Solomon Islands: WPSMIP Field Program Advisor- Solomon Islands

Position: WPSMIP Field Program Advisor

Reporting to: International Program Manager (Melbourne) and WPSMIP Project Manager in the Solomon Islands

Advised by: LLEE WASH Program Advisors

Term: This position is a 10-month position, with the possibility for extension (probation period is 3 months).

General: This position is based in Honiara in Solomon Islands, focused on implementing the community components of the Western Pacific Sanitation Marketing and Innovation Program (WPSMIP).

PROJECT:

The WPSMIP is implemented in Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Fiji. It is delivered by a consortium of Live & Learn Australia (Lead), International Women’s Development Agency (IWDA) and International Water Centre (IWC), working alongside in-country locally registered offices of Live & Learn.

In Solomon Islands the program currently works with two informal, urban settlements in Honiara. The core strategy of the program is to enable local, cooperative sanitation and hygiene entrepreneurism to create sustainable sanitation and hygiene services. This will be achieved by empowering local communities to establish and sustain sanitation enterprises, and by facilitating the establishment of an enabling environment in which these cooperatives can operate and thrive.

Based on lessons learned from market analysis and pilot activities, the sanitation marketing approach will be adapted from a conventional business-driven model, where the focus is on profit, to a cooperative model with focus on inclusion through cultural association. While the engagement focuses on public health outcomes, one of our approaches for triggering and sustaining demand for toilets will focus on the sanitation safety of women. Violence against women in Honiara is of significant concern and communities are aware of the links between violence and lack of appropriate sanitation.

For further information about the WPSMIP, and stories of progress so far, please see: www.thewashbusiness.wordpress.com

ROLE:

The development of sustainable business plans for community-based sanitation enterprises (CBSEs) in informal, peri-urban settlements around Honiara is one of the key objectives for the Western Pacific Sanitation Marketing and Innovation Project.

The key role of the WPSMIP Field Program Advisor will be to assist the WPSMIP Solomon Islands team in their work to facilitate the establishment of autonomous and sustainable Community-Based Sanitation Enterprises (CBSEs) in the target areas of the project. This includes organizational development assistance, business plan development and implementation, and enterprise operations. This will involve assessment, training and support on the registration, governance, budgeting, financial processes and marketing of the CBSEs. It will also include advising the CBSE’s on developing and pricing their product and service offerings to best suit potential markets will be vital for success.

A key outcome of the project is the provision of affordable sanitation in the target communities. The CBSEs require support in developing approaches and mechanisms to provide affordable sanitation – this includes approaches such as innovative financing options or payment plans, sales of toilets in kit or component forms to enable customers to provides some materials themselves, the facilitation of local savings groups if appropriate, etc. The WPSMIP Field Program Advisor will be responsible for ensuring that the L&L Solomon’s Islands team is adequately supporting the CBSEs in this area, and that affordable sanitation products are available.

The key focus of the role is capacity-building and mentoring in all technical and management advice provided, so that the L&L Solomon Islands WPSMIP team will be confident in supporting the current two CBSEs, and in the establishment of additional CBSEs during the remainder of the project.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Gain the trust of the L&L staff and the CBSE members, and establish an effective and regular mechanism of communication with the CBSE members.
• In close collaboration with the WPSMIP teams, mentor and couch the CBSEs members in the process of structuring and strengthening the CBSEs.
• Assist the Program Advisors in the Melbourne Office, and the WPSMIP team, in guiding CBSEs to develop, review and update sustainable and financially viable sanitation marketing models and business plans. These plans are to be based on market analysis and related research, in collaboration with partners and target communities.
• Ensure that training needs are assessed together with the CBSEs members and that training activities contribute to strengthen the motivation of the CBSEs members. Under the guidance of the Program Advisors, assist the WPSMIP team in preparing relevant and timely training plans and revising if necessary existing training modules in the areas of sanitation marketing, financial literacy, financial processes, governance, business operations, and others.
• Provide direct financial guidance and business support to CBSEs during establishment and early operation, and support WPSMIP team to develop the skills and knowledge to be able to provide this support to new CBSEs in scale-up phase.
• Explore financial models of CBSEs, including viability of operating budgets, product & service offerings, and affordability, and support changes or adjustments that allow for greater sustainability.
• Identify and support opportunities to improve community member’s ability to pay for the products of the CBSE, such as provision of financing options to community members, and links to existing savings groups.
• Ensure that CBSEs understand and meet legal requirements of business ownership, taxation, registration, etc. under relevant local, provincial and national laws.
• Provide advice and support to WPSMIP team members on replication of sustainable business models, including financing options for scale-up phase of project.
• Assist the WPSMIP team in implementing local and/or large-scale hygiene promotion activities and campaigns under the guidance of the Program Advisors.
• Assist the WPSMIP Project Manager in developing knowledge and learning products in line with the program requirements.
• Represent L&L and the WPSMIP in public when requested by the WPSMIP team.
• Assist the WPSMIP Project Manager in preparing budgets, reports and acquittals on fieldwork in line with the program reporting requirements.
• Assist the WPSMIP Project Manager in complying with procurement and logistics procedures.
• Identify funding opportunities to ensure adequate financial co-contribution of L&L to the WPSMIP. Assist the WPSMIP team for the development of project proposals.
• Other duties as directed by the International Program Manager.

Experience:

• Experience in the implementation of development or humanitarian projects.
• 2-year experience of Project Management in the WASH sector.
• Knowledge of the Pacific context.

Core Skills:

· Knowledge of market analysis, business planning, enterprise development, financial modeling and supply chain development.

· Community leadership and mentoring skills: able to support, motivate and liaise effectively with villagers, community groups, teachers and government.

· Proven ability to develop community-based training programs.

· Demonstrated ability to facilitate community workshops and focus groups.

· A demonstrated understanding of development principles and capacity development practice.

· Commitment to learn Solomon Pidgin and proficient oral and written English.

· Proven ability to write reports, develop budgets and prepare acquittals.

· Ability to work independently or in a team.

· Excellent organisational and interpersonal skills.

· Sound cross-cultural, gender-awareness, interpersonal, and networking skills.

· Strong computer skills.

• SELECTION CRITERIA

Qualifications/Experience:

1. A post-graduate qualification in a relevant area.

2. At least five years experience in similar roles.

Skills & Abilities

Essential criteria -the applicant is required to address the essential selection criteria:

1. Experience in Sanitation Marketing, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene and/or experience delivering community level social enterprises.

2. Experience in managing development projects in the Pacific region. Highly developed inter-cultural and interpersonal skills.

3. Highly developed writing skills for proposal development, stakeholder reporting, promotional and educational materials.

4. Ability to foster a collaborative team environment, and work with a range of stakeholders and partners.

5. Excellent organisational skills including the capacity to prioritise and to meet deadlines.

Personal Qualities

Maturity of judgement, flexibility, creativity, responsiveness, initiative, ability to empower others, ability to follow through, ability to take a considered approach, ability to work within an organisation, openness to learning, a sense of humour and a strong personal commitment to international development and protecting the natural environment and the many people depending on these for their survival.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Please send a CV and cover letter by email to recruitment@livelearn.org. In your application please respond briefly to the Essential Selection Criteria in no more than 2 pages. Applications close on 22^nd May 2017. The successfully applicant must be able to commence work in mