WASH Manager – OFDA Full-Time

Purpose of the position:

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Manager is responsible for overseeing, at all stages, the WASH activities of the OFDA Consortium Project under the Southern Africa Floods & Cyclone Emergency Response (SAFCER). This WV position will report to the WV OFDA Project Manager with matrix reporting to the SAFCER WASH Sector Lead. He/She will be responsible for managing the WASH component of the OFDA Consortium, and will thus be working alongside the other WASH partners in the consortium. S/he is also accountable for accomplishing the WASH program objectives and outcomes. The OFDA WASH Manager ensures the overall success of the program by making sure the consortium WASH partners completes the defined activities while adhering to agreed humanitarian, accountability and SPHERE standards and contractual obligations; and that the project is completed on time, within budget and with acceptable quality. The WASH Manager will be responsible to coordinate the consortium members to WASH coordination and Technical meetings for consistency, improvement and the capacity building of the partners’ staff to respond to emergency situations.

S/He will be responsible for:

• Providing strategic leadership and oversight to the WASH response for the OFDA project;
• Ensuring appropriate collaboration between OFDA WASH partners;
• Ensuring an inclusive approach, and an approach which integrates with Livelihood activities;
• Coordination with other WASH stakeholders;
• Ensuring that effective partnership and collaboration are maintained for advocacy, technical cooperation, program coordination, information sharing and knowledge networking;
• Technical quality of each partners WASH portfolio, coordinating partner resources to ensure that the program meets its targets and deliverables on time, within budget, and at a high level of quality;
• Ensuring accountability for the agreed WASH outcomes and overall WASH objectives;
• Ensuring close cooperation with consortium management to ensure that WASH sector achieves required level of integration within the complex program;
• Providing technical leadership and advice in the assessment, design and implementation of water supply, sanitation and hygiene promotion activities in the OFDA Project;
• Build capacity of project and consortium partner staff.

Major responsibilities:

WASH Component Management:

• Develop a coordinated project plan, ensure its smooth implementation, oversee the project implementation activities, provide overall technical direction, set objectives and targets;
• In coordination with the OFDA Program Management Unit (PMU) develop a clear vision for the program, as well as a clear and effective strategy for program implementation and evaluation and ensure that the vision and mission are aligned with contextual realities;
• Strategic direction and overall supervision and successful implementation of the WASH sector;
• Oversee WASH implementation, in cooperation with consortium members, key project stakeholders, including local nongovernmental organizations, local government officials, community-based organizations, other international agencies on the ground, and donors;
• Development and update work plans and support program team in budget management.
• Provide overarching coordination of WASH teams of expatriate and/or national staff to complete WASH sector goals on time and on budget;
• Provide technical support to the consortium WASH teams in all project sites, including the evaluation and impact analysis of current projects;
• Ensure the use of appropriate techniques and materials for hygiene promotion and training;
• Together with the consortium program managers, the WASH Manager will coordinate with other technical departments to ensure a standard approach, synergy, and sharing of information;
• With the consortium program managers, the WASH Manager will develop appropriate targeting criteria and mechanisms to ensure the needs of identified vulnerable groups are met;
• The WASH Manager will provide feedback and recommendations on the quality of WASH programs and interventions to the consortium partners;
• Support partners to develop and conduct technical WASH assessments and support the preparation and presentation of assessment findings;
• Align implementation strategies, technical guidance, between partners and customers and implementing partners;
• Oversee the preparation and submission of regular and ad hoc technical program reports that are timely and meet industry and donor requirements. Develop minimum standards for reporting;
• Work constructively with support teams to ensure sound administrative practices with regards to record keeping (data and activity related documentations), compliance with donor regulations, communications, etc;
• Ensure that partners receive an overarching snapshot on achievements across the consortium through regular reports and presentations, including trends, challenges, opportunities, and recommendations for sector improvements/adaptations;
• Through a matrix management approach, provide support to implementation teams in overseeing program staff and partner performance and quality of program implementation and if security context allows, conduct frequent field visits to all program sites. Draft and/or review scope of work to hire and manage any technical consultants, including review for technical efficacy and contract budget.

Technical Direction:

• Ensure the technical standardization of standards, approaches, tools, activities, reporting, monitoring and evaluation amongst sector partners where appropriate;
• Implement/improve WASH record keeping methods that support internal and donor reporting as appropriate;
• Provide a summary of recommended areas for sector improvement, areas of success, and lead the commencement of an action plan with WASH sector staff to evolve and make positive systems improvements where needed;
• Provide technical direction (on assessments, approaches, coordination, procurement) to consortium team.

