National Technical Officer (WASH)

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Organizational Setting

On 28 March 2025, twin earthquakes of magnitude 7.7 and 6.4 struck central Myanmar, affecting over 9 million people across Sagaing, Mandalay, Magwe, Nay Pyi Taw, Bago, and southern Shan, causing widespread destruction of health infrastructure—including damage to 640 hospitals and clinics. There are 220 secondary and tertiary level health facilities in the mostly affected 58 townships and nearly 50% of them are partially damaged. In response to the situation, WHO Myanmar conducted assessments of public hospitals affected by the earthquake in Mandalay and Sagaing Regions. The findings revealed significant gaps in WASH infrastructure, including damaged water supply systems, non-functional sanitation facilities, and inadequate medical waste management. To address these urgent needs, WHO planned targeted interventions to rehabilitate WASH and health care waste management systems in 10 selected secondary hospitals. These efforts will restore essential services, reduce the risk of infection, and strengthen resilience. The position is designed to provide the technical oversite in assessment of secondary hospital, to supervise the rehabilitation works, to support, provide technical inputs and participate in all project implementation stages.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Function 1 (incl. expected results)

The incumbent will provide specialized technical support to WHO UHC Team Lead, focusing on restoration/ scaling up of water and health care waste management systems in selected hospitals. Responsibilities include assessing the requirements for restoration of water and health care waste management system in selected 10 hospital, supervision of engineering works in renovation works; renovation works will be performed by a third party being selected according to WHO rules and regulations informing competitive procurement of services. The role involves supporting the design of installation of water systems, reconstruction of gender-sensitive, accessible toilets, improvement of waste management including rehabilitation of disposal units and hand washing stations. Additionally, the incumbent will build local capacity and ensure that all align with WHO standards for WASH in health care facilities.

Objectives of the Programme and of the immediate Strategic Objective

The mission of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme is to help countries, and to coordinate international action, to improve resilience of health facilities from emergencies.

Organizational context: Under the direct supervision of the UHC team lead, and with additional reporting lines to the Office of the WHO Representative and the Deputy Representative, the incumbent will work closely with counterparts at the 10 priority hospitals in need of WASH solutions reactivation and recovery, and other WHO staff as required. This role serves as a specialist in supporting improving WASH infrastructures in selected health facilities as per time-bound project details WHO will provide to the incumbent upon onboarding. Additionally, he/she will contribute to identify needs, resources, and gaps, as well as coordinating with procurement and logistics teams at the country level.

Summary of Assigned Duties: During deployment, the duty station will be Yangon, with travel to the project locations where the 10 hospitals are located.

Overall objective:

To scale up the resilience of WASH system in hospitals to mitigate the risk of acquired hospital infection by strengthening WASH infrastructures. The position aims to

1) To assist WHO team in defining scope of needed works for restoration and scaling up of WASH facilities in 10 selected secondary hospitals in earthquake affected areas, based on WHO's WASH standards.

2) To conduct site visits, prior approval and coordination with the national health authorities and hospital management, with the aim to support the monitoring of the status of works being performed by third party.

3) To provide technical support to WHO team to develop detailed bills of quantities, showing the breakdown of items in the different sections of the hospital, and the necessary (as-is and to-be) drawings for the rehabilitation works required in the facilities.

4) To support WHO to operationalize and comply with the WHO Environmental Social Safeguarding (ESSF) framework requirements, using the ESSF Checklist tailored at country level. An ESSF plan is to be developed for each project site location.

5) To provide technical support to WHO team to develop cost estimate based on current prices in the local market and submit draft bill of quantities in English and Myanmar languages for review and approval before submission of final document in Word & Excel sheets.

6) To provide technical support to WHO team in call for tender for the renovation process, prepare terms of reference for contractors for rehabilitation works, conducting technical evaluation of bidders if needed.

7) To coordinate with all parties (Department of medical services, Hospital administration, WHO and contractor) regarding all issues related to clearances and authorization to proceed with the works progress until completion and handover.

8) To review the project solicitation document (BoQ, BOC and drawings) and reflect on the project site condition to raise observations to WHO technical team.

9) To supervise the execution of the contractor works by using sound engineering methods and principles based on the project documents & condition in liaison with WHO technical team.

10) To coordinate with hospital administrative teams and keep them informed and updated of the course of the work progress and meddle to resolve issues with the contractor.

11) To follow up with the project timetable to assure timely delivery and completion of works and prepare Project Reports in timely manner.

12) To support the hand-over of completed works in coordination with the national health authorities and hospital management. This includes to endorse the work completion according to the tender documents, preparing handing over report and as-built drawings signed by the contractor and end user.

13) To provide WHO with technical engineering advice and assistance of any engineering matters that might arise; and provide WHO with alternative options for troubleshooting that might be required.

14) Draft required evaluation or situation reports to ensure appropriate communication with the WHO first level supervisor and all related technical experts. Linked to this, help develop a project dashboard related to the 10-facilities rehabilitation to enhance the project MEAL.

15) Support WHO to develop a project-specific risk register to enhance the management and response to the risk arising from the rehabilitation of the WASH facilities located at the 10 target hospitals.

16) Perform any other related incident-specific duties, as required by the functional supervisor.

Deliverables: By the end of the assignment

Deliverable 1: Assessment report of need for renovation of water and health care waste management system in selected hospitals

· Conduct field visits, assess, develop and submit a complete renovation plan for WASH in infrastructures in selected hospitals. The package must include:
• Proposed design, detailed bills of quantities, showing the breakdown of items in the different sections of the hospital, and the necessary (as-is and to-be) drawings

· Cost estimate based on current prices in the local market
Deliverable 2: Draft Bidder selection Report
Support WHO team to prepare terms of reference for contractors for rehabilitation works, conducting technical evaluation of bidders.

Deliverable 3: Engineering monitoring reports
To prepare monthly activity reports from the 10 site locations where the WASH rehabilitation works will be carried out by the third party competitively selected through RfP. The monthly report must include findings during monitoring of work by the bidder in renovation of water and health care waste management system of selected facilities, status of works progress, feedback and response by bidder, additional works, performance works, risks and mitigation measures, feedback from beneficiaries (hospital management and patients from the 10 hospital locations).

Deliverable 4: Final report

The report must include summary of whole renovation works, hand over reports, Photos of renovation works of each facility.

The SSA holder needs to report the progress of the deliverables, and the payments will be linked with the progress report on monthly basis

Additional Information

· This Vacancy Notice may be used to fill similar positions at the same level.

· Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

· A written test and interviews may be used as a form of screening.

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· This post is subject to local recruitment and will be filled by persons recruited in the local commuting area of the duty station.

· Any extension of appointment would be subject to programmatic requirements, performance of the incumbent and availability of funds.

· Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply.