WATSAN Officer at Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)

CONTEXT AND GENERAL OBJECTIVE OF THE POST

The Logistics Technical Unit (LogTech) is part of the Logistics and Supply Chain department and consists of supporting the missions of MSF OCBA regarding their logistics’ needs. The unit comprises a diverse expertise, to ensure that it can support all different aspects of MSF´s logistics for both regular missions and emergency interventions: construction, shelter, fleet, energy, facility and cold chain management, general and biomedical equipment management and WHS (water, hygiene, sanitation, and vector control). The focus of the unit is to ensure appropriate support and guidance to MSF OCBA’s missions regarding their logistics, in collaboration with other relevant departments/units (operations, medical, financial, projects & IT…). The Watsan team is growing in terms of both number of staff members and support functions assumed. It has recently defined an ambitious improvement agenda for the coming years, comprising all relevant aspects of WHS and VC e.g., processes, continuous improvement, emergency response, collaboration with the field, new surveillance, and monitoring systems, integration, and analysis into medical data system…

Accountable hierarchical and functionally to the Watsan Technical Referent, the WATSAN OFFICER’s main objective is to help in the deployment and implementation of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene projects, subprojects, policies, strategies, and procedures of the organization programmes in region covered by Nairobi office. The aim of this position is to facilitate and boost the field staff capacity in terms of Watsan and reach Watsan standards in our projects and interventions in DMC sites and communities.

The WATSAN OFFICER by nature of the work will involve visits to the field, followed by backup work on these countries’ subprojects. Other work includes specific dossiers on subjects aligned with 2024 AP priorities, and eventually, responses to emergencies.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND MAIN TASKS

Main Purpose

• Support on the implementation and monitoring of Watsan field community subprojects/projects and strategies for the countries of his/her region. Assisting to the evaluation of the impact of the projects.
• Support on developing network and knowledge of the Watsan local actors (institutions, training centres, suppliers etc., as relevant) at Nairobi level
• S/he will be based 60% in the field (shared between the missions) and the rest in Nairobi, from where s/he will be following up some key field projects.
• Drafting synthetic visit reports
• S/he will get technical support from the Watsan Team, and direct assistance from the Watsan Referent based in Nairobi.

Dossiers:The job is structured around 3 main lines of work:

Follow up of specific field projects & subprojects.

• Support the teams on defining and implementing community watsan project activities that respond to the communities needs and accompany our medical interventions.
• Ensure the watsan community projects follow a People Centred approach, in which the community has highly been involved in the definition and the implementation of the project.
• Support the teams on defining the indicators to be followed and monitored in the community activities and how to be compiled and recorded.
• Compiling and analyzing statistical and monitoring data of Watsan activities of the portfolio missions and guide the team accordingly, to capitalize upon the impact of the interventions.
• Ensure the use of Health Monitoring Information System (HMIS) to compile the indicators of the projects.
• Think on innovative ways of working and supporting the teams that bridge remote working in this security challenged areas.
• Train the teams on how to best follow and implement community Watsan projects.
• Support completion of the training package on prevention of diarrheal diseases in communities.
• To contribute to development of a training package for preventing malaria (and other vector borne diseases) within communities.
• Contribute to the development of a visual toolbox for mother and child WASH practices.

Water provision and people dignity

• Contribute with the field teams on conducting Watsan assessments, Watsan data analyses and proposals (this could include the use of online platforms for assessments, like Solstice).
• Support the mission in the drafting of Watsan subprojects aligned with OCBA 2022 priorities (focus on water provision) and the 2024 AP objectives for implementing missions.
• Propose innovative solutions or add to the existing solutions of water provision in emergencies for different communities in the region (i.e., kits for hand pumps maintenance and repair…)
• Technical support for deploying water provision, and eventually, developing water provision lobby tool and follow up, in case of need.
• Support the missions in establishment and capacity building of water users’ committees.

Transversal dossiers

• Waste Management. There is a growing interest and priority in the house to ensure proper management of hospital waste (hazardous waste and hospital waste (liquid/solid) as to minimize the environmental health impact our projects have and reducing in the coming years MSF carbon footprint. In these lines, the position will assist on:
• Skimming for regional solutions on hazardous waste management
• Supporting the field teams to embrace waste management policies in the countries of visit.
• Punctually supporting on the implementation of wastewater treatment solutions.
• Networking. Nairobi is a humanitarian hub that gathers NGO’s, training, and academic institutions and private compagnies closely related to the field of water and sanitation. Along with the Technical Referent, he/she will be boosting the creation of a network of contacts so our operations further benefit from possible partnerships and innovations presents in the region.
• Basics of the basics. Our health facilities need to ensure proper water supply and segregation is followed and monitored consistently. The Watsan Officer might be required to follow up and assist the visited projects that this monitoring and follow up is done properly.

Other Responsibilities:

• The responsibilities of the officer mostly lie within the East and Horn of Africa Region, but some circumstances might expand this support beyond the region.
• The WATSAN OFFICER, when not in the field, will support the Watsan Technical referent according to the specific needs.

SELECTION CRITERIA

• Technical education related to water and sanitation.
• Capacity to understand and analyze the links between morbidities and Watsan conditions, and experience in specific programs that involve a link between Watsan related morbidities.
• At least 2 years of WaSH experience in the field
• Experience working at community level, with community engagement in terms of water and sanitation is a plus.
• Previous field experience with MSF in Watsan is a plus.
• Good understanding of computers and new technologies
• Experience in training of staff
• Good written and oral communications skills
• Ability to set priorities and organize his/her own work.
• Fluent written and spoken English and French or/and Portuguese is an added asset.
• Ability to work in remote and stressful context with reduced amenities during field visits.
• Flexibility and ability to adjust to rapidly changing contexts and plans.

Closing date: February 21th, 2024, 23:59 CET (Central European Time)