Municipal Coordinator (MC)

SCOPE OF WORK

USAID KARNALI WATER ACTIVITY

PROJECT BACKGROUND:

The USAID Karnali Water Activity will create healthy, resilient, and water  secure communities at the watershed level through strengthened water and sanitation governance that improves water resource management (including water for more resilient and biodiverse ecosystems), enhances sustainable access to drinking water, improves agriculture water management, and reduces the fecal pathogen burden in the environment from poorly managed non-sewered sanitation through fecal sludge management. The program team will methodically integrate Water Resources Management (WRM), watershed biodiversity conservation, and water and sanitation service delivery by mapping and strengthening the roles, connections, and capacities of key actors and stakeholders’ system wide. www.dai.com

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

The Municipal Coordinator (MC) serves as a project coordinator for coordinating with the intervening Local Governments (LGs- municipalities and rural municipalities) within the respective watersheds for Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) activities in their respective river basin and community liaison in priority watershed areas. The project is complex, and its success requires participatory teamwork that supports “ownership” through new collaborations among stakeholders. Each Municipal Coordinator is responsible for understanding the project activities and guiding the works to carry out and accomplish the assigned tasking collaboration with the municipal stakeholders in their respective municipalities that are within the watershed to achieve the common objectives under the program. In particular, the position will focus on the creation and management of multi stakeholder platforms for developing water use master plans (WUMPs) and accordingly prioritizing the water schemes within the municipalities of the given watershed. The position is fully responsible for overall management of assigned municipality level programs, supervision of the Field Engineer, working closely with the MEL and communication personnel and in coordination with USAID Karnali Water Activity team in Surkhet Office and other stakeholders in order to successfully complete project activities in the field level. The position will focus on accomplishing – increased knowledge, engagement and benefits for local water users. 

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

WORKING WITH LGS:

• Support LGs to develop and implement WUMP, IWRM Plan and relevant policies in a consultative and participatory manner,   
• Facilitate and support LGs for planning, coordination and budgeting for WASH intervention aligning with WUMPS and WASH plans and accordingly facilitate in establishing the M-WASH units within the LGs.
• Support LGs to strengthen the WASH coordination mechanisms at their respective local governments level by helping them for coordination with the multi-stakeholders’ platforms (e.g. MWASHCCs) and facilitate them in prioritization of WASH and accordingly financing for WASH preferably contributing to Karnali Water Activities to create an institutional and enabling environment that supports community-driven and responsive watershed management activities.  
• Work with the LGs including MWASHCCs, VWASHCCs, Ward WASHCCs and M/VWASH units (once established) for adopting criteria based ranking systems for selection of water schemes and for planning, implementing, and monitoring of those water schemes in the respective LGs.
• Facilitate local governments to initiate periodic joint monitoring and review of the project progress activities and support LGs’ WASH units in supporting WASH intervention as well as for collecting relevant local level data and entering into NWASH system of National MIS and analyse them with the support of Watershed Advisor for further internal reporting.
• Support relevant USAID Karnali Water Activity project team members to help build capacity of LGs and its relevant stakeholders at various different trainings, events, and workshops.
• Support relevant USAID Karnali Water Activity project team members in conducting various baseline, end line, and other data collection efforts including surveys and research activities.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with LGs, local implementing partners (including grant recipients), and other key stakeholders through better coordination for reviving MWASHCCs and in establishing MWASH Units for coordinating and collaborating with all the WASH actors/stakeholders (such as private sector stakeholders, community leaders, local communities, other USAID projects etc.) of the respective Municipalities of the designated Watershed(s) to create an enabling environment for harmonizing works related to watershed management initiatives.  
• Maintain good interpersonal, communication and documentation (including reporting) skills that demonstrate in establishing good relationship with the LGs and other sector stakeholders within the LGs within the respective Watershed Areas

