WASH SPECIALIST – EXPERIENCE IN WASH IN HEALTH AND IN THE DISPOSAL OF EXPIRED PHARMACEUTICALS

Position: WASH Specialist

Duration: 5 months with possibility of renewal

Starting from: ASAP

Duty Station: North-East Syria

Closing date of the vacancy: 23rd October 2022 (applications on a rolling basis)

Context Presentation: Un Ponte Per (UPP) is an Italian NGO established in 1991. It started its activities as “Un ponte per Baghdad”, in the aftermath of the first Gulf war, with the aim of organizing solidarity initiatives in support of the Iraqi civilian population. In subsequent years, UPP missions expanded to include Serbia and other Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries. The NGO aims at preventing armed conflicts, protecting human rights and supporting local civil society, especially in the Middle East, by promoting the nexus between its humanitarian, peacebuilding and development programs. Since 2015, UPP has been one of the leading INGOs in the North East Syria (NES) response. Providing humanitarian aid and capacity building of local actors in Health and Protection as well as environmental health, including waste management. In partnership with local partners, UPP has been able to develop a comprehensive system of health services delivered in 26 facilities, including mobile units, hospitals, primary health care centres, and an ambulance network. For further information please refer to our website: www.unponteper.it/en/

BACKGROUND: Entering year 10 of the Syria crisis, conflict continues to expose civilians to acute humanitarian needs in Livelihood, health, WASH, Shelter, NFI and protection. In North East Syria (NES) widespread displacement, destruction of basic services and increased exposure to protection risks is on-going. In response, UPP is running since 2015 its humanitarian program focused on providing timely and quality essential humanitarian assistance. UPP is one of the major health actors in the area and it runs, together with a local partner, more than 30 health centres offering a wide range of health services, but it intervenes also in the sector of protection, livelihood, early recovery and wash. In this latest sector UPP launched, since 2019, a program of Health Waste Management (HWM) aimed at the establishment of a system for the safe and correct segregation, transportation and disposal of the heath waste produced in the health care facilities run by UPP itself or by other local or international partners, becoming one of the leading actors in this sector in NES. UPP is planning to further strengthen the established system and to expand it in order to guarantee comprehensive wash in health standards inside the supported facilities, supporting local actors to do the same, also through support to institutional capacity building. UPP aims also at continuing supporting local authorities and partners in setting up and running a system for the disposal systems of expired pharmaceuticals and chemical waste, highlighted as a pressing need by many local and international partners. During the last years, UPP launched also some projects related to recycling and water access, supporting one Municipality to launch the first pilot recycling system of the city and two Water Directorates in the rehabilitation of water stations.

MAIN TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Technical planning, implementation, coordination and quality insurance (60%)

