Job
WASH Systems Strengthening Evidence Synthesis Consultant, Nairobi, Kenya, Remotely (Open only for International Candidates), Req#594742
- Organization: UNICEF
- Location: Kenya, Nairobi
- Deadline: Mon Aug 03 2026
About this opportunity
Job no: 594742
Contract type: Consultant
Duty Station: Nairobi
Level: Consultancy
Location: Kenya
Categories: WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene)
Contract Duration- 9 Months
Working arrangement: Home Based
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.
At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.
UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.
Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.
TERMS OF REFERENCE
Background. UNICEF WASH programming globally has increasingly shifted from direct service delivery and infrastructure support towards technical assistance that helps governments strengthen the systems required for sustainable, equitable, climate-resilient and at-scale WASH services. This work, previously often described as upstream support, is now more explicitly understood as systems strengthening. It includes support to policy formulation, legal and regulatory reform, sector financing, institutional architecture, workforce development, planning, monitoring, evaluation and learning, and accountability. It is also increasingly central to UNICEF WASH programming as external financing for direct service delivery declines.
Systems strengthening rationale. UNICEF has a distinctive role because of its long-standing access to governments, its presence across country typologies, and the scale and duration of its support to national and subnational governments. While the direct outputs of systems strengthening support are often visible - such as policies, standards, regulations, coordination mechanisms, capacity development packages, monitoring systems and institutional reforms - the outcomes are harder to quantify precisely. The assignment therefore requires a contribution-focused evidence synthesis rather than a narrow attribution study.
Conceptual framing. The assignment will use UNICEF’s 2024 WASH systems strengthening framework and reference guide as the principal conceptual anchors. In this framing, a WASH system includes the infrastructure, people and governance that make WASH service delivery possible. Strong WASH systems are those that provide sustainable, at-scale and resilient WASH services, maintain behaviour change, and progressively reduce inequality. UNICEF’s systems strengthening approach works across three mutually reinforcing levels: managing drivers of WASH systems, reinforcing key governance functions, and improving interactions across actors, functions, levels and sectors.
Overall objective. The objective of the consultancy is to review and synthesize evidence from a purposive sample of countries to demonstrate the value of UNICEF’s WASH systems strengthening technical assistance to governments over the past 10-15 years, and to identify how UNICEF can strengthen its future offer to governments, partners and donors.
Intended use. The products will be used by UNICEF Global WASH Practice, regional offices and country offices to communicate the contribution of systems strengthening support, improve programme design, inform donor engagement and proposals, guide country-level contribution narratives, and strengthen UNICEF’s positioning in an increasingly resource-constrained environment.
Scope of Work
Overall scope. The consultant will design and implement a mixed-methods evidence synthesis that reviews UNICEF’s WASH systems strengthening support in a select number of countries. The assignment will analyze how support has been delivered, what outputs were produced, what changes in systems and service outcomes are plausibly linked to UNICEF support, and what lessons should shape UNICEF’s future systems strengthening offer.
Core Activities
• Inception and evidence protocol. Develop a detailed workplan, analytical framework, evidence synthesis protocol, country sampling criteria, interview guides, data request list, outline of deliverables, and quality assurance approach.
Contract type: Consultant
Duty Station: Nairobi
Level: Consultancy
Location: Kenya
Categories: WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene)
Contract Duration- 9 Months
Working arrangement: Home Based
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.
At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.
UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.
Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.
TERMS OF REFERENCE
Background. UNICEF WASH programming globally has increasingly shifted from direct service delivery and infrastructure support towards technical assistance that helps governments strengthen the systems required for sustainable, equitable, climate-resilient and at-scale WASH services. This work, previously often described as upstream support, is now more explicitly understood as systems strengthening. It includes support to policy formulation, legal and regulatory reform, sector financing, institutional architecture, workforce development, planning, monitoring, evaluation and learning, and accountability. It is also increasingly central to UNICEF WASH programming as external financing for direct service delivery declines.
Systems strengthening rationale. UNICEF has a distinctive role because of its long-standing access to governments, its presence across country typologies, and the scale and duration of its support to national and subnational governments. While the direct outputs of systems strengthening support are often visible - such as policies, standards, regulations, coordination mechanisms, capacity development packages, monitoring systems and institutional reforms - the outcomes are harder to quantify precisely. The assignment therefore requires a contribution-focused evidence synthesis rather than a narrow attribution study.
