Iraq: WASH Team Leader

Jan 28, 2019 | Oxfam
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Oxfam's programmes address the structural causes of poverty and related injustice and work primarily through local accountable organizations, seeking to enhance their effectiveness. Oxfam's stated goal is to help people directly when local capacity is insufficient or inappropriate for Oxfam's purposes, and to assist in the development of structures which directly benefit people facing the realities of poverty and injustice

Job Purpose - Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities Project/Programme Management:

• As a Team Leader, this position is the primary responsible for ensuring the application of appropriate project management knowledge, tools and best practices throughout the project cycle for Oxfam emergency WASH projects in the area in Ninawa. This will include multiple projects being implemented with overlapping schedules and, in some cases, integrated budgets.
• Work closely and in the spirit of partnership with supporting Oxfam departments, particularly Logistics, partnership and Finance, to ensure efficient project implementation and accurate budget planning.
• As WASH team leader, you are expected to contribute towards programme planning, budgeting and proposal development.
• Contribute to programme management committee meetings especially in addressing key decisions affecting programme.

Staff Management and Capacity Building

• Line manage designated WASH team members as required and ensure timely recruitment, training and supervision of all staff. This may involve writing work schedules, training plans, performance objective setting and appraisals
• Ensure that all designated WASH staff are aware of and abide by key internal and external protocols and principles (e.g. Red Cross Code of Conduct, SPHERE standards, People in Aid, Oxfam’s Code of Conduct).

Programme assessment and design:

In collaboration with line management (direct and technical advisors)

• As a Team Leader, lead and facilitate in-depth assessments in targeted geographical areas. This should be in collaboration with MEAL team and other sectors to ensure a multi sector approach.
• Design, plan and train partners and WASH staff on WASH and multi sector assessments.
• Analyse needs and vulnerability data to plan and lead the WASH response.
• Coordinate with other WASH actors, UN coordination groups, and local authorities to prioritise area of most need, a harmonised need assessment and analysis methodology etc.
• With the support of WASH staff and the WASH Coordinator Iraq, ensure appropriate design of all aspects, including hardware, software, sustainability aspects such as water management or community project committees, along with cross-cutting issue – in particular gender mainstreaming.
• Participate in WASH related strategic studies, research projects undertaken at country level, including market assessment, surveys, etc.
• Contribute to revision of WASH strategy, concept development and relevant program design

Programme implementation:

• Within the scope of donor contracts, and in coordination with the local authorities, UN coordination groups and local partners, develop and implement an integrated emergency WASH setup to address the immediate needs of targeted beneficiaries, including provision safe water, improved sanitation, and facilitation of improved hygiene behaviour.
• Work closely with Oxfam Logistic team to ensure all required goods and materials are requested and delivered to field sites in timely manner and also prepositioning of emergency supplies are procured and put in place in ware houses well on time in advance.
• Work with local authorities, Oxfam security and access team to ensure legal access to the target area is granted in advance for emergency response as needed
• To prepare/review BOQs/drawings for W ASH infrastructure activities and also tender documents in coordination with logistic teams.
• To ensure contractors and service providers payments are processed well on time in collaboration with finance and logistic teams upon completion of work.
• Ensure that the emergency WASH team work in an integrated way with all programme sectors aimed at achieving optimum involvement of and benefit for beneficiaries from Oxfam’s WASH activities.
• Monitor the impact and effectiveness of activities and the ongoing evolving humanitarian needs in coordination with other actors.
• Work closely with the sanitation and hygiene activities of the public health promotion team, and make cross-cutting recommendations for actions which are consistent with Oxfam’s policies.
• Work closely with emergency preparedness team and WASH coordinator to provide inputs to update the contingency plan.
• Link local, national and global issues internally to programme policy staff, and externally to the WASH sector, and humanitarian coordination hubs.
• Work in conjunction with the logistics, HR and finance teams when developing procurement / delivery / contingency plans, resourcing needs & recruitment processes and budget plans / expenditure; respectively.

Programme approach:

• Ensure that an empowering approach to working with communities and partners is employed and that the full and equal participation of women in all aspects of the work is promoted.
• Ensure that interventions strive to conform to SPHERE standards and adhere to OGB’s guidelines and protocols
• Ensure that the programme is accountable to beneficiaries through promoting their participation, providing them with information about programme activities and ensuring that beneficiary feedback is used effectively to adapt the programme.
• Collaborate with Emergency Food Security and Protection colleagues to ensure that EFSL / Protection and WASH interventions are integrated and presented in a coherent way to emergency affected communities.

Programme monitoring and reporting:

• In collaboration with MEAL team Contribute to the effective monitoring of WASH activities, ensuring monitoring and evaluation plans are developed and data is reported and disseminated appropriately and in a timely manner.
• Coordinate with health providers to ensure that epidemiological data is made available to monitor disease trends (where applicable)
• Provide regular reports using OGB reporting formats at designated intervals.
• Primary responsible for WASH inputs for donor reports – to be finalized with the support of the WASH Coordinator.
• In coordination with the MEAL team, responsible for ensuring feedback and complaint response mechanisms are set up and functioning and all complaints are resolved in a timely manner.

Staff Management and Capacity Building

• Manage staff reporting to the position and objectively manage performance and conduct appraisal and capacity building.
• Ensure that all designated WASH staffs are aware of and abide with key internal and external protocols and principles (e.g. Red Cross Code of Conduct, People in Aid, Oxfam’s Code of Conduct).
• Continuous capacity building for WASH staff i.e. trainings, on job coaching, exposure visits within teams in different program areas

Co-ordination and Representation

• Represent Oxfam at WASH coordination meetings and Mosul/Anbar emergency preparedness and response planning meetings in the designated area of operation.
• Co-ordinate all public health engineering activities with interventions managed by UN agencies, local and international NGOs, government agencies and the WASH Consortium to ensure efficiency and avoid overlap of activities. Represent Oxfam at technical working groups at a local level ensuring compatibility with overall commitments and policy/programme priorities in public health.

Technical Skills, Experience & Knowledge Essential

• A suitable qualification in any discipline relating to Public Health or / Public Health Engineering is the necessary educational background. Experience could substitute for a formal qualification, but not vice versa.
• At least 3 years’ practical experience in managing appropriate water supplies, sanitation and hygiene promotion interventions.
• The post holder should have a good understanding of the public health needs of poor rural and urban communities and of appropriate ways of tackling them. The post holder must be aware of and sensitive to the particular needs of women in this context.
• The ability to present concise reports, sometimes at short notice, reflecting the problems and possible solutions for particular situations.
• Diplomacy, tact and administrative skills in order to work with people at managerial and, on occasions, senior government levels. The post holder should also be at ease in working with local people.
• Well-developed interpersonal and team skills and proven ability to be flexible in demanding situations.
• Good written and spoken English is very essential.
• Sympathy with the aims and objectives of Oxfam
• Commitment to humanitarian principles and action, and to Oxfam’s equal opportunity and gender policies.