SNV Netherlands Development Organisation

SNV is a not-for-profit international development organisation that makes a lasting difference in the lives of people living in poverty by helping them raise incomes and access basic services. We aim for premium quality and focus on only three sectors: agriculture, energy and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). With a long-term, local presence in over 25 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, we know how governments work and how relationships are built. Implementing our mission exclusively through project financing requires us to work efficiently and invest in operational excellence every day. Our team of more than 1,300 staff is the backbone of SNV.

The Rural WASH Project

SNV Zambia is implementing a water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) project, in rural areas of 4 provinces and targeting multiple stakeholders, including Water and Sanitation Utilities, Local Authorities, private actors and Civil Society organisations. It seeks to professionalize and promote accountability for WASH services in Zambia, paying particular attention to the needs of women and girls, and other vulnerable groups.

In 5 years, the project aims to deliver access to safe water to 633,900 people, provide sanitation services to 500,000 people, reflect effective partnerships with the private sector and Government partners, and improve capacity for 150 organizations.

WASH Project Provincial Coordinator Position Summary

The WASH Services Delivery Expert & Provincial Coordinator will be based in Kazungula, Southern Province and is expected to oversee and coordinate all WASH project activities, including managing WASH technical staff. She/he will report to the Project Manager.

The purpose of the position is to ensure the coordination of the different WASH project activities to be delivered in the Province, organize and monitor the works of the different WASH technical staff, ensuring timely and high quality delivery, in compliance with the project’s workplan and overall objectives. The Provincial Coordinator is also expected to deliver all WASH Services project activities. The Provincial Coordinator is the main interface between the provincial team and the core technical team (Lusaka based). Specific scope of work is the following:

• Ensure the timely and high quality delivery of the works conducted by the WASH technical team in the province, in compliance with the workplan and budget, ensuring coherence and mutual synergies across the different components
• Control budget expenditure as per plan, guaranteeing full compliance with the project’s financial, administrative and procurement guidelines
• Provide backstopping and oversight to the technical WASH team, ensuring challenges and bottlenecks are identified and addressed. Perform as benchmark for quality control, including for the soft and the hard aspects of the WASH intervention, and both for water supply and sanitation
• Based on evidence, support the identification of the best entry points for water and sanitation service provision

• Assist with the establishment of models for the delegation of WASH service delivery to different types of providers, including facilitating agreement negotiations and the set up of key performance indicators

• Support local service providers to accurately collect data and update data systems

• Provide capacity building to WASH service providers, including on construction (oversight), quality assurance, monitoring of functionality, operations and maintenance and relevant management skills (eg. business plans)

• Facilitate informed choice processes for institutional and community decision making on the best WASH solutions for different needs and contexts, also factoring climate change adaptation, and inclusive and pro-poor solutions

• Regularly report to the core team (Lusaka based), highlighting progress, challenges and opportunities. Implement guidance received from core team in the province, whilst tailoring it to the local context

• Lead the overall implementation of the project’s activities, ensuring its coordination with the key WASH stakeholders in the Province (Provincial and Local authorities, Commercial Utility, private sector, NGOs), and their engagement and buy in

• Ensure progress is monitored and results progressively evaluated against the project’s monitoring and evaluation framework. Introduce corrective measures as needed.

• Step in as needed to complement, add-value and bridge gaps in the performance of the technical team; acting as trainer, coacher and facilitator for the WASH team and for external counterparts

• Oversee that all project’s activities pay special attention to the needs of women, girls and other vulnerable groups

Furthermore, the WASH Services Delivery Expert & Provincial Coordinator is expected to:

• Consistently monitor and critically assess progress, pro-actively providing input to adjust/improve the outcomes whenever relevant
• Actively contribute to project’s evaluation and learning activities
• Ensure the project’s visibility and profiling in line with its branding guidelines
• Comply with SNV’s administrative and financial procedures for project planning, implementation, reporting, monitoring and evaluation
• Comply with SNV’s Code of Conduct

Candidate profile

• Advanced degree in a related field (e.g. civil or environmental engineering, public health or related)
• At least 4 years of experience as WASH project manager
• At least 7 years of experience working in the WASH sector in Zambia
• Demonstrated knowledge of rural WASH challenges preferably in the Southern Province context
• Sound understanding of the technical aspects underlying high quality WASH service provision
• Expertise in strengthening the capacities of WASH service providers at different levels, both hard (technical) and soft (management) skills
• Experience in facilitating results driven partnerships framed by key performance indicators and cost-recovery parameters; and in identifying and addressing bottlenecks constraining efficient service provision
• Sound understanding of Water and Sanitation Utilities and relevant WASH government stakeholders at local and national levels, existing policies, regulations and programmes and national commitments and targets
• Ability to recognize and address equity and equality issues in WASH service provision
• Experience in timely managing, delivering and monitoring WASH related activities, including facilitating meetings at multiple levels and preparing/delivering trainings and workshops
• Advanced communication and negotiation skills with different types of stakeholders, from Commercial Utilities to local masons, CSOs, Traditional and Local Authorities
• Ability to successfully lead teams towards high quality results
• Good monitoring and reporting skills
• Ability to communicate in Lozi. Knowledge of Toka-Leya and Tonga is valued
• Good computer skills (Ms. Word, Ms. Excel, Ms. Power Point, Internet and Outlook)

Duty station: Kazungula, with regular travelling to other project locations (Choma, Kalomo and Sesheke)

Contract duration: 1 year contract with the possibility of extension for the duration of the project (5 years)

Job opening is conditional to approval from project donor

For more information on SNV please refer to our website: www.snvworld.org