WASH Programme Planning and Monitoring Specialist

VACANCY REF NO: UNSOM/2012/069
JOB TITLE: Programme Planning and Monitoring Specialist
CONTRACT TYPE: Temporary Appointment
JOB LEVEL: NOC
ORGANIZATION UNIT: WASH
REPORTS TO: Chief of WASH
DUTY STATION: Nairobi, with travel to selected areas in Somalia when possible
DURATION: 364 Days
DATE OF ISSUE: 13 November 2012
CLOSING DATE: 27 November 2012

Background
Political instability and violent conflict - governance failures, institutional breakdown and lack of individual and communal safety have characterized Somalia for the last two decades. The deterioration of infrastructure is negatively impacting the economy and reducing productivity and production due to disruption of services and limited access to supply centres and markets. Lack of effective safety nets results in the absence of formal systems to prevent asset depletion, to mitigate crises and offset livelihood, nutritional and health deterioration during lean seasons. Skilled manpower shortages are due to loss of talent abroad and a 20-year decline in education and training. Massive displacement of people driven by conflict and natural disaster, increasing pressure on local natural resources, intensified overuse and degradation, whilst aggravating tensions with host communities and pressure over land, resources and services in urban centres.

Environmental degradation is characterized by poorly managed and unprotected soils, water, grasslands, forests and fisheries leading to severe degradation of natural assets, processes accelerated by reliance on charcoal for fuel and income. Recurrent shocks and seasonal difficulties depicts that some populations cannot meet basic household needs as a result of repeated exposure to shocks, associated destitution and reliance on negative and irreversible coping strategies.

As a result of the long dry spell during the April to June Gu rains, pest infestations, and other factors, the Gu 2012 harvest is significantly below average. Agropastoral areas in southern Somalia will be the most affected by the poor harvest including areas of Bay, Bakol, Hiran, Gedo, and Lower and Middle Juba regions. About 236,0001 children are currently acutely malnourished across the country, a 27 percent reduction since January 2012 by June and July 2012. In the same time period, severe acute malnutrition (SAM) reduced by 42 percent to 54,000 children across the country. Southern Somalia hosts about 70 percent of the acutely malnourished children in the country. Efforts to meet immediate needs are essential to prevent further deterioration of food security in the country. At the same time programming and access across south central Somalia is becoming more complex and UNICEF is forced to take risks with low capacity partners in the more inaccessible areas. This requires tight planning and drafting of agreements, close supervision and monitoring (including use of 3rd party verification) to ensure that results are delivered.

Programming to protect livelihoods, build the resilience of poor households, and improve food access remains necessary in Somalia. Immediate needs are very high in southern, agropastoral areas between now and the Deyr harvest in January 2013.

Health, Nutrition and WASH sections are closely monitoring the situation in an attempt to meet the needs of a proportion of the people in need. In Nutrition UNICEF continues to partner with over 70 international and national NGOs (nationwide), government counterparts (in NWZ and NEZ) and public facilities in CSZ2 for nutrition interventions, directly supporting over 90% of the total response to acute malnutrition in Somalia. The WASH programme is targeting up to 1.68M people with an integrated package for safe drinking water, improved hygiene and sanitation practices to prevent the spread of diarrheal disease. The programme is also working with partners to provide water and sanitation services to over 100,000 IDPs in temporary settlements across southern Somalia.

Rational/Importance
The effective planning and monitoring of the WASH programmes requires dedicated resources to be able to track partner activities and results and adequately capture the progress on a regular basis. With over 50 implementing partners in WASH it is necessary to set up and manage systems for the capture of planned activities and achieved results from all partners. In most cases this requires daily liaison with UNICEF field staff and partners on the ground. Quick identification of bottlenecks and problems with partner implementation will help programme managers to take decisions on additional support and/or third party verification for specific partners. In addition information on results needs to be compiled to feed into regular sitreps and donor updates and updates for regional and headquarters management.

