Regional Technical Advisor

Job Purpose

Ensure the technical quality of delivery of our programmes is consistent with national and global best practices in the sector and raises standards of technical competence in country programmes to the highest levels.
Provide independent advice and assurance to senior programme staff at the country and regional levels on the technical quality of our work and that of our partner organisations, to enable the Country Directors and the Regional Team to take necessary follow-up action/s.
The RTA will be responsible for working with country leadership to raise their technical competency standards.
In collaboration with the Regional Research and Knowledge Manager, develop partnerships and collaborations with national and regional organisations to promote our innovations and best practices.
The role will be instrumental in achieving WaterAid’s aims and mission and provide key support to Senior Programme and Technical Staff in Country Programmes in the West Africa Region, while partnering with other colleagues outside the region, including Programme Support Unit (PSU) and PCD.
Ensure technical support is provided to CPs on Climate resilient WASH services as well as serve as the technical lead on climate within the Regional Team.
Responsibilities

Technical Support (Programme Quality):

Review Country Programme approaches and technologies for water supply, sanitation and hygiene promotion in the light of national and global good practice with guidance from the Regional Team and PSU/PCD.
Support country programme technical staff to raise standards of service delivery carried out through Country Programme partners.
Based on the WaterAid Quality Programme Standards, support country programme and partner staff in the quality assurance of project design, implementation and monitoring in order to achieve technical excellence and long-term sustainability of water and sanitation services. Support the understanding and embedding of the standards in CPs (Quality Programme Standards-QPS Project focal point in the Region).
As part of WaterAid’s global technical support function, use WaterAid’s thematic frameworks – Sustainability, Water Security, Urban, Sanitation, Hygiene, Equity and Inclusion, Disaster Management – in supporting country programmes to adapt these to their respective contexts. Contribute to future developments of these and related guidance documents.
WASH and Climate Programmes Development:

Design the WASH and Climate Change inputs for the situation analysis. Provide timely, comprehensive and current data to inform WASH and Climate Change policy and programme development, planning, management and implementation.
Participate in strategic WASH and Climate Change programme planning and implementation discussions. Support/lead WASH – Climate donor proposals (for climate financing), ensuring alignment with WaterAid Global strategy (specifically WaterAid’s Strategic Aim 3 – Climate resilient WASH services) and CPs’ strategies and all Aim 3 programmes.
Ensure the Climate programmes (under WaterAid’s Strategic Aim 3) are aligned with government plans and priorities on climate change such as Climate change policies, NAPs and NDCs.
Assist in the formulation of the WASH and Climate Change outcome and output results, related indicators, baselines, targets and means of verification.
Prepare required documentation for programme reviews.
Work with colleagues and partners to discuss strategies and methodologies for the achievement of WASH and Climate Change output results in the country programmes.
Provide technical and operational support throughout all stages of programming processes and ensure integration, coherence and harmonization of WASH with other WaterAid Aims, for the achievement of the WASH and Climate Change output results.
Coordinate WASH and Climate works and initiatives in West Africa region.
Technical and operational support for programmes implementation:

Effective monitoring of WASH and climate related activities through field visits, surveys and exchange of information with partners and CPs staff, to assess progress, identify bottlenecks and potential problems and take timely decisions to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for timely interventions.
Provide technical and operational support to CPs, NGO partners and other relevant actors to implement WASH and Climate programmes.
Identify technical gap and use WaterAid “Build-Borrow-Buy” approach to increase capacities of CPs on WASH and Climate.
Participate on behalf of the Regional Team in WASH and Climate Change programme meetings to review progress, share WaterAid good practices and models, and provide expert advice and guidance.
Develop policy papers, briefs and other strategic materials for use by CPs and Regional Team for advocacy and policy influencing purpose.
Prepare protocols and procedures to be able to respond effectively and timely to any case of climate disaster/emergency.