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For every child, the right to sustenance.

As part of efforts to propel the WASH sector towards the realization of SDG target 6.2 and the broader goal of universal access to sanitation and hygiene, UNICEF is supporting the Government of Ghana to develop an aggregation model for strengthening the supply chain for market-based sanitation.  The model will bring together fragmented market elements such as households, sanitation products and suppliers into a unified, coordinated system, that reduces transaction costs, optimizes logistics, improves bargaining power and ensures that both supply and demand are matched effectively. The aggregation model will also facilitate material modification and customization for more effective and efficient usage by actors in the supply chain as well as households.  Through the aggregation model, sanitation businesses will achieve scale, efficiency, quality consistency, and cost-effectiveness, enabling them deliver larger volumes and reduce unit costs to accelerate progress towards SDG 6.2.

To enable the sector embark on this aggregation model, two industry consultations were held with a diverse array of stakeholders namely artisans, sanitation enterprises, manufacturers, and suppliers to understand the intricacies of the existing supply chain, evaluate the prevailing state and identify challenges and opportunities. Three key challenges were identified around material availability, pricing variations, and material format.  

Although general construction materials were indicated as being relatively accessible at the district level, specific materials for toilet construction posed a significant hurdle, as their availability was inconsistent at the district level. This scarcity compelled suppliers, sanitation enterprises, and artisans to undertake arduous journeys to distant locations to source these materials, escalating costs and impeding operational efficiency.

There was a pronounced disparity in cost of constructed toilet facilities and toilet materials across different locations. This posed a striking challenge with inconsistencies being attributed to factors such as geographical distance and variations in toilet specifications. The costs of general construction material for toilet construction was a concern, as they were often procured in small quantities from local retailers due to the scale of operations by artisans and sanitation enterprises contributing to high cost of toilets. Such irregularities hinder the sector’s ability to offer affordable sanitation solutions, particularly in economically disadvantaged and rural areas.

The issue of material format within the sanitation sector was also found to be a crucial challenge impacting effective toilet construction with certain general construction materials, presenting substantial difficulties when utilized for toilet construction purposes due to their specific forms such as length, quantity, or size. For instance, the transportation of elongated iron rods, oversized roofing sheets, and bulk quantities of cement poses significant hurdles in rural areas. The inefficiencies resulting from these unwieldy formats lead to increased transportation costs, elevated wastage rates, and logistical complexities. This not only impedes the smooth execution of projects but also incurs unnecessary financial and resource burdens on small-scale sanitation artisans and households. Addressing this challenge requires a reimagining of material formats, fostering innovation that aligns with the sector's unique needs and constraints.

On the whole, the low and fragmented demand within the sanitation sector, particularly in rural communities, emerged as a prominent concern with the most productive artisans producing fewer than 20 toilets per month. This pace is very slow considering that Ghana needs more than 3.5 million toilets to meet the SDG targets. The fragmentary demand pattern is further compounded by the absence of clear visibility into the demand landscape. The utilization of the supply chain network for general building and construction for toilets was found to be problematic considering the peculiarities of the sanitation market including prevalence of small-scale enterprises delivering services, a customer base with limited income, and a predominantly rural community orientation with location distant to district centers.

To address these challenges, the WASH sector envisages an approach that is finely tuned to the peculiarities of the sanitation market. The concept was developed following a series of targeted consultations held under the leadership of Government with Material Suppliers, Market actors at district level, Sanitation Technology Expert Teams and Sanitation Business Development Resource Persons. The supply chain strategies in the aggregation model focus on enhancing demand visibility and aggregation, improving material availability and logistics, reducing price variations, and promoting material innovation through collaborative partnerships between key manufacturers, suppliers, and local sanitation enterprises. The solution involves the establishment of standardized toilet specifications that can serve as a reference point for pricing across regions and the development of a specialized supply chain model tailored exclusively for toilet construction materials with existing material hubs stocking a comprehensive range of toilet-specific materials. This will facilitate efficient material sourcing and distribution, reducing the impact of geographical distances on pricing. Additionally, the adoption of digital platforms for material ordering and inventory management can further streamline the procurement process, reducing both time and costs

A combined aggregation initiative is envisaged, involving demand aggregation (consolidating customer orders across different households, communities, electoral areas and area councils into bulk demand), product aggregation (Combining multiple products from different suppliers into a standardized bundle or catalog for easier procurement, quality control, and delivery) and Supplier Aggregation (Coordinating multiple suppliers ,especially small or scattered ones, into a structured network or platform to supply products collectively).

To tackle the issue of material format challenges, the aggregation initiative will be implemented as a complementary one with the Sanitation Technology Challenge to drive product/material innovation. Through these two initiatives, the sector will facilitate dialogue and encourage joint stakeholder effort to modify materials to reduce waste and transportation complexities and enhance overall operational efficiency. Replacement options that are more cost effective and climate resilient, such as compressed earth stabilized blocks instead of sandcrete, will also be explored.  By synergizing these approaches, the sector will not only alleviate the burden of fluctuating prices but also pave the way for a more inclusive and affordable sanitation ecosystem that caters to the diverse needs of both urban and rural communities.

How can you make a difference? 

In collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, UNICEF seeks to procure the services of a consultant to develop the aggregation model and pilot it in at least three district assemblies comprising one metropolitan area, one municipality and one district assembly. The services are in two phases with Phase 1 covering all preparatory activities towards piloting the approach at district level. Phase II covers implementation in the three proposed districts. The consultancy contract will be signed in two phases with Phase II being a long term agreement which will be based on the unit costs agreed in phase one. Phase II subject to performance of the selected consultant, continued relevance of the assignment and availability of funds. The scope of work is outlined below.

Scope of Work:

Phase I 

Part A- National Level Activities

1. Design the Aggregation Model as central to toilet supply chain management allowing for procurement processes to be centralized and enabling manufacturers and suppliers to optimize their operations, reduce costs, and improve material flow.  The model should have a compatible distribution network aligned to its core elements, strengthening existing material hubs to meet demand efficiently across different regions. The model should also enable demand to be aggregated from the community level to enable better forecasting and allow suppliers to meet demand more effectively. The model should clearly identify what existing interventions are being built upon.
2. Support the development of a sanitation web-market to be hosted by Government, with digital tools for material procurement, integrating real-time communication and inventory tracking systems into the process to enhance will demand visibility and efficiency ensuring that materials are available when and where they are needed.
3. Collaborate with sector stakeholders, suppliers and manufacturers to develop a plan to co-create customized material specifications that are cost-effective and suitable for sanitation in a bid to ensure material availability, reduce price disparities and ensure consistency, transparency, and predictability in pricing across different locations
4. Develop a monitoring and evaluation framework with clear definitions for success with tools to monitor and report on the implementation of the aggregation model
5. Identify key National level suppliers, manufacturers and Material Hubs who will serve as key actors in the Aggregation Model and support negotiations and formalisation of aggregation arrangements in collaboration with Stakeholders

Part B- District Level Activities

6. Support the 3 selected pilot districts to establish the baseline for the implementation of the Aggregation Model using the tools developed in Activity 4.
7. Support the districts to adapt the aggregation model to their context. Targeted support will be needed for demand aggregation from community level and for artisans, sanitation entrepreneurs and suppliers to optimize their operations, reduce costs, and improve material flow.
8. Support onboarding of suppliers and manufacturers in targeted regions, with an impact on the pilot districts, to establish and enhance regional distribution hubs. These hubs will serve as key nodes in the Demand and Supply Aggregation Model, streamlining material flow and distribution, ensure quicker and more efficient access to construction materials, reducing delays and logistical challenges for local enterprises and artisans in the pilot districts The consultant should also include mechanisms to strengthen the use of hubs by districts that are not part of the pilot in the targeted regions

Phase II

Part A – Implementation, Monitoring and Mid-Term Review

1. Support the selected districts to implement the aggregation model. Detailed activities to be implemented with other stakeholders at district level include:
   1. 1. Targeted support for demand aggregation from community level and for artisans, sanitation entrepreneurs and suppliers to optimize their operations, reduce costs, and improve material flow
      2. Engagement of suppliers to adopt digital tools for material procurement, integrating real-time communication and inventory tracking systems into the process.
      3. Organisation of regular capacity-building programs in collaboration with suppliers and manufacturers, to equip artisans with the skills to handle materials efficiently, optimize their use, and minimize wastage.
      4. Monitoring and Evaluation with particular focus on household feedback
      5. Engagement of key manufacturers and suppliers in the established collaborative framework, leveraging their feedback to shape the sanitation supply chain. 
2. Undertake a mid-term review of the pilot and adapt the model for the second round for enhanced impact in response to implementation. The mid-term review of the pilot should be based on documentation collected routinely from implementation and amendments made during implementation.

Part B- Pilot Completion and Closure Activities

3. Provide a final report of the pilot with progress against the baseline collected for both national and district level, a comprehensive narrative of implementation with timelines for notable milestones, an account of existing interventions the pilot built upon, the additional effort required for implementation, cost -benefit analysis, lessons learnt, best practices and human interest stories.
4. Provide documentation of the aggregation model, with an updated supply chain strategy, updated monitoring and evaluation framework with clear definitions for success, updated tools for implementation and monitoring, and a scale-up plan for the national level with estimated costs.

Requirement for Application      

In applying for this assignment, interested persons are to provide a methodology and workplan clearly depicting the duration over which each task is expected to be completed. The applicant is also required to present a price quotation which clearly states the expected man-days for each task, his/her daily professional fee, DSA and kilometric transportation rates for road transport

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  TOR-Development and testing of Aggregation Model for Sanitation .pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Advanced Degree in Civil Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration or related fields
• Work Experience: Minimum of 8 years professional experience in Supply Chain Management
• Experience in supporting supply chain management in multiple sectors
• Knowledge and understanding of supply chain fundamentals, strategy development, optimisation, risk management and sustainability
• Ability to analyse data and identify trends, patterns and insights to inform supply chain decisions
• Ability to work with expert teams from other specialisations to design supply chain solutions
• Expertise in training personnel with/without supply chain expertise
• Experience working with Government at both National and Decentralised level will be an advantage
• Familiarity with WASH market and supply chain approaches 
• Language Requirements: Excellent oral and written communication skills in English

Desirables:

• Experience working with Government at both National and Decentralized level will be an advantage

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

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

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 a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | 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.

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Remarks:  

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

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All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

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