SAVE THE CHILDREN INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS ROLE PROFILE TITLE

TITLE : Country WASH Advisor

TEAM/PROGRAMME: WASH

LOCATION: Freetown, Sierra Leone

GRADE:

TBC

CONTRACT LENGTH:

6 months

CHILD SAFEGUARDING:

Level 3:  the role holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work in country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

CONTEXT:

The 2014 Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa has deteriorated rapidly since the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone was declared by the MoHS on the 25th May 2014 after the first positive sample of Ebola was confirmed in Kailahun district. In Sierra Leone, as of May 21tst 2015, the MoHS reported 12,679 cases of EVD (suspected, probable and confirmed), 3908 deaths (suspected, probable and confirmed) from all of Sierra Leone’s 14 districts.

The focus of the initial phase of the response by Save the Children was to contribute to stopping the spread of the disease; breaking the transmission of Ebola and treating patients with EVD. There is a national and international acknowledgement that to have an impact on the transmission rates there is a need for patients to be treated and isolated away from their communities, of which Save the Children did provide medical care, hygiene and Infection Protection Control (IPC) services in an Emergency Treatment Centre (ETC), linked with outreach activities.

Following several months of intense and uncontrolled transmission of EVD, the first quarter of 2015 has witnessed both a substantial drop in the number of confirmed cases and a retraction of the virus into increasingly confined geographic areas. Nationally, the number of new confirmed cases per month decreased from 1,498 in December to 566 in January, 297 in February, 198 in March, and 43 in April. Despite these improvements, the highly mobile nature of the population coupled with the largely ineffective travel restrictions in place means that all districts will continue to face the risk of imported cases until transmission reaches zero across the country and in the Western African region as a whole. Following the reduction in caseload from mid-December onward, several district Command Centers have reported significant declines in the number of alerts being received through the emergency phone number 117 and the district response lines. However, these reductions, which are likely due in part to a growing complacency and sense of “Ebola fatigue” among the general population as the outbreak approaches the one-year mark, have the potential to undermine response efforts and could lead to a resurgence of cases in previously low transmission areas.

The third phase of the program accompanies Sierra Leone as it moves from the emergency phase to the recovery phase, hence it is critically important to help transition IPC practices from Ebola-focused to comprehensive IPC. Additionally, while the number of Ebola cases declines, it is important to detect and contain new cases quickly so as to prevent new clusters from developing. Therefore, Save the Children is currently revitalizing non-Ebola care services with a specific focus on health and education programs, supported by cross-cutting WASH activities through rehabilitation of water supply systems, sanitations facilities, drainage and solid waste management in health care facilities as well as in schools, and with a further objective to address WASH needs at community level. Complementing the above will be robust behavior change communication, community mobilization and full participation in design and implementation of community initiative.

ROLE PURPOSE:

They will be the lead technical adviser for the in-country WASH program, providing overall technical leadership of WASH in development and emergency programmes including the Ebola program. They will be expected to lead on sectoral assessment, program design and master budgeting, coordination, and support fundraising, recruitment and procurement. In most circumstances, the role holder will be expected to mentor and/or capacity building existing country program staff.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Director of Programmes Development and Quality (PDQ) (line management); and for technical issues to the WASH Backstop (functional management)

Staff directly reporting to this post: None

Dimensions:

External facing work, including liaising with MoWR, MoHS, MEST, UNICEF and other WASH agencies working in Sierra Leone. Internally, tasked with liaising with Save the Children’s Health, Education, Child Protection and FSL teams to ensure appropriate integrated programming.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Program Support:

• Lead on WASH technical assessments in coordination with other Save the Children thematic areas and/or other external sector agencies, ensuring assessment findings are documented and that all assessments include a specific analysis of children’s needs.

• Working with the PDQ Director (or similar), develop WASH strategy, recovery phase response plans and master budgets and contribute to Save the Children’s overall country strategy.

• Provide technical checking of WASH engineering designs and hygiene promotion programs as necessary, and proactively promote high quality WASH technical approaches within country programs.

• Working closely with the PDQ Director (or similar), support fundraising for the WASH sector, including development of high quality concept notes and proposals, and engagement with donors’ technical advisers.

• Prepare and oversee WASH program implementation to ensure timely delivery of program activities (for example, monitoring against log frames, individual performance management work plans).

• Prepare timely program and donor reports on project activities in compliance with internal SC requirements and any relevant external donor requirements.

• Working closely with the HR team, identify WASH staffing needs (both national and international) for emergency programs, and ensure rapid recruitment, induction and training of new staff.

• Identify WASH program supplies needs and coordinate with the logistics team to put in place a sensible phased procurement plan.

• Working closely with the Monitoring & Evaluation team put in place a sector M & E plan, ensuring this links to reporting requirements, and capacity build technical field staff in carrying out the work.

• Working closely with the Accountability lead put in place accountability activities for your thematic area, ensuring that feedback from all relevant stakeholders is considered in WASH program design.

• To ensure that the minimum standards of humanitarian relief are maintained in accordance with the Sphere Charter and Red Cross Code of Conduct.

• Ensure that Ebola protocols are established, followed and monitored precisely and without exception.

Capacity Building:

• Identify learning and training opportunities for Save the Children staff and partners and work as a mentor and role model for less experienced staff.

• Oversee development of technical training material that will improve aspects of WASH work within Save the Children, at country level.

Representation & Advocacy & Organizational Learning:

• Ensure that Save the Children's work is coordinated with efforts of other agencies and Government, and take a leadership role within Interagency Coordination forums, such as the WASH cluster, ensuring the specific needs of children are being addressed. This may involve taking the lead in WASH coordination working groups at national level.

• Take steps to document lessons learned, from WASH programmes, for wider dissemination.

• In collaboration with senior program staff, assist in advocacy activities that target decision-makers at all levels.

• To identify opportunities and material to contribute to WASH communications and media work, acting as a spokesperson when required.

General:

• Deliver high quality results in line with the terms of reference agreed in advance – to do this in a way which maintains the reputation of the WASH team and Save the Children International.

• Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values

• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to do the same

• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others

• Future orientated, thinks strategically

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters

• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength

• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions

• Willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Essential

• Prior experience of working within a senior management role within a complex country program.

• Education to Masters level in Public Health, Civil or Water Engineering, or a related subject, or equivalent field experience

• Previous experience in an advisory role for a WASH team at national level, including international and national staff members

• Previous experience of WASH project management and program coordination, implementing WASH programs within donor constraints, on time and within budget

• Experience of and commitment to working through systems of community participation and accountability

• Demonstrated monitoring and evaluation skills

• Ability to work both in an advisory and a hands on implementation capacity

• Proven capacity to supervise, train and coach staff in WASH technical skills

• Experience of representation and ability to represent Save the Children effectively in external forums.

• Experience of preparing successful funding proposals for donors

• Ability to write clear and well-argued assessment and project reports

• Excellent communication skills

• Strong influencing skills and experience in advocacy

• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy

• A high level of written and spoken English

• The capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances.

• Commitment to the aims and principles of Save the Children. In particular, a good understanding of the Save the Children’s mandate and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin our support

Desirable

• Previous experience and knowledge of West Africa.

• Previous experience of health care facility water, sanitation, wastewater and waste disposal and management.

• Knowledge of Save the Children systems and ways of working.

Date of issue: October 7^th, 2014 Author: Abraham Varampath, Monica Ramos (revisions)

May 27^th, 2015 – Reviewed by Arnaud Pfeil