Background & Rationale

Rio Grande do Sul has been affected by extreme floods event over may 2024. It was caused by heavy rains, followed by the breach of protective dikes on the Jacuí and  Guaíba rivers. The water reached levels higher than the previous historical flood in 1941. WASH services have been severely impacted, with approximately 40,000 people currently living in shelters and about 800,000 displaced. Some urban peripheral centers, such as the towns of Gravatai and Sapucaia do Sul near Porto Alegre, report that people do not have access to clean water. Indigenous areas and traditional communities were affected due to the pre-existing vulnerability of these populations. It is important to note that these remote areas are regularly affected by severe droughts in the southern region of Brazil.

Actions in the WASH sector are carried out by a series of actors, both national and local, including those responsible for water supply in the territories, the Civil Defense, the health sector, and social assistance, considering their respective roles in affected cities and shelters. Several NGOs and foundations have arrived and started providing WASH support.

UNICEF supports the coordination of the WASH Working Group (WG) led by VIGIAGUA RS by facilitating the identification and engagement with humanitarian WASH actors. UNICEF has supported the creation of a WASH Supply Coordination Platform, which is a collective online tool to consolidate the offer of WASH equipment and items by partners, matching them with the demands of assistance sent by affected municipalities.

Public health initiatives have been critical in mitigating the impacts of the floods, focusing on preventing outbreaks of infectious diseases among the affected population. UNICEF is working with the State Health Secretary to provide health information to the affected population, and highlight the needs of children and caregivers requiring health assistance.

In this context, UNICEF has supported local health and sanitation services, fostering actions relevant to provide minimum WASH and public health standards to prevent waterborne diseases and others. To achieve this goal, a consultant will be responsible for providing the technical support to the WASH WG, in alignment with UNICEF Core Commitments for Children (CCCs) in this context.

Purpose 

The UNICEF Brazil Country Office is seeking a WASH consultant to provide technical assistance to WASH activities in Rio Grande do Sul. The consultant activities and deliverables will be on the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre and nearby cities (Canoas, São Leopoldo, El Dorado do Sul, Nova Hamburgo, Guaiba and Barra do Ribeiro). This includes WASH technical assistance related to flood recovery in accordance with UNICEF's CCCs. The consultant will also provide technical support for WASH and promote good hygiene practices in alignment with health authorities.

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Emergency Manager and with the support of the WASH officer, the selected consultant will contribute to UNICEF’s work by:  

1. Within the Water Working Group (Agua WG), support UNICEF in developing documents and systems for prioritizing key WASH areas of intervention that will be shared with the local public health authorities . This includes conducting needs assessments in territory, following the needs and available WASH supplies to foster its implementation.
2.  Provide technical support to UNICEF for the implementation of the water systems damages assessment mapping and assist in the elaboration of a build-back-better plan. The recommendations will be shared by UNICEF with the Water Working Group to foster collaboration and action.
3. Prepare and give training to UNICEF Implementing partners WASH and Risk Communication promoters regarding hygiene promotion and minor rehabilitation of WASH systems in shelters and returnee households, conducted by the WASH Implementing Partner in Porto Alegre.
4. Within the Agua WG, provide technical support to UNICEF for WASH activities aimed at preventing diseases related to inadequate environmental sanitation (DRSAI) among the indigenous, quilombolas, and ribeirinhos populations affected by the floods. This includes collaborating with national and local public authorities (MS, IBAMA, municipal water and sanitation providers, DEAMB, and DSEI-LS) to ensure effective implementation and coordination
5. Prepare and give trainings to UNICEF implementing partners working on disseminating health messages to the affected population.

Expected results: 

The overall expected results are as follow: 

1. Provide technical support to UNICEF by collaborating with national and local public health authorities and the Agua Working Group. This support involves creating tools to aligning WASH needs and available supplies identified by the Working Group for the population affected by floods
2. Support UNICEF for comprehensive needs assessments through the development of appropriate tools in collaboration with local public health authorities to prioritize key WASH intervention areas. Ensure alignment with identified needs and available WASH supplies to facilitate effective implementation.
3. Provide technical training to WASH monitors on hygiene promotion.
4. Provide technical training to UNICEF implementing partners in a risk communication project developed in partnership with the municipalities of Porto Alegre, Canoas and São Leopoldo

Deliverables 

Deliverable 1:

• Needs assessment form developed by UNICEF/Vigiagua and report elaborated with the priorities on the WASH needs.
• Offer and demand collective online tool functional.
• Prepare a Toolkit for WASH monitors and cleaning brigades developed.

Duration: 30 days from the contract signature date 

Payment: 15% of the total amount of the contract 

Deliverable 2:

• Mapping of water systems affected with gaps for UNICEF intervention.
• Prepare/Provide WASH training session for implementing partner WASH teams.
• Give Training section on risk communication related to health, primary assistance and WASH with implementing partners

Duration: 60 days from the contract signature date 

Payment: 15% of the total amount of the contract 

Deliverable 3:

• Reconstruction plan elaborated with build-back-better approach.
• Protocol elaborated for implementing partners distribution of WASH, hygiene, and IPC materials in priority areas.

Duration: 90 days from the contract signature date 

Payment: 15% of the total amount of the contract 

Deliverable 4:

• Report summarizing the WATER WG partners actions.
• WASH training session for implementing partner WASH monitors in the second phase of response.

Duration: 120 days from the contract signature date 

Payment: 15% of the total amount of the contract 

TRAVEL PLAN

The consultancy is based on the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 

• Quality of deliverables, in terms of accuracy of technical content, relevance to the given assignment and responsiveness to provided technical feedback. 
• Respect for given deadlines (i.e. timely deliverables). 

Technical background and experience required  

• Bachelor's Degree in civil, environmental or sanitary engineer; biology; environmental or sanitation technician or another relevant technical field
• Three years of relevant experience with WASH, including experience in planning and developing inter-institutional public policies.
• Strong communication skills.
• Fluency in Portuguese. 

UNICEF’S CORE VALUES

Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS)

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

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. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check. 

General Conditions: Procedures and Logistics 

• The selected consultant will be presential in Rio Grande do Sul and must provide necessary equipment and stationery to carry out the work presented in this Term of Reference. 
• Consultant’s, travel costs to Rio Grande do Sul (Porto Alegre) should be included in the consultant’s fee.
• No contract may commence unless the contract is signed by both UNICEF and the Consultant
• Consultants will not have supervisory responsibilities or authority on UNICEF budget. 
• The consultant will work in person under deliverable basis covering the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre (Canoas, São Leopoldo, El Dorado do Sul, Nova Hamburgo, Guaiba and Barra do Ribeiro).  

Financial Proposal 

• Costs indicated are estimated. Final rate shall follow "best value for money" principle, i.e., achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible fee. 
• A financial proposal including the fee for the assignment based on the deliverables and number of days must be submitted. 
• The payment will be based on submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant. 
• The financial proposal must include daily fees, accommodation (for applicants outside of Porto Alegre) and communication coasts

Restrictions 

• Consultants may not receive training at the expense of UNICEF.  Notwithstanding, consultants  must complete the applicable mandatory trainings.  
• In case of government officials, the contract cannot be issued without prior written clearance by the Government​, or unless on leave without pay. 

Remarks:  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.