Sanitation Governance Advisor

The Sanitation Governance Advisor role is focused on advancing the goals of the Sustainable Sanitation and Hygiene Fund (SHF) by providing specialized technical assistance to governments in implementation countries. This position requires advising on and developing specific deliverables related to sanitation governance, policy, capacity building, and financing mechanisms.

Functions / Key Results Expected

The advisor will execute the following core functions:

• Advisory and Deliverable Development: Advise on and undertake the development of deliverables as per the SHF government technical assistance offering.
• Work Plan Execution: Fully discuss expectations and agree with the SHF on a work plan and timeframe to execute the implementation of SHF government technical assistance frameworks and methodologies in the implementation countries.
• Information Sourcing: Interview relevant experts and professionals to source information and insights that will assist the process. Where other stakeholders are doing complementary work, agree with SHF on alignment, avoidance of duplication, and ensuring complementarity.
• Tool Development: Consider a range of factors necessary for government technical assistance tools.
• Leveraging Existing Work: Leverage SHF’s and other development partners’ existing work in the area of government TA, market maturity, and sanitation market sizing.
• Technical Expertise & Advisory: Provide technical expertise and advisory in the implementation of the following interventions in selected countries, including providing guidance or quality control:
  • Policy and Regulatory Development: Development of national sanitation policies, sanitation PPP development, strengthen legal frameworks for private sector participation, and create inclusive strategies that enable market-based sanitation solutions.
  • Assessments: Conduct market assessments, cost-of-inaction studies, and sanitation demand analyses.
  • Capacity Building: Strengthen governance and capacity at municipal/regional and sub-national levels for policy implementation and adaptation.
  • Coordination and Financing: Improve coordination between different ministries and agencies. Establish national sanitation financing mechanisms, such as pool funding and carbon credits, and identify sub-national market segments and investment gaps.
  • Compliance and Enforcement: Enhance local regulatory compliance and enforcement to ensure effective implementation of sanitation policies and frameworks.
• Framework Refinement: Refine SHF’s existing government technical assistance frameworks and tools, and tailor existing frameworks from other sectors.

Required Skills and Competencies

Technical Skills:

• Capacity Building
• Project Governance
• Sanitation
• Structured Finance

Core Competencies (UNOPS):

• Strategic Perspective: Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and externally to positively shape the organization. Anticipates the impact and implications of future decisions and activities.
• Integrity and Respect: Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.
• Teamwork and Collaboration: Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others.
• Stakeholder Focus: Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships.
• Driving for Results and Efficiency: Efficiently establish an appropriate course of action to accomplish a goal, demonstrating concern for quality. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes impact.
• Flexibility and Adaptability: Open to change and flexible in a fast-paced environment. Effectively adapts approach to suit changing circumstances. Reflects on experiences and modifies behavior. Always pursues continuous improvements.
• Decision Making: Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.
• Communication: Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively.

Education Requirements

• Required: Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in finance, economics, WASH, business administration, engineering, international development, public policy, or a related field.
• A Bachelor’s degree in the above-mentioned areas or a related field, in combination with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience, may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experience Requirements

Required:

• Minimum of ten (10) years (or more, depending on academic credentials) of progressive experience in the WASH sector, of which a minimum of 5 years is required to be in the sanitation sector.
• Five (5) years of experience at the international level in public policy, governmental legal and regulatory frameworks, institutional development or related profiles, including at a senior technical or management level is required.
• Demonstrated experience in the provision of technical assistance to national governments in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC) is required.
• Prior experience in countries where the SHF operates, or plans to operate, is required.