Yemen: Wash Cluster Co-Coordinator

Jun 17, 2018 | Oxfam
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Oxfam is a leading International NGO with a worldwide reputation for excellence and over 70 years of experience. Oxfam’s humanitarian, development and campaigning projects change lives around the world. The overall objective is to ensure the WASH Cluster is functionally achieving effective humanitarian coordination in the field of WASH response in Yemen. The specific objective of the agreement is to ensure an active involvement of NGO WASH stakeholders in Cluster activities to ensure a coherent and effective response by WASH partners in a strategic manner to a humanitarian crisis.

The three expected results are as follows:

  • NGOs concerns and priorities are adequately brought up to WASH co-lead
  • WASH stakeholders are encouraged to participate in WASH Cluster events
  • WASH Cluster coordination effectiveness is reinforced

Oxfam as the NGO Co-Lead Agency for WASH will appoint a Cluster Co-Coordinator, full time and fully independent from Oxfam WASH programs. The WASH Co-Coordinator will be reporting to Oxfam for all contractual arrangements and will be accountable to the NGOs (both international and national) partners of the cluster.

Key Responsibilities:

The role of the cluster coordinator (and Co-Coordinator) as set out in the IASC ‘Operational guidance generic terms of reference for cluster coordinators at the country level’ is to lead and facilitate cluster coordination and with the ‘lead’ ensure the cluster core functions as defined in the “IASC Reference Module for Cluster Coordination and Co-lead coordinator at the Country Level’. The cluster Coordinators will work impartially, serving the needs of all members of the WASH cluster and should work closely with the cluster co-coordinator and the Humanitarian/Resident Coordinator, as appropriate. The cluster coordinator will be responsible for:

Establishment and maintenance of appropriate humanitarian coordination mechanisms

  • Ensure inclusion of key WASH humanitarian partners in a way that respects their mandates and programme priorities. Act as focal point for inquiries on the WASH cluster’s response plans and operations
  • Ensure appropriate coordination between all WASH humanitarian partners, through establishment/maintenance of appropriate WASH Cluster coordination mechanisms, including working groups at the national and, if necessary, local level.
  • Secure commitments from WASH humanitarian partners in responding to needs and filling gaps, ensuring an appropriate distribution of responsibilities within the WASH group, with clearly defined focal points for specific issues where necessary.
  • Promote WASH emergency response actions while at the same time considering WASH within early recovery planning as well as prevention and risk reduction concerns. Ensure effective links with other Clusters.
  • Represent the interests of the WASH Cluster in discussions with the Humanitarian Coordinator and other stakeholders on prioritization, resource mobilization and advocacy.
  • Maintain information on all current and potential WASH partners, their capacities and areas of work (including Who, What, Where and by When).
  • Ensure appropriate links with national and local authorities, State institutions, local civil society and other relevant actors and ensure appropriate coordination and information exchange with them.
  • Promote integration of agreed priority cross-cutting issues in WASH assessments, analysis, planning, monitoring and response (e.g. age, diversity, environment, gender, HIV/AIDS and human rights);

Needs assessment and Emergency preparedness

  • Ensure effective and coherent WASH assessment and analysis, involving all relevant partners. Promote and adopt standardized methods, tools and formats for common use for needs assessments and analysis. Promote joint needs assessments and analysis with other clusters, especially Health, Nutrition and Shelter.
  • Developing/updating agreed WASH response strategies and action plans and ensuring that these are adequately reflected in the overall country strategies (Humanitarian Response Plan – HRP).
  • Ensure adequate WASH related contingency planning and preparedness for potential significant changes in the nature of the emergency
  • Promote integration of agreed priority cross-cutting issues in WASH assessments, analysis, planning, monitoring and response (e.g. age, diversity, environment, gender, HIV/AIDS and human rights);

Advocacy and resource mobilization

  • Identify core advocacy concerns, including resource requirements, and contribute key messages to broader advocacy initiatives of the HC and other actors;
  • Advocate for donors to fund humanitarian actors to carry out priority activities in the sector concerned, while at the same time encouraging sectoral group participants to mobilize resources for their activities through their usual channels.
  • Lobby for implementing humanitarian partners (including UNICEF) to address the gaps, with advice/support from the HC and support from other humanitarian partners will advocate, as appropriate, on the adequate provision of resources and safe access.
  • Be committed to putting aside their organisational interest and work on behalf of all cluster members equally;

Training and capacity building

  • Promote and support training of WASH humanitarian personnel and capacity building of humanitarian partners, based on the mapping and understanding of available capacity. Support efforts to strengthen the WASH capacity of the national/local authorities and civil society.
  • Developing/updating agreed WASH response strategies and action plans and ensuring that these are adequately reflected in the overall country strategies (Humanitarian Response Plan – HRP).
  • Ensure that WASH cluster partners are aware of relevant policy guidelines, technical standards and relevant commitments that the Government/concerned authorities have undertaken under international human rights law. Ensure that WASH responses are in line with existing policy guidance, technical standards, and relevant Government human rights legal obligations.

Monitoring and reporting

  • Ensure adequate monitoring mechanisms are in place (with OCHA support) to review impact of WASH interventions and progress against implementation plans
  • Ensure predictable action within the sectoral group for the following: Identification of gaps, drawing lessons learned from past activities and developing an exit, or transition, strategy for the sectoral group
  • Ensure adequate WASH related contingency planning and preparedness for potential significant changes in the nature of the emergency

In addition, the WASH Cluster Co-Coordinator, as a representative of NGO interests in the WASH Cluster will:

  • Be committed to putting aside their organisational interest and work on behalf of all WASH cluster members equally;
  • Provide support to all of the above cluster core functions and where appropriate deputise in the absence of the National WASH Cluster Coordinator.
  • Specifically act as the focal point for communication with all sub-national focal points and IFRR and IDP response.
  • Maintain good relationships with all relevant stakeholder counterparts
  • Stand in for the National WASH Cluster Coordinator, where and when necessary in meetings and in other external fora related to the WASH cluster.
  • Represent WASH cluster in Technical working groups formed by WASH Cluster.
  • Permanent member of the cluster strategic Advisory group (SAG)

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

General requirements

  • Be technically competent in the WASH sector and in the cluster approach;
  • Demonstrate personal and professional integrity in all interactions;
  • Be able to work with diverse stakeholders to develop consensus;
  • Know how to present ideas effectively and clearly while listening and acknowledging others’ perspectives and views;
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the international humanitarian response and coordination mechanisms, and humanitarian reform;
  • Able to develop a cluster strategy and to clarify complex strategies for operational implementation;
  • Understand the links between emergency response, recovery, and the transition to development.

Specific qualifications

These are skills, knowledge and experience that are important for effective performance.

  • University degree in WASH with a minimum of 5 years’ experience in Humanitarian assistance.
  • Strong leadership and coordination skills.
  • Considerable relevant field experience in WASH projects in humanitarian and development programs preferable with non-governmental organizations and in more than one country.
  • Experience and/or understanding of WASH related issues in humanitarian and development context.
  • Experience in management and capacity building of teams in complex contexts.
  • Proven record of training/skills development of individuals and teams, including partner organizations.
  • Proven ability to analyse complex humanitarian and recovery contexts at local and national level, monitor changes and translate into appropriate strategic planning
  • Good assessment, analytical, monitoring and evaluating and planning skills and project management skills to enable program delivery.
  • Ability to consolidate and triangulate information received from various sources
  • Good communication skills
  • Working experience in Yemen is preferred