Central African Republic: WASH Programme Manager

Nov 12, 2018 | Concern Worldwide
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Concern Worldwide is Ireland's largest aid and humanitarian agency. Since its foundation 50 years ago it has worked in 50 countries and currently employs 3,200 staff in 26 countries around the world.

About the role

This is a 12 month replacement role with unaccompanied terms based in Kouango, Central African Republic (CAR) with a salary of €35811 - €39,790

You will report to the Kouango Area Coordinator, and will line manage the WASH Assistant Programme Manager, and liaise with the Country Director, Programme Director, Logistics Coordinator, Base Manager, Country Financial Manager, HR Manager, Admin Support Officer, Kouango Finance Officer, Kouango Logistics Officer and Kouango M&E Officer.

We would like you to start on 1st February 2019

Your purpose: The purpose of the WASH Programme Manager is to provide support on both hardware and software project components and ensure the project is implemented in line with the proposal and project plan. Whilst there is one WASH Assistant Programme Manager to supervise the day-to-day field operations, the WASH Programme Manager will provide oversight and lead on technical WASH areas as well as providing support to district level coordination of WASH activities and actors.

You will be responsible for:

Programme Management

  • Manage the technical aspect of the WASH Project in Kouango giving support to the Concern WASH team during planning, designing and implementation of WASH Activities. Support other WASH interventions as required
  • Provide effective and efficient management of the project implementation in line with the project proposals and donors requirements and ensure timely production and submission of project reports and budget revisions
  • Promote and ensure appropriate participation and equitable access of beneficiaries and communities through appropriate mechanisms
  • Participate in conducting joint assessments and planning responses together with other teams and follow up on the recommendations & assist in the development of funding proposals as relevant to support the WASH programme in Kouango

Technical programming:

  • Provide support and implement WASH projects with particular focus on engineering (water supply and sanitation) and sustainability of WASH interventions, and links to Hygiene Promotion
  • Provide technical support and guidance to the engineers on preparing technical drawings and technical specifications for tenders
  • Provide technical support and guidance to the Hygiene Promotion officer in designing effective hygiene promotion campaigns

Coordination and Leadership:

  • Share information on Concern’s activities and intervention and promote good relations and collaboration with other actors
  • Actively participate in interagency WASH coordination with relevant WASH actors at District level and participate to the national WASH cluster meeting when appropriate.
  • Develop strategies and plans that contribute to raising the profile of Concern as an expert organization in the WASH sector

Monitoring and Evaluation:

  • Work closely with field teams on objectives, indicators and activities and develop clear monitoring frameworks for each project in collaboration with the M & E Officer and Programme Director.
  • Maintain an effective monitoring and planning system, which informs reporting and project design.
  • Work with the team to identify and document project learning and success cases and disseminate learning.

Monitoring and Evaluation/Accountability:

  • Ensure effective implementation of the M&E plan, ensuring accurate information is collected and analysed for all programme components. Ensure that impacts or problems are identified clearly discussed in the team and community and fed back into the programming.
  • Concern is committed to increasing its accountability to different stakeholders, and particularly to beneficiaries. Working with the support of the Programme Director, ensure the Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS) of accountability benchmarks are understood by team members and appropriately incorporated into programme activities.
  • As part of the accountability initiative, participate in the implementation of the Complaints Response Mechanism (CRM) and ensure that programme information is clearly communicated to communities.

Financial Management:

  • Produce timely and accurate budgets and budget revisions for the projects while building the capacities of the WASH assistant to improve his budget management skills
  • Manage the projects budget and ensure expenditure is in line within agreed projects plans and budgets.
  • Ensure that project expenditure is undertaken in line with finance policies and procedures, and that resources are optimally utilised.
  • Take overall budget responsibility for WASH Programme in Kouango

Security

  • As a senior staff member in the Kouango team, participate into the security management and the risks mitigation in the area.
  • In close collaboration with the Area Coordinator, ensure that all the members of the WASH team knows and comply with the Security Management Plan (SMP) and the security SOPs. Ensure that the WASH activity planning are prepared in line with the staff movements’ regulations and the contextual security constraints.
  • Inform the Area Coordinator (or the Base Manager or a SMT member the case may be) immediately of any security information or alert received.

Staff Management and Development:

  • Direct line management of one WASH Assistant Programme Manager
  • Participate in the recruitment of in-country WASH staff. This includes preparation of job requisitions and job descriptions.
  • Establish clear performance objectives for each of the reporting staff and conduct formal Performance and Development Reviews (PDRs).
  • Support the WASH team in identifying training needs and help the team design and facilitate appropriate training and follow up models.
  • Build the capacity of the current WASH Assistant Programme Manager, WASH Technicians and Hygiene Promotion Officers on technical WASH interventions and software considerations.

Other:

  • Ensure team members are aware of core Concern policies and procedures relevant to their work, and with the support of others, carry out regular briefings on these policies, including the P4, security management, accountability etc. Contribute to the implementation of these policies.
  • Together with other project teams members, ensure HIV & AIDS, inequality and risk and vulnerability are analysed, mitigated against and responded to during the overall planning, implementation and management of the WASH project

Education, Qualifications & Experience Required:

  • Qualifications in a discipline related to WASH, Civil Engineering and/or Environmental Health.
  • Practical experience in managing water and sanitation projects (spring catchment, hand pump repair, construction of wells, low cost sanitation etc.) sustainability of water points, training of WASH committees etc.
  • Experience with water testing and analysis.
  • Good spoken and written French & English.
  • A proven record of effective project and people management.
  • Experience of coordinating WASH activities
  • Sensitivity to cultural differences, and the ability to work in a wide variety of cultural contexts.
  • Excellent teamwork skills and the ability to build good relations both internally and externally.
  • Experience of building capacity of internal and partner staff
  • Experience in report and proposal writing.
  • Proven financial management skills.
  • Commitment to Concern’s ethos and values.
  • Sound IT skills, including Word and Excel.

We would also like:

  • Familiarity with logistics, HR, Finance, and administrative processes of Concern.
  • Understanding and experience of mainstreaming issues of gender equity, ethnicity and HIV and AIDS into project planning and implementation.
  • Proven influencing and negotiating skills with internal and external audiences,
  • Experience of working in Africa (or elsewhere under similar conditions) would be an advantage.
  • Knowledge on using engineering software including AutoCad and GIS.
  • Ability to organize and prioritize workload, using initiative when appropriate.
  • Good team player, flexible and capable of working with a multinational country team, politically and culturally sensitive.
  • Ability to cope with stress; work under pressure often to strict deadlines.
  • Facilitation and interpersonal skills.
  • Analytical and problem solving skills.