Yemen: WASH Program Manager

Oct 17, 2021 | Solidarités International
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Solidarités International is a humanitarian organisation which provides aid and assistance to victims of war or natural disaster.

Solidarités International opened its mission in Yemen in 2017 with operations deployed in Lahj Governorate, for implementation of WASH and Food Security Programming. Since then, SI expanded the geographical scope of its intervention, and established offices in Al Turbah and Al Mokha in Taizz Governorate and operational presence in Hodeidah, Dahle, Marib and Abyan Governorates. In June 2021, SI started with operations in Marib governorate (Marib City, Marib Al Wadi), and is in the process of establishing permanent presence with opening a field office in Marib City.

For the year 2022, the mission has a forecasted budget of about 12.5M Euros. It operates from Aden, where the coordination is based, and 2 operational field bases located in Al Turbah and Al Mokha. SI Programming in Yemen focuses on addressing the vital needs of affected populations (IDPs and hosts) – water, food and Shelter.  This is done through timely response to displaced persons, to host communities at risk of famine, as well as providing timely response to populations faced by AWD/Cholera or other disease outbreaks. For SI, WASH is undertaken as a primary survival need for households, but more important as a contribution towards elimination of waterborne disease and generating positive impact on the health of individuals and communities. SI portfolio is primarily composed of WASH Emergency projects integrating early recovery, along with unconditional cash distribution. Strategic and institutional priorities for the mission in 2021/22 is to strengthen its Emergency Response capacity, and develop operational capacity in the Field Offices, while progressively phasing into resilience programming. SI strategy is currently aligning to SI international strategy 2020-2025, and is implemented in close coordination with Yemen Country WASH and FSL Clusters and with Government technical water authorities.

The Resilience WASH Project

The Al Mokha field office is currently implementing 3 WASH projects under a WASH Program Manager. These include a three-year Resilience WASH Project and two annual grants for protracted emergency response projects funded. This integrates an emergency alert component where SI can respond to emergency alerts in coordination with the Emergency Response Team (EPRT).

The Principal objective of the Resilience Project is to contribute to the Health and Improved living conditions of the target population through reduced morbidity and mortality caused by WASH related diseases. The specific objective is to reduce the morbidity and mortality of vulnerable populations in target communities through safe and sustainable access to WASH services. The objectives will be realized through four results: Hygiene Promotion, Sanitation, Water supply and Vector control. The total target population is 125,000 people, with 60,000 people covered through three integrated results (HP, sanitation, water supply) in West Coast and another 65,000 covered through result 4 (Vector control focusing on Dengue Fever prevention and control) implemented by a sister agency, Mentor Initiative, in Aden governorate/city only. This is a highly innovative project integrating significant amount of technical studies and research, environment friendly technology, market based approaches, partnerships with local NGOs and strong collaboration with government authorities. The project has a strong focus on durable solutions, and hence entails significant capacity building for communities, local institutions including schools and health facilities, and most importantly, local water authorities, to enable them to sustain monitoring and technical support to WASH facilities and services.

General objectives

The SI Yemen mission is looking for a highly experienced WASH project manager with a solid grasp of integrating hygiene promotion, sanitation and water supply subsectors to deliver sustainable WASH schemes in rural and water scarce contexts with high risk of cholera and other water borne outbreaks. Innovativeness, a daring attitude to try new approaches and a penchant for notoriety (the good type) are strongly desired attributes for this job, as is experience or knowledge of working with local civil society and government institutions and applying market based approaches to service delivery.

Specific stakes and challenges

Through a collegiate relationship and close consultation with the  WASH Program Manager,  the Resilience WASH project manager  oversees teams to design, cost and implement community mobilization & hygiene promotion, water supply construction and rehabilitation activities, including but not limited to pressurized systems (solar-based or diesel generators), shallow and deep borehole rehabilitation, water network expansion; sanitation facilities- including latrines, handwashing points, waste treatment facilities and solid waste disposal utilities in households, communities, public schools and health facilities. 

The WASH project manager plans and implements WASH activities of the mission in line with SI Yemen Country and WASH strategies, standard operating procedures, donor grant agreements, and Yemen Country Humanitarian Response Plan and WASH Cluster guidelines. Through systematic adherence to Project Cycle Management principles, s/he ensures the quality and relevance of SI’s WASH programs under his/her supervision, supported by the WASH Coordination unit.

He/she ensures performance planning including capacity building of the program team under his/her supervision. A special attention will be put on the capacity building of the Deputy WASH PM, the objective being to train her/him to be able to carry out management duties.

He/she is responsible for project procurement planning, initiating procurement orders in line with project BOQs, tracking of procurement progress and technical quality verification of deliveries.

In collaboration with the administrative department, he/she ensures the development of Bills of Quantities (BOQs) to feed into the budgeting process; contributes to the development of program budgets, monthly budget follow up, and project expenditure forecast.

Proactive collaboration within the WASH Cluster – through the cluster platform as well as bilateral interactions with WASH NGOs and Local Authorities at Hub/Governorate levels is a key plank of this job, as it informs and broadens the scope of SI programming on one hand, while availing opportunities for SI to influence the direction and impact of WASH interventions in Yemen.

He/she shares with the security focal points any information on the security context and any event which may have consequences on SI activities and team safety.

Strong technical support and guidance to the team is already provided by the WASH Technical unit – country coordination office and SI HQ in Paris. The focus of this position is therefore to provide strong project management back up to the WASH Program Manager in order to FastTrack the roll out of activities in the field following a long needs assessment, baseline survey and technical research phase.

