National Consultant (Conduct Three State Level WASH Joint Sector Reviews) at United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)

United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: National Consultant (Conduct Three State Level WASH Joint Sector Reviews)

Job ID: 582151
Location: Abuja Nigeria (Remote, with travel to Kaduna, Bauchi and Adamawa)
Employment Type: Contract, Consultant
Duration: 4 Months
Categories: WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene)
Level: Consultancy

Background

• Nigeria faces significant challenges in providing WASH services for its population of over 210 million. According to the 2021 WASH National Outcome Routine Monitoring (WASH NORM) survey, 33% of Nigerians lack access to basic drinking water, and 68% of water sources are contaminated.
• Forty-eight million people (23%) still practice open defecation (OD), only 18% of Nigerians currently have access to safely managed sanitation services, and 17% of Nigerians have access to basic hygiene services.
• The WASH situation in Institutions is equally bad, with only 6% of healthcare facilities (HCFs) and 11% of schools with basic WASH services. Compounding this challenge is poor sustainability of WASH services.
• A sector-wide sustainability check conducted in 2022 found that 54% of WASH services are not sustained. At this rate of change, Nigeria will miss the SDGs for WASH unless progress is accelerated.

Purpose of Activity / Assignment

• This consultancy aims to assist the State Governments of Nigeria, specifically the Ministries of Water Resources and Sanitation in Bauchi and Adamawa, & the Ministry of Local Government in Kaduna within which WASH is situated, to conduct the first ever joint sector review (JSR) for WASH.
• The purpose of the proposed 2021 JSR is to review performance of the sector over the previous financial year.
• The timing of the JSR is linked to the preparations for the budgeting process for the 2025 financial year.
• The JSR outcomes shall inform prioritization of key interventions/activities to be included in the forthcoming financial budget.
• Actions from the review will be incorporated in the work plans and budgets of the line ministries for the next financial year as well as work plans of other implementing organizations (development partners, CSOs and private sector).
• The JSR also therefore serves as a platform to hold each other accountable on commitments and get consensus on priorities for the next period of implementation, for the next financial year.

How can you make a difference? 
Scope of Work:

• The Consultant will collaborate with the State Governments of Adamawa, Bauchi and Kaduna to conduct a JSR.

They will work with a Technical Committee composed of multiple MDAs involved in WASH in each state to facilitate sub-sector and sector-wide reflections which will be pursuant to the following specific objectives:

• To assess progress and performance of the sector in relation to WASH in the state.
• To identify key sector emerging issues and provide policy and strategic guidance.
• Enhanced alignment within and across levels of government and development (and implementing) partners including the private sector, academia and research institutions.
• Benchmarking the state’s WASH sector against national, regional, and international commitments (e.g. Clean Nigeria Campaign to End OD, the N’gor commitments for sanitation and hygiene, SDGs).
• Develop undertakings and list of priority actions across identified strategic areas for the forthcoming period (2026); and
• To provide a forum for sharing experiences, lessons learnt and innovations across the sector.

Key Tasks
It is expected that the tasks under this consultancy will be conducted over a three-month timeframe. The specific tasks (to be further elaborated during the inception phase) are as follows:

• Prepare for and design a results-based JSR process, demonstrating how the activities will flow to achieve the expected deliverables
• Development of a WASH Sector Status Performance Report for each state.
• Organization and facilitation of a Joint Sector Review workshop for each state.

The basic structure of the workshop should allow for the following:

• Assessment of sector progress in relation to national, regional, and international commitments (as part of the Sector Status Performance report)
• Identification of challenges and bottlenecks Agreement on solutions and commitments for improvement, with agreed timeframes and agency roles
• Facilitate stakeholder engagement to systematically achieve the specific objectives of the JSR and allow for substantive discussions at strategic level (instead of individual projects)
• Ensure that outcomes of discussions (particularly issues for post-JSR actions) are captured and response proposals are agreed.
• Facilitate clear identification of necessary reform priorities separating them into policy and regulatory, funding or financial investments, organizational roles, operational structures and relations
• Distil commitments made by different arms and levels of the state, development partners, and other key stakeholders identified for WASH in the state
• Produce comprehensive State JSR reports, which will act as a point of reference for progress

Deliverables:

• Inception report outlining the understanding of the work, key deliverables and timeline, and the JSR Process Operational plan
• Three (3) draft and final WASH Sector status performance report (one each for Adamawa, Bauchi and Kaduna)
• Three (3) WASH JSR Workshops facilitated, and agenda and presentations developed (one for each state)
• Three (3) draft and final WASH JSR Reports (one per state)
• Three (3) abridged JSR reports
• One (1) summary Powerpoint slides outlining the JSR process and key results and next steps for each state.

Work Assignment Overview
Task / Milestone:
Inception / preparatory work:

• Entry meetings, first with UNICEF and later with the JSR Technical Committees per state to clarify expectations and get a common understanding of the scope of the consultancy
• Develop the JSR operational plan indicating activities, implementing timelines, responsibilities, results indicators and all requirements to do the JSR process.

Deliverables / Outputs:

• Inception report and JSR Process Operational Plan (outlining process and timeline for each state).

Production of State WASH Sector Performance Reports:

• Review progress on the sector indicators per state, including key WASH sector commitments (at state, national, regional and global level)
• Document findings of the analytical review of sector performance over the past year per state
• Facilitate one day workshops per state, sharing initial findings and getting input from State Technical Committee members
• Incorporate inputs in the report.

Deliverables / Outputs:

• Draft and final WASH Sector status report for Adamawa state
• Draft and final WASH Sector status report for Bauchi state
• Draft and final WASH Sector status report for Kaduna

Organize and Facilitate State Joint Sector Review Workshops:

• Develop Session Flow outline for JSR Workshops in accordance to agreed Thematic Areas (based on agreement at inception phase)
• Identify key presenters and approaches/methodologies to be used, indicating domains of critique, ensuring appropriate speakers are identified and are invited to present at the JSR workshops
• Provide guidance to speakers to support development of materials for their presentation
• Organize and facilitate the JSR workshop, ensuring smooth flow and active participation, allowing time for voices to be heard, even disagreement and drawing consensus, prioritising and committing to responsibilities on key issues/solutions and undertakings

Deliverables/ Outputs:

• WASH JSR Workshop materials for Adamawa state
• WASH JSR Workshop materials for Bauchi state WASH JSR Workshop materials for Kaduna state

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have

• An advanced university degree (master’s or higher) in Public Policy; Local Governance; Strategic Management; Public Finance or WASH related discipline (water, sanitation engineering, public health, etc.)
• A minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience in undertaking similar analytical work e.g. strategy, policy, capacity development and reviews in a relevant discipline or sector
• Experience of facilitating high-level multi-stakeholder dialogue focused on government-based transformations for basic service delivery with or without the assistance/participation of development partners.
• International or Regional experience will be desirable;
• Proven skills in preparing and communicating high quality documents and reports for policy advocacy and lobby; and excellent report writing and communication skills
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Application Closing Date
23rd July, 2025 (W. Central Africa Standard Time).

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online