Water Sources Protection Specialist (STTA)



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), enhance sustainable access to drinking water, improve agriculture water management, and reduces the fecal pathogen burden in the environment from poorly managed non-sewered sanitation through fecal sludge management. The Karnali Water Activity 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. The activity is located within the Karnali River Basin, which extends over Karnali, Lumbini and Sudurpashchim Provinces. 

Purpose

The Water Sources Protection Specialist will support the Karnali Water Activity Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) and Watershed Biodiversity Conservation Specialist to prepare water source protection guidelines.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

The Water Sources Protection Specialist’s key tasks/responsibilities shall include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Review relevant references for the guidelines, including environment-friendly local governance guidelines; environment-friendly road construction guidelines; best practices related to source water protection; and spring sources assessment report prepared by USAID Paani and USAID Karnali Water Activity
• Prepare outline of a water source protection guideline, based on consultation with the project technical team 
• Prepare step-wise guidelines on identification, design, and implementation/construction of water source protection schemes, including construction such as recharge ponds/pits to augment flow from “Mul” or point sources
• Prepare a checklist of how to use the guidelines for Local Government, Water User and Sanitation Committee (WUSC), social mobilizers and other concerned authorities and stakeholders,
• Facilitate a training of trainer (TOT) session to the staff of NGO/sub-contractor, and other implementing partners of USAID Karnali Water Activity, on the water source protection guidelines.

Qualifications 

• At least 10 years of experience in integrated water resources management
• The Water Sources Protection Specialist should possess, at a minimum, any combination of education equivalent to graduation from an accredited college or university with major course work in geology, hydrology, natural resources planning and management, or related field, and multi-year experience in a compatible area to groundwater protection or land use planning. A Master’s degree and work experience of watershed management and source protection interventions is preferred
• The candidate must also be comfortable with leading successful meetings and public speaking/presentations.

Duty Location

The Water Sources Protection Specialist will be required to work in Kathmandu to carry out the tasks described above. 

Activities by level of effort (LoE) and period of performance

The total duration of the assignment will be 25 working days.  The estimated start date will be First Week of April 2023. The work is expected to commence from the Frist  Week of April 2023 to the Second week of May 2023. The tentative schedule of the assignment and the LOE is presented below:

Deliverables and Payment

The Water Sources Protection Specialist shall be required to submit deliverables as follows:

Oversight and Technical Direction 

The Karnali Water Activity Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) will be responsible for providing oversight and monitoring of the overall process of this assignment. The Watershed Biodiversity and Conservation Specialist will provide technical direction and will coordinate and facilitate the entire assignment process. Watershed Advisors and Crosscutting Team members will support the STTA in the assigned tasks to ensure quality of the services.

Application Instructions:

Interested and qualified candidates should email their CV along with their proposed rate and PAN No/VAT No Registration copy to karnaliwater_recruitment@dai.com with Water Sources Protection Specialist in the subject line by March 19, 2023. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

The project will cover travel and other per diem costs as per the organization’s policies in the event travel from the Kathmandu to Surkhet and other locations is required.

Applicants will be evaluated on the basis of their qualifications mentioned above, the proposed daily rate, and their availability.