Job Vacancy @ Concern Worldwide – WASH Community Engagement Supervisor

The WASH Community Engagement Team Leader will be based in the FCC office (with frequent visit to Concern’s Office as and when required). The majority of his/her time will be in Tree Planting community.

– All relevant counterparts – WASH officers on other projects and and the emergency unit

–  Freetown finance, system and HR staff, Programme Quality Unit & Equality and Gender Advisor; MEAL coordinator

– Freetown City Council (FCC) (Sanitation Unit and Office of the Mayor)

– Other project partners including the Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) in Wester Area Urban.

The WASH Community Engagement Team Leader will be responsible for coordinating all day-to-day activities under the SAFE Project. S/He will ensure that agreed targets are on track and of high quality – updating, his/her line manager accordingly. S/He will build strong working relationships – and coordinate closely with – the Tree Planting community structures/stakeholders and project partners (FCC, MWR and MAF), in planning and implementation of project activities. S/he will be responsible for monitoring implementation and keeping up-to-date activity plans and reports and submitting to the Emergency Programme Coordinator.

The SAFE project is jointly implemented by Concern and Freetown City Council (FCC) in the Tree Planting Community in Freetown. The SAFE project is a three-year project anticipated to commence on the 1 September 2022 and ends on the 31 August 2025.

Project specific;

Oversite and ensure quality of activities and outcomes for the SAFE Project:

• Increase access to sustainable and reliable safe drinking water supply:

With technical support from the Emergency Program Coordinator where needed, lead on all community engagement and ensure full community participation in joint assessment, and the construction of the water supply facilities.  Facilitate the formation of Water Management Committees and coordinate with MWR to train the committee on operations, setting up a fee structure, and minor maintenance of the water infrastructure Link the WMC’s with appropriate technicians from the Water Directorate for future major maintenance.

• Enhanced solid waste management and use of organic manure for farming: Through community participatory approach and technical support from the Emergency Program Coordinator where needed, support capacity building of the community waste management committee to operationalize the existing waste sorting platforming. Support includes: facilitate training of the waste management committee with FCC and MAF, registration of households, setting up a fee structure, and how to sort the waste into organic waste for composting, valuable waste to sell and non-valuable waste to be transported to the FCC dump site. Continue providing coaching and mentorship to the committee to commence door-to-door waste collection services and mentoring of the farmers in composting.
• Increased access to sustainable water supply for improved agricultural production for urban farming households: work closely with MAF to support the 30 farming households in the proper use of the low-tech irrigational system for their agriculture activities

Specific Roles and Responsibilities – Under the supervision of the Emergency Programme Coordinator

Programme Cycle Management: 

• Provide oversite, management and ensure quality of activities and achievement of outcomes under the project. Inform Emergency Program Coordinator on progress (written and verbal) at least weekly especially if off track with suggestions to get back on track.
• Develop monthly and weekly work plans based on the overall project work plan and timeframe, and monitor progress against these plans taking action to rearrange plans where necessary; Ensure involvement of communities, FFC (and MWR, MAF) in the planning, monitoring and implementation of program activities at various levels
• Ensure all expenditure is authorized and spent in accordance with Concern’s internal procedures and in line with project budget; Provide accurate feedback on cash forecast requests.
• Develop and design effective community mobilization strategies in engaging with community structures in promoting sustainable and inclusive approach from onset.
• Lead in community engagement process for all project activities including the reactivation of the community Waste management Committee and formation of water management committees for the borehole systems that will be constructed in the community.
• Facilitate community meetings; encourage people’s participation in solid waste management and quality improvement initiatives, and use innovative approaches to ensure inclusion of community groups in program activities.
• Build and maintain effective professional relationships with FCC and other stakeholders especially MAF and MWR, community structures and Ward Development Committee (WDC) at community  level to progressively secure greater engagement in community activities and sustainability post project
• Lead on building capacity of community structures that will enhance long term sustainability of project activities.
• Contribute to the designing and delivery of training materials, resources, and workshops
• Input in to donor reports as and when required

MEAL

• Support Emergency Program Coordinator to organise and implement the project baseline study and needs assessment
• In collaboration with Concern’s MEAL Coordinator and PQ team identify and document lessons learnt and case/impact stories in the project.
• In collaboration with M&E Manager, lead on conducting community-based assessments.
• With Emergency Program Coordinator and MEAL Coordinator design MEAL plan – lead on rolling out MEAL plan.
• Participate in project planning and review meetings with staff and stakeholders and ensure that key recommendations and learning are incorporated into day to day project implementation
• Ensure all aspects of project activities adhere to Concern program quality standards and policies (PM&E, accountability and mainstreaming) in a coherent and integrated manner

Networking and Representation

• Participate as required in relevant external programme coordination meetings.
• Represent Concern at relevant technical meetings in Freetown when required

Other responsibilities:

• Assist in any other WASH related activities as requested by the Programme Coordinator.
• Ensure the efficient and transparent use of all project resources in order to maximize the benefit to the targeted communities.
• Promote, implement and ensure compliance with the requirements of Concern’s Programme Participant Protection Policy (P4), Anti-Fraud policy and the Complaints Response Mechanism (CRM) to ensure accountability and maximum protection to programme beneficiaries.
• Promote and protect the reputation of Concern in external settings, ensuring that the organization’s experience and expertise is well communicated and consistently presented, and that we are looked to as a professional organization.
• Ensure Concerns that Cross cutting themes: Gender & Equality; Protection; DRR; Climate Adaptation; Environment and COVID-19 prevention are mainstreamed in all activities.
•  Complete any reasonable task requested by the Supervisor.

Concern is committed to responding to emergencies efficiently and effectively in order to help affected people meet their basic needs, alleviate suffering and maintain their dignity. To this end, when emergencies strike and Sierra Leone Program is to respond, all staff are required to actively participate in the response, regardless of location and contribute to the efforts aimed at achieving the humanitarian objective of the organization.

Essential

• At least Degree in Community Development/Social Sciences/Public Health/Sociology or related discipline.
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience of working in (INGO) project implementation in community development and mobilization, particularly in water, sanitation and health interventions. Experience of working in projects in an urban setting is added advantage.
• Field experience in community based projects working directly with communities, partners and government officials.
• Experience of working with Local councils/FCC is an added advantage.
•  Experience in using participatory approaches.
• Excellent knowledge of the local administrative culture at community level.
• Knowledge of behaviour change strategies and approaches.

Desirable

• Experience  in gender and equality, DRR, environment or climate adaptation strategies and approaches

Special Skills, Aptitude or Personality Requirements

• Strong leadership skills (minimum of 2 years’ experience).
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills including report writing.
• Good budget and financial management skills.
• Initiative and ability to work with minimal supervision; ability to work both as part of a team & independently.
• Enthusiastic, energetic and motivated.
• Ability to motivate and inspire others.
• Ability to work as part of a team for shared results and learning.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Good MS Office skills (Word, Excel).
• Strong spoken skills in Krio.
• Valid motorbike license and ability to ride (desirable).

Concern has a Staff Code of Conduct and a Programme Participant Protection Policy, which have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants from exploitation and to clarify the responsibilities of Concern staff, consultants, visitors to the programme and partner organization, and the standards of behaviour expected of them.  In this context staff have a responsibility to the organization to strive for, and maintain, the highest standards in the day-to-day conduct in their workplace in accordance with Concern’s core values and mission. Any candidate offered a job with Concern Worldwide will be expected to sign the Programme Participant Protection Policy and the Concern Staff Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment.   By signing the Programme Participant Protection Policy and the Concern Staff Code of Conduct, candidates acknowledge that they have understood the contents of both the Concern Staff Code of Conduct and the Programme Participant Protection Policy and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these two documents.