Capacity Building:

• The WASH Manager will ensure that relevant consortium members are trained on the program technical aspects;
• The WASH Manager will support the management of the subcontractor monitoring tools;
• Supervise and monitor the development of reporting systems for data collection (qualitative and quantitative), analysis and follow-up and feedback to relevant staff, donors, partners and other agencies;
• Support partners to document lessons learned and best practices identified through their WASH programs;
• Assess the status of current WASH program, structure, functions and standards and devise a WASH program quality improvement plan in close coordination with WASH, M&E and program staff;
• Set up WASH program improvement indicators and implement WASH program improvement plan;
• Propose and implement capacity building activities aimed at enhancing skills of local WASH providers and/or partners;
• Provide performance evaluation feedback on consortium member organizations’ relevant technical staff, when requested;
• Ensure that that all WASH co-ordinators and team leaders are providing proper leadership and support to the projects according to their area of expertise and based on a defined action plan with Sector Lead.

MEAL and Evidence Base:

• Conduct field spot checks on bi-monthly basis to monitor progress of projects and discuss challenges with field teams;
• Develop and implement project measurement tools in collaboration with MEAL team;
• Coordinate with Accountability to build systems that promote beneficiary accountability by ensuring that communities participate in initial assessments and program design, specifically in the WASH programming;
• Ensure that accountability mechanisms are in place for community and stakeholders feedback on sector are reviewed with communities based on the concept of Community Based monitoring and evaluation;
• Provide technical analysis and support in the development of research for best practiced WASH designs and application of core project models in the setting;
• Develop a WASH plan aligned with the WVI Humanitarian Accountability Framework;
• Through developing specific tools and indicators to assist National offices for writing good WASH proposals;
• Support and inculcate a culture of learning between programs through consistent sharing of M&E processes and systems.

Networking and Partnerships:

• Develop and maintain relationships with consortium partners, WASH cluster, NGOs, OFDA, partners and other stakeholders, with the objective of representing the consortium, ensuring visibility, raising issues from the field and building partnership to augment the work of the consortium;
• Facilitate donor visits to project sites/offices as appropriate and ensure that up to date project details are transmitted;
• Seek out relevant networks on specific WASH-related humanitarian aid and advocacy issues;
• Represent the consortium at Mozambique based WASH cluster, working groups, with de-facto WASH structures, facilitating supportive synergies and overall progress in the WASH sector and avoiding duplication with the work of other agencies (e.g. NGOs, UN, etc);
• Seek opportunities for interagency collaboration.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Post graduate qualifications in Civil/ Environmental Engineering, public health and/or international development;
• Excellent knowledge of English. Portuguese knowledge would be an added value;
• Excellent networker;
• Ability to work in, and contribute to, a collaborative team-building environment;
• Willingness and ability to travel to project areas frequently;
• Excellent analytical/ problem solving skill and detail orientation;
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in emergency and WASH;
• Has experience in working with UN and/or INGO and other partners in the WASH sector;
• Proven ability in programme design and management including assessments, reviewing and writing grants, and evaluation;
• Proven ability in capacity building including training;
• At least 5 years in international humanitarian response and development work;
• Ability to communicate cross-culturally and sensitive to other cultures;
• Understanding of donor requirements and completion of emergency response funding and grants proposals;
• Understanding and ability to set up contracts and review tenders;
• Registration with national engineering or public health body;
• Effective in written and verbal communication in English. Portuguese an added advantage;
• Excellent computer skills.

Preferred Skills, Knowledge and Experience:

• Understanding of the humanitarian architecture and the cluster system.
• Detailed knowledge of current approaches to design and construction of small, medium and large scale community water and sanitation facilities in complex humanitarian emergency., with experience in assessing water, sanitation and hygiene promotion/public needs/actions in either a conflict/complex humanitarian emergency.
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of hygiene promotion and the relationship between WASH design and disease transmission dynamics including child and maternal mortality. In particular, to demographic and major and minor population health morbidity and mortality, the aetiology of diarrhoeal disease, arbovirus (VBDs) infections and WASHs role in the management of chronic/acute malnutrition and HIV in disease management.
• Experience in managing diverse teams.
• Ability to manage multiple grants.
• Professional experience in using community engagement practices for the assessment, design and implementation monitoring and evaluation of water, sanitation and health promotion/hygiene projects/programs.
• Demonstrated experience in working closely within a team, collaboration, or group to analyse and implement WASH programs in local community settings.
• Demonstrated experience in professional writing on disease modelling, analysis of public health practice or management including sector analysis, problem –identification and problem-solving actions.
• Experience preparing advocacy briefs and fundraising for Water sanitation and hygiene programs.
• Completed hostile environment or security training.

Work Environment/Travel:

• The position requires ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally up to 25% of the time.
• Ability to work and live in harsh situations with limited support and facilities and possible hostile environments.