Conceptual framing. The assignment will use UNICEF’s 2024 WASH systems strengthening framework and reference guide as the principal conceptual anchors. In this framing, a WASH system includes the infrastructure, people and governance that make WASH service delivery possible. Strong WASH systems are those that provide sustainable, at-scale and resilient WASH services, maintain behaviour change, and progressively reduce inequality. UNICEF’s systems strengthening approach works across three mutually reinforcing levels: managing drivers of WASH systems, reinforcing key governance functions, and improving interactions across actors, functions, levels and sectors.
Overall objective. The objective of the consultancy is to review and synthesize evidence from a purposive sample of countries to demonstrate the value of UNICEF’s WASH systems strengthening technical assistance to governments over the past 10-15 years, and to identify how UNICEF can strengthen its future offer to governments, partners and donors.
Intended use. The products will be used by UNICEF Global WASH Practice, regional offices and country offices to communicate the contribution of systems strengthening support, improve programme design, inform donor engagement and proposals, guide country-level contribution narratives, and strengthen UNICEF’s positioning in an increasingly resource-constrained environment.
Scope of Work
Overall scope. The consultant will design and implement a mixed-methods evidence synthesis that reviews UNICEF’s WASH systems strengthening support in a select number of countries. The assignment will analyze how support has been delivered, what outputs were produced, what changes in systems and service outcomes are plausibly linked to UNICEF support, and what lessons should shape UNICEF’s future systems strengthening offer.
Core Activities
• Inception and evidence protocol. Develop a detailed workplan, analytical framework, evidence synthesis protocol, country sampling criteria, interview guides, data request list, outline of deliverables, and quality assurance approach.
Requirements / Eligibility
- Education:
- Advanced university degree in water and sanitation, public policy, development studies, economics, governance, public health, evaluation, engineering, social sciences or another relevant field. A PhD is an asset but not required.
- Work Experience
- • Demonstrated experience conducting evidence syntheses, evaluations, contribution analysis, outcome harvesting, political economy analysis, sector review or similar assignments.
- • Strong knowledge of WASH sector monitoring, including SDG 6.1 and 6.2 indicators, JMP datasets, GLAAS sector finance data, enabling environment monitoring, and UNICEF or UN results reporting systems.
- • Experience working with governments and development partners in low- and middle-income countries, including at least some experience in fragile, climate-vulnerable or complex operating environments.
- • At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in WASH with substantial experience in WASH systems strengthening, governance, policy, institutional reform, sector financing, monitoring and evaluation, or service delivery sustainability.
- Language Requirements
- • Professional working proficiency in English.
- Knowledge/Expertise/Skills
- • Proven ability to analyse qualitative and quantitative evidence, triangulate findings and present complex systems change in clear, compelling language.
- • Excellent writing skills in English, including the ability to produce strategic reports, and donor-facing narratives.
- Desirables
- • Previous experience with UNICEF, UN agencies, SWA, WHO, UN-Water, World Bank, bilateral donors or major WASH sector partners.
- • Experience developing methodologies, toolkits or guidance notes for country offices or government partners.
- • Familiarity with UNICEF RAM, Core Standard Indicators, country programme planning and donor reporting processes.
- • Experience with data visualization, dashboards or presentation of WASH trend data for non-technical audiences.
- • Working knowledge of French, Spanish, Arabic or another UN language is an asset, especially if the sample includes countries where these languages are operationally useful.
How to apply
Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal, TMS (Talent Management System):
An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
Cover letter
A separate financial proposal (only acceptable in the format of the linked template) Download File Financial Proposal TMC0004224.xlsx
A detailed technical proposal
A technical proposal is required outlining the
approach to the assignment including conceptual
framework, methodological and analytical approach,
and team composition if sub-contracting
An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
Cover letter
A separate financial proposal (only acceptable in the format of the linked template) Download File Financial Proposal TMC0004224.xlsx
A detailed technical proposal
A technical proposal is required outlining the
approach to the assignment including conceptual
framework, methodological and analytical approach,
and team composition if sub-contracting
Remote
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