EXECUTION OF Karnali Water Activity ACTIVITIES

• Implementation of project activities in the field as per the Task Descriptions prepared for each of the Activity as planned in the AWP.
• Manage implementation of field level activities, with focus on the designated watersheds and local municipal governments under the guidance of respective watershed advisors,
• Support in reviewing the existing WUMPS, and in identifying the water schemes and towns for FSM interventions (e.g. Preparation of CSPs and construction of FSTPs)
• Lead and manage the implementation of the projects prioritized by WUMP and the priority actions of IWRM Plan.
• Support and contribute local resource partners to develop Water Use Master Plans for selected Gaun Palikas (RMs) and Nagar Palikas (Municipalities)within the intervening watersheds.
• Work with the LGs and communities (including WSUCs if exist) to set the priorities accordingly prioritize and select the water supply schemes for Karnali Water Activity through strategic and periodic WUMP planning process.
• Represent Karnali Water Activity at the municipal level meetings and other relevant events to coordinate with relevant sector organizations for collaboration and resource sharing. 

CAPACITY BUILDING INITIATIVES:

• Facilitate for the construction of water supply schemes in the respective municipal areas by liaising with the LGs, WSUCs and the communities to be served,
• Extensive facilitation skills, knowledge and experiences on WASH, and experiences of working with LGs, NGOs/CBOs and with local communities preferably with the Karnali River Basin is desirable  
• Extensive experiences in training and capacity building of public officials, users’ groups and communities with skills of community mobilization, 
• Support grantees, and sub-contractors with necessary follow ups for their enhanced performance through mentoring, coaching and capacity building
• Contribute to design grant ideas, working closely with other relevant technical team and grant team in developing / designing grant to target specific intervention to specific place and people. 

PLANNING, MONITORING, REVIEW AND DOCUMENTATIONS

• Participate in periodic reviews of progress under the Work Plan and adapt plans and activities as appropriate in collaboration with other team members. 
• Collect information and data on the programmatic and implementation progress, through monitoring and reporting of each grant 
• Actively contribute to contractual deliverables, including development of annual work plans and annual/quarterly reports by supporting Watershed Advisor in planning and implementation of activities related to WASH, watershed and biodiversity conservation and payment of ecosystem services
• Skills for documenting the good practices/ cases and reporting skills to support Watershed Advisors for preparing and submit periodic reports (i.e. monthly, biannual, and other status reports etc.) as needed to report field level Karnali Water activities
• Contribute to good, frequent, and direct communications with the Karnali Water Activity Surkhet Office and Kathmandu office as required. 

OTHER SKILLS 

• Ability to work with multidisciplinary team and conduct local field visits and monitoring trips as required.
• Familiar with local planning process and the functions of the local governments.
• Good written and oral communication skills in both Nepali and English
• Other duties as assigned by DCOP or COP.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s or bachelor’s degree in Water and Sanitation, Watershed Management, Water Resources Management, Hydrology, Rural Development, Public Administration, Management, Natural Resources Management, Environmental Management, Forestry or Engineering,  
• At least 8 years of experience supporting water supply sanitation and hygiene (WASH), watershed management, water resources management or environmental management sector if s/he has a bachelor’s degree or at least 4years of experience supporting WASH watershed management, water resources management or environmental management sector if s/he has a master’s degree, 
• Extensive experiences on:
  • Facilitation skills, social mobilization skills, knowledge and experiences on WASH, 
  • Working with LGs, line agencies, NGOs/CBOs and with local communities preferably with the Karnali River Basin is desirable  
  • Training and capacity building of public officials, users’ groups and communities with skills of community mobilization, 
  • An energetic, forward-thinking and creative individual with high ethical standards, integrity and appropriate professional image, 
  • An extremely well organized and self-directed individual with sound technical skills, analytical ability, good judgment, and strong operational focus, 
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills, and fluency in English, and

Priority will be given to those applicants who are the permanent resident of Rara Khatyad watershed, Tila Karnali watershed, Middle Karnali Watershed, or Lower Karnali Watershed. 

APPLICATION LINK:  https://fs23.formsite.com/OLJTgx/6xxucllyae/index.html?1626454381977

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Any interested can apply for by filling out the required information and upload CV. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as interviews will be conducted soon. Please note, due to the volume of applications that we receive and the urgency to fill-up positions only shortlisted applicants will receive notifications on next steps. 

Women and those from economically marginalized minority communities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Interested candidates should submit their application no later than October 20, 2021