Water Supply Service and Private Sector Development Specialist (WSSPSDS)

SCOPE OF WORK

USAID Karnali Water Activity Project

Project Background:

The USAID Karnali Water Activity Project will create healthy, resilient, and water secure communities at the watershed level through strengthened water and sanitation governance that improves water resource management (including water for more resilient and biodiverse ecosystems), enhances sustainable access to drinking water, improves agriculture water management, and reduces the fecal pathogen burden in the environment from poorly managed non-sewered sanitation through fecal sludge management. The program team will methodically integrate WRM, watershed biodiversity conservation, and water and sanitation service delivery by mapping and strengthening the roles, connections, and capacities of key actors and stakeholders’ system wide for quality, quantity, and equity in water resource management.

Position Description:

The Water Supply Services and Private Sector Development Specialist will lead project activities related to increasing access to water supply services and promoting agricultural businesses, including service provision quality and managing demand. S/he will lead activities focused on improving: i) capacity of local government to lead multi-stakeholder sector planning, monitoring and targeting of investments using evidence-based, transparent, and gender and socially inclusive decision-making; ii) performance of rural water supply service providers and operators (WUSCs/VMWs) to provide gender and socially inclusive, resilient, and sustainable water supply services, and iii)  development and implementation of agricultural MUS business plans. This will include strengthening post-construction support and extension services for the technical, operational, financial, and equitable provision of services to ensure water supply operators are delivering gender and socially inclusive, resilient, and sustainable water supply services, and strengthening the water communities for efficient and productive use of water in climate-smart agricultural businesses.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Water Supply Services:

• Lead all water supply services activities, infrastructure asset management, performance monitoring, and WUSC operations and maintenance support, including the establishment of a cost-reflective water tariff system at the scheme level.
• Lead establishment and sustainable functioning of a WASH Unit in working LGs through proper coordination with the LGs, and WASHCCs and development of related rules and regulations as provisioned in the WASH Act of the municipality. 
• Support LGs, the watershed team, and subcontractors for survey and updates in NWASH MIS. 
• Provide support to Watershed teams for leveraging resources and mobilizing subcontractors, WUSCs, and communities for water supply and sanitation scheme construction and rehabilitation, including the development of individual scheme Financial and Operational Sustainability Plans, Climate Resilient Water Safety Plans (CR-WSPs), operations and maintenance regulations, and establishment/strengthening of water user organizations and/or private water service providers for sustainable operations and maintenance systems.
• Explore private sector/cooperative or other relevant WSS operating modalities through research and studies.
• Facilitate the meetings/dialogues of private sector (VMWs, Insurance service providers, water quality testing labs/technicians, suppliers) and local governments to help identify and engage the private sector in water supply services operations management and maintenance functions. Assist the watershed teams and subcontractors in facilitating collaboration between LGs and WUSCs to identify and involve insurance service providers for WSS scheme insurance and assist WUSCs/LGs with rehabilitation and support to claim the damages.
• Support municipalities to establish and/or procure private services for water quality testing labs, provide training on climate resilient water safety planning, and smooth operations processes for water quality laboratories at the municipal level.
• Lead in establishing partnerships with private sector companies and organizations to promote private sector participation in water supply services operations management and Fecal Sludge Management services. This may involve providing support in contracting private operators for service delivery or facilitating public-private partnerships. 
• Provide technical direction and support to Watershed teams to establish and institutionalize local service providers in the LGs for service operations management functions.
• Support with surveying and updating the National WASH MIS, as well as assisting LGs in using the WASH data for local level WASH planning.
• Lead water challenge grants implementation based on the identified innovative approach for water utilization, conservation, and water supply service delivery. 

Agricultural MUS Business Plans:

• Lead on scheme-level value chain analysis and the development of scheme level agricultural MUS business plans.
• Support communities in MUS Business Plan implementation and marketing of MUS BPs.
• Lead/participate in stakeholder consultation meetings, co-creation workshops, and co-design process for agricultural MUS business plan preparation.
• Lead in conducting market analysis to identify potential opportunities for private sector involvement in the water supply sector. The development business models can be implemented to attract private sector investments and sustainable operations.
• Lead in establishing partnerships with private sector companies and organizations to promote private sector participation in agricultural MUS business plan implementation.
• Provide technical direction and support to Watershed teams in order to establish and institutionalize local service providers in the LGs for MUS-related agriculture service operations management functions.
• Coordinate with USAID FtF projects, local governments, and other relevant development partners for the collaborative efforts to support the MUS business plan communities through partnership agreements/MOUs.