• Lead all the WASH activities of the department, ensuring technical quality and timely implementation;
• Directly manage and coordinate the WASH technical team, ensuring the periodical planning, supervision and revision of the WASH workplan according to needs and priorities;
• Guarantee the regular coordination with the PMs responsible of WASH projects, in order to ensure that projects’ workplans and priorities are integrated in the technical team workplan and projects’ WASH results met;
• Guarantee the regular coordination with Logistic department and PMs, to provide technical support for the purchase of the needed HWM and WASH equipment and construction/rehabilitation BoQs and ensure the procurements are harmonized across projects;
• Lead the development of WASH in Health SoPs and standards in coordination with UPP Medical Coordinator to be applied in all UPP/KRC HCFs, and of tools and mechanisms to ensure their implementation and monitoring, in order to integrate the current HWM system in more comprehensive WASH standards;
• Build on the existing technical monitoring system to ensure wash in health standards are applied in all UPP/KRC HCFs, with clear and separate responsibilities for KRC WASH team and UPP WASH team;
• With the support of the ERLW Coordinator, lead the coordination with MEAL department in order to improve the monitoring system related to WASH, and regularly analyze data to analyze the progresses of activities, achievements, gaps and impact;
• Lead the development of BoQs related to wash (ex. HWZs’ BoQs, boreholes BoQs, water station rehabilitations, etc.), coordinating and supporting the WASH Technical Advisors and ensuring high technical standards during all the process (from tender procedure to work implementation);
• Lead the technical coordination and support to local authorities involved in WASH-related projects (Departments of Health, Departments of Environment, Municipalities, Departments of Water), and the development of SoPs and other technical documents according to local needs and resources;
• In particular, lead the technical support offered to local authorities in all NES for the establishment, implementation and improvement of systems for the safe and correct management of medical waste, including expired pharmaceuticals;
• Lead the development and adjustment, according to the context, of SoPs for the disposal of expired pharmaceuticals to be applied in UPP/KRC facilities, and lead and supervise the sorting and disposal process in coordination with KRC and local authorities;
• After the disposal of existing expired medicines’ stock, lead the establishment and implementation of a more sustainable system for the day-to-day management of expired medicines, integrated with the existing HWM system;
• Technically support, guiding the relevant WASH TAs, the target local authorities in the establishment of SoPs and systems for the disposal of the expired medicines produced by public and private hospitals;
• Lead the technical implementation of water-access related projects, through the supervision and technical mentoring of UPP WASH TAs and the coordination with relevant authorities, in particular Water Directorates;
• In case of emergency situations (ex. cholera outbreak, outbreaks of active conflicts, etc.) coordinates with UPP Medical team to lead UPP WASH emergency response, with special focus to wash in health;
• In coordination with the ERLW Coordinator, ensure that all WASH activities, a part those implemented to respond to emergency situations, adopt a strong early recovery approach.

Technical capacity building of staff and partners (15%)

• Lead the capacity building of WASH TAs, developing a capacity building plan and implementing trainings on:
• WASH in Health standards and tools, to ensure that UPP WASH team has all the competences needed to guarantee that wash standards are respected in the HCFs of competence and to propose solutions when gaps are encountered;
• Procedures for the safe and correct management and disposal of expired pharmaceuticals;
• WASH in general, to increase the capacity of the staff to plan, implement and supervise different wash activities related to water access and quality, sanitation, etc.
• Ensure regular and continuous technical mentorship to UPP WASH team;
• Based on participatory need assessment, develop and implement a capacity building plan (either directly or organizing ToT and then cascade trainings) for KRC WASH staff, in order to support the development and growth of KRC WASH department;
• Based on participatory need assessment, develop and implement capacity building activities for involved local authorities (Departments of Health, Departments of Environment, Municipalities, Departments of Water), especially in the fields of Health Waste Management and expired medicines’ disposal, and ensure that regular mentorship and follow up is offered;
• Support the institutional development of Local Authorities in the sector of concern;
• Develop ad hoc training materials with high technical quality.

External coordination and advocacy (15%)

• Together with the ERLW Coordinator, lead the coordination with KRC WASH department, in order to ensure common strategic development and a smooth coordination in the implementation of joint projects, and to promote a participated capacity building process of the partner;
• Ensure that coordination between UPP and KRC WASH teams, and between UPP/KRC and LAs, is regularly carry out at all level and geographical areas according to the agreed department’s communication matrix;
• Ensure constant coordination with Local Authorities involved in WASH-related activities, in order to guarantee a community-based approach and the development of interventions based on needs and existing resources;
• Lead the coordination with WASH INGOs, both bilaterally and through the Wash Working Group, in order to ensure synergies and avoid duplications;
• If needed, take a leading role among WASH partners in those WASH-subsectors where UPP has a strong added value and expertise, especially related to Health Waste Management, disposal of expired pharmaceuticals and WASH in Health in general;
• Coordinate with INGOs and NGOs interested in the HWM sub-sector in order to create synergies and explore potential partnerships;
• Coordinate with WASH INGOs to answer to those WASH needs present in UPP/KRC HCFs that cannot be tackled with internal resources;
• Set up regular coordination with LEARN WASH partners.

