Regional Coordinator Freshwater Action Network South Asia (FANSA)

Freshwater Action Network South Asia (FANSA) Working for the right to water and sanitation by strengthening civil society in South Asia Hosted by: Modern Architects for Rural India (MARI) REGIONAL COORDINATOR FANSA seeks a motivated and experienced self-starter to coordinate the growth and development of this vibrant network and carry out functions with the support and guidance of the Convenor and Steering Committee. 1. Job Title: Regional Coordinator (FANSA) 2. Base Location: Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA 3. Work unit: FANSA-SECRETARIAT, HYDERABAD 4. Reports to: Convenor – FANSA, Regional Steering Committee 5. Term of appointment: Initially for a period of 11 months, further extension subject to funding status of the organization 6. Salary scale: Upto INR 85,000 per month (dependent on incumbent’s background, professional skills and experience) 7. Job purpose: The post-holder will be a full-time employee of FANSA, working in a small team at Modern Architects for Rural India (MARI), which currently hosts the FANSA Secretariat. The Coordinator will work to strengthen FANSA as a collective platform of civil society organizations and would be responsible for planning and coordinating the advocacy actions, internal and external communications, fundraising, reporting and documentation in addition to sharing the responsibilities of members’ capacity building and managing the contracts signed by MARI-FANSA. Key responsibilities: A. Advocacy action Engage the members and key leaders of FANSA in developing and implementing the advocacy action plans at the South Asia regional level and beyond for effectively influencing the policy and practice, particularly focusing on SACOSANs, SAARC and other key forums related to the five focus areas of FANSA Regional Strategy 2012-16; Building solid relationships with national committees and offering support and guidance to national platforms in planning and implementation of their advocacy action plans; Study and analyze relevant policy documents and prepare briefs to guide the network committees and members to engage in policy formulation; Plan and manage research on strategic issues of relevance to FANSA mission and work programme; B. Communications Develop internal communications plans to strengthen the learning and sharing among members and also ensure that members are updated on key developments in the work areas of FANSA. This requires activities like half yearly newsletter, regular policy updates, communication strategies for specific regional and global events, collection and dissemination of members’ reports and news/information obtained through the network and beyond, after necessary editing for succinct and relevant content, and learning documents, managing internal communication tools, etc.; Develop and implement FANSA external communications plan with a view to effectively engage members in contributing to and impacting the regional and global policy formulation and also to further strengthen FANSA’s image and visibility; Regular posting of the FANSA news and information in the FAN Global website; Day to day communications with members and other stakeholders, responding to special requests and enquiries on membership etc; Act as a spokesperson for FANSA as required and represent FANSA within the regional and at international forums; Manage the membership database, soft and hard copies of all the documents, systematic collection of pictures, video tapes, press clippings etc related to FANSA’s work; Support and guide national chapters in developing their communication systems; C. Fund Raising and Project Management Lead implementation of the fundraising strategy and plan developed by FANSA and coordinate all the efforts of fundraising at the regional and national levels; Engage the key leaders of FANSA to share responsibilities of fundraising; Develop project proposals with the support and guidance of FANSA leaders and outside experts for the purpose of mobilizing funds needed for implementation of FANSA’s new strategy; Ensure effective planning, implementation, impact assessment and documentation of FANSA programmes / projects; Coordinate with the FANSA National Convenors in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal to ensure timely submission of quality reports, consolidate the same for submission to FAN and donors as per the agreements; Coordinate with national convenors/national coordinators to obtain and maintain (soft-version) photo-albums of all activities that national chapters and members implement. Conduct support visits to national and sub-national chapters; D. FANSA–Network development Facilitate systematic and efficient functioning of the network and establish best practices of transparency and democratic decision-making; Plan and facilitate annual meetings and teleconferences of the FANSA Regional Steering Committee, this will include review and planning sessions; Provide necessary support to FANSA National Chapters in conducting their governance meetings; Develop and maintain close working relationship with FAN Global secretariat and support the joint work plans, mainly related to SGA and GTF projects; E. Capacity Building Contribute to the planning and designing of capacity building activities for FANSA members so as to strengthen their advocacy work including dissemination of information on training opportunities available for the members; F. Other organization responsibilities: Maintain and develop efficient electronic and paper filing systems to support own work; Attend meetings and conferences to defend and promote the advocacy agenda of FANSA at respective national, regional and international levels as per the delegation of the Convenor and FANSA Committee; Adhere to the financial and HR guidelines issued by the organization; Ensure safe custody of the assets and finances under your control; Ensure actions to enhance image and reputation of the organization; Undertake any other responsibilities, tasks or activities as reasonably required by the organizations; G. Key relations: The post-holder works closely with the FANSA convenor (Chief Functionary, Modern Architects for Rural India - MARI), Regional Steering Committee and the four national chapters of FANSA. In addition the job demands close working relationship with FAN Global Secretariat (UK) and other collaborators and supporting agencies. Coordination with and contributing to specific tasks set by FAN secretariat (London) and collaboration with other regional networks in the FAN Consortium (African CSO Network on Water & Sanitation – ANEW, FAN-MEX, FAN Central America, FAN South America etc.) Work closely with GTF and other development projects’ staff and Finance & Admin. Staff of FANSA and MARI for cross linkages and sharing of overall organizational responsibilities. Coordination with WaterAid Country Offices of Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan with particular attention to areas of ongoing collaboration between FANSA and WaterAid, coordination with WSSCC and UNOPS for small grants’ project management and WASH Coalitions. H. Qualifications & experience Essential - Post graduate, preferably in social sciences, social work, development studies or any other discipline. - Understanding of why and how civil society can engage in policy decision making to ensure that within the context of managing water resources well, the poor gain access to affordable and sustainable water and sanitation services. - Understanding of the significance of water and sanitation issues for achieving health, economic & social development. - Excellent communication skills in English – written and spoken. - Computer skills, including internet search, website management, list-serves, e-bulletins and experience of using social networking for communications. Proficiency in MS Office suite required for day-to-day activities. - Proven record of successful fundraising from institutional donors and building and maintaining strong relationships with donors. - Experience in contract management, donor reporting and writing funding proposals. - Proven organisational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities and work to deadlines. - Strong social and networking skills. - Self-motivated and good problem solving skills. - Demonstrable leadership skills. Desirable - Knowledge of policy and decision-making by governments, bi-lateral / multi-lateral donors, financial institutions. - Knowledge of the rights-based approach to development. - Knowledge of policy research and analysis methodologies. - Experience of working with CSO networks at international or atleast regional level. - Demonstrate responsibility for senior-level organizational representation, negotiation and advocacy. - Proven experience in organising training and advocacy workshops. How to Apply: Interested candidates are requested to send in their current CV with a Covering Letter (strictly no more than 2 pages of A4-size paper) outlining their suitability for the post to info@fansasia.net with “Application for Regional Coordinator” in the subject line latest by 18:00 hours (IST), Friday, July 13, 2012. Interviews will be held on Wednesday, July 25, 2012 in Hyderabad, India. Please note that due to the high volume of applications received, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Please note that you will need to have the right to work in the base location. We will not be able to apply for a work permit for you. However, you will have the letter of employment from us with which you will have to take the initiative for the necessary legal formalities. Date of commencement of work will ideally be as soon as possible. For more information on FANSA, visit www.fansasia.net Qualified women candidates are especially encouraged to apply. Orientation of the selected candidate and induction will be from August 06-10, 2012, in present base location of work – Hyderabad, India.