Sanitation Economist Consultant: Economics of Sanitation Study and National Sanitation Investment Case for Zimbabwe

The consultant will estimate the economic, fiscal, health, nutrition, education, environmental and social costs associated with adequate and unsafe sanitation in Zimbabwe. The study will assess costs and benefits of sanitation service and financing options and estimate investment required to meet national sanitation and SDG commitments, focusing on vulnerable populations.

Responsibilities

• Estimate economic, fiscal, health, nutrition, education, environmental and social costs associated with adequate and unsafe sanitation in Zimbabwe.
• Assess costs and benefits of appropriate sanitation service and financing options.
• Estimate investment required to achieve Zimbabwe’s national sanitation, open-defecation-free and SDG 6.2 commitments.
• Cover rural, peri-urban and urban contexts with focus on children under five, school-age children, women and girls, persons with disabilities, low-income households and populations in high sanitation deprivation or recurrent public-health emergencies.
• Translate technical analysis into policy briefs and senior-level financing messages.
• Facilitate government validation processes and transfer economic models to national institutions.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in economics.
• Minimum ten years’ experience conducting research on economics in developing countries.
• Demonstrated experience applying economic valuation methodologies to WASH health, nutrition, environmental or infrastructure sectors.
• Experience undertaking national investment cases, cost-benefit analysis or public expenditure reviews for governments or development partners.
• Experience with conducting research into rural and/or urban sanitation in developing country contexts.
• Advanced university degree in economics, health economics, development economics, public finance, environmental economics or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated experience in economics of sanitation, WASH costing, cost-benefit analysis, public expenditure analysis or infrastructure investment appraisal.
• Familiarity with the World Bank ESI methodology and current SDG/JMP sanitation classifications.
• Experience analysing sanitation-health-nutrition pathways.
• Experience with rural, urban and peri-urban sanitation and the full sanitation service chain.
• Strong quantitative skills, including scenario modelling and sensitivity analysis.
• Experience in Zimbabwe or Southern Africa is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to translate technical analysis into policy briefs and senior-level financing messages.
• Experience facilitating government validation processes and transferring economic models to national institutions.
• Fluency in English.
• Knowledge of relevant Zimbabwean languages would be an advantage for primary consultations.
• Knowledge of Shona language is a plus.

Skills

• Economic Valuation Methodologies
• WASH Economics
• Health Economics
• Development Economics
• Public Finance
• Environmental Economics
• Cost-Benefit Analysis
• Public Expenditure Analysis
• Infrastructure Investment
• National Investment Cases
• Sanitation Economics
• WASH Costing
• Sanitation Service Chain
• Scenario Modelling
• Sensitivity Analysis
• Policy Brief Writing
• Government Validation Facilitation
• Economic Model Transfer
• World Bank ESI Methodology
• SDG Sanitation Classifications

Languages

English