Project Officer –Water Engineer at Practical Action Kenya

ABOUT THE ROLE

• Practical Action is implementing a 2-year project funded by the Water Sector Trust Fund (WSTF) under SWASAP project to implement activities in Kalokol area, Turkana Central Sub- County. The project goal is to increase community resilience and adaptation to climate change through sustainable, peaceful use of natural resources including improved access to water and sanitation services in Turkana County. The project will enhance integrated water resources management supporting 785 households; Increase access to sustainable sanitation service for 900 households through CLTS and 2,500 learners in 3 public institutions; increase access to sustainable water services for 950 households, strengthen governance and management of available water resources and improve incomes for 400 men and women through alternative livelihoods diversification initiatives.
• Practical Action is looking for a Project Officer-Water Engineer to spearhead the programme technical aspects, advisory, fundraise, ensure result-oriented monitoring and evaluation activities that meet global demand as well as standards.

ACCOUNTABILITIES
Leadership and Strategic Alignment

• Contribute to Practical Action’s strategic business planning process, specifically the Climate and Resilience Change Ambitions.
• Strengthening Profile, Generating Funding and Managing Relationships
• Represent Practical Action in the Project area to local government, local communities, NGOs and other actors when requested to do so
• Participate in local coordination / networking meetings as required
• Support in documenting lessons learnt from the project and disseminate the same within Practical Action and externally through different medium
• Develop and maintain professional links with development agencies, government bodies, county governments, technical and economic specialists, universities and other professional institutions as required by the project.
• Support Fund raising initiative for Practical Action in the Climate and Resilience change ambition
• Work collaboratively and effectively with partners for learning and adoption of innovative, gender responsive and inclusive interventions to improve project delivery.

Delivering Quality

• Contribute to the planning, implementation and reporting of projects assigned and specifically coordinate hardware components of these projects with other team members.
• oversee the construction of new water supply systems (bore-holes, wells, springs, water pans and sand dams) and sanitation facilities (VIP Latrines)
• Initiate community consultation and sensitization campaigns on Implementation of new water and sanitation systems; as well mobilize Community Volunteers to participate in projects.
• Prepare project work-plans, implement community based safe and affordable capacity building project aimed at strengthening the community to not only adopt water, sanitation and hygiene practices but also take ownership, operate, maintain, and manage in a sustainable manner the installed infrastructure facilities.
• Participate in the implementation and evaluation of capacity building trainings and project activities. Prepare periodic progress reports and annual reports showing achievements against planned targets as well as providing justification for performance variances and areas of improvement.
• Train community members on proper operation, upkeep, general maintenance of water supply and sanitation works.
• Coordinate with outside agencies appointed to do contractual works within the project site
• Take lead in technical advisory on the key intervention’s identification of gaps as per the proposal guidelines.
• Ensure to engage in Fundraising by responding to the proposal opportunities.
• To ensure the budget burn rate is sound and overspent aspects.
• Monitoring and inspection of the project activities to meet the global acceptable standards.
• Preparation of the technical field reports in relation to onsite inspection and monitoring of works.
• Ensure payment reports are prepared in time as per the measure of works or to completion.
• Support the programme budget burn rate and with avoidance of the overspent aspect and ensure time frame is met.
• Spearhead on site water committee management meetings by preparation the training manual.
• Technical verification of construction reports and consultancies reports and make responses.

Take part in convening the stakeholders’ meetings and workshops with the programme activities.

• Preparation of the tender documents in line with the works in a request for quotation (RFQ)
• Participate in Ground water investigation/Mapping in the project sites and updating underground water maps in consultants works.
• Supervise Borehole drilling operations, recommend for the appropriate application to be applied and participate in monitoring and test pumping of boreholes drilled.
• Assist in weekly and monthly report compilation Implement strategies for strengthening collaborative partnerships with stakeholders, Government agencies, the private sector, and other players.
• Water points assessment reports, plan, organize, direct and coordinate planning and design activities at the working environment.
• Support procurement process during tender evaluation in the selection the preferred vendor that meet the requirements.
• Provide monthly reports for the programme activities in time.
• Ensure the availability of technical support documents for construction or consultancies such as drilling permit, NEMA licence, Authority letters for smooth running of the project activities.

PERSON PROFILE
To be successful in the role, the ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate:

Experience & Knowledge

• Bachelor’s degree in water engineering or its equivalent from a recognized institution.
• Diploma in Water Engineering with at least five years progressive experience working in a similar capacity.
• Computer literacy in word processing and spreadsheets, familiarity with AutoCAD, GPS, ArcGIS and Google Earth is strongly desirable.

Essential

• Being familiar with the local circumstances.
• Ability to conduct knowledge transfer and effective communication abilities
• Possess coping skills and the ability to function under pressure.
• An experienced Water specialist with demonstrated abilities of competently handling issues in Water development, monitoring and sustainability of water related facilities.
• Proven experience in Ground water; hand dug wells construction, borehole drilling supervision, springs protection, sand, and rock catchment, dams’ construction and installation of manual, solar and motorized pumps.
• Water Management skills on maintenance and management of the water points
• Technical capacity on drilling application such as Mud drilling, percussion, and Air drilling

Desirable

• Water systems intensive experience on designing.
• Knowledge and skill on functionality and specification of pumping systems.
• GIS and remote sensing wide skills in relation to water infrastructure.
• Hydrogeological, geological and EIA assessment techniques. EPRA and NEMA guidelines experience.
• Ability to work within the team of different cadres of staff at all levels.