Health & WASH Specialist

Job title

Health & 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 good 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 the 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 and behaviours 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 put more emphasis on our work on WASH in Health and Climate Change 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:

• The number of public healthcare facilities with sustainable and safe WASH services that are also gender responsive meet or exceed national targets.
• Governments and partners integrate inclusive and effective hygiene behaviour change interventions into core public health programming at scale to achieve sustained changes across critical hygiene behaviours.
• Hygiene behaviour change campaigns are designed and implemented to prevent and respond to disease outbreaks and public health emergencies.
• WASH is prioritised in national health development budgets and plans.
• Our WASH and health work demonstrate approaches that are gender responsive and promote women’s leadership and empowerment.

For more information, please visit www.wateraid.org

Purpose of the Role

The purpose of this role is to lead the delivery of the Health and WASH 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 Health 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 Health and WASH

• Lead the development of a Health and WASH Programme (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 Health and WASH.
• Lead in operationalizing evidence-based, innovative behaviour change approaches including the assessment, design, implementation, monitoring, and adaptation of hygiene programmes.
• Provide and coordinate targeted technical support and advice in line with the Quality Programme Standards when required.
• Support WaterAid Pakistan in developing the capacity of the relevant staff and partners on Health and its links with WASH.

2. Programme Learning and Influencing

• Ensure the capture and documentation of Health and WASH models and practices for influencing WASH and Health policy and practice.
• Develop and deliver robust advocacy strategies necessary for pro-poor health sector reforms and policy change 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 Health 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 Public Health/Health and their links with WASH.
• Commission research and studies for deepening WaterAid and WASH sector partners’ knowledge and understanding of the linkages between Health and WASH.
• With support from the Programme Quality team, document the qualitative and quantitative outcomes and impacts of WaterAid and partners’ work on Health 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 Health and WASH so as to influence the thinking of other stakeholders, persuasively advocate for WaterAid’s WASH and Health change agenda and build/strengthen WaterAid’s reputation as a sector leader.
• Represent WaterAid in regional and global processes and debates on Health 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 Health issues, to foster mutual learning and to identify innovations that would increase the impact, efficiency and effectiveness of sector performance (Health and WASH sectors).
• Encourage and actively promote cross-sectoral linkages, especially with climate change, health financing, education, disaster mitigation and risk reduction.
• Establish and maintain a strong network of key players – both within the WASH and Health sectors– to increase influence and position WaterAid as a leading organisation in terms of addressing issues related to WASH and Health.
• Collaborate with other members of the country programme team to help ensure WASH and Health and hygiene behaviour change is integrated into all areas of our work.

Person Specifications

Education

1. At least a Masters Degree in Public Health from a recognized university.
2. Degree in Medical Sciences (MBBS, MD) will be an advantage.

Experience

• Minimum 7 years of demonstrated practical experience in Health and/or behaviour change programming (especially in Public/Preventive Health) in Pakistan and/or in the South Asia region.
• Proven experience in systems strengthening, 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

• Strong understanding of Pakistan Health systems, health financing and health policy issues.
• Thorough understanding of and linkages with stakeholders/institutions involved in Public/Preventive Health research, programmes, campaigns etc (preferably with a potential interface with WASH).
• Excellent knowledge of potential funding agencies/ institutions related to Public/Preventive Health and understanding of processes and priorities of these entities.
• Understanding of issues of gender and inclusion in the Pakistani context, particularly as it relates to gender-specific WASH and health challenges including menstrual health and hygiene, and proven experience of using inclusion/transformation frameworks or approaches.

Competencies

• Proven ability to develop and deliver a successful and innovative change agenda on Health and WASH for external influencing purposes.
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative partnerships and alliances for influencing policy and programme delivery on Public Health/Health issues and for integrating WASH in existing policies, programmes and frameworks.
• Demonstrated ability to translate research, policy analysis and data and evidence on WASH and Health into clear advocacy messages for a variety of audiences, to affect policy and practice change.
• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills.
• Willingness and ability to travel throughout Pakistan, with some overseas travel as well.
• Team player and ability to work across geographies.
• Ability to work independently and with minimal management oversight.