Climate Change & WASH Specialist

Job title

Climate Change & WASH Specialist

Location

Country Office (Islamabad), with travel throughout Pakistan and some overseas travel

Contract Duration

3 years

Reporting to

Country Director

Key Working Relationships

Internal: Programme and Influencing Teams, Funding Manager, Regional and Global staff focusing on Health and WASH.

External: Sector Partners (UN, INGOs, local NGOs, think tanks, private sector etc), Relevant Government Ministries at the National and Provincial levels, donor representatives etc.

Line Management

TBD

About WaterAid

Clean water, decent toilets and hygiene are three essentials that help people lead dignified and healthy lives. They should be normal for everyone, but for millions of people they are not. We are determined to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene a normal part of everyday life for everyone, everywhere within a generation.

WaterAid’s new global strategy (2022-32) focuses on 4 Aims for achieving SDG Goals:

1. Achieve universal, sustainable and safe access in focused geographic areas to influence wider change.
2. Prioritise WASH across the health sector to improve public health.
3. Strengthen the resilience of WASH to climate change.
4. Increase the quantity and quality of WASH financing.

The Approaches to be adopted to achieve these Aims include:

1. Align our delivery of WASH services with our work on capacity strengthening and influencing.
2. Partnerships and alliances: focusing on collective action and leveraging the strengths of different actors.
3. Advance gender equality in WASH for the long term through changes in norms and systems and promote and amplify the leadership and decision making of women and girls.
4. Evidence, learning and innovation.

Following an analysis of the context in Pakistan and considering its strengths and experience, WaterAid Pakistan (WAP) will focus on Aims 2 and 3 above, i.e. WASH and Climate Change and WASH and Health in the next 5 years. Detailed programme Plans for these Aims are being developed currently.

The Health and WASH Aim specifically focuses on achieving the following outcomes:

• Sustainable and safe WASH are embedded in climate adaptation, and there are substantial climate finance flows for climate-resilient WASH services.
• All economic and social investments into WASH that we are a part of, incorporate climate risk and embed them into the designs.
• WASH and climate change adaptation are well-aligned in national policies and strategies, with roadmaps and budgets for climate-resilient services firmly in place.
• Climate-resilient WASH adaptations and services are gender-responsive, socially inclusive and promote women’s leadership.

For more information, please visit www.wateraid.org

Purpose of the Role

The purpose of this role is to lead the delivery of the Climate Change Aim, with support from country, regional and global staff. S/he will provide technical support and oversight and lead in the achievement of its influencing outcomes. The position-holder will develop quality, impactful, inclusive and innovative strategy and programmes on WASH and Climate Change and lead and/or support in their delivery. S/he will achieve this through a programmatic approach that combines field-based programmes with learning, research and advocacy initiatives and work in collaborative partnerships with a range of stakeholders in the public and private spheres, including civil society organizations, the Government of Pakistan (at different levels) and the private sector.

Responsibilities

1. Lead Programme and Projects Development Processes on Climate Change and WASH

• Lead the development of a climate change programme that is WASH-centric, (as part of WaterAid’s strategy for the next 5 years).
• Develop challenging and innovative projects based on a compelling, contextualized theory of change and for transformational change at scale.
• Support new funding opportunities by developing innovative and context-specific concepts and proposals on climate change and WASH.
• Support in climate proofing of the ongoing programmes of WaterAid Pakistan.
• Analyse the evolving political economy of climate-resilient WASH to guide WAP for adaptive programming and planning.
• Support WaterAid Pakistan in developing the capacity of the relevant staff and partners on Climate Change and its links with WASH.

2. Programme Learning and Influencing

• Ensure the capture and documentation of Climate Change and WASH models and practices for influencing WASH and Climate Change policy and practice.
• Develop and deliver robust advocacy strategies necessary for the integration of WASH in Climate Change process, plans and strategies at different levels (using analysis of published documents, research, public debates and WaterAid’s own country programme experience).
• Develop and guide the implementation of WASH in Climate Change advocacy campaigns at the national and provincial levels, together with sector partners and stakeholders. This includes an analysis of risks and their mitigation.
• Remain abreast of the global, regional and national situation, processes, policies and plans related to Climate Change and their links with WASH.
• Commission research and studies for deepening WaterAid and WASH sector partners’ knowledge and understanding of the linkages between Climate Change and WASH.
• With support from the Programme Quality team, document the qualitative and quantitative outcomes and impacts of WaterAid and partners’ work on Climate Change and WASH, to ensure successful implementation and adaptation in line with our theory of change.

3. Sector engagement and networking

• As delegated by the Country Director, represent WaterAid in relevant national CSO, donor, and government forums related to CC and WASH so as to influence the thinking of other stakeholders, persuasively advocate for WaterAid’s WASH and CC change agenda and build WaterAid’s reputation as a sector leader.
• Represent WaterAid in regional and global processes and debates on climate change and especially on CC and WASH.
• Develop and strengthen effective partnerships, networks, and alliances with sector stakeholders (especially the UN), government counterparts, research institutes and think tanks, private sector and NGOs involved in climate change issues, to foster mutual learning and to identify innovations that would increase the impact, efficiency and effectiveness of sector performance.
• Encourage and actively promote cross sectoral linkages, especially with health, education, disaster mitigation and risk reduction.
• Establishing and maintaining a strong network of key players – both within the WASH sector and in broader water resource communities – to increase influence and position WaterAid as a leading organisation in terms of addressing the threats to sustainable WASH services

Person Specifications

Education

At least a Masters Degree in Climate Change, Environmental Studies or Climate Financing from a recognized university.

Experience

• Minimum 7 years of demonstrated practical experience in climate-related programming in Pakistan and/or in the South Asia region.
• Proven experience in WASH and/or water resources management (governance/ management/ engineering aspects).
• Proven experience in policy and advocacy and leading campaigns’ design and delivery.
• Proven experience in building the networks and coalitions required to drive an effective change agenda – especially with major international agencies (multilateral development banks, United Nations agencies, OECD, UN etc.), governments and NGOs.
• Proven experience in developing diverse donors’ successful funding proposals.

Knowledge

• Thorough understanding and linkages with stakeholders/institutions involved in Climate Change research, development and implementation of programmes (preferably with a potential interface with WASH/water resources).
• Excellent knowledge of potential funding agencies/ institutions related to Climate Change and understanding of processes and priorities of these entities.
• Understanding of issues of gender and inclusion in the Pakistani context and proven experience of using inclusion/transformation frameworks or approaches.

Key Competencies

• Proven ability to innovate and develop a successful change agenda on climate change for external influencing purposes.
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative partnerships and alliances for influencing government policy and programme delivery on CC issues.
• Willingness and ability to travel throughout Pakistan, with some overseas travel as well.
• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills.
• Team player and ability to work across geographies.
• Ability to work independently and with minimal management oversight.