New projects’ proposal and strategic development (10%)

• Provide technical support for the identification, elaboration and writing of new project proposals and concept note in the WASH sector, with special attention to WASH in Health;
• In coordination with MEAL department, collect evidence of the impact of UPP intervention and analyze data, both for internal learning and to present data and achievements to potential donors;
• Provide technical support to PMs and Desks in order to ensure that WASH in Health needs are reflected in all health projects, and proper resources allocated to answer to these needs;
• Develop and supervise the implementation of needs assessment related to WASH in Health and WASH, in order to assess which are the priority needs of partners and Local Authorities and develop interventions based on the needs;
• Involve partners and key stakeholders in the needs assessment, in order to promote interventions based on community-based approach;
• Assess the feasibility of more sustainable methods for the disposal of health waste and expired pharmaceuticals (ex. high temperature incinerators), developing cost-benefits analysis and taking into consideration local context and resources’ availability;
• Provide input for the development of the strategy of the department, identifying WASH needs, internal strengths and added values and defining strategic directions, also according to funds’ availability and UPP’s capacity.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor degree in engineering, environmental management, natural sciences, social sciences, development cooperation or similar;
• Proven and solid experience in the WASH sector, with at least three years of experience in the WASH in Health subsector, working to ensure that wash standards are monitored and applied in different types of Health Care Facilities (water quality, sanitation, health waste management, etc.);
• Solid knowledge and understanding of wash in health standards, and of their operationalization and regular monitoring;
• Proven technical experience and capacity to develop technical documents such as BoQs, SoPs, etc. related to WASH and especially WASH in Health sectors;
• Experience in implementing trainings and ToTs related to WASH and WASH in Health, and in the development of training materials;
• Previous experience related to the disposal of medical waste;
• Solid knowledge on the standards and processes related to the disposal of expired pharmaceuticals and capacity to identify the most appropriate disposal method for each type of pharmaceutical and lead the disposal process;
• Previous experience in coordinating a technical team and develop and supervise workplans;
• Strong organization and planning skills, ability to multitask and to prioritise work;
• Flexibility and adaptability, preparedness to work in a difficult environment with security constraints and challenging living conditions;
• Stress management skills and ability to work under pressure;
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills;
• Proactive attitude, ability to work autonomously as well as part of a team;
• Detail-oriented with good time management skills;
• Excellent oral and written English.

UPP requires criminal background check certificate (released max 3 months before the date of job offer) to confirm a job offer. We are aware that in some countries the release of criminal background certificate by the competent authorities might require several weeks. However, UPP runs selections to deploy staff in emergency programs and time-lapse between job offer and field deployment is often very short. Thus, we kindly ask all candidates to get prepared on time and be able to submit their certificate promptly in case of success in the selection.

DESIRABLE REQUIREMENTS:

• Previous proven experience in supervising the disposal of expired pharmaceuticals and defining the most appropriate disposal methods to be applied according to international standards and available local resources and infrastructures is considered a strong asset;
• Previous experience in recycling projects;
• Experience in the work with local authorities and partners, especially in developing countries;
• Previous field experience and international exposure;
• Previous experience in Middle East countries/in Syria;
• Knowledge of Arabic or Kurdish.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

Un Ponte Per is an International NGO committed to diversity and inclusion within its teams, in line with the principle of non-discrimination. UPP encourages all candidates irrespective of gender, religion and ethnicity including persons with disabilities to apply and become part of the organization.

Ethical Conduct

UPP upholds all the minimum standards in terms of Ethical Conduct and strives to increase its standards over the minimum. Zero tolerance is reserved to Sexual Abuse and Exploitation and to Child Abuse, Violence, Harm, Injury and Negligence. By applying, any candidate assures that s/he has never breached any standard in terms of SEA and Child Safeguarding and that s/he will not in the future. For the protection of beneficiaries, communities and partners, UPP will conduct extensive reference check and vetting on shortlisted candidates, also over the contacts indicated by the candidate. Candidates are alerted that the required background check might compromise their privacy. Shortlisted candidates shall promptly provide an up-to-date criminal background check.