WASH Technical Advisor

JOB PURPOSE:

The WASH Technical Advisor is responsible for the provision of coordination and support as well as strategic planning and technical guidance on activities within the area of WASH. He/She plays a leading role in providing technical inputs to the WASH strategy and project development at the local and national level. Moreover, he/she supports the Project Teams in the planning, design, implementation, supervision, and potential expansion/development and administration of technical WASH interventions

The WASH Technical Advisor will be working in the Project Development (PD) Department and will facilitate in the three core roles of the department: Coordination, Communication and Project development and management.

OBJECTIVES:

1. To develop context specific and relevant WASH programming strategy and support the funding of its roll-out to sustainably raise ACTED’s profile as a credible WASH actor in Pakistan

 2. To coordinate ACTED’s WASH activities, provide technical support to WASH projects, define coherent WASH implementation modalities, tools and methodologies build the WASH capacity of staff

 3. To lead Project Development initiatives in the PD department including proposal development, grant and donor management, reporting and liaison with partners and stakeholders. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. External Positioning

1.1. External Relations

a) Act as key ACTED representative on WASH in Pakistan vis-à-vis country and local authorities, other project stakeholders, donors and partners

c) Participate in and report (internally) on WASH technical and sectoral meetings, clusters and working groups involving all relevant stakeholders such as donors, NGOs, UN Agencies, inter-governmental institutions

d) Ensure effective coordination and collaboration with key stakeholders and partners, i.e. NGOs, civil society organizations, community groups, and government counterparts who are working on WASH

e) Identify opportunities to collaborate and coordinate efforts with other organizations to ensure our activities build upon - rather than replicate - the work of others.

 1.2. Project Development

a) Collect and analyse primary and secondary data related to the WASH sector in Pakistan;

c) Identify the needs of the most vulnerable populations through regular visits and literature review, and through the design and implementation of relevant needs assessments in close collaboration with AMEU.

d) Lead WASH project conceptualization workshops

e) Provide technical inputs into proposal design and ensure new or adapted projects for WASH and focus on maximizing efficiencies, impact and integrated approaches

f) Update on a weekly and monthly basis the external relations database (donor follow up), which documents the latest negotiations and proposal possibilities with a number of key donors;

g) Update monthly the reporting follow-up and ensure smooth and regular communication with ACTED HQ Project Development Department.

h) Mobilise Area Coordinators, Programme Managers and technical staff to ensure that proposals are developed in a cohesive and professional manner and in line with ACTED country strategy and donor requirements;

i) Act as point of contact for all Donor communication, including the organisation of and hosting of Donor visits in the field.

j) Liaise with national authorities on a regular basis to ensure that ACTED is in regular coordination and complies with their requirements.

 1.3. Information System

a) Work with all departments to follow up project and programmes databases incl. work on the nomenclature used (official names etc.);

b) Ensure that appraisal, monitoring and evaluation and donor reports are made useful for fundraising and proposal development strategy and add on to the general base of field knowledge in the country;

c) Contribute to develop the Resource Centre in capital office, update it regularly with appropriate and relevant external and internal resources.

e) Ensure that all meetings are held and documented (monthly management meetings, capital coordination meetings, area coordination meetings, weekly base meetings, quarterly country coordination meetings);

f) Follow-up meetings at the field level and/or in the capital, between area, base and sub base offices;

g) Draft and/or supervise agenda and minutes of country-wide meetings.

 1.4. Project Cycle Management and Reporting

a) Facilitate the development and implementation of project cycle management;

b) Liaise regularly with Area Coordinators, Programme Managers and technical staff to ensure solid knowledge and follow up on project implementation and the production of quality reports across areas and across Donors;

c) Ensure that reporting and contractual requirements are met and that donor reports reflect the progress and status of projects in a transparent, timely and professional manner.

d) Ensure in particular that reporting guidelines, formats, philosophy, deadlines for each project and donor are communicated clearly and standardized across the country for new and on-going projects

e) Follow up the implementation of the Project Management framework (PMF, ACTED PCM Tool) for assigned projects

f) Keep track of assigned projects and programmes monitoring and evaluation schedules and work plans with field staff to design and implement monitoring and evaluation procedures;

g) Work in close relation with other ACTED departments (Logs, AME, Finance etc) to greater coherence in reporting.

2. Internal WASH Technical Support and Coordination

2.1. Coordination

a) Support the development and maintenance of a coherent WASH strategy across ACTED's areas of intervention in [country]

b) Promote harmonization of approaches and methodologies across the different WASH projects by developing and monitoring use of common tools, as well as creating opportunities for experience sharing and learning

d) Organize internal WASH meetings on a monthly basis.

 2.2. Technical Leadership

a) Define WASH project implementation modalities and methodologies (including, but not limited to technical specifications, identification and registration of beneficiaries, distribution and sensitization)

b) Lead the development of all technical tools related to WASH projects (ToRs for consultants and evaluators, ad hoc reports, capitalization reports…);

c) Analyse the appropriateness, adequacy and potential impact of all interventions in the WASH based on known contexts and needs

d) Provide technical support to the Project Managers and other WASH staff to implement the ACTED WASH projects to a high quality standard.

e) Liaise with WASH technical staff on a regular basis to ensure technical assistance is provided to projects when needed

f) Disseminate tools, research, best practices and lessons learned internally and externally through publications, networks, working groups, events, and conferences.

g) Ensure capacity building of staff; develop training programmes as well as identify external training opportunities.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

1.  % annual budget increase/decrease in the WASH as compared to previous year.
2.  % success rate of WASH proposals.
3. Number of active strategic partnerships in the WASH sector and % change as compared to previous year.
4. Number of (elected) WASH positions in clusters, working groups, coordination mechanisms.
5. Number of technical documents (sector strategies, methodologies and approaches, tools) produced to support Project Managers in implementation of their projects.
6. Number of internal WASH meetings held. 

• ACTED is commitment to zero tolerance to all forms of violence against children, beneficiaries and staff.
• ACTED is equal opportunity employers.
• Final selection will be based on security clearance of the candidate.