Volunteer – WATSAN at International Rescue Committee

Job Purpose/Objective

The role of volunteer-WATSAN is to support in the successful delivery of water supply and sanitation interventions in the target areas while adhering to relevant quality and technical standards. Additionally, this position will support development of community capacity in water supply and sanitation operation, maintenance, and management, participate in mobilization of WASH resources and ensure implementation is done in close collaboration with program staff, the local community, the Local authority, and other relevant agencies. The role will also involve to a large-scale technical designs of various WASH infrastructures, estimation of costs, support development of tender documents, bid review and evaluations, and general construction contract management and discharge in accordance with IRC and GoK acceptable standards and specifications.

Main Responsibilities

The volunteer – WATSAN supports the team identify and assess the key needs of WASH facilities and recommend an appropriate strategy to either construct, rehabilitate or repair such facilities. She/he will ensure that an engagement approach to working with communities and the local authorities, other partners is employed, and all activities are carried out in a way that upholds IRC values, is sensitive to community needs and promotes the full and equal participation of women, men, children, youth, people living with disability and other special interest groups. Primary responsibilities include:

Project Planning and Design

• Participate in needs assessment including Baseline surveys in WASH activities and determining most technically appropriate water supply and sanitation options.
• Design and develop relevant specifications for WASH infrastructure including standard operating procedures (SOPs), design reports, drawings, bills of quantities, technical specifications.
• Participate in the proposal development for potential water supply, sanitation, and hygiene interventions.
• Undertake Topographical Surveys and GIS activities, feasibility studies, water resource mapping, EIA support.
• Ensure that Projects/construction sites adhere to the laid out technical and quality standards.

Project Implementation

• Preparation of tender documents including technical specifications, bill of quantities, drawings, and terms of reference, variations and justifications.
• Supervise construction, repair and rehabilitation of water supplies systems and sanitation facilities in strict adherence to the designs, specification, Kenya government regulations, WHO and the SPHERE standard.
• Working with the WASH Officer – Hygiene Promotion facilitate training WMCs, other Community structures (SMCs, CHWs, CHEWs, Youth Groups) and local authorities on operation/maintenance, management, and sustainability of WASH infrastructure.
• Build the capacity of staff, CBOs, and Water Users Committees to effectively manage WASH facilities.

Project Monitoring and Evaluation

• Support in supervision of WASH activities in strict consistency to IRC Kenya, government Of Kenya regulations, the donor’s guideline, and the SPHERE standards.
• Ensure timely delivery of projects activities and successful completion of construction works with submission of completion certificates to the Contractors.
• Ensure that up to date project documents are in place including approved work plans, log frame, detailed project implementation plan and financial forecasts Documentation of lessons learnt and good practices.
• Support in the development and implementation of water safety plans for the water supply projects.
• Ensure laid down SOPs, technical, health and safety standards are adhered to in all projects.

Fundraising and Networking

• Support in the development of technically sound proposals and project designs.
• Uphold good relations of project partners including the contractors, suppliers, site committees and clients.
• Engage actively in relevant clusters and networks.

Reporting

• Develop and deliver in a timely manner progress reports, monthly, quarterly, semi- annual and end of projects reports in accordance with donors’ and IRC Kenya requirements.
• Support development, monitoring and evaluation of WASH project indicators and standards.
• Provide regular update reports on water supply and sanitation activities and program progress against work plan as maybe required.
• Maintain an up to-date activity tracking tool (soft copies and hard copies) of all water supply and sanitation infrastructure related activities.
• Actively participate in inter-sectoral activities.
• Comfortable with performing a range of tasks outside of their workstations, when needed.
• Support WASH department in other tasks, roles and, responsibilities as may be assigned to by the supervisor.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Degree in Water Engineering, Civil and structural Engineering, or related field. A minimum of one experience working/programming in WASH, emergencies, relief, or development.

Required Experience & Competencies:

• Minimum of 2 year relevant work experience.
• Valid Registration with a professional body.
• Strong skills in civil design works and /or construction of water supply and sanitation facilities essential.
• Demonstrated skills in technical design and costing of civil engineering works related to water supply and sanitation facilities.
• Experience in people engagement approaches, participatory approaches.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with a team.
• Ability to conduct community needs assessment, project planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Good computer application skills (MS-Office, CAD, application software to engineering designs)