I. Job Context:

ICCO Cooperation (www.icco-cooperation.org) is an international organization, whose mission is to end poverty and injustice in the global south, in partnership with enterprising people. We invest in the power and dreams of entrepreneurial people, stimulate their entrepreneurial spirit, and connect them with businesses, governments and social organizations. 

ICCO Cooperation is planning to implement EU funded “Sustained Opportunities for Nutrition Governance (SONGO) project” to improve maternal and child nutrition in Kurigram and Gaibandha districts. The SONGO project is 5 years duration with 4 inter-linked outcomes; (1) establishing upazila nutrition governance, (2) improving maternal and child health, nutrition (3) improving WASH infrastructure and practices (4) enhancing availability and access to safe and nutritious food.

Under the outcome 3, SONGO will establishing market/business models around affordable and long lasting products that meet the needs of the community. Entrepreneurs are trained and supported to become proactive and customer oriented and are held accountable by local government for the quality of their services. This triangular service relationship between the community, local government and the private sector will strengthen sustainability and entrepreneur impact. This includes training SaniMarts and water enterprises, and developing NSA/WASH entrepreneurs to stimulate demand and supply. Specifically, SaniMart/local entrepreneurs will be trained for better products on water supply and sanitation, installation, repairing, demand creation and promotion, and business management

The project will work through (existing) CSGs and CAGs as drivers for WASH related sensitization, awareness raising and education. To deliver knowledge to these groups the project trains community promoters to facilitate courtyard group sessions to deliver messages on for example sanitation and feeding patterns for CU5. Communities are sensitized on the importance of breastfeeding, washing hands before preparing food and at other critical times as well as on the benefits of good nutrition and homestead gardening. Once the knowledge is delivered, the communities become capacitated enough to themselves work out the best solutions for hygiene and sanitation behavioral change.

SONGO project is seeking an experienced WASH Advisor to design technical strategy and guiding the team to increase WASH situation in SONGO working areas to enhance healthy environment and contribute to reduce the malnutrition problem of target households.

The WASH Advisor will be responsible for the strategic inputs on WASH and nutrition and will provide technical support, maintain mechanisms for partners to share best practices and experience on WASH and WASH related health and nutrition.

II.            Responsibilities and Tasks:

• Contribute to the design and validation of intervention strategies, based on different types of research (e.g. desk, action, formative) at different levels;
• Provide technical support, capacity building, leadership and strategic direction to technical expert, PNGO staff to meet quality standards in delivery.
• Assist field staff to organize training of Community Promotors igniting and tracking/monitoring behavioural change in WASH at Upazila Level
• WASH related materials development for courtyard session
• Assist field staff to organize Orientation and sensitization of DPHE, LGED, Education, Upazila development Committee (UDCC) and  Upazila WASH committee official at Upazila level  on governance of better WASH provision and services
• Assist field staff to organize orientation and sensitization of Union Development committee (UDCC), Union WASH Committee  on governance of better WASH provision and services at Union Level
• Assist field staff to organize Training for community support group and community group on WASH aspects
• Stimulate and support installation of WASH facilities (HTW, water quality test , cluster pipe water supply )
• Assist field staff to organize training to WASH entrepreneurs and water entrepreneurs on WASH products and services including scalable business model development training
• Assist field staff to maintenance mechanisms for water supply systems and improved latrines in place and operational
• Assist field staff to organize workshops with MFI and financing organizations for WASH investment at Upazila level
• Assist field staff to organize training of Selected  Entrepreneurs for Maintenance of WASH Facilities at Upazila Level
• Assist field staff to train targeted households  and service providers on a cost effective maintenance mechanisms for the sanitation and water supply systems
• Organize ToT of Project staffs on Water Safety Plan at District Level
• Develop Operational manuals for Sweeper produced  MATERIALS
• Assist field staff to organize training of sweepers on safe pit cleaning and disposal, personal safety and mobile call based client management
• Initiate MOU singing with government line department and Private Sector for qualitative service provision.
• Maintain regular coordination with the consortium partners, project manager and ICCO Dhaka team to ensure supports to the project.
• Establish strong working relationships with all consortium members and develop an in-depth understanding of the activities, support needs and strengths of each partner with regards their respective implementation.
• Develop action plans on partnerships activities for the project on annual basis through coordinating with consortium members at the districts levels.
• Establish networking relationships with the public-private sectors and other partner organizations.
• Ensure that planning and monitoring tools are developed and standardized, and that data is regularly collected, based on the overall PMEL mechanism.
•  Compile and analyses monitoring data and produce monthly monitoring reports.
• Conduct and coordinate regular monitoring covering operational issues (finance and compliance), capacity strengthening and overall partnership at field level

III.          Working Conditions:

• Working days from Sunday to Thursday with 40 hours per week. This position may be required to work some overtime hours to attend meetings such as the Annual Audit.
• Any other tasks assigned by the supervisor from time to time.
• Yearly renewable the contract based on fund availability and performance.
• Have to follow ICCO HR, Admin and Finance related policy.

IV.       Key contacts:

Project Manager, Operation Lead, Head of Programs, PNGOs, Manager, HR & Admin and Finance department of ICCO

V.    Key Qualifications:

• Master’s degree on social science or relevant subject
• Minimum of 7 years’ experience in  WASH infrastructure development and practices for the extreme poor in Bangladesh.
• Have track record on community strengthening, creating local leverage of private sector, government and communities and working in the hard to reach vulnerable areas of Bangladesh.
• Have expertise on WASH and experience in linking WASH with nutrition and SRHR and stunting at field level including connection with relevant GoB institutes:
• Skill in WASH related BCC materials development and extensive experience in designing and implementation of WASH development projects with NGO staff and beneficiaries.
• Candidates having prior working experiences with government line department (Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Health and Nutrition ) will be an advantage for the candidates;
• Capacity to coordinate and liaison with local government officials, PNGOs and ICCO senior management
• Experience in capacity building and ability to solve project related problems and to work in any circumstances
• Management experience of nutrition / health projects in developing countries and interest in market-led approach and a feeling with business aspects
• Ability and willingness to manage project implementation and team-player with good interpersonal skills; aptitude for community mobilization and capacity-building
• Excellent communication skills (written and oral) in English.
• Skill in training materials development and training conduction.
• Experience in coordination with government and different stakeholders.
• Excellent in activity monitoring and reporting.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skill, problem solving skills, strong value based commitment to right based approach
• Good computer skills in MS Office.