Purpose: In collaboration with the Ministry of Water and Energy and OCHA, the WASH Cluster coordination team provides technical and coordination support to the Ministry of Water and Energy (MOWE) specifically in coordination, monitoring, reporting, data compilation for analysis of humanitarian and emergency WASH response activities in the country.UNICEF is the Cluster Lead Agency for the WASH Cluster. Information management is a core Cluster Function. The purpose of this role is to manage the collection, analysis and sharing of information that is important for the WASH Cluster to make informed strategic decisions at regional level.

Duration: Until the end of 2022 with a possible extension dependent on performance, budget availability, and emergency situation

Start Date: ASAP

Reporting to: Regional WASH cluster coordinator

Background

UNICEF serves as WASH Cluster Lead Agency (CLA) in coordination with the Ministry of Water and Energy (MOWE) in the country. The coordination mechanism is active and strong, with emergency task force (ETF) meetings conducted on regular basis. At the national level, the WASH Cluster co-led the ETF with the MOWE and makes contributions to the ETF meetings held under the chairmanship of MOWE. At the regional level, UNICEF co-leads the cluster coordination platforms with the Regional Water Bureaus (RWB). The regional coordination platforms provide support to operational emergency WASH responses in the region and report back to the national level coordination. This serves as a useful forum for the various WASH Cluster partners to not only share updates but to discuss ways of improving linkages to maximize the benefits of different sector responses.

The cluster approach ensures coordinated humanitarian WASH responses to the affected population with clear accountability in line with the humanitarian principles and guidelines by clarifying the division of labor among organizations and better defining their roles and responsibilities within the different sectors of the response based on core functions. It aims to make the international humanitarian community better organized and more accountable and professional so that it can be a better partner for the affected people, host governments, local authorities, local civil society and resourcing partners.

The HNO (Humanitarian Needs Overview) and the HRP (Humanitarian Response Plan) identify People in Need as well as the target population that is affected by men, women, girls, and boys in need of emergency WASH services. WASH Cluster partners are expected to respond to several emergencies and humanitarian WASH response needs in line with HNO and HRP, which are developed and issued by the National Disaster Risk Management Commission and UNOCHA.

WASH Cluster partners at the regional and national levels have put in place reliable monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system for the WASH Cluster and identify needs, monitor the response, and flag remaining gaps within the humanitarian WASH response. 

Justification

UNICEF, as a Cluster Lead Agency (CLA) for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), is obliged to take responsibility and accountabilities to delivering an effective response to the affected population. To deliver these and other relevant roles, regional WASH IM officers provide technical support in information management as well as cluster coordination.

This TOR is for the Regional WASH IM officer post to support the regional WASH cluster with necessary technical support to manage information about humanitarian WASH response needs, gaps and related cluster partners’ response activities in the region.

The position also supports regional WASH clusters and RWBs in making strategic decisions based on the evidence collected through data and information in the regions. By doing these tasks the person can fill a critical human resource gap to meet minimum coordination requirements by the regional WASH cluster to maintain accountability to the affected population. The position also provides key information about the WASH situation in the region to the National WASH cluster team.

Key function, accountabilities, and related duties/tasks

Key tasks

• Respond to the Cluster participants’ needs for information (at the National, Regional, and Sub Regional levels).
• Adapt existing IM approaches for collecting, analyzing, and reporting Cluster/Sub-Cluster activities and resources, and identifying information gaps.
• Participate in humanitarian needs assessments organized in the region
• Support capacity development of RWB IM staff
• Establish and maintain information databases that consolidate, analyze and report/disseminate information critical to decision making.
• Maintain agreed-on periodical reporting from Cluster/Sub-Cluster participants. 
• Support the estimation of spatial and temporal gaps, overlaps, and coverage of Cluster/Sub-Cluster activities and projects.
• Work with Cluster/Sub-Cluster participants to identify information gaps at regional and sub-regional levels and propose ways to bridge those gaps
• Work with the OCHA IM Specialist to develop appropriate support strategies.
• Use GIS mapping for map production and geographic data management
• Adopt and promote the use of global standards for information management.
• Manage flows of information and dissemination in an appropriate way
• Manage an inventory of relevant documents on the humanitarian situation.
• Support the development and analysis of needs assessment and monitoring programs
• To provide IM leadership in assessments and monitoring, including joint assessments and training.
• Lead on the preparation of SitRep inputs with emphasis on Cluster/Sub-Cluster plans, targets and achievements.
• Contribute to the core Cluster/Sub-Cluster functions
• Ensure that there is effective communication, reporting, engagement, and coordination with National and Sub Regional levels

Methodology

The regional WASH IM office will support respective regional WASH cluster coordinators in UNICEF field Offices. He/She will work closely with the RWBs and RHB to ensure effective information management as well as cluster coordination on humanitarian WASH response activities. The regional WASH IM officer will also link with the national WASH cluster IM officer and the national WASH cluster coordinator.

Expected deliveries: 

The post holder is responsible for the collection, compilation, and analysis of information related to emergency WASH response activities within their respective region and will:

1. Regularly update/provide information required by RWB, regional WASH cluster coordinator, National WASH cluster coordinator and National WASH IMO
2. Work with RWB and WASH partners to ensure current information on water infrastructure (including location, functionality, repair needs and costs etc) is captured
3. Compile information on WASH supplies needs, availability and gaps in the region
4. Ensure that data obtained from cluster 4Ws as well as National WASH Inventory (NWI) and continuous monitoring is shared and used by stakeholders for informed decision making
5. Updated information on regional WASH response needs, ongoing WASH responses and response gaps in the region
6. Production of dashboards, maps, and other information products related to WASH in the region
7. Inventory of relevant documents on the humanitarian WASH situation
8. SitRep inputs with emphasis on Cluster plans, targets and achievements.
9. Regular water trucking needs assessment
10. Identify WASH response priority areas
11. Regular WASH response updates for Inter-Cluster Coordination Group (ICCG)

Reporting

The Regional WASH IM officer will be supervised by the regional WASH cluster coordinator.