Purpose and Role
As part of the WASH Programme management, the purpose of the Programme Planning and Monitoring Officer is to contribute to the management of programmes through
 Provide technical support to partners and zone office staff in the development of programme cooperation agreements including streamlining of partner project proposals with AWP targets and indicators.
 Provide technical support in strengthening the existing tools and mechanisms that ensures the regular flow of information on the performance of WASH programme and partners at central, district and regional level.
 Design result framework linking interventions to outcomes and results that directly relate to WASH programme objectives using the existing PCA tracking and monitoring systems.
 Consolidate qualitative and quantitative information on programme Progress to inform programme management decision making as well as periodic reporting including donor updates, SITREPS, situation analysis and updates for HQ.
 Work with PM&E section to manage third party verification of WASH projects, including analysis of results and recommendations on risk mitigation measures.
 Develop and lead the capacity building activities of WASH staff at zone offices and implementing partners on the use of tracking, reporting and monitoring tools.
The Programme Planning and Monitoring Officer reports to the Chief of Section in USSC but will also work closely with cluster information management officers, implementing partners, counterpart from the line ministries and UNICEF Field staff in the three zone offices.

Key Responsibilities and Tasks
Technical support for development of PCAs
• Assist project officers to compile proposals, budgets and other documentation for PCAs,
• Where necessary work directly with Nairobi based partners to develop new PCAs for urgent response and scale up.
 Review new/amended PCAs to ensure alignment with response strategies & plans and checking for complementarity with WP targets and indicators.
• Maintain a tracking system for planned and ongoing PCAs in each section
Strengthening of programme performance management system
 Work with UNICEF M&E staff and field based programme officers to design/adapt and manage a monitoring system for all activities implemented by partners.
 Work with project officers to ensure regular updates and monthly reports are collected from partners
• Design/adapt the PCA monitoring system to compile and analyse results from partner reports, specifically taking into account the new programme management structure in VISION
• Work with other sections to incorporate relevant results from their partners, particularly on hygiene promotion activities in school WASH, nutrition / stabilization centers and health facilities
• Work with PME section to identify projects for 3rd party monitoring, design tasks and compile results to feed into programme planning and partner capacity building
• Identify capacity gap in performance monitoring, design appropriate training modules and organize training program.
Consolidation of information on programme progress
 Work closely with Cluster information managers to ensure UNICEF results are incorporated in 4W matrices and planned activities are complimentary with other cluster partners.
 Collate quantitative and qualitative information to contribute to donor updates, funding proposals and regular updates.
 Work together with other WASH team members to ensure that the various aspects of the WASH-health-nutrition response are integrated into a coherent public health response.
 Help programme section to identify gaps for strategic interventions.
Deliverables
 Up to date result framework and PCA tracking and monitoring systems developed and maintained.
 Consolidated quantitative and qualitative information on programme progress to feed into programme management decision making as well as donor updates/report, and weekly and monthly reporting systems
 Final Project Proposals and PCA documents compiled, reviewed and delivered to PCARC within 1 week of receipt from the field officers/partners.
 Ensure accurate representation of UNICEF WASH programme interventions in cluster 4W matrices.
 Third party verification tasks defined and results compiled for WASH projects in CSZ
 Capacity development training workshops designed and conducted for field staff and key implementing on the use of PCA tracking and monitoring tools.

Candidate Profile:
Minimum Requirements
• Degree-level qualification in health, water, nutrition, information management or a related field
• At least five years of practical experience in developing countries, experience in emergency contexts preferable.
• Willingness and ability to work in difficult environments, in often stressful time-critical situations.
• Ability to work in English.
• Cultural and gender awareness and sensitivity.
Technical Skill sets
• Ability to work with staff from a wide range of local partner agencies.
• Sound understanding of water, health and/or nutrition programming.
• Monitoring and database management skills
• Understanding of international health and development and relief issues.
Other Technical Skills that are considered desirable:
• Assessment, analytical, and planning and organizing skills.
• Good documentation and report writing skills.
Other Skill sets
• Good written and presentation skills in the language of the humanitarian operation.
• Good interpersonal skills.
• Good Communication skills
• Diplomacy, tact, and negotiating skills.
• Able to manage and work in or with a multidisciplinary team of WASH-health-nutrition practitioners.
• Ability to work well under pressure and in response to changing needs.

Interested and qualified candidates should send their applications with updated UN Personal History Form (P.11) form, updated CV and copies of academic certificates to the email below. UN staffs are requested to provide the last two Performance Evaluation Reports. Please quote the vacancy number and post title in the subject line of your application. Applications submitted without a duly completed and signed Personal History Form (P11) will not be considered.

Email to: somaliahrvacancies@unicef.org
Only short-listed applicants will be contacted

QUALIFIED FEMALE CANDIDATES AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ARE ESPECIALLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY UNICEF IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT