Somalia: WASH & Construction Coordinator

Jul 19, 2023 | Concern Worldwide
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This is a 2-year role with unaccompanied terms based in Mogadishu with frequent visits to Hargeisa and Baidoa (approx. 40%), other programme areas plus occasional meetings/workshops in Nairobi. The role has an annual salary of Band 4 (€44,133– €49,038). The coordinator will report to the Programme Director (PD). They will directly line manage one Deputy Construction Manager, three WASH Engineers and one WASH Officer. They will liaise closely with: Programme Coordinators/Managers, MEAL Manager, Grants & Information Manager, Somaliland Coordinator, Country Finance Controller (CFC) and team, Logistics Manager and team, HR Manager, Systems Director (SD), plus HQ Engineering and WASH Advisors. Hopeful start date in August 2023.

Purpose

The coordinator will provide strategic management and technical leadership to Concern’s diverse portfolio of WASH and Construction interventions across emergency response and development programming (Durable Solutions, Resilience, Education and Health and Nutrition). Line managing a team of WASH and Construction engineers and officers, they will:

  • Lead both hardware infrastructure (water supply, sanitation facilities, roads, school buildings, clinics…) and software (hygiene promotion, behaviour change, nutrition-sensitive approaches…) components;
  • Ensure efficient, effective planning, design, coordination and management of site/field activities;
  • Provide technical WASH and Construction inputs to proposals and for internal and external reporting;
  • Ensure quality and accountability through design, implementation (direct or through contractors), monitoring and evaluation;
  • Seek timely advice, inputs and approvals from HQ WASH and Construction Technical Advisors;
  • Collaborate with Programme Managers/Coordinators to effectively integrate WASH and Construction with other programme components, and with Logistics for procurements and works contracting;
  • Lead capacity-building efforts for staff and relevant focal points from partners in coordination with local Government per identified needs;
  • Represent Concern and coordinate effectively with relevant Government authorities, Clusters, Consortia and Donors at request of line manager, and maintain relationships with WaSH systems strengthening partners such as Agenda for Change.

The coordinator will be responsible for

Strategic Leadership and Quality Assurance

  • Develop and continuously review WASH and Construction strategies, manuals, programme approaches and quality standards to appropriately address priority needs and accommodate shifting and/or emerging field context and opportunities in consultation with HQ team.
  • Ensure a creative, integrated, multi sectoral and holistic approach to WASH programme interventions; assist Concern’s team in finding ways to integrate/link and combine hardware and software components as suitable for emergency, durable solutions and resilience programming respectively.
  • Ensure that sufficient attention is provided to both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ WASH programming aspects
  • Develop strategies and plans that contribute to raising the profile of Concern as an expert organization in the WASH and Construction sector
  • Ensure compliance with Concern’s engineering and WASH standards and operating procedures (SoPs), all relevant Government regulations and industry standards and guidelines, and with SPHERE Standards.
  • Proactively seek technical support and follow up on advice from Concern’s HQ WASH & Engineering Technical Advisors on quality assurance (review and approvals), emerging trends and best practices in WASH programming.
  • Generate requisite technical designs and documentation for the various infrastructure needs of the programmes being supported in consultation with technical advisors.

Project Implementation and Technical Oversight

  • Lead implementation of WASH and Construction activities as outlined in approved proposals and work plans – be they standalone or part of integrated programmes – in compliance with donor and internal guidelines and requirements
  • Lead effective project management of all WASH & Construction activities using relevant tools and support to respective programme teams ensuring accountable, timely implementation and achievement of activities/milestones.
  • Conduct regular team meetings and interaction with local partners to remain updated on progress towards agreed implementation milestones, challenges encountered; provide feedback on programme quality and technical backstopping; identify capacity gaps and conduct technical capacity strengthening. Document, file and appropriately share minutes of such meetings.
  • Conduct regular reviews on progress of implementation plans and challenges to ensure timely information flow to respective Programme coordinators/managers with support of PD.
  • Lead and support development of Terms of References, BoQs, designs/drawings, scopes of works and technical specifications for WASH and construction-related contracts and consultancies; and review technical reports to ensure quality.
  • Provide technical support to local partners on relevant activities under their direct implementation.
  • Develop contingency plans with Programme coordinators/managers to enable timely response to serious environmental health outbreaks (including WASH hardware and software aspects).e.g. AWD/Cholera, Covid-19.
  • In collaboration with Programme Coordinators/Managers, Logistics and Finance colleagues, lead development and monitoring of WASH and construction procurement plans and budgets.
  • Collaborate with Logistics Manager and relevant colleagues in contractor procurements and contracting, ensuring timely start of processes per project work plans agreed with Programme coordinators/managers.
  • Together with Logistics, lead preparation of all documentation (tendering and contract) related to procurement of works and services contracts; ensure timely collaboration with and sign- off from HQ Advisors as appropriate
  • Provide timely expert inputs to (joint) Procurement Committees
  • Support development of management structures and plans for WASH and other infrastructure that is put in place by the programme, including public-private partnerships, community structures or other as appropriate
  • Support development and implementation of Environmental and Social Management Frameworks and Plans linked to construction activities where required

Project Development and Reporting

  • Lead in developing WASH and Construction inputs for concept notes, proposals, and budgets in consultation with PD, Coordinators/Managers, Grants Manager, Finance and Logistics teams, as stand-alone or part of an integrated programme.
  • Collaborate closely with Programme Coordinators/Managers to undertake needs assessments that capture priorities of targeted communities especially the most vulnerable people within them.
  • Ensure that cross cutting issues including gender equity, conflict sensitivity, DRR and protection are mainstreamed into WASH hardware and software components
  • Regularly report on WASH activities, outcomes and lessons learnt and ensure they are incorporated in future program designs
  • Prepare (inputs to) quality reports for internal and donor purposes and share timely with Grants Manager; clearly capturing status against agreed work plans and logframe indicators, plus challenges encountered/overcome related to progress or quality issues.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning

  • Ensure that a strong monitoring and evaluation system is in place for WASH activities (hardware and software) and that data from key indicators is collected, analysed and utilized on an ongoing basis
  • Collaborate with MEAL team to advise on and apply SMART logframe indicators, assessment and monitoring tools (quantitative/qualitative) for WASH and construction interventions.
  • Conduct regular site/field monitoring visits (where/when security permits); provide feedback and recommendations to direct team and relevant Programme Coordinator/Managers, highlighting clearly and following up on any remedial actions required.
  • Provide timely feedback on quality issues and complaints from programme participants and stakeholders to Programme Coordinators/Managers after field visits
  • Provide timely guidance and response on WASH feedback channelled through Concern Complaints Response Mechanism.
  • Lead learning sessions with WASH team and document lessons and case studies, and support initiatives to improve quality of WASH and construction components as part of broader programming and learning.
  • Review approaches to accommodate shifting and/or emerging field contexts and trends, and propose relevant innovative interventions in terms of infrastructure/construction as well as key aspects of behaviour change and hygiene promotion work.
  • Where security does not permit in-person visits by the coordinator, ensure that systematic and innovative monitoring methods are used to track and follow up on construction activities – through GPS-marked photographic evidence, WhatsApp groups with engineers and partners and others
  • Maintain a database of construction activities carried out in Somalia/Somaliland and ensure that designs, locations, details and lessons learned are systematically captured

Staff Management and Capacity Building

  • Support timely recruitment of WASH staff (Engineers and WASH officers) in coordination with PD and induct, train, mentor and supervise as required
  • Line manage direct reports and contribute to staff performance development and development Review (PDR) on annual basis including for relevant staff with dual reporting lines.
  • Identify capacity-building needs for WASH team and implementation partners on WASH hardware and software elements e.g. hardware design and BoQs, hygiene promotion supervision of hardware and software activities, WASH system strengthening etc., and lead roll out of capacity building plan to address those needs through on job support, workshops and site visits.
  • Develop, document and roll out written protocols, operating procedures and technical training materials for programme staff and partners, to strengthen Concern’s WASH and construction sector interventions.
  • Support application of Concern’s Code of Conduct and Associated Policies and the Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability (CHS)
  • Ensure direct and indirect reports are aware of and support their adherence to Safety and Security protocols as well as other key Concern policies, raising relevant concerns and issues timely to management.
  • Lead the training of National staff and partners in the use of the latest programme-related software and programmes.

Coordination and Representation

  • Represent Concern in relevant forums and meetings organized by the Ministry, Grant Agent or Donor. i.e. WASH Cluster (including the Strategic Advisory Group), Consortia; provide timely information arising and feedback from meetings to relevant program teams
  • Prepare and regularly update the 4W Matrix for Somalia/Somaliland and upload on sharepoint.
  • Ensure effective coordination and collaboration with key stakeholders (Government Representatives, Community Leads, other agencies implementing in the area/sector) for non-duplication of efforts etc. in collaboration with relevant program coordinators/managers
  • Lead in coordination of all WASH and construction consultancies as need arises.

Others

  • Undertake other related duties as may reasonably be assigned by the line manager or Programme Director

Skills and experience

Essential:

  • Degree in WASH or Construction related discipline (Civil Engineering, Water Engineering, Environmental Health, Hydrology, Geology, Mechanical Engineering, Public health etc.)
  • At least 5 years of hands-on WASH and/or Construction experience; at least 3 years at management level.
  • Experience of household and community-level hygiene and sanitation promotion, behaviour-change techniques, community mobilization, participatory planning and environmental conservation.
  • Working experience in the design of complex infrastructure including water and sanitation infrastructure and utilities, buildings, roads.
  • Ability to conduct a detailed structural appraisal, development of tender documentation to include bills of quantities, technical specifications, draft contracts, drawings, structural designs and plans.
  • Working experience of applying SPHERE standards and understanding of key Accountability principles (CHS).
  • Highly organised, with proven ability to oversee and prioritise multiple projects in parallel.
  • Strong skills and experience in project planning, management, monitoring and evaluation (including familiarity with key WASH and construction process and outcome indicators), budget development and expenditure monitoring
  • Significant experience managing private sector works contractors in complex operational contexts.
  • Excellent collaborative report writing and proposal development skills in the English language.
  • Experience in staff and partner management and capacity building
  • Experience working on projects funded by major institutional donors (e.g. DFID, EU, World Bank, Global Partnership for Education, Education Cannot Wait, UN SHF, USAID, Irish Aid) and ensuring compliance.
  • Proven ability to work collaboratively with and represent an organisation to a variety of stakeholders including at senior levels, e.g. Government, Clusters, Consortia, peer NGOs.
  • Proficiency in MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Project) and working knowledge of AutoCAD, ArchiCAD, MS Project, structural analysis software and other construction software along with GIS mapping and construction monitoring apps.
  • Demonstrable understanding of and commitment to safety and security protocols in Somalia

Desirable:

  • Experience working with and through local partner organizations, including capacity strengthening.
  • Demonstrated understanding of Somalia context that govern construction activities, e.g. building code, mandatory certifications and other regulations
  • Experience designing and implementing WASH and Construction interventions in both emergency and longer-term development contexts
  • Experience in a remote management context.
  • Experience working in complex multi-stakeholder or consortia partnerships and structures.
  • Understanding of and commitment to principles of Equality (esp. Gender), Centrality of Protection, Safeguarding, and Conflict Sensitivity, as relate to WASH and Construction programming.

Concern Worldwide would also like:

  • Excellent coaching, facilitation and capacity-building skills
  • Flexible and adaptable, with the ability to work on own initiative under pressure and to strict deadlines
  • Team player, flexible and capable of working effectively collaborative with colleagues from different backgrounds.
  • Results-focused with a keen eye to detail and solutions-oriented with a problem-solving attitude.
  • Willingness to learn and adapt to changing needs and operational contexts, based on understanding of on-the-ground realities, constraints and opportunities.
  • Ability and willingness to travel regularly to Concern program operational areas/sites depending on security clearance (staying in comfortable but basic conditions)
  • Empathy with Concern Worldwide goals and a commitment, accountability, participation and gender equality.

Due to the urgency of this position, applications will be short-listed on a regular basis and Concern Worldwide may offer posts before the closing date.

All applications should be submitted through the website at https://jobs.concern.net by the closing date. CV’s should be no more than 4 pages in length. 

Concern Worldwide is an Irish-based non-governmental, international, humanitarian organization dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.

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