizational levels and boundaries from government leaders to all stakeholders and the affected population.
• Computer skills, including SPSS
• Willingness to travel up to 60% of time at short notice, resilience, stress tolerance and work under difficult conditions
• Languages: Fluently spoken and written English
• Good command of another language (especially French, Spanish or Arabic)

IV. Conditions:

• Defined by the ACTED salary grid; educational level, expertise, security, and performance are considered for pay bonus
• Additional monthly living allowance and coverage of food, lodging, transportation costs when deployed

HOW TO APPLY:

V. Submission of applications:

Please send, in English, your cover letter, CV, and three references to : jobs@impact-initiatives.org

Ref: 15/GEN/AOWASHCLUSTER

Please indicate the reference in the subject line of your email.

Submission deadline: 15th July

For more information, visit us athttp://www.acted.org