DRC: Emergency WASH Officer

Oct 21, 2019 | Mercy Corps
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Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps has been operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since August 2007, with a staff of over 300 people working in Eastern DRC, with the overall country goal to support vulnerable communities through crises, while fostering programs that build resilience and promote long-term change. Mercy Corps’ national office is in Goma with sub-field offices in North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri. Mercy Corps’ key programming areas include a combination of longer-term development and immediate humanitarian response programs in order to:

  1. Improve water service delivery and ensuring equitable access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene services, in urban and rural areas;
  2. Improve food security and nutrition;
  3. Promote diversified livelihoods, economic recovery and development.

Mercy Corps DRC’s humanitarian programs aim specifically to assist populations affected by the conflict and crisis in Eastern Congo. With funding from humanitarian donors including ECHO, OFDA, DFID and UN-donors, the humanitarian portfolio continues to expand in order to provide multi-purpose cash assistance and emergency WASH to displaced and host populations. Mercy Corps plans to scale up and expand its humanitarian response to reach more beneficiaries with additional and varied assistance in a wider geographic area. All Mercy Corps interventions in DRC are implemented in a conflict and gender sensitive manner.

General Position Summary

The Emergency WASH Officer is responsible for assisting in the coordination and implementation of emergency WASH interventions. The WASH Officer will assist The Emergency WASH Manager in the creation of technical tools, new methodologies for implementation, supervision of interventions, and the development of new programs and proposals. Monitoring and evaluation, donor reporting, and building the program management (including M&E, communication, financial management and reporting) skills of key national team members will also be essential responsibilities.

The Emergency WASH Officer is an effective communicator able to work with internal and external stakeholders to achieve common objectives. S/he will be will demonstrate strong interest in Emergency WASH programming, as well as management. S/he will demonstrate strong knowledge of security protocols and processes and be willing to spend long periods of time in possibly insecure deep field locations with basic accommodation and limited access to internet, phone reception.

S/he will have strong technical skills.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Technical Assistance

  • Assist in coordination of the program with internal and external actors, delivering assistance to the most vulnerable and using program capacity effectively.
  • The development of detailed implementation plans, maintaining WASH rapid response capacity, and monitoring program delivery in line with Mercy Corps minimum standards for WASH.
  • Monitor and assist in the delivery of donor requirements.
  • Ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities, authorities and partners and consistent with Mercy Corps’ relevant program guidelines, principles, values, quality standards and strategic plan (such as Mercy Corps’ Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and beneficiary accountability standards).
  • Assist in the creation and delivery of trainings for national team members, in collaboration with the WASH Manager.
  • Ensure program implementation is on time, target and budget, using effective MEL systems to achieve the desired impact.
  • Assist with the creation of new approaches and methodologies for WASH programming in DRC
  • Assist in the development of technical tools and training programs.
  • Assist in the development of new and innovative programming, including proposal writing, budget creation, implementation planning, set up, and delivery.
  • Assist team in accurate and timely reporting of WASH activities, in accordance with Mercy Corps and donor requirements.

Financial and Operational Management

  • Collaborate and communicate with finance, procurement, logistics, HR and admin teams in an effective and inclusive way, ensuring WASH program planning is participatory of support departments.
  • Monitor procurement and logistic planning, ensuring WASH goods/services meet specifications and are procured/delivered to field sites in a timely way.
  • Ensure effective and transparent use and documentation of financial resources by all staff in compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures.
  • In collaboration with operations teams, monitor WASH asset and stock management.
  • Assist in monitoring the program budgets, including tacking of program spending, financial obligations, and projected spending.
  • Ensure that incoming staff have all the necessary equipment and proper induction schedule.

Coordination and Representation

  • Host and ensure logistic support for donor or other stakeholders field visits including donors, partners, and technical support visits.
  • Participate in NGO sector coordination groups and identify areas for coordination and collaboration.

Security

  • Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.

Organizational Learning

  • As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries

  • Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Knowledge and Experience

  • BA/S or engineering, international development or other relevant field.
  • 1-3 years of implementing WASH programs in Africa or rural/peri-urban settings, experience in DRC a plus.
  • Experience with Cash for Work, durable WASH infrastructure and emergency WASH required.
  • Experience or familiarity with behavior change communication a plus.
  • Demonstrated flexibility, excellent communication, planning and problem solving skills required.
  • Experience with the development, implementation & compliance of emergency donors such as DFID, OFDA, and/or ECHO.
  • Understanding of best practices for gender and protection mainstreaming in WASH programs required.
  • Ability to effectively represent Mercy Corps and its interests to key stakeholders.
  • Experience working with host governments and national NGOs.
  • Excellent oral and written French skills required, English a plus.
  • Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.
  • Knowledge of Sphere standards and other training in humanitarian response required.

Success Factors

The successful WASH Officer will have the ability to combine exceptional management skills and strong technical management skills. S/he will demonstrate strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills and be committed to the values and mission of Mercy Corps. S/he will take initiative and contribute to team efforts, as well as demonstrate an ability to communicate, and make solid. S/he will be able to creatively problem-solve, juggle multiple priorities under tight deadlines, and to calmly and diplomatically deal with unexpected and sudden events impacting program operations. Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines, and work independently and cooperatively with team members is required. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

This position is an unaccompanied position. Shared housing will be provided in Goma according to Mercy Corps DRC housing policy. Goma is a provincial capital of over 800,000 inhabitants. Travel may be required up to 40% of the time to program areas within North and South Kivu. Living in Goma is comfortable, although water and electricity can be unstable. Outside Goma, travel can be dangerous and unpredictable due to armed forces and rebel activity.

While security is quite stable in Goma, North and South Kivu continue to be an arena of violence and insecurity. Mercy Corps' sub-offices experience variable levels of insecurity, with the situation closely monitored by UN peacekeepers. Air travel is necessary to get from one end of the country to the other.  Mobile phones and cellular service are widely available. Internet is available in all Mercy Corps offices. Travel to field sites will be required where living conditions are clean and secure, but basic. There are a number of health services available with evacuation options for serious illnesses. There is reasonable access to most consumer goods, although they can be expensive.

Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues. Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.