UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. And we never give up. For every child, hopeUNICEF Ukraine Purpose of assignment: The main objective of this assignment is to conduct a comprehensive study and analysis of the current and future situation for water and sanitation services under Kharkiv City Vodokanal. The study will be used to develop a pragmatic roadmap and strategy that will guide future works and investments in water, sanitation, and related infrastructure and services. The ultimate aim is to ensure that all concerned and potential consumers have access to safely managed drinking water supply, sanitation, and drainage services that meet relevant national and EU standards. Key Objectives: Assess the current state of drinking water supply and drainage services in Kharkiv, considering external and internal factors such as state policies, Kharkiv oblast and Kharkiv city priorities for the recovery, war related risks, damages and implications, management and regulation models, functionality, stability, transparency, and consistency of work institutions. Additionally, the assessment may include the identification of vulnerable neighborhoods by analyzing areas susceptible to water, sanitation and heating facility deficiencies, aging infrastructure, and difficulties associated with water tariffs. Conduct a scoping exercise to identify the priorities and needs of the Vodokanal and the actions required to achieve its strategic goals and implement its operational priorities. Assess Vodokanal's financial resources, with particular attention to non-revenue water sources, to anticipate future funding needs across different scenarios. Develop a water and sanitation strategic roadmap and recovery plan outlining the necessary actions and investments in the short, medium, and long term, along with expected results and outcomes, including the design of a Water Management Efficiency Plan to ensure efficient water distribution and meet national and EU standards. Provide recommendations for implementing the recovery roadmap effectively, which may include the development of a Data Sharing Platform and Contingency Protocol to identify backup water sources and guide international support. The roadmap should be comprehensive, addressing both hardware and software aspects, including governance of WASH services, citizen engagement mechanisms (, grievance redressal), water quality monitoring, an M&E system to track progress against the recovery roadmap and performance improvement for WASH services, and water safety planning that considers climate change threats in the Kharkiv area. Given the volatile situation, the roadmap should be pragmatic, time-bound (5 years), and include realistic objectives, measurable targets, and milestones that align with the funding that can be leveraged by the city's fiscal space and from partners. The recovery plan should therefore: Be developed through proactive consultation with all parties, particularly the municipality and vodokanal's vision for recovery, citizens' aspirations, and insights from key partners to leverage technical assistance and resources. Be based on a feasibility assessment that considers the capacity of municipal and technical services, funding prospects, demographic trends, and projections for Kharkiv City and its surroundings. The plan should consider two prospective scenarios: Accelerated recovery with security measures ensured and the contact line near Kharkiv under control. Continued regular attacks on Kharkiv, necessitating a different phasing of operations to prevent damage to investments. How can you make a difference? Work assignment overview: Deliverable Deadline # of w/days Deliverable 1: Inception report An inception brief that will detail the following elements: Background Scope of work Activities Tasks Deliverables Timelines for deliverables Language requirement: English As the engineering expert for the project, the consultant will be required to provide the following sections to the team leader for consolidation of the inception report: Introduction providing context Situation analysis of country backdrop, current practices, challenges Annexures as relevant 10 July 2024 5 days Deliverable 2: State of play documentation Documentation of the current situation of service delivery of the vodokanal, needs, and actions required for and by the vodokanal. Language requirement: English The state of play documentation would provide the necessary background understanding to develop a recovery roadmap strategy and plan for the Kharkiv City vodokanal. The documentation would cover: (i) A scoping exercise to understand the needs of the Vodokanal, actions required to achieve set goals and implementing the Vodokanal’s tasks. This task would require broad consultation (key informant interviews and focus group discussions) to define the most pragmatic and relevant plan, including with: Ministry for Restoration State Agencies Kharkiv Municipality Kharkiv Vodokanal National Association for Vodokanals WASH Cluster and its relevant members UN agencies Donors and International Financial Institutions Citizens and youth directly affected. UNICEF will facilitate access to these key stakeholders. (ii) Based on the above, this would include the current situation (state of play) of drinking water supply and drainage services in Kharkiv, including external and internal factors which influence the working of the vodokanal, such as: state policies, war risks, damages and implications, management and regulation models, functionality, stability, transparency and consistency of work institutions, etc. This encompasses mapping vulnerable neighbourhoods regarding water facility issues, identifying areas with water fee challenges and aging infrastructure, and forecasting scenarios, including potential relocations due to war, through demographic studies to pinpoint areas under heightened pressure on water facilities. The national consultant would work with the team leader of the project to provide the necessary support in organising the scoping exercise, and accordingly analyse the information gathers and provide input for the state of play. 15 August 2024 25 days Deliverable 3: Kharkiv City Vodokanal Recovery Roadmap Strategy and Plan Language requirement: English and Ukrainian Based on the insights provided as part of the state of play, the key work of this assignment is the development of a roadmap strategy and plan with rioritized actions and investments required in the short term, the medium terms and the longer term. The plan should also indicate the expected results and outcomes the actions and investments presented. The main goals (thematic directions), which may be updated as per the findings in the previous works illustrated above, for the roadmap are indicated in the earlier sections. The roadmap strategy and plan shou”d be’complemented with a chapter to provide recommendations on the way forward in implementing the recovery roadmap and to anticipate future reliance on international funds. Recommendations may also aim to improve Vodokanal’s governance by enhancing procurement transparency to secure trust and international funding. The national consultant would work with the team leader of the project to provide the necessary input for the development of the recovery roadmap strategy and plan. 15 September 2024 30 days Deliverable 4: Consultations and reports Two consultations: 1. With partners 2. With the Kharkiv City Vodokanal Language requirement: English and Ukrainian The drafted recovery roadmap strategy and plan would be finalized basis two consultations with partners and the vodokanal (respectively). The consultant would be required to organise the above consultations, including participation, and document all feedback received to be added to the final reports. 15 October 2024 5 days Deliverable 5: Final reports Final designed report in English and Ukrainian, with infographics, as required. Language requirement: English and Ukrainian Final report encapsulating all objectives and works presented in this TOR, designed with infographics and maps, as required. 31 October 2024 15 days Sub-total: 80 Please provide an all-inclusive financial proposal including travels to carry out the deliverables listed above. To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… Education: Master's degree or higher in one of the following fields is required: in the field of engineering, with studies relevant to the field of water, such as water supply sanitary engineering, water treatment, water governance, etc.Professional experience: 10 or more years of experience in water supply, wastewater treatment, water management, or related areas, preferable on a management role. 5 or more years in topics relevant to water governance or water-related legislation drafting. Knowledge and experience in the Ukraine context, especially in the Ukrainian water sector, are an advantage. International experience will be considered an asset, including working foreign experts and international donors. Languages: English: ​​​​Upper-intermediate [B2]​; Ukrainian: ​​​​Proficient/Native [C2]​​. Skills and competencies: Technical knowledge of the theories, principles and methods in the following areas: municipal water supply, municipal wastewater treatment, energy efficiency, sustainable water management, and related disciplines. For every Child, you demonstrate… UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). To view our competency framework, please visit here. 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/individual contractors 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. 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.