Rapid Needs Assessment Consultant of WASH in Schools, 22 days, Harare, Zimbabwe, Remote, (Open for Nationals of Zimbabwe only)

Duties and Responsibilities

Purpose of Assignment:

To carry out rapid a needs assessment of WASH(Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) at 10 selected schools, especially water sources in schools and prepare a report detailing the findings.

UNICEF Zimbabwe, with funding from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and under the leadership of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE), seeks to improve Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services in schools across Zimbabwe. The initiative places particular emphasis on drought-prone and hard-to-reach areas, where access to reliable and safe water remains a critical challenge for schools.

To contribute to sustainable solutions, UNICEF intends to support the development of piped water scheme projects and other appropriate water supply interventions, including borehole drilling and mechanization, for schools that currently lack functional water sources. In this context, UNICEF will support MoPSE to identify schools that are difficult to reach and have acute water needs, to prioritize them for water infrastructure investments. UNICEF Zimbabwe is therefore seeking a consultant to conduct a rapid needs assessment and basic feasibility assessments in a sample of 10 schools. The assessments will determine the availability or lack thereof and reliability of existing water sources, challenges related to water access, and the feasibility of supplying water through borehole development and piped water schemes. Where possible, the consultant will also document the status of WASH facilities in the schools, highlighting key gaps and challenges.

The findings from this consultancy will generate evidence to inform the design, planning, and implementation of water supply interventions aimed at improving access to safe and sustainable water in schools, thereby strengthening learning environments in drought-affected communities.

Scope of Work:

The consultant will be expected to work closely with MoPSE and UNICEF Education Section and WASH Section for the following:
1) Design of the needs assessment tools and needs assessment methodology
2) Collect and review secondary data for the schools
3) Identification of the sample set of schools to be assessed
4) Conduct the needs assessments using the agreed tool at the agreed set of sample schools
5) Present findings to Education Team and MoPSE for validation
6) Develop a final report detailing findings and recommendations from the rapid needs assessment