Switzerland: Consultancy Global WASH Cluster Strategic Plan 2016-2020

Background

In 2005, the Humanitarian Reform Agenda reviewed the effectiveness of emergency response in order to enhance predictability, accountability and partnership. The cluster approach was one of the elements introduced by this reform, with a clear mandate for improving coordination in emergencies. The Global WASH Cluster (GWC) was formed in 2006, building upon the successes of an existing Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) humanitarian sector working group with the primary purpose of the cluster to deliver WASH services assistance to affected populations during emergencies through improved coordination of the response at all levels. The GWC is an open and formal platform for humanitarian WASH actors to work together in partnership. The forum now consists of 32 full-members, comprising International Organizations, United Nations agencies and International Non-Governmental Organizations. Civil Contingency/response agencies, academic institutes, stakeholders from the private sector and donors also play an active role.

In 2011 the Global WASH Cluster Partners set up a five-year strategic plan around five outcomes, encompassing thirteen core initiatives. These initiatives were reflecting the priority areas of work and enabled allocation of responsibility for related outputs and activities across key actors. A lessons-learned workshop held in early 2014[1] highlighted:

· The need to move away from the stand-alone project approaches and cultivate synergies between the various functional aspects of GWC operational support focusing on high-risk countries and provision of more tailored support;

· The successful approach of core initiatives such as the operational support provided to countries, but recommended the integration of the components of the field support mechanisms as a way of enhancing the efficiency of the team both in time and finances. This was the keystone for the establishment of the current Field Support Team (FST) established in July 2015 and fully operational in June 2016 under the supervision of the Cluster Advisory and Support Team (CAST) based Geneva;

· The important challenges such as the mutual accountability of partners to effectively implement the strategy.

Four core principles drive the new Global WASH Cluster Strategic Plan 2016-2020 : i) partnership with WASH stakeholders; ii) Interconnectedness of global and national coordination mechanisms; iii) Inter-cluster linkages; iv) Capturing lessons learned as a means of improving accountability to affected populations. The Strategy document is in a consolidation process and should be adopted by the Global WASH Cluster Partners at the next Global WASH Cluster meeting that will be held end of November in Kathmandu. It has three key expected outcomes:

1. To provide operational support to national emergency WASH coordination platforms to meet the cluster core functions under the Transformative Agenda (6+1) through timely operational support;

2. To ensure that relevant WASH stakeholders have the capacity to coordinate in emergency response;

3. To influence and advocate for improved emergency WASH coordination

Rationale

Investment in some key GWC initiatives - including the field support mechanism - has demonstrated tangible results outlining the value and effectiveness of GWC support to in-country operations in cooperation with UNICEF Regional Offices. In the framework of the new GWC strategic plan, it is envisioned that these efforts will be reinforced to continue and strengthen the support to national WASH coordination platforms. This should however take into consideration that:

· Funding and in-kind support to implement the Global WASH Cluster Strategic Plan has been received mainly from five key Global WASH Cluster partners: ECHO, OFDA, SIDA SDC, the Norwegian MFA, and UNICEF. Sustaining this financial support and expanding the basis of the Global WASH Cluster donor platform continues to pose challenges for GWC partners. The GWC needs to put in place mechanisms to enlarge the platform, and ensure stable and more predictable funding to meet its core commitments as outlined on the GWCSP 2016-2020 and the humanitarian reform agenda;

· The current working arrangements for the GWC distribute accountability among partners regarding operational and strategic responsibilities. Whilst the quality of in-country cluster coordination functions and day-to-day support from the global level to countries remain the core responsibility of UNICEF as the Cluster Led Agency (CLA), the efforts to achieve the GWC strategic objectives and provide operational support (through the field support mechanism mainly, but not solely) requires a strong commitment from the GWC partners. This has been to some extent recognized with the involvement of IFRC in collaboration with ACF; ACTED; NCA; OXFAM and SI to setup and lead the FST consortium which has opened new opportunities in terms of partnership and mutual accountability within the GWC, and would merit further exploration to enhance predictability of the support to WASH humanitarian coordination platforms.

· In-kind partners’engagement in the GWC platform has taken several facets. Partners have provided a lasting commitment through their participation in numerous Project Steering Committees from 2006 to 2010, and in working groups structured around the different expected outputs of the previous Strategic Plans. In addition some partners are engaged in Technical Working Groups as well as in the Strategic Advisory Committee.

