National Consultant, ASWA III Systems strengthening and knowledge management, Abuja, Nigeria (Remote + travel), 6 months, #596032

UNICEF supported the state governments to develop Sustainability Compacts and Action plans in response to the 2021 Sector-wide Sustainability Check (SWSC) findings. UNICEF has also supported the update of the WASH Information Management System (WASHIMS) to integrate climate resilience, sustainability, and gender equality indicators, and improved government capacity to report on WASH routinely on the WASHIMS. For the HOSI, UNICEF supported the government to engage in regional and global meetings hosted by the African Minister’s Council on Water and the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) partnership. In 2026, the Government of Nigeria was also supported to engage in discussions WASH financing and meaningful youth engagement at the IRC WASH Systems Leadership Symposium in Kigali, and to advance the Water Compact in collaboration with the Nigeria Water Development Partner’s Group. Building on these foundations, a systems strengthening consultant is required to support the federal and state governments to advance on the knowledge management and evidence generation, WASH service sustainability and the HOSI. 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. Visitour websiteto learn more about what we do at UNICEF. For every child, the right to care. How can you make a difference? The consultant will document promising practices from ASWA III, build the system to generate evidence on WASH impacts across health and education outcomes, support the states to advance on their sustainability response plans, and support the federal government on the HOSI. Key activities that will include: 1. Development of 4 knowledge products documenting progress on climate resilience, sustainability and gender transformative WASH 2. Establishment of indicators and collection of baseline (2024), 2025 and 2026 data of key health and education outcomes from routing government monitoring systems related to WASH,  in the ASWA III targeted local government areas (LGA) and communities (Lere and Kagarko LGA in Kaduna, and Shelleng and Ganye LGAs in Adamawa) 3. Support state governments to advance and institutionalize priority actions in the state sustainability plans, and the federal government to develop a concrete activities to be implemented from January 2026 – 2027 in response to the 2021 SWSC. 4. Support the federal government with engagement and initiatives related to HOSI, including: preparations for the UN Water Conference (December 2026), implementation and documentation of 2-3 priority actions from the Nigerian Youth - Government Collaborative Work Plan following the Kigali symposium, and finalization and implementation of the Nigeria Water Compact. The consultancy will also serve a learning and adaptive management function, providing actionable recommendations to strengthen implementation, improve programme effectiveness, and enhance sustainability of ASWA III for the remaining programme period and beyond. If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:ToR TMC0006744.pdf To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have... (Qualifications/Experience/ Knowledge/Expertise/Skills) Education: - Advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in one or more of the following fields: Public Health, Community Health, Public Administration, Social Sciences, WASH Engineering, Monitoring and Evaluation, or other closely related disciplines relevant to the assignment. Work Experience: - At least 7 years of progressively responsible professional experience in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and public health - Demonstrated experience in supporting high-level government engagements for international conferences and meetings - Proven expertise in Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL), including design and implementation of data management and data collection tools - Strong track record in applying  evidence and analysis to inform programme design, strategy development, and policy recommendations. - Experience in knowledge management, and quantitative and qualitative research methodologies - Demonstrated knowledge and experience of supporting sustainability initiatives for WASH services - Experience working with government institutions, UN agencies, NGOs, and community stakeholders, particularly in low-resource or development contexts. - Excellent facilitation, stakeholder engagement, and communication skills, including ability to interact effectively with diverse audiences at national and local levels. - Strong analytical, synthesis, and report writing skills, with ability to produce high-quality, evidence-based outputs within tight deadlines. Knowledge/Expertise/Skills: - Strong understanding of WASH systems strengthening, including institutional arrangements, governance, financing, planning and monitoring - Familiarity with WASH service sustainability assessments and approaches. - Experience in gender-sensitive and inclusive data collection and analysis, including addressing ethical considerations and safeguarding. - Proficiency in data analysis tools (qualitative and/or quantitative) is desirable. - Strong understanding of climate resilient WASH,  and WASH and gender equality Language Requirements: - Fluency in English (written and spoken) is required. - Working knowledge of Hausa or other relevant local languages in Kaduna and Adamawa is a strong asset. Desirables: - Experience working in Northern Nigeria, particularly Kaduna and/or Adamawa States. - Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills, with sensitivity to local contexts. For every Child, you demonstrate... UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter:UNICEF Values UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children.The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status. UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpageAccessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance. UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, se