Priorities for the First Months

  • To manage the recruitment, contracting, induction, deployment and oversight of national NGOs assigned to implement Community Mobilization and Hygiene Promotion activities through innovative approaches (CAP-Community Action Plan - and ABCD Hygiene promotion methodology respectively)
  • To plan and implement from scratch a voucher system for delivery of WASH NFIs and sanitation materials to most vulnerable persons.
  • To support the WASH Program Manager in FastTracking procurement planning, purchasing and budget review and tracking for the project.

Management

Mokha team is composed of approx. 35 staffs. The Field Coordinator will directly line-manage a team of 1 expatriate (1 log/adm manager) and 3 national staffs (1 Wash PM, 1 Field Coo Assistant, 1 MEAL Supervisor). The Field Coordinator directly reports to the Country Director and has strong interaction with the others coordination staffs.

Your Profile

Education and experience

  • Mandatory University Degree (Bsc) in Water Engineering, Civil Engineering, Hydraulic Engineering or Environmental Health Engineering/Science
  • Minimum of 2-3 years’ international experience as WASH Project or Program Manager –preferably in emergency cum development context
  • Strong Hygiene Promotion drive and experience or skills.
  • Previous experience providing WASH services in health facilities, including waste management systems is an added advantage.
  • Proven previous experience on rehabilitation of water networks, including solar pumping systems, borehole rehabilitation and network extension.
  • Proven previous experience working in unstable environment (conflict / post conflict country) in sensitive security context is an asset
  • Proven previous experience in performance planning, staff training and capacity building is an asset
  • Experience in remote project management and Middle-eastern countries would be an asset.
  • Experience in team management.
  • Knowledge and technical skills
  • Competence in computer and IT
  • Knowledge of WASH Market Based Approaches (MBA)
  • Knowledge of Community Mobilization approaches – especially CAP and PHAST
  • Technical knowledge on water and sanitation systems and their design (knowledge in KAP surveys, on site sanitation, WASH in health facilities, and solar pumping systems).
  • Good knowledge of project cycle management, humanitarian world, donors
  • Good and proven writing and spoken English are required.

Transferable/soft skills

  • An outstanding ability to manage heavy workload and frequent operational stress is required for this highly challenging position
  • Good conceptual, analytical and multitasking skills.
  • An innovative disposition and notoriety or audacity to try the new and untested.
  • Demonstrated report writing/editing skills
  • Good organization and multi-tasking skills.

Personal Attributes/Qualities:

  • Willingness to build capacities, train and mentor.
  • Strong interpersonal, communication and pedagogical skills.
  • Anticipation and self-organization capacities.
  • Capacity to work under pressure in a challenging security environment.

SI seeks to expand the space in terms of equality and inclusion (both organizational and programming), Women are particularly encouraged to apply for this post

SI will offer you

A salaried position: starting from 1980 euros gross per month (1800 € + 10% annual leave allowance paid monthly) and a monthly per diem of 750 USD a month. Please note that salary is not negotiable with SI.

Vacation: During the assignment, a system of alternation between work and time-off is implemented at the rate of one break after two months spent on the field. For a one-year assignment, the expatriate will have a 9 calendar days break for every 2 months spent on the field (with 850 USD allocated by Solidarités). In addition to these regular break, SI adds a day off per worked month. These days off as well as the breaks are not deducted from the paid leaves that are paid every months with your salary as they are offered by the organization.

Social and medical cover: Expatriates benefit from an insurance package which reimburses all healthcare expenses (including medical and surgical expenses, dental care and ophthalmological expenses, repatriation) and a welfare system including war risks. Essential vaccination and antimalarial treatment costs are refunded.

Security and Living Conditions

Aden: The situation in terms of security remains volatile in Aden, linked to the political tensions and presence of several armed groups competing over the control of the city. In the context of Aden however, INGOs are not a direct target. Main risks for INGOs in Aden relate to crossfire (wrong location at the wrong moment), crowd mob and road accidents. To mitigate these risks, SI has developed strict security rules that the applicant needs to be ready to abide to.

Al Mokha: The situation in terms of security remains tense in Al Mokha and its surrounding, due to the proximity of the frontline and the presence of several military groups. Main identified threats for Al Mokha are crossfire (wrong location at the wrong moment) and road accidents.

Key Information About Living Conditions

On top of the pre-existing conflict situation, the outbreak of Covid 19 has further added restrictions on free movement and socializing at both Aden and Field offices levels.  Otherwise, living conditions in Aden are good and are being constantly improved so as to retain expatriate staffs. The guesthouse and office are in the same building, which has limited outdoor space except for a large rooftop. Because of the context and nature of threats, security rules are restrictive: curfew at 10PM, movements allowed only within limited perimeters, few places authorized for expatriates. Local supermarkets are supplied with most food items we can find in Western countries, except for cheese. Most INGOs in Aden have permanent expatriate presence, and, within the limits of the curfew, social gathering can/is taking place. 

The living conditions in Al Mokha are modest, with running water and a reasonable guest house equipped with air conditioning; movements in the city are very restricted (early curfew and most of the city being considered as no-go or restricted areas). The summer season (April - September) is quite challenging due to high temperature but the rest of the seasons is manageable. Trips to the field is possible for expatriates under certain condition but are limited to keep the presence of international staff low profile. Other INGOs and UN are present in the city with permanent expatriates, opportunities for social gatherings are limited to humanitarian actors’ premises - and further compounded by the C19 situation. 

Application Process

Does this description fit you? Please send us your CV and Cover letter in English. CV only applications will not be considered.

NB : The vacancy may close before the deadline. Thank you for your comprehension

For further information about Solidarités International, please consult our website:  http://www.solidarites.org/en/