Nigeria: WASH Coordinator

Dec 14, 2020 | International Medical Corps
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International Medical Corps is a global humanitarian nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief and development programs.

Established in 1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses, International Medical Corps is a private, voluntary, nonpolitical, nonsectarian organization. Its mission is to improve the quality of life through health interventions and related activities that build local capacity in areas worldwide. By offering training and health care to local populations and medical assistance to people at high risk, and with the flexibility to respond rapidly to emergency situations, International Medical Corps rehabilitates devastated health care systems and helps bring them back to self-reliance.

Background

International Medical Corps has been operating in Nigeria since November 2013, and currently has projects in Kano and Borno States. In Borno, International Medical Corps has been actively implementing interventions to support vulnerable populations recently affected by conflict and displacement due to Boko Haram insurgency. Northeastern Nigeria has experienced large-scale population displacement over the last few years because of the Boko Haram insurgency. Currently it is estimated that at 8.5 million people need humanitarian assistance in the three affected states of Yobe, Adamawa and Borno in North eastern Nigeria, of these, 4.4 million are in Borno state alone. There are

1.4 million IDPs in Borno, accounting for 69% of all IDPs in the three states. The IDPs are either living in informal settlements, host communities, or government designated formal IDP camps around Maiduguri town, the capital city of Borno State.

Since Oct. 2016, International Medical Corps has been implementing Humanitarian Response projects supported by the World Food Program (WFP), UNICEF, USAID, and ECHO. These programs have focused on WASH, nutrition, health and protection/GBV activities for the most vulnerable populations of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in North East Nigeria.  WASH interventions, including construction and renovation of facilities, support to WASH at health facilities, and hygiene promotion, account for the largest percentage of our overall funding.

Job Purpose

The WASH Coordinator's role is to lead and provide technical support for planning and smooth operation of WASH activities in any defined context. This includes the active involvement in developing and rolling out the country WASH strategy based on the specific context, assessments/needs identified, program implementation of multiple WASH projects, fundraising and to ensure the smooth operation of WASH related interventions. In addition, the WASH Coordinator will support with the overall building of capacity of local staff and stakeholders in WASH.  The WASH Coordinator is a key member of the Senior Management Team, the technical liaison with the Federal and State governments of Nigeria and the WASH Sector/Cluster.  The WASH Coordinator must also guide his/her team technically while building their capacity and be responsible for ensuring that all WASH activities are compliant with Sphere standards, donor requirements and government guidelines.

Main Responsibilities

The individual will plan and implement WASH projects, foster internal and external networks with stakeholders and donors; provide technical support to the development of funding proposals. The WASH Coordinator will manage, lead and provide direction to the WASH team in line with Country priorities. In addition, where required, the Coordinator will support the program team in obtaining the required government permissions and positively engage with institutional and private donors as well as IMC HQ. Moreover, the Coordinator will ensure project monitoring, regular reviews, preparation of donor reports, capturing learnings and is able to close the project and implement exit plans.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function with or without reasonable accommodation. The tasks listed are representative of the nature and level of work assigned and are not necessarily all-inclusive

Assessment

  • Provide WASH sectoral leadership and technical support to rapid needs assessments in emergency and development contexts and their analysis and ensure their linkage to activity plans and budgets.
  • Conduct initial joint multi sector rapid assessment to depict the current humanitarian situation in collaboration with other sectoral staff and affected population; translate the needs into priorities and formulate immediate interventions activities and required resources.
  • Assess in-country resources and capacities (human, material and financial) for WASH program roll out as per agreed objectives. In addition, evaluate the strengths/gaps in the capacities.

Program Design

  • Formulate the overall aims and objectives of WASH response program through a clear WASH strategy for senior Country Management.
  • Design an appropriate overall response to the country specific needs, taking into account the needs of the community; the current levels of in country WASH capacity and the overlapping of WASH and other IMC sectors.
  • Select and design from array of appreciate technologies for water systems for the given context (communities, health facilities, camps and Schools), including source selection (ground water, surface water), abstraction, storage, treatment and distribution for new systems and/or the rehabilitation of old Water systems.
  • Select and design the most appropriate form of sanitation systems in communities, health facilities, camps and Schools to include excreta disposal, vector control, solid waste disposal, drainage. Taking full account of local conditions, resources, customs and cultural norms.
  • Select and design, in collaboration with other actors a suitable hygiene promotion program that suits the local context (communities, health facilities, camps and Schools), and would be widely accepted by beneficiaries.
  • Support further development of WASH interventions through the use of project conceptualization and planning skills such as SWOT analysis and Stakeholder mapping.
  • Ensure and advocate/lobby that WASH program design is considering Health, gender, protection, operation and maintenance and sustainability.
  • Contribute to ensuring that the response is funded through external donors, and manage (HR, admin, implementation) all aspects of WASH interventions.
  • Ensure Sphere standards both qualitative and quantitative are considered through the program cycle and are well documented.
  • Develop concept notes, letters of intent, proposals and budgets related to the above.

