Operations & Maintenance Associate

Climate change-induced soil and water salinity are projected to adversely impact freshwater dependent agricultural livelihoods (leading to loss of productivity or livelihoods) as well as the availability and quality of drinking water in vulnerable coastal communities. Furthermore, given women’s crucial role that play in water security and household level resilience, and their socio economic marginalization, the climate change-induced threat to agricultural livelihoods and drinking water security of the affected coastal communities disproportionately affects women and girls. 

Therefore, the key objective of the project has been to support the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) in strengthening the adaptive capacities of coastal communities, especially women, to cope with the impacts of climate change-induced salinity on their livelihoods and water security. An estimated 719,229 people will be benefitted from the project interventions. 

The project has beenl empowering target communities, especially women, as ‘change agents’ to plan, implement, and manage resilient livelihoods and drinking water solutions. The project is expected to enable those communities to address climate change risks on livelihood and drinking water security to promote synergistic co-benefits. GCF resources are invested in promoting a diversification from currently non-adaptive, freshwater-reliant livelihoods of small-scale farmers, fishers, and agro-labourers towards climate-resilient agricultural livelihoods. GoB co-financing is leveraged to support the adoption and scale of these alternative, climate-resilient agricultural livelihoods through strengthened value chains and market linkages for their long-term viability in the face of increasing salinity and extreme weather. Finally, through investments in institutional capacities, knowledge dissemination, and evidence-based learning, the project is enabling pathways for replication and scale of project impact to secure livelihoods and drinking water across the vulnerable districts of the southwest coast of Bangladesh. 

Under direct supervision and overall guidance of the National Project Manager, the Water & Sanitation Specialist will be working to support the water interventions and issues for the projects.

Duties and Responsibilities

• The Operations & Maintenance Associate will be responsible for day-to-day operational and maintenance issues related to water interventions of the GCA project.
• Technical Knowledge, Capacity & competency development of project & partner staff members and community organizations etc.
• Lead the operation and maintenance aspects of the water interventions of the project including rainwater harvesting systems to be constructed by NGO & government partners.
• Ensure to promotion of community participation and ownership through liaising with beneficiary communities, establishing, training and supporting community engagement and ensuring that activities are implemented to reflect coverage and prioritized needs
• Undertake WASH needs assessment in coordination with beneficiaries, implementing partners and other agencies/organizations working within the target location.
• Participate in WASH coordination meetings and other working groups or meetings as required, representing GCA project, UNDP and reporting relevant issues to the NPM.
• Maintain effective collaboration with local Administration and all stakeholders to achieve program objectives.
• Ensure all technical records are prepared and maintained by partners as per UNDP and GoB guidelines.
• Prepare and implement the water component M&E plan in coordination with M&E section to ensure the project objectives and expected quality
• Liaise with the project management of GCA to provide high-quality program support to the field office of NGO and DPHE based in Khulna and Satkhira districts. Support and coordinate the timely implementation/completion of related project activities including provisioning of financial, administrative and logistical support for the project;
• Support DPHE and NGO partners on overall planning and implementation of water interventions during the inception, implementation and completion phase;
• Assessing the procurement needs for the related interventions of the project and support in preparing procurement documents;
• Ensure the follow-up and reporting of the activities that may include training, information campaign, facilitation, data collecting, advocating, etc. Train partner staff and stakeholders on O&M aspects of the water interventions;
• Oversee the O&M quality assurance aspects for the water interventions through regular field visit.
• Coordinate with the safeguards team to ensure compliance of the interventions following the project’s Environmental and Social Safeguards Framework.
• Review and finalize WASH infrastructure technical design, cost estimation, prepare BoQ for tendering and vendor selection process if required.

Internal and external liaison and coordination with different Stakeholders.

• Identify operations & maintenance opportunities through the water solutions analysis report, networks and relationships with other institutions and organizations, and NGOs working in the areas of round year water solutions
• Work through GCA project & partner staff members to facilitate the community-led program
• Coordinate a peer action learning group of the water management committee and relevant departments of government to facilitate the system.
• Participate and actively contribute to the community organizations to water management and O&M programming

Documentation & Reporting

• Project performance and relevant data documented properly and required reports delivered on time
• Program document developed, and reviews case studies conducted
• Performance reports submitted on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis
• Technical/special reports prepared and submitted to meet donor requirements
• Take part in process documentation, collection and compilation of required information from the entrepreneurs and stakeholders preparing regular reports (interim, final, donor report and others)

Quality Assurance

• High-quality monitoring, supervision and evaluation of operations & maintenance programs to ensure quality implementation. Includes technical backstopping, reflection, lessons learned events, and other activities to ensure programming is on track and learnings are integrated into the project
• Participate with M&E team in designing, redesigning and elaborating logframes for water solutions programming.
• Ensure standardization of Gender-sensitive indicators and project models across projects
• Conduct regular intensive field visits to troubleshoot field problems, monitor project activity progress, and collect data to measure the changes in the different levels of the project

Professional Development

• Demonstrate work and life balance.
• Personal and professional development goals consistent with UNDP Mission’s strategic goal.
• Any other specific area of responsibilities assigned by the project management.

Institutional Arrangement

• This position will be supervised by the National Project Manager, “Enhancing adaptive capacities of coastal communities, especially women, to cope with climate change induced salinity” Project

Required Skills and Experience

• Min. Education requirements :   Minimum High School Diploma with 6 years working experience Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Urban Development, Hydrology, Environmental Science/Management, Public Health or a closely related field;
• Min. years of relevant work experience:     Minimum 3 years of relevant experience at the national or international level in operations and maintenance  of WASH related interventions;
• Required  skills     •    Experience of working with rainwater harvesting systems is highly desirable;
• Desired Skills:    •    Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more practice areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills;
• Demonstrates strong administrative skills and result oriented approach to work
• Experience in UN/UNDP/development partner-funded project will be preferable;
• Experience in supporting projects in multiple locations as well as providing on-job support/training to staff;
• Experience in coordination with different Stakeholders
• Required Language(s):     Fluency in English (both oral and written) is required;

Source: https://estm.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/job/24072