The SuWASH Consultant acts as a project officer for the installation & operation of sustainable – meaning cost-recovery directed – water and sanitation systems in selected rural communities. This incorporates the coordination/management of planning, installation, training and operation processes for Sustainable WASH under Ghana Red Cross Society supported by IFRC.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

–          Responsible for the project management and there with coordination of the Sustainable WASH team for the provision and operation of sustainable Water and Sanitation schemes

–          Establish & manage sustainable water services with the satisfaction of community members as the focus

–          Explore, develop and establish the provision of sustainable sanitation services including latrine provision and hygiene promotion

–          Establish, develop and formulate the business plans including all elements for water and sanitation service deliveries

–          Implement and manage the business plan through capacity building of key staff, involving sustainability officer, regional managers and volunteers to optimize service deliveries with focus on cost-recovery to guarantee basis for future scaling

–          Ensure adequate training for management and operations of Sustainable WASH Systems at GRCS headquarters, regional & community level

–          Establish & monitor revenue management systems of Sustainable WASH accounts

–          Liaise with service providers for Sustainable WASH

–          Reporting to the National WASH Coordinator

Support and coaching will be given through a team of professionals, including a team of senior consultants.

Position requirements:

–          Min. Bachelor’s Degree in the area of business administration, business management, financial management or similar

–          Experience in the build-up and/or leadership of min. 1 business in the area of WASH: this implies experience in the definition of business plans, strategy plans and their implementation

–          Min. 5 years of team leadership experience

–          Experience in the reporting and presentation of initiatives to the top management

–          Consulting or practical experience from business management of private enterprises

–          Project management, Leadership Skills, Personal initiative and innovative thinking

–          Basic understanding in WASH is an advantage

–          Fluent in English (written and spoken)

Remuneration range: dependent upon experience between 800-1200 $ per month

How to apply:

Your application should include your CV, letters of recommendations, and a 2-page motivation letter that elaborates how, based on your previous experiences, you can add value to the GRCS Sustainable WASH project as a project officer. For your reference, please find below a summary project proposal for the position. Applications are open until February 21, 2020 and should be sent to career@redcrossghana.org . For further information please contact cyril.amegashie@redcrossghana.org.

Project description Sustainable WASH

An initiative of the Ghana Red Cross Society, International Federation of the Red Cross, Nestle and Fontes AS

The Ghana WASH phase II project “Sustainable WASH” directly contributes to SDG 6, clean water and sanitation and SDG 3, good health and well-being. One of the main challenges to achieving SDG 6 and 3 goals is lack of sustainability of WASH services mainly due to limited operational and financial management capacity of WASH service providers overall in developing countries.

Sustainable WASH addresses this challenge by not only providing water and sanitation services but also managing them with the focus on cost-recovery for maintenance and operations.

By end 2020, 12 water systems in rural communities in Eastern and Ashanti Region should be functional and operated by local staff. At least operating and maintenance costs should be recovered and therewith sustainability achieved. The water systems are mechanized, water is pumped from the borehole to an overhead tank, becomes filtered (if needed) and chlorinated and then distributed through cashless payment tap stations to the community members. In the same 12 communities´ household latrines should be built based on payment plans, so affordability for rural households is secured and ownership responsibility increased. Therefore, Ghana Red Cross “one-stop sanitation shops” will be established in regional hubs and local staff will be trained to build the latrines. Hygiene promotion is an integral part of sustainable WASH that ensures cleanliness and therewith safety of water and sanitation facilities in the communities. Through the presence of Ghana Red Cross regional management teams in all Ghanian regions, follow up and support can be provided to all twelve communities on a regular basis.

Sustainable WASH is a new approach for the Ghana Red Cross Society. Capacity building and engagement as well as the development and implementation of new forms of project management and operations present key aspects of the project. Sustainable WASH is building on experiences from previous WASH projects in Ivory Coast and Ghana as well as benefitting from broad consultation with stakeholders and outcomes from reviews and field studies undertaken in both countries. In addition, a consultancy was hired to support specifically with the sustainability component of the whole project. All lessons learned from Sustainable WASH in Ghana will serve the replication of similar projects in other National Red Cross Societies.

The project is driven by the ambition to improve the health and dignity of vulnerable cocoa producing farmers and rural communities through the provision of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion (WASH) services and the IFRC and RC/RC commitment to directly contributing to SDG 6 and SDG 3.