Job Title:                          Programme Coordinator – WASH and Construction – Somalia 

Reports to:                       Programme Director 

Terms:                               12-month fixed term, full time and unaccompanied terms.

Salary:                               GB6 – (€45,457 - €50,509)

Requirements:                The position is based in Mogadishu with travel to project Locations (security permitting) in country, and outside of country (as may be required)

About Concern:               Established in 1968, Concern is a non-profit, non-governmental humanitarian organisation, dedicated to the reduction of suffering and the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.

Concern’s vision, our mission and our work are all defined by one goal – ending extreme poverty, whatever it takes. Concern strives for a world free from poverty, fear and oppression.

Our culture is values driven and we believe that our people are central to all that we do and are key to delivering on our goal of Reaching the Furthest Behind First. We are committed to ensuring a workplace where everybody feels valued and are enabled to succeed in their work and contribute to delivering on our mission.

Role Purpose:   You will provide strategic management and technical leadership to lead Concern’s WASH and Construction portfolio across emergency and development programmes, working with partner engineers, a roster of consultants and a WaSH officer to deliver both infrastructure (water supply, sanitation, schools, clinics, roads) and behaviour-change components (operations and maintenance, hygiene promotion, behaviour change, nutrition-sensitive approaches). Your role ensures effective planning, design, and quality implementation, while providing technical inputs to proposals and reports. You’ll collaborate with programme and logistics teams and contractors, build partner and staff capacity, and engage with government, clusters, donors, and systems-strengthening initiatives to align interventions with national priorities and promote sustainable impact.

Responsibilities: The main and current responsibilities of the role will include but not be limited to:

Strategic Leadership and Quality Assurance:

• Finalise, monitor the implementation of and continuously review/update the 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, staying up to date with developments in systems strengthening, public-private partnerships and effective, sustainable operation and maintenance strategies
• 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.
• Review designs, drawings, specifications and BoQs prepared and offer technical support to Local Partners in terms of oversight and technical backstopping.
• Generate requisite technical designs and documentation for the various infrastructure needs of the programs being implemented directly by Concern, supported and in consultation with Technical Advisors at the HQ.

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 the PDs.
• 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 implementation quality, effectiveness and efficiency.
• Provide technical support and oversight 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.
• Collaborate with Logistics and Transport Coordinator 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 Manager, lead preparation of all documentation (Service Request, 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 (PPPs), community structures or others as appropriate
• Support development and implementation of Environmental and Social Management Frameworks and Plans linked to construction activities where required

Staff Management and Capacity Building:

• Support timely recruitment of Concern and partner WASH staff in coordination with PD and induct, train, mentor and supervise, as maybe required from time to time.
• Line manage direct reports and contribute to staff performance development and 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.
• Recruit and manage consulting engineers for specific WASH and Construction projects ensuring that the necessary technical and supervisory expertise is in place and working.
• Develop and implement a management protocol for works carried out in collaboration with consultant engineers and contractors, which allows for appropriate checks and balances to be in place.
• Develop and implement a performance management system for consultants in the WASH and Construction sector
• 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, partner staff and consultants 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 and partner staff in the use of the latest program related software and programs

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 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 and cost-effective 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, partners, consultants 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

Coordination and Representation

• Represent Concern in relevant forums and meetings organized by the Ministry, Grant Agent or Donor. i.e. WASH Cluster, 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.

Additionally:

• All managers are responsible for upholding and promoting Concern’s values, demonstrating leadership on workplace equality, diversity and inclusion, and role modelling a positive safeguarding ethos.
• All managers are required to actively participate in any emergency response as and when required.

Role Holder Requirements:

The following knowledge, experience, skills and qualifications required to competently preform the role:

• Degree in WASH or Construction related discipline (Civil Engineering, Water Engineering, Environmental Health, Hydrology, Geology, Electro-Mechanical Engineering, etc.)
• At least 5 years 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)
• Demonstrable skills in budget development and expenditure monitoring
• Significant experience managing private sector works contractors in complex operational contexts.
• Strong experience designing sustainability and operations and maintenance strategies with communities, government and private sector
• Excellent collaborative report writing and proposal development skills in the English language.
• Experience in staff 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)
• Working knowledge of AutoCAD, ArchiCAD, MS Project, structural analysis software and other construction software along with GIS mapping and mobile data collection apps (e.g. QGIS, mWater, etc.).
• In-depth understanding of FIDIC and JBC contract guidelines.
• Very strong English writing and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrable understanding of and commitment to safety and security protocols in Somalia.

Competencies:               

As this is a key leadership position, potential candidates are expected to demonstrate significant ability in the following areas:

Managing risk

Making decisions

Leading change

Driving performance

We encourage all eligible candidates, irrespective of gender, ethnicity or origin, disability, political beliefs, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or socio-economic status to apply to become a part of the organisation. Concern is against all forms of discrimination and unequal power relations and is committed to promoting equality. 

If this role sounds right for you, please apply with your CV and cover letter. We will respond to every applicant. Please be aware we may offer positions before the closing date.

If you have any concerns about our recruitment process and need particular assistance - for example if you have a disability e.g. a hearing impairment - please let us know and we will do our best to respond to your needs.  

Important information:

Concern has an organisational Code of Conduct with three Associated Policies: The Programme Participant Protection Policy, the Child Safeguarding Policy, and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Policy accessible here. These have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants from exploitation, and to clarify the responsibilities of Concern staff, consultants, visitors to the programme and partner organisations, and the standards of behaviour expected of them. In this context, staff have a responsibility to the organisation to strive for, and maintain, the highest standards in their work, in accordance with Concern’s core values and mission.

Any candidate offered a job with Concern Worldwide will be expected to sign the Concern Staff Code of Conduct and Associated Policies as an appendix to their contract of employment. By signing the Concern Code of Conduct, candidates acknowledge that they have understood the content of both the Concern Code of Conduct and the Associated Policies and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these policies. Additionally, Concern is committed to the safeguarding and protection of adults and children in our work.

We will do everything possible to ensure that only those who are suitable to work or volunteer with adults and children are recruited by us for such roles. Consequently, working or volunteering with Concern may be subject to a range of vetting checks, including criminal background checking. 

During this job application, you will provide Concern with your personal data. Concern takes its responsibilities towards this personal data very seriously and is committed to complying with all relevant data protection legislation.