Back WASH and Shelter Manager

Title: WASH and Shelter Manager

Location: Shire, Tigray Region

Reports to: Area Manager

Grade – F2

Start of Contract & Duration: up to December 31, 2021

Posting date: July 30, 2021

INTRODUCTION

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC), an international non-governmental organization (NGO), has been providing relief and development services in the Horn of Africa since 1997. DRC promotes and supports solutions to the problems faced by refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs), and migrants. The organization has offices across the region, and has been operational in Ethiopia since 2009. With funding from bilateral and multilateral donors, DRC is currently implementing a range of activities across Ethiopia including WASH and shelter provision, child and youth protection, gender-based violence response, awareness-raising of migration risks, protection monitoring of migration routes, and livelihoods support for returning migrants or those at-risk of migration.

OVERALL PURPOSE OF THE JOB

Under the direct supervision of the Area Manager, the WASH/Shelter Manager will be responsible for the management and implementation of WASH and Shelter activities in Tigray Region, Ethiopia with a primary focus on providing emergency lifesaving access to water, sanitation, hygiene, and shelter for conflict-affected IDPs/returnees and host communities in Tigray region. This includes needs assessments, project plans, management, and monitoring of implementation through mainstreaming protection issues. The overall objective of the job is to ensure that the target communities have access to lifesaving and minimum standards of water, sanitation, hygiene, and shelter provision and to establish relationships with IDPs and local communities, and other key stakeholders in the promotion of DRC’s mission and values.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Duties and Responsibilities

Programme design and implementation

· Manage and regularly update the project’s work plan and related financial plan, ensuring timely and quality implementation in compliance with the project strategy as well as DRC and donor guidelines;

· Oversee the planning and implementation of all project activities;

· Undertake detailed technical assessments of WASH and Shelter needs and gaps for assistance in the project target areas and develop vulnerability evaluation tools, to define exact locations of intervention and beneficiaries;

· Review the technical specifications, technical drawings, and work schedules to ensure consistency with the most appropriate technology and existing sector standards;

· Review the bill of quantities and bill of materials of the proposals to ensure the estimated costs are reasonable and comparable to the market rates;

· Ensure that the construction project activities are well-coordinated and implemented to ensure effective and efficient utilization of physical and human resources during implementation;

· Periodically update the WASH and Shelter situation analysis and inform DRC WASH Focal Point and relevant colleagues accordingly;

· Provide technical inputs and recommendations for new and ongoing interventions, and support the development of new proposals;

• Ensure protection and gender issues are incorporated and integrated in shelter/NFI/WASH activities.
• Lead on design of new WASH and shelter programs.

Financial management and procurement

· Coordinate with logistics, administration, and finance staff to procure equipment, supplies, and materials required to implement WASH and Shelter activities, ensuring cost efficiency and accountability in compliance with DRC and donor regulations and procedures;

• Prepare procurement plans against approved work plans and ensure timely initiation of procurement requests in line with established guidelines and procedures.
• Monitor and track budget expenditure and burn rates, flagging over/under expenditures and recommending corrective measures on time.
• Prepare monthly budget forecasts with reference to the overall program annual budget forecast and submit them to the country office on time.
• Ensure proper contracting, field-level oversight, works certification, and payment preparation processes for contractors and other service providers engaged to execute WASH works.

Team Management and capacity building

· Manage the WASH and Shelter project staff, including workplans, schedules and performance management;

· Coordinate WASH and Shelter Team to continuously assess WASH and Shelter needs of target populations in project areas;

• Conduct weekly and monthly meetings with relevant project staff to review the planning and discuss the main concerns;
• Undertake weekly field visits to the project sites to provide technical guidance and supervision to the team as well as regularly monitoring the progress of WASH and Shelter activities;
• Train WASH and Shelter Team in the use of the various standards and the technical templates including bill of quantities, bill of materials, and technical reporting templates as well as on data entry and analysis;
• Provide training on emergency response for other DRC staff based in Tigray
• Work closely with relevant colleagues to ensure the integration of WASH and Shelter activities with other sectors, in particular protection;
• Lead on recruitment and selection of WASH and Shelter staff**;**
• Ensure that team is aware of security protocols and the SOPs are followed in order to minimize risks and threats;
• Make sure that team is aware of humanitarian principles, standards and code of conduct and follow them accordingly;
• Conduct duties in accordance with DRC Code of Conduct, Operational Handbook, CHS and other key documents;

Monitoring and evaluation

• Ensure monitoring and verification for targeting of beneficiaries;
• Ensure relevant monitoring systems and ensure that systems allow appropriate implementation, including quick response to changing circumstances and erroneous assumptions in the project design;
• Apply a result-based management approach and monitor the project outcomes, in addition to the outputs and activities, including changes at the household and community level achieved through the project;
• Coordinate the WASH and Shelter Project’s staff in assessing, analyzing, and evaluating the impact of project activities and needs of the target populations in the project areas, update the situation analysis, and propose possible program developments to the Head of Programme and the Emergency Manager;
• Work closely with the MEAL team

Coordination, representation, and reporting

• Compile and provide weekly and monthly reporting on project activities, developments in the external context and humanitarian situation, and project implementation progress;
• Conduct regular meetings with donor representatives and facilitate field visits as needed;
• Establish and maintain excellent relationships with relevant stakeholders, local authorities, and institutions;
• Help to set programming strategies for DRC Ethiopia regarding the WASH and Shelter sector;
• Proactively participate and represent DRC in WASH & Shelter working groups/coordination platforms at the sun national level;
• Proactively engage in bilateral meetings with other INGOs and NGOs active in relevant geographical areas to avoid duplication, and ensure coordination works for complementary efforts;
• Ensure systematic information and update sharing with the Area Manager, Emergency Manager, the CO WASH/Shelter Coordinator, and relevant colleagues;
• Establish and maintain regular and collaborative relations with relevant donor agencies, local authorities, partners, project stakeholders, and other organizations working in the target areas;
• Proactively participate in the protection and relevant inter-sectorial coordination meeting at the field level, contributing to the development of guidelines, standards, tools, and strategies;

All DRC roles require the post-holder to master DRC’s core competencies:

· Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.

· Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.

· Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.

· Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.

· Demonstrating integrity: You act in line with our vision and values.

Experience and Technical Competencies:

• Advanced degree with relevant and progressive experience in Water/Public Health/Sanitation or Structural/Civil Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management or related technical field.
• At least 7 years’ experience in planning, implementing and evaluating WASH and Shelter/NFI projects;
• Thorough knowledge of WASH and Shelter/NFIs operations and implementation;
• Demonstrated experience in cholera epidemic preparedness and response programs
• Strong analytical and writing skills with the ability to produce well-written documents;
• Strong teamwork and collaboration skills, including demonstrated experience with team and staff management
• Self-motivated and ability to work independently and ability to consistently meet deadlines under pressure;
• Strong planning, organizational skills and problem-solving skills, ability to determine priorities and attention to detail;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including working with different groups, partners and nationalities;
• Experience working in remote locations and in emergency context;
• Excellent IT skills including engineering software;
• Hands on experience in Project Planning and Management;
• Experience working in emergency response with INGOs, preferably in a humanitarian context;

• Experience with risk and safety analysis for project and staff;

• Exemplary sense of ethics in the workplace;