NCA is now seeking a WASH Cluster Coordinator (WCC) to join the Global WASH Cluster (GWC) Field Support Team (FST). The FST mechanism is a partnership of UN and NGOs providing operational support to WASH coordination platforms under the mandate of the GWC. The WCC will be focused upon providing both direct and indirect support to WASH coordination platforms. The WCC will be deployed to support target countries or operations worldwide and are expected to improve WASH coordination and capacity building activities.
The WCC direct support to national coordination platforms are twofold: 1) providing rapid response surge support to establish and/or strengthen WASH coordination in contexts of deteriorating humanitarian conditions and 2) to provide remote support to national coordinators and information managers through development and dissemination of coordination tools and resources. The indirect support to coordination includes improvement of WASH coordination tools, capacity building and promotion of WASH coordination. The WCC will support and coordinate with the FST members and will link with other actors at the global level, while ensuring that the FST mechanism has the tools, capacity and resources required to sustain high levels of performance. In doing so, the WCC will contribute to issues of gender, age, diversity, advocacy, environmental sustainability and accountability to affected populations. They will also ensure dissemination of information, learning and capacity building.
The position is an engagement until 30.09.2021 with possibilities for extension and constitutes a secondment arrangement to the GWC in Geneva. Location for the position is flexible, with potential for the right person to be home-based or in one of NCA’s worldwide offices.
The position can be deployed to the field up to 60% of the time to provide surge support to WASH coordination platforms, the remaining time (approximately 40%) is divided between supporting GWC strategic objectives and NCA’s WASH and humanitarian programs. The position reports directly to the FST Manager in close collaboration with NCA. Deployments are generally between 3 to 12 weeks and based upon a deployment Terms of Reference. Due to Covid19, the FST have adapted ways of working to provide more remote support and “virtual deployments” during 2020 to accommodate locations where deployment is not possible. In 2021 it is expected that remote support will continue to be provided however deployments will be used when opportunities present themselves after considering agency perspectives, travel restrictions, team safety and availability of vaccines.
Duties and responsibilities
General:
- Contribute to the development and promotion of the FST mechanism as a coordination function in accordance with IASC defined cluster functions, the GWC strategic plan and the FST program.
- Contribute to visibility, lessons learned, best practices and standards of cluster coordination at national and global levels.
- Establish and maintain consistency, quality and timeliness of reporting as per the requirements set out by the FST manager, in order to ensure a clear system for consolidating, sharing and analyzing information for decision making and reporting.
- Support the implementation of ‘real-time’ reviews and evaluations during and following deployments with the objective of improving coordination in general and the FST mechanisms work within the framework of accountability and ensuring efficient needs-based programming.
Coordination:
- Providing technical support to ongoing emergencies.
- Assess the capacity of pre-existing WASH coordination structures, advising upon the appropriate approach for support.
- Contribute to the review, refinement and promotion of procedures, tools and approaches adopted by WASH partners and contribute to their application within the FST membership.
Technical Support and Mentoring to Country Cluster coordinator:
- Support and advise sector coordinators to meet work related and personal objectives.
- Ensure technical debriefings, ensuring collection of lessons learned and areas for technical follow-up.
- Ensure strong two-way communication between country and global hub and inter-function, to ensure a sturdy support and rapid follow up on identified needs.
Work with the other FST technical specialists (IM, Assessment, Preparedness and continuity) to:
- Define impact indicators to be used by the FST
- Provide the necessary expertise to ensure that WASH operations, from data processes to response monitoring, are effective and meet established standards.
- Promote and improve quality standards for basic WASH services, incorporating cross-cutting issues of significance to affected populations.
Deployment Time 60%:
- Linking with the FST Manager in all phases of deployment: preparation, in country and evaluation for support needs and follow up.
- Review in country the needs and work plan to ensure the continuity of the coordination function.
- Ensure that WASH Sector Partners adhere to existing humanitarian principles and standards and a set of minimum commitments.
- Estimation of the cost-effectiveness and impact of emergency WASH interventions
- Establishment of systems to ensure accountability to affected populations
- Identify advocacy concerns and undertake advocacy activities on behalf of cluster and the affected population
Qualifications
- Master’s degree, or relevant combination of qualifications and experience, in public health in emergencies, water, social sciences, institutional development, water or sanitation engineering or related field.
- Five to ten years field management experience in WASH emergency humanitarian contexts
- Strong experience in coordination or occupied a wider leadership role
- Experience of developing and implementing WASH strategies.
- A good understanding of the humanitarian policy environment including current knowledge of the latest WASH policies, research, international standards and developments in the field.
- Proven ability to conceptualize, develop, plan monitor and evaluate programmes, as well as to teach skills and build team capacity.
- Experience with natural and complex political emergencies in diverse cultural and climatic settings.
- Experience of applying humanitarian accountability standards and practices.
- Experience in liaison with a broad range of stakeholders, ability to build relationships and networks with international donors, UN agencies and INGOs, national authorities, national/local partner agencies and emergency affected communities
- Proactive problem solving and operational decision making
Personal qualities
- Highest-level technical, analytical, negotiation, communication and advocacy skills.
- Strong skills in presentation and facilitation.
- Technical integrity
- Ability to encourage and contribute to a climate of team-working and collaboration in a multi-cultural environment.
- Excellent training, coaching and mentoring skills.
- Consistently achieves high-level results, managing and delivering projects and activities on-time and on-budget.
- Excellent leadership and supervisory skills; provides others with a clear direction; motivates and empowers others.
- Ability to analyse and present diverse and complex quantitative and qualitative data from a wide range of sources.
- Quickly builds rapport with individuals and groups and nurtures good relationships across organizational levels and boundaries from government leaders to all stakeholders and the affected population.
- Computer skills, including internet navigation, and various office applications.
- Willingness to travel, resilience, stress tolerance and work under difficult conditions
Languages:
- Fluently spoken and written English is a requirement
- Candidates with a demonstrated ability to work in French will be preferred
- Good command of another language (especially Arabic) is desirable
We offer
- Interesting and challenging work
- Competitive terms and conditions
NCA uses an electronic gateway for all recruitment where you can register and submit your CV, write an application / cover letter and attach relevant certificates. Only applicants using this electronic gateway will be considered for the position.
In accordance with core humanitarian principles, NCA implements a range of safeguards to prevent or reduce the possibility of humanitarian aid falling into the wrong hands. This includes those individuals and groups who are subject to sanctions by the United Nations Security Council. As part of this process, NCA will screen the details of the successful candidates for this post against the sanctions lists maintained by the UN and by some of NCAs governmental donors.