Program Manager/Market-Based WASH Operational Research at Catholic Relief Services (CRS)

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is an international non-governmental organization supporting relief and development work in over 100 countries. CRS programs assist persons on the basis of need, regardless of creed, ethnicity, or nationality. As CRS works through local church and non-church partners to implement its programs, strengthening and building the capacity of partner organizations is fundamental to the work of CRS. CRS re-established presence in Nigeria in 2000 and currently focuses on health, vulnerable children, agriculture, extractives and governance, and peace building programming.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: Program Manager/Market-Based WASH Operational Research

Job Ref Code: PMM200619
Location: Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria
Department: Emergency
Band: 8 
Reports to: Emergency Program Manager II
Position type: Full time

Context

• CRS seeks a full-time employee to support an innovative project seeking to identify and pilot market-based interventions to improve access to water among vulnerable populations of North East Nigeria.
• Now in its tenth year, the crisis in North East Nigeria shows no sign of abating. The economic system of the region has been severely disrupted, with serious impact on agricultural and income generating activities resulting in reduced purchasing power at the household level and in the ability of families to meet their basic needs. Despite continued scale up in humanitarian assistance, significant gaps remain, as thousands of people affected by the conflict have not been reached. In 2019, 3.6 million individuals are expected to need support on Water, Hygiene and Sanitation. While most humanitarian actors in Nigeria were, and are still today, involved in rehabilitation of nonfunctional boreholes as well as drilling and development of new boreholes, to date no humanitarian actors have engaged in mapping the private water sector in North East Nigeria in a systematic way nor have actors identified how this market can be potentially used to improve WASH outcomes. Therefore, CRS will be implementing a 10 month Operational Research funded by OFDA, that seeks to: 1) map the private water market in selected areas of North East Nigeria, 2) identify and pilot priority recommendations to use the private water market to meet water needs of  affected populations, 3) compare effectiveness of these interventions with more traditional humanitarian water supply response activities, and 4) disseminate learning to other humanitarian WASH actors.
• Despite hundreds of new boreholes being drilled or rehabilitated by humanitarian actors and others there are still indications that a large section of IDPs and host community members in urban areas continue buying water from the informal water sector, thus private borehole owners and water push cart sellers, and will continue to do so. Cholera outbreaks are on the increase in the Northeast now forming a pattern of yearly outbreaks. There is therefore a clear opportunity to work and engage with the private water sector, one that contributes to meet not only water supply gaps but also contributes to improve and professionalize this sector. Borehole owners and push cart sellers are significant water actors and as such should be targeted by the humanitarian community to ensure that the quality of the water they sell is in line with national and WHO standards for water quality.
• Understanding and mapping private borehole owners, push cart sellers as well as the IDP/host population buying their water would help CRS and the entire humanitarian sector to understand the role, the importance and the functionality of this market system. Mapping of the private water market system will also help CRS, and other actors, understand what interventions would help improve the functioning of this market segment and the appropriateness of investing in market-based interventions to help meet water needs of the affected population in NE Nigeria.

Job Summary
You will support on the ground the effective implementation of this market-based WASH operational research. The main objectives of the position will be to:

• Support the market mapping and analysis of the private water market in selected areas of North East Nigeria and together with the Maiduguri WASH team, the Humanitarian Response Department technical advisors and NE Nigeria Sr Managers identify appropriate and relevant pilot interventions
• Coordinate the implementation of selected pilot interventions that use the private water market system to improve water access among the affected population
• Ensure relevant data is gathered during implementation to enable comparison of traditional water supply interventions and market-based approaches
• Support the dissemination of findings of the pilot within Nigeria

Specific Job Responsibilities
You will be responsible for the following key activities:

Market mapping and analysis of the private water market:

• Liaise with other WASH actors in north east Nigeria to facilitate collaboration on the project’s activities, including coordinating an inter-agency assessment of the private water market system
• Support CRS’ humanitarian WASH Technical Advisor and Cash and Markets Technical Advisor to design an appropriate methodology for the market assessment and related tools for data collection
• Involve MEAL and GIS teams from the start so they can support mapping and analysis efforts
• Coordinate data collection during the market assessment
• Support data cleaning and analysis from the market assessment
• Support in the dissemination of key findings and priority recommendations of the market assessment

Pilot market-based water interventions:

• Support the development of detailed implementation plan for pilot activities, and associated budget, in close collaboration with CRS’ North East Nigeria Emergency Coordinator and WASH team
• Oversee the implementation of the market-based WASH pilot programme, in accordance with the programme’s detailed implementation plan
• Coordinate with target community members, government, and water market actors to facilitate the implementation of the pilot interventions
• Ensure pilot activities are implemented in line with agreed schedules
• Ensure appropriate monitoring of pilot interventions, through design of monitoring tools and implementation of monitoring plan in collaboration with the CRS MEAL team and WASH and Cash/Markets Technical Advisors
• Ensure implementation of pilot water interventions are in line with humanitarian standards (e.g. SPHERE, Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability, Minimum Economic Recovery Standards etc.)

Comparison of market-based water interventions and traditional response:

• Facilitate the gathering of relevant information from CRS and other agency programmes to enable comparison of different water interventions
• Work with CRS humanitarian advisors to develop an appropriate comparative framework considering various aspects of cost effectiveness and efficiency
• Support maintenance of relevant documentation during the project
• Support write up of findings from the pilot programme and comparison with other water interventions

Dissemination of results:

• Support dissemination of the results of the market mapping, and outcomes of the operational research to other humanitarian and WASH stakeholders in Nigeria
• Other activities as requested

Key Working Relationships:

• CRS North East Nigeria team (WASH, MEAL, Emergency Coordinator)
• CRS Humanitarian Response Department (WASH Technical Advisor, Cash and Markets Technical Advisor)
• Other Humanitarian WASH actors in North East Nigeria
• Relevant Government departments in North East Nigeria
• Water market actors
• Members of the target population

Agency Wide Competences (for all CRS staff):
These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

• Serves with Integrity
• Models Stewardship
• Cultivates Constructive Relationships
• Promotes Learning

Qualifications and Skills
Required:

• A Master's degree is required. Master's in Anthropology, Social Work, Public Health, Water and Sanitation Engineering,Hydrogeology or Environmental Engineering or a related field is strongly preferred.
• At least 5 years previous experience managing humanitarian response activities in complex protracted crises
• Previous experience designing humanitarian response activities (preferably related to WASH and/or market-based interventions)
• Good understanding of humanitarian standards, including SPHERE, MERS and CHS
• Previous experience conducting market assessment and analysis in emergency contexts (preferably related to the WASH sector)
• Previous experience coordinating with other actors and building collaborative relationships
• Excellent communication skills, including report writing and presentation
• Fluency in written and spoken English

Desired:

• Previous experience designing market assessment tools and methodology to inform humanitarian response activities
• Previous experience managing humanitarian WASH programs
• Previous experience of research projects

Application Closing Date
3rd July, 2019.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should download the "Application Form" below and send with a detailed Resume as one document in PDF to: [email protected] indicating position being applied for and the Job Ref Code as the subject of the application (e.g. Program Manager - Borno, PMM200619.)

Click here to download Application Form - (Dropbox Doc.)

Note

• CRS is an equal –opportunity employer, does not discriminate based on race, color, religion and we are committed to gender sensitive programming and management’. etc.
• Qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply”
• Statement of Commitment to Protection: ‘’CRS’ recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation’’