WASH Program Officer at Catholic Diocese of Maralal

Reports To: Programmes Coordinator

Duration: 12 Months (But renewable subject to performance and funding availability)

Background: The Catholic Diocese of Maralal (CDM) is a committed Faith Based Organization that supports integral human development of the pastoralists’ communities living in Samburu County.

Under the development arm of Catholic Diocese Maralal, Caritas Maralal, plays an integral role in responding to the social, environmental and economic development needs of the communities through its established organizational structures.

He/she will be responsible for implementation of WASH component in close liaison with the Water Systems Advisor, the Field Director, the other technical advisors and the rest of the project team. She/he will work with the County Water Department and other counterparts in WASH service delivery.

In addition, he/she has overall responsibility for the strategic management of the project’s implementation and operation activities, in accordance with Caritas Maralal policies and practices, its vision, mission and values. NAWIRI is a 5 year U.S. Government (USAID and Food for Peace) funded project designed to tackle persistent acute malnutrition rates in northern Kenya.

The project is co-created, co-implemented, and co-measured to address problems and solve them at the county level. Caritas Maralal is a member of the Mercy Corps-led consortium and will be implementing in Samburu

Primary Function: The Program Officer – WASH will lead the implementation and monitoring of all WASH activities in Samburu County. The Officer will work closely with Mercy Corps project staff to ensure the use of technically appropriate implementation approaches and reporting are consistent with the donor requirements.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with the Caritas Maralal emergency project staff to conduct community needs assessments.
• Lead the identification and design of WASH related infrastructure, while working closely with relevant line ministries to ensure all appropriate approvals are sort.
• Offer technical support in the engagement of civil works contractors.
• Supervise WASH construction including pipeline extensions, borehole rehabilitation and small-scale irrigation scheme.
• Work closely with emergency maintenance teams to coordinate emergency repair of water points.
• Lead hygiene promotion activities and ensure close collaboration with County Public Health Officers.
• Train water user’s associations/management groups on sustainable management of water schemes.
• Work closely with local WASH suppliers and artisans to establish a sustainable goods and services supply chain for water schemes.
• Establish and sustain hygiene promotion in selected schools in the target communities.
• Prepare construction site briefs, trip reports, hygiene and sanitation promotion activity reports and offer input for the compilation of periodic donor reports.
• Actively participate in periodic project review and learning meetings.
• Collect all WASH related monitoring and evaluation data and ensure consistent updating of M&E worksheets.
• Contribute to the work plan review and monthly cash forecasting.

Key Working Relationships

Internal:

• Caritas Director.
• Programmes Coordinator.
• Agriculture and Livelihoods Officer.
• Finance and procurement departments.

External:

• Mercy Corps Water Systems advisor, Field Director and other project staff.
• Local and international NGOs implementing WASH activities in the County.
• County government relevant departments.

Qualifications

• Higher National Diploma in Civil or Water or Environmental Engineering or any other related field. A degree will be an added advantage.
• 3 years’ experience in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene programing preferably in Arid and Semi-Arid regions in Kenya.
• Experience in design and construction supervision of water supply system.
• Experience in sanitation and hygiene promotion.
• Advanced computer literacy and proficiency in Microsoft Office (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and basic working knowledge of CAD software.
• Demonstrated ability to work in partnership with local communities and County governments as appropriate.
• Ability to prioritize multiple work demands in high-stress environments and work effectively and efficiently with minimal supervision.

Disclaimer Clause: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.