Capacity Building:

• In coordination with the Capacity Building & Training Specialist and other objective/activity leads, support on development of training modules and training materials for different target participants (LGs, WUOs, Subcontractors) regarding financial and operational sustainability ( lifecycle cost water tariff, scheme insurance, SOPs), Governance,  climate resilient water safety plan, resilient and inclusive infrastructures, VMWs, Water Quality Testing, environmental protection and Biodiversity conservation, Disaster Risk Management, water security, efficient and economic use of water,  scheme sustainability and other sustainable water supply services issues. 
• In collaboration with the Capacity Building & Training Specialist, provide support on training events especially related to scheme sustainability & water services.

Oversight and Management:

• Provide coaching/mentoring support to sub-contractors, watershed teams, and service providers on CR-WSP, and financial and operational sustainability of water schemes.
• Provide support in subcontracting and managing the sub-contractors.

Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Reporting:

• Participate in development and implementation of the monitoring, evaluation, and learning plan for sustainability and private sector development related indicators. 
• Conduct post-construction monitoring and provide feedback to local government WASH Units and service providers for enhanced water supply services.
• Support the development of annual work plans for the sustainability of WASH services and private sector development related areas. 
• Facilitate/manage different research projects and studies including the scoping study for the development and implementation of local insurance product for WASH infrastructures and the scoping study for alternative water supply service operating and management models. 

Any other relevant task assigned by the supervisor/COP towards the achievement of USAID Karnali Water Activity.

Qualifications

• A master’s degree in a development-related field with a minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience and expertise working on local and/or international projects focused on  community development for peri-urban and rural water systems and services (9 years of experience for excluded groups) OR a bachelor’s degree in a development-related field with minimum of 13 years of progressively responsible experience and expertise working on local and/or international projects focused on community development for peri-urban and rural water systems and services (12 years of experience for excluded groups).
  
• Proven ability to develop new ideas and find solutions for water security challenges as well as have excellent ability to work with counterparts at various levels of government, community water management committees, water utilities, as well as with various partners (e.g. NGOs, donors)  
• Demonstrated ability to ensure local government adoption of key sector policy reforms and increased sector financing, including experience negotiating cost-share arrangements for key WSS infrastructure.
• Previous success in facilitating private sector engagement in service delivery, highly preferred. 
• Strong analytical, negotiation, interpersonal and communication, and multidisciplinary skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and demonstrated success in making connections with key stakeholders to enhance the adoption of GESI principles.
• An energetic, forward-thinking, and creative individual with high ethical standards and appropriately professional image.
• An extremely well-organized and self-directed individual with sound technical skills, analytical ability, good judgment, and strong operational focus.
• Strong ethics and experience dealing with sensitive community dynamics and conflict. 
• Professional verbal and written fluency in English, as well as strong writing skills.
• Ability to write coherent and analytical reports. 

LEVEL OF EFFORT/SUPERVISION:

The level of effort is 260 days per year. The WSSPSDS will be based in Surkhet Regional Office, with occasionally travel to field sites in the Karnali River Basin. The staff will work under the direct supervision of the Deputy Chief Party.  

APPLICATION LINK: https://fs23.formsite.com/OLJTgx/nawkf2zj37/index

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Please fill out the required information and upload CV. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as interviews will be conducted soon. Please note, due to the volume of applications that we receive and the urgency to fill-up positions only shortlisted applicants will receive notifications on next steps. 

Interested candidates should submit their application no later than November 17, 2024. 

DAI promotes workforce diversity and considers excluded groups to include women, Dalits, indigenous ethnic groups, Madhesi, Muslim, persons with disabilities, people living in remote areas, and sexual and gender minorities. 

ABOUT DAI

DAI is a global development company with corporate offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, EU, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Palestine and project operations worldwide. We tackle fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability. DAI works on the frontlines of global development. Transforming ideas into action—action into impact. We are committed to shaping a more livable world.

DAI and its employees are committed to confronting racism and holding ourselves accountable for positive change within the company and in the communities, cultures, and countries in which we live and work.  DAI is committed to attracting and retaining the best employees from all races and backgrounds in our continued effort to become a better development partner.

DAI upholds the highest ethical standards. We are committed to the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment as well as other ethical breaches. All our positions are therefore subject to stringent vetting and reference checks.

This SOW is only a summary of the typical functions of the job, and not an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all responsibilities, tasks, and duties.