Purpose

Within the framework of the GWC strategic plan 2016-2020, the purpose of the consultancy is twofold: 1) widen the scope of resource mobilization efforts in order to ensure a secure and stable funding source to implement the strategy; 2) strengthen partnershiparrangements to ensure predictability and accountability in the GWC operational support to National humanitarian WASH coordination structures, as prescribed in the Transformative agenda.

Objectives

1. To recommend optimal working arrangements among GWC partners that optimize mutual accountability and maximize efficiency and predictability of the GWC operational support to national humanitarian coordination structures;

2. To outline potential roles and contributions of the GWC partners in the framework of the GWC strategy 2016-2020;

3. To identify financial mechanisms, minimum resources required and setup a resource mobilization strategy to support the roll-out of the GWC strategic plan 2016-2020.

Tasks

1. Based on the lessons learned from GWC engagements so far and the changing humanitarian landscape, review and analyse the GWC working arrangements;

2. Confirm organizational requirements to allow UNICEF and the GWC partners to fulfill their engagements in the framework of the Transformative Agenda and the new GWC Strategic Plan (GWCSP) 2016-2020;

3. Produce a review of possible working arrangements, identifying weaknesses, strengths, opportunities and threats for each of them, among the GWC Field Support Team (FST) consortium, Cluster Advisory Support Team (CAST), Strategic Advisory Group (SAG), and WASH partners that allows predictability and efficiency of the GWC’s operational support to national WASH coordination platforms;

4. Map GWC partners’ readiness and commitments to invest in in-kind, financial and/or organizational resources to contribute to the GWCSP 2016-2020;

5. Review any possible cost recovery mechanism/s that could be applied for GWC operational support to countries (i.e. through the Field Support Team project);

6. Develop an inventory of financial mechanisms within GWC partners Organizations that can be mobilized to support the funding of the GWCSP 2016-2020;

7. Map donors’ commitments and possible funding to support the framework of the new GWSP (Including identification of possible non-traditional donors; eg. Foundations, trust funds, etc);

8. Identify a breakdown of resources requirements and structures to fulfil the GWCSP 2016-2020;

9. Develop a resource mobilization strategy for the Global WASH Cluster for the next five years identifying actions and arrangements among partners to effectively mobilize resources towards the achievement of the strategy objectives

10. Support the GWC CAST and/or SAG to organize a donor meeting to present the results of the consultancy;

Deliverables

The expected duration for the assignment is 60 days phased out as follows:

1. Produce an Inception Report and Work Plan - within two weeks of the assignment commencement

2. Produce an Intermediary Report and Powerpoint presentation (to be presented at the GWC meeting in November 2016) - within two months of the assignment commencement including :

2.1. An Analysis of GWC structure and partnership with a review of possible working arrangements, identifying weaknesses, strengths, opportunities and threats;

2.2. An outline of the resource mobilization strategy, identifying breakdown of resources requirements and structures, and mapping donors;

1. Based on the feedback received at the GWC meeting, produce a Final Report and a Powerpoint summary (to be presented at donor meetings) - within three months of the assignment commencement

Qualifications Required

Two Senior consultants will be recruited for this consultancy.

Consultant 1 (Lead consultant)

The consultant will lead the consultancy and focus on Tasks 1 to 3.

· Solid backgrounds in WASH and broad knowledge and understanding of the humanitarian reform, cluster approach, Global WASH Cluster;

· Minimum of 15 years’ experience in disaster preparedness, humanitarian responses and/or recovery;

· Experience working with a range of humanitarian partners (UN, NGOs, donors);

· Proven analytical capacity, strategic thinking, and ability to lead participatory processes;

· Experience working within the UN system and with WASH cluster partners;

· Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French and Spanish is an advantage.

Consultant 2

The consultant will focus on Tasks 4 to 10.

· Solid background in marketing and resource mobilization strategy development and broad knowledge and understanding of the humanitarian reform, cluster approach;

· Minimum of 15 years’ humanitarian/aid experience with key functions in resource mobilization;

· Experience working with a range of humanitarian partners (UN, NGOs, donors);

· Proven analytical capacity, strategic thinking, and ability to lead participatory processes;

· Experience working within the UN system and with WASH cluster partners;

· Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French and Spanish is an advantage.

Duty Station

The consultants will be home-based with regular travel to Geneva for meetings.

[1] Global WASH Cluster: Evaluation of the Support Provided to National Coordination Platforms. Avenir Analytics 2014

Please send your applications to rea.ivanek@ifrc.org