Management and Implementation

  • Plan, lead and manage WASH program in a phased and prioritized manner in full consultation and co-ordination with International Medical Corps’ staff and other agencies both governmental and non-governmental.
  • Lead (alongside the WASH Manager) to build the WASH team capacity to respond to the emergency and development phases.
  • Oversee and supervise all infection prevention and control (IPC) activities including supervision, mentoring, and training and clinical and non-clinical teams.
  • Mobilize and train community volunteers through the WASH team to support WASH/hygiene promotion activities at communities, health facilities, camps and Schools levels and ensure quality hygiene promotion activities are conducted regularly.
  • Ensure that the project management tools; HR plan, indicator plan, Procurement plan, Pipelines, Work plan are updated regularly.
  • Coordinate with IMC functions (logistics and finance) to conduct the technical evaluation for bidders on WASH infrastructure work.
  • Lead through the WASH team the supervision and follow up of contractors on all infrastructures under multiple donors funded projects.
  • Lead (alongside the WASH Manager) to ensure on-the-job training to the National WASH team and community-based volunteers with regard to Global WASH standards and approaches for WASH in emergencies (both hardware and software).
  • Ensure gender and protection is considered throughout the project cycle with women being enabled to influence decision- making around WASH challenges.
  • Ensure WASH program implantation is linked to other IMC key sectors health, Nutrition, gender, child protection and MHPSS.
  • Coordinate with IMC functions (HR and MEAL) to design and develop appropriate supervisory, monitoring and evaluation systems for WASH interventions.
  • Lead (alongside the WASH Manager) for oversight of WASH team workplans, vacation schedules, staff training, development and appraisals.
  • Work closely with program support functions (logistics and finance departments) for WASH program supplies and activities planning.
  • Work with the Country Team to prepare donor visits, accompany any visitors (including donors) to showcase appreciate program activities progress and achievements on the ground.

Information and Coordination

  • Impact and influence will be within their own team but will also include other parts of their program and the external public.
  • Provide regular updates and technical guidance to team on progress, priorities and challenges – verbally and in writing.
  • Represent International Medical Corps to governmental and non-governmental groups as needed and agreed with the supervisor
  • Represent International Medical Corps in WASH and relevant Cluster activities.
  • These duties and responsibilities are not comprehensive enough to describe all activities, other tasks may be assigned from time to time by the country team (CT) and/or Technical Unit (TU).

Perform other duties as assigned. The duties and responsibilities listed in this document are representative of the nature and level of work assigned and not necessarily all inclusive.

As applicable to this position, an individual must promote and encourage a culture of compliance and ethics throughout the organization and maintain a clear understanding of International Medical Corps’ and donor compliance and ethics standards and adheres to those standards.

It is all staff shared responsibility and obligation to prevent matters involving Sexual Exploitation & Abuse, Trafficking in Persons, Child Safeguarding and any suggested violation to our Code of Conduct, which may involve Conflicts of Interest, Fraud, Corruption or Harassment. If a staff see, hear or are made aware of any suggested activities then the staff has an obligation to report.

International Medical Corps is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or status as a veteran.

Qualifications:

Education

  • Minimum of bachelor's degree (masters preferred) in water and sanitation engineering, civil engineering, or relevant technical WASH specialization

Experience

  • At least five years of work experience with designing and implementing water and sanitation systems in IDPs, refugee and migrant contexts, maintaining sanitation systems, and implementing hygiene promotion programs, including 2 years in a humanitarian setting; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Competencies

  • Ability and good understanding of WASH sector and its hardware and software components
  • Demonstrated analytical, motivational, communication, project conceptualization and planning skills;
  • Experience in developing WASH strategy, clear and realistic activity planning; overseeing implementation, tracking the progress, reporting against the agreed indicators and managing project budget
  • Diverse and complex problem solving requiring professional knowledge, field experience and an understanding of both development and humanitarian work in a complex security environment.
  • Experience in emergency and early recovery phases, including assessments and the design and delivery of effective water supply and hygiene promotion interventions in humanitarian and development contexts.
  • Experience and understanding of key institutional donors’ policies, guidelines and strategies e.g. USAID, OFDA, ECHO, DFID and UN.
  • Demonstrated experience in WASH proposal development and preparation of internal and donor reports.
  • Ability to effectively present information (both written and verbally) and respond appropriately to questions from senior managers in the field and HQ, counterparts, senior government.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of linking WASH activities with other humanitarian sectors.
  • Ability to understand gender related challenges within the beneficiary groups.
  • Demonstrated experience of working closely with support functions (finance and logistics) on activity and procurement planning.
  • Ability to effectively present information and respond appropriately to questions.
  • Proficiency with MS Office Suite, Office 365, PAMS, SharePoint (minimum requirement).

Other – Languages

  • Ability to read, write, analyze and interpret, technical and non-technical in the English language is required.