Consultant Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) in Benin

Are you interested in joining an organisation with a long term commitment to fighting poverty? Would you like to work in a challenging environment and develop an international career focused on demonstrating shared core values that achieve results?

SNV BENIN is looking for a:

International Consultant Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH)

Based in Cotonou, BENIN

(Consultancy contract)

SNV Netherlands Development Organization is working in over 33 developing countries across the world. In these countries, we are dedicated to a society where all people enjoy the freedom to pursue their own development. The emphasis of our work is on poverty alleviation through (1) increasing Production, Income and Employment (PIE) and (2) increasing access to Basic Services (BASE) in the programs of Water Sanitation, Hygiene (WaSH) Agriculture and Renewable Energy. We aim to achieve considerable impact in both ‘impact areas’. We do this through providing advisory services, facilitating knowledge development, brokering and networking, strengthening local capacity builders, supporting the establishment of local capacity development funds and carrying out advocacy at national and international levels.

Within its general objective to contribute to poverty reduction, SNV is in the process of focusing its activities on the improvement of basic service delivery within the framework of the Millennium Development Goals. In relation to the Water & Sanitation sector, SNV Benin aims to contribute to MDG 7 (Environmental Sustainability), target 10: halving the number of people without sustainable access to safe water and basic sanitation (incl. hygiene).

In Benin, SNV is acknowledged for its strong support to the decentralization process and to the Municipalities. SNV Benin is actively involved in the implementation of water-works as well as of sanitation facilities through a number of joint programs such as:

• Benin Municipalities Improved WaSH services program 2012 -2015;
• “Projet Intercommunal pour l'accès durable à l'Eau Potable et aux systèmes améliorés d'Hygiène et Assainissement dans les Collines” (PIEPHA-C) (financed through the European Union Water Facility Funds),
• Programme Pluriannuel d’Appui au secteur de l’Eau et l’Assainissement (PPEA) (funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN)).

A strong partnership has been developed with local governments as well as with private sector actors. SNV Benin Strategic orientation in water and Sanitation sector “Increasing the access of populations to drinking water and to sanitation services in improving the mechanism of supply and management of infrastructures through the improvement of the legal and institutional framework and the professionalization of stakeholders”

SNV Benin is looking for a suitable candidate to strengthen the capacity of the WASH advisory team:

Main responsibilities and tasks

• Contribute to improve an active dialogue with government and non-government institutions (national and internationals organizations) in the water sector at all levels in general , especially in the functionality and O&M of water points
• Strengthen and maintain a strong relationship with government and non-government organisation and institutions in the WASH sector.
• Provide advisory services: Water: Ensure provision of sustainable and affordable water services through capacitating public and private sector organisations Sanitation: Enhance the knowledge and skills of the public and private sector organisations to provide market based sanitation solutions
• Contribute to mobilize expertise of service providers in the water sector and linking them to state level initiatives to ensure access to water supply and sanitation services on an equitable and sustainable basis for rural areas
• Investigate and stimulate public-private and civil society partnerships to enhance quality of water and sanitation services provided
• Develop, together with SNV advisors and clients financial management systems for improved accountability at all levels, expenditure tracking, monitoring and evidence-based result management in the water and sanitation sector
• Strengthen the institutional alliances of SNV within the WASH sector, in Benin and the West and Central African region;
• Actively knowledge networking in the West and Central Africa Region, both outside and within SNV
• Support the WaSH PRM committee in exploring and establishing partnerships as well as business development (the RM component) with concept note and proposal writing
• Identify and build relationships with potential WASH sector partners
• Identify and explores business development opportunities (including concept note and proposal writing)
• Provide content and performance feedback to the advisors in the Benin WASH team.

Candidate profile:

• Master’s degree in a field related to water, sanitation and hygiene
• Minimum 10 years of proven track record in WASH (rural and small towns) related work at international level in developing countries, preferably in the areas to do with sustainability (functionality aspects for water and sustenance of behavioral change in sanitation and hygiene)
• Able to apply WASH approaches and concept (FRUGAL, FLOW, CLTS, PHAST, whole water cycle management, whole sanitation chain, etc.;
• Project cycle and Public project management
• Knowledge of/experience with cross cutting issues like good (water) governance practices, decentralization and deconcentration, gender-sensitive and empowerment principles approaches;
• Experience with, political and socio-economical context of Benin;
• Ability to generate knowledge and write professional articles on WASH related issues.
• Change process management
• Computer literate
• Team worker, able to accommodate different styles and cultural views.
• Good command in French and English.

Description duty station:

General: Cotonou is the capital of Benin and has 1 million inhabitants.

Medical services: Good medical services are available but in case of serious illness repatriation will be necessary.

Educational services: Good primary and secondary schools (French school and English international school).

Security: Good.

Accessibility: Good, daily flights to Europe, telephone and internet-connections are good (VSAT installation for the SNV-Office).

Desired start date: 1 September 2012

Contract period: 1 year with the possible renewal

How to apply?

Please apply by clicking on http://snv.devhire.devex.com/jobs/325805 and completing your application in our in-house recruitment system before 30 July 2012.

More information about SNV

SNV is a non-profit international development organisation established in the Netherlands in 1965. For over 40 years, SNV has been at the forefront of development, helping to build local capacity and empower local families and communities to break the cycle of poverty. We are present on the ground in 36 developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Balkans and operate in Agriculture, Renewable Energy, and Water, Sanitation & Hygiene. Our 900 advisors in the field come from a variety of cultural and technical backgrounds, and over 60 per cent are nationals of the countries where we work. For more information, please refer to our website: www.snvworld.org

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