Consultant for the revision of Water Safety Plans manual in Timor-Leste

Background

Timor-Leste has made significant progress in improving access to water supply since its independence in 2002; however, challenges remain in ensuring safe, reliable, and good-quality drinking water. Based on Timor-Leste Population and Housing Census in 2022, while national access to basic water services has reached around 84.3%, more than 54% of households are still facing water shortages during the past six months. Furthermore, the absence of water quality database and institutional arrangement to maintain water quality data creates a major gap in maintaining improved water quality across the country.

Many rural water systems are poorly managed, making them vulnerable to contamination from human and animal waste, environmental factors, and climate-related events like heavy rains and landslides. Poor quality of water for drinking and household use leads to ongoing public health concerns, including possible outbreak of waterborne diseases.

Purpose

The consultant intends to support the Ministry of Health (MoH) in review and revise country Water Safety Plan manual through desk review, site visits, WASH stakeholder consultations and national validations.

Water Safety Plans (WSPs), promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO), provide a risk-based approach to manage drinking water safety from source to consumer. In Timor-Leste, the introduction of WSPs began with national-level engagement and capacity building. A key milestone was the WHO-supported national workshop held in Dili in October 2009, which brought government and WASH sector stakeholders together to introduce and promote the WSP concept. This workshop led to the development of WSP manual which was first published in 2013.

Policy and Institutional Context

The Government of Timor-Leste has strengthened its commitment to water quality and safety through policies institutional reforms, including:

• National Public Water Supply Policy (2020)
• Water Resource Management Policy (2020)
• Law on Quality Control of Water for Human Consumption (2020)
• Establishment of BEE TL, EP and National Authority for Water and Sanitation (ANAS) in 2020
• The replacement of ANAS to National Directorate for the Regulation of Water and Sanitation (DNRAS) in 2024

These frameworks provide an enabling environment for adopting WSPs as part of broader efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: safe water and sanitation for all.

Contract Details

• Duration: 6 Months
• Location: Dili, Office Based (With Travel)

Minimum Requirements

Education: Master's in public health/environmental engineering/environmental science/water resource management/Civil engineering or related field

Work Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of experience in WHO water safety plan framework, drinking water quality standard and guidelines, waterborne diseases, water supply system components, risk assessment and control measures and overall WASH sector knowledge
• Has working experience with UN and/or other international development agency
• Proven experience in liaising with government bodies

Skills: Excellent in negotiation, coordination and stakeholder management skills

Language Requirements: Excellent communication (verbal and written) in English

How to Apply

Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal:

• An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
• Cover letter
• A separate financial proposal (in the specified template format)

Apply online: https://secure.dc7.pageuppeople.com/apply/671/gateway/default.aspx?c=apply&lJobID=594318&lJobSourceTypeID=796&sLanguage=en-us

Application Deadline: 22 July 2026

For more information, contact: [email protected]

Note: UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.