Wash Project Manager

Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) manager within a geographic area of Bekaa Valley: to manage, provide technical input and implementation of WASH activities through partners and direct management of NABAD’s national technical staff including Public Health Engineers and Public Health Promoters and keep close coordination with other units such as Protection and Social stability and Livelihoods.

DIMENSIONS:

• Manage the technical inputs into the programme, including assessments, designs, the implementation of technical components, monitoring of on-going work and budget monitoring.
• Manage staff with specialist technical disciplines in water, sanitation and hygiene based in the Rayak field office in Lebanon
• Set objectives with the line manager and the implementing team, mainly related to the timeframe and quality of work in tandem with programme strategy.
• Diverse and complex problem-solving, requiring professional knowledge field experience and an understanding of development and humanitarian work in a complex security environment.
• Planning will be focused on not only immediate emergency response programming but also medium-and longer term rehabilitation and development interventions.
• Advice and problem-solving often given over distance with limited information.
• Work patterns are not routine and often high pressure.
• Experience of development and humanitarian work gained in professional work inside and outside Nabad.
• Decisions on programmes, especially if adviser involved in assessment, can be fundamental to whether a programme takes place, and its shape, size and quality.
• Decisions in research and development – are important for NABAD’s capacity for humanitarian response, and the profile of a particular aspect of policy work.
• Interact with local authorities including Municipalities and other technical departments.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Programme Management (30%)

• To provide the overall management of Nabad’s WASH programmes in Bekaa Valley which include components of water/sanitation, public health and hygiene promotion, with a particular focus on quality control.
• To support in preparation of funding proposals for further developing Nabad’s programme including developing and managing information systems and reporting project progress.
• To ensure adequate administrative and financial management including implementation of an appropriate monitoring system covering programme activities, results and impact. 
• To ensure high programme quality standards, through technical support and appropriate monitoring, in project cycle management.
• To integrate gender analysis into programme plans and implementation.
• Undertaking performance management and development of WASH staff including setting objectives, providing feedback, and ensuring personal development through learning and development
• Periodically appraise the performance of the Nabad WASH team,  contractors in the geographical area and identify areas that require support and capacity building
• Ensure that WASH staff understand and apply health and safety rules and procedures.  Where necessary arrange adequate training to enforce these rules and procedures.
• Ensure that WASH staffs are aware of and abide by key internal and external protocols and principles .

2. Programme implementation: (70%)

Work planning

• Support the planning of the WASH programme, specifically the development of infrastructure and hygiene promotion  (which may include  sanitation, behaviour change, solid waste management) in collaboration with relevant stakeholders municipalities, other NGOs...etc.)
• Contribute to Nabad collaborative planning and implementation of appropriate WASH interventions by the geographic WASH team (and new response WASH teams if required)  integrating WASH with the different program sectors (SSLH, Protection) and support functions (HR, Logistics, Finance) according to identified priorities and the development phases as per plans  linked to the country strategy,
• Ensure that the sanitation and behaviour change services address the special needs of the elderly and disabled
• Contribute to the preparation of realistic work plans for the WASH team, partners in particular and government departments and benefitting communities when necessary, based on initial and subsequent assessments and monitoring throughout the project.
• Monitor implementation of activities on WASH and behaviour change in the work plan and update the plan if required.
• Provide timely information on the procurement needs for WASH to the Nabad support team (logistics, finance) for a procurement plan in accordance with the program work plan.

Implementation

• Adapt and implement appropriate participatory approaches for local capacity building for WASH.
• Organise the implementation of the planned interventions by the WASH team, involving communities, partners and local authorities in the activities as appropriate.
• Systematically assess the quality of work and its impact, whether completed or not, and if necessary make changes to ensure that quality standards (national, Nabad (and Sphere in humanitarian contexts) are met.
• Ensure key commitments with communities and partners are achievable and respected.
• Carry out regular analysis of budget spend and status of HR and logistic needs.

Staff Capacity building

• Identify, if possible, a junior staff member capable of taking over this job role with appropriate mentoring, training and support, and provide this support.
• Contribute to the assessment of development needs of staff, partners (including relevant local governmental departments) in WASH.
• Based on the assessment, support the development and implementation of a capacity building plan for staff and partners, drawing on the resources of the WASH Support Staff and other support functions in Nabad, and external resources if necessary.

Reporting

• Report regularly, orally and in writing to the Executive Director on the progress of implementation and challenges encountered against targets set, highlighting constraints and proposed solutions to resolve the issues
• Use reporting formats for WASH activities reporting and regular reporting and databases.
• Participate in and maintain a timely and appropriate flow of information up and down the management line (including programmatic information, security issues, etc.)
• Ensure WASH information is appropriately fed into regular reports

Accountability

• Apply quality control mechanisms and accountability systems in all programs and projects.
• Use information and feedback mechanisms within target communities including specific system to deal with beneficiaries’ complaints/ constraints
• Use, jointly with the other teams, consulting and decision making mechanisms for the most vulnerable groups during each phase of the programme (planning, implementation, and monitoring). 
• Ensure that Nabad resources are used in a proper and transparent manner, following Nabad procedures (financial, logistic and programme)

Assessment, Monitoring and Evaluation:

• Monitor implementation of the programmes and update regularly the work plan as required.
• Systematically evaluate the quality of works whether completed or not and provide recommendations for their improvement or their modification in order to ensure quality minimum standards  in all WASH activities and interventions
• In coordination with the other technical teams and following Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEAL) team recommendations, collect key data at the planned frequency as stated in the MEAL plans.
• Synthesise data from various sources in a format understandable by non-technicians to demonstrate an issue and/or a need for intervention.
• Maintain a filing and recording system with all necessary information related to MEAL and program activities in a format understandable and usable for donor reporting and audit.
• Support the evaluation of WASH programmes in the geographic area.

Coordination and Representation

• Represent Nabad in local coordination meetings.
• Provide information on WASH activities for Nabad regular update of the WASH Cluster’s 3Ws of WASH activities in the geographic area and any other information required.
• Ensure coordination and integration with other components of the WASH Programme in the geographic area.

Emergency response

On occasions, it may be necessary to reassign the WASH Manager to support the response to other emergencies.  This will generally be at a similar level to this post with similar responsibilities.  It may also be necessary to act up in more senior role, including leading area-based response teams for public health.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCE:

WASH Experience

• Technical background in Public Health Engineering and Public health promotion with a first or higher degree in a relevant subject (civil /water / sanitation engineering / social development, health, or other applied discipline). Experience can substitute for qualifications but not vice versa
• Minimum of 5 years of practical experience in implementing WASH projects and programmes in a emergency response and development context,
• Specific experience in WASH in the Middle East, Lebanon in particular, would be an advantage
• Experience in working with local government authorities and communities
• Good understanding and experience of the responsibilities of government in relation to WASH in development and emergency contexts.
• Experience of appropriate methods to address public health needs and taking into consideration cross cutting issues such as gender and vulnerable groups
• Understanding of gender and protection issues

Management and team work

• Strong administrative and management skills, including people management and team leadership
• Experience of mentoring staff and local partners
• Experience of capacity building of local government, partners and staff
• Ability to initiate, develop, plan and implement an integrated programme
• Strong communication, interpersonal and motivational skills
• Commitment to and ability to build and maintain strong interpersonal relationships in the team and with other actors.
• Training and facilitation skills

Representation

• Ability to represent Nabad at WASH Cluster and other relevant meetings and fora
• Diplomacy, tact, and cultural sensitivity
• Strong negotiating skills to work with both local governmental representatives and local beneficiaries

Communication

• Good written and spoken English is essential.
• Ability to present concise and clear reports and presentations at short notice addressing operational activities and needs/problems and related solutions/recommendations
• Written and spoken Arabic language is an advantage

Commitment

• Commitment to the aims and beliefs of Nabad including humanitarian principles and action and to Nabad equal opportunity and gender policies.