Indonesia Communication Specialist/Water

The Indonesia Urban Water Sanitation and Hygiene (IUWASH) project is a sixty-month program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented under the leadership of Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI). IUWASH works with government, the private sector, NGOs, community groups and other stakeholders to improve access to safe water supply and sanitation in Indonesia’s urban areas. The overall project goal is to assist the Government of Indonesia make significant progress in achieving its safe water and sanitation Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets by expanding access to these services. The expected results to be achieved are: (a) Two million people in urban areas gain access to improved water supply; (b) 200,000 people in urban areas gain access to improved sanitation facilities; and (c) the per unit water cost paid by the poor in targeted areas decreases by at least 20%. To achieve the above, technical assistance is divided in three main technical components: 1. Mobilizing demand for water supply and sanitation service delivery;
2. Improving and expanding capacity for water and sanitation service delivery; and 3. Strengthening policy and the financial enabling environment for improved water supply and sanitation service delivery.

Based in the IUWASH national office in Jakarta, the Communication Specialist/Water will work primarily on supporting IUWASH Component 1. S/he will be supervised by the Behavior Change Advisor, who is the lead for this component. The position will entail regular short trips to the IUWASH regional offices and cities where the project will eventually work. The person selected for this position will work for The Manoff Group, a subcontractor under IUWASH to DAI, which specializes in behavior change and communications in health / hygiene WATSAN programs.

Component Description: This position falls under Component 1 (Demand Creation). Demand for affordable and safe drinking water is high among the poorest Indonesian households. The urban poor pay, on average, 10-20% of their monthly income for water that is often expensive and of questionable quality. The challenge is to mobilize existing demand and/or generate increased demand so that service providers (local water utilities, local NGOs etc.) can provide better access to affordable and improved services.

This position will support following IUWASH Higher Results / Outcomes: • At least 400,000 households will gain access to improved water supply. • The cost of water for poor households in target communities will be reduced by at least 20% • At least 40 civil society groups and/or government cadres implementing programs will mobilize improved access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation. • At least 20 civil society groups will report on water utility companies’ (PDAM) or performance. • Low-income households will gain access to micro-finance to improve their access to water and sanitation. • Household adaptation of improved health and hygiene practices will increase by at least 20%

Several community mobilization approaches to accomplish these results have recently been piloted by USAID/Indonesia and others. Such approaches include: “master meter” programs that allow low income communities to pool their resources for piped water service; microfinance initiatives that support household water connection fees, water grants (“hibah”) and others. The Communication Specialist/Water will support communication programming related to the expansion of water service delivery both at the community level and among water service providers and related institutions. As required, this individual may also assist in other areas of concern to IUWASH, notably sanitation and hygiene, as well as contribute to overall behavior change communication (BCC) strategy development and implementation.

Scope of Work: The Communication Specialist/Water will focus primarily on the communication and advocacy part of the IUWASH water supply planning, implementation, and program monitoring, in coordination with national and regional partners, including the five IUWASH regional offices and their local governmental and non-governmental partner organizations. Under the direction of the Component One Team Lead, specific tasks of the Communication Specialist/Water include: • Participate actively in discussions and preparation of Component 1 strategies and work plans, in close consultation and collaboration with Component 2 and Component 3 programs. • Oversee the planning, implementation and monitoring of communications activities that support achievement of the project’s water-related objectives. Key activities include: o Microfinance promotional campaigns which supports partnerships with local PDAM and banks; o “Master meter” programs that involve concerted community organization programming on the part of local PDAM; o PDAM customer and media relations training and support that targets improvements in PDAM capacity to interact with customers and communities; o Other innovative communications programs and approaches that can be expected to lead to improved and expanded water supply service provision. • Assist in planning and implementation of related: project assessments and surveys; specialized research efforts; communications materials design (including pre-/post-testing); the development of monitoring and evaluation programs; overseeing and as required directly facilitating community mobilization and engagement; and assisting in advocacy and coordination with local governmental and private-sector to support the project goals. • Assist in coordination and capacity-building of Component One and other project staff, especially at the regional level as it relates to those areas described above. • Provide managerial support related to the above, including: development of scopes of work (SOWs) for required specialists and firms; preparation of requests for proposals; monitoring of consultant and contractor performance; • Contribute to IUWASH reports, publications, factsheets, newsletters, website information, etc. • Perform other tasks and duties consist with the above.

Qualifications • A bachelor’s or master’s degree in a relevant field such as communications, urban studies, etc. • More than five years of experience in communication planning and implementation on development issues on water supply in Indonesia, preferably with local water utilities (PDAM) • At least three years of experience working for or with national stakeholders in Indonesia • Written and oral fluency in Bahasa Indonesia • Ability to understand, speak, and write English • Flexibility to work on evenings and weekends on occasion, and to travel within Indonesia • Experience in projects working with the urban poor is desirable.

How to apply:

Email manoffgroup@manoffgroup.com with Cover Letter and Resume/CV. Position is based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Those already living in Indonesia are preferred. No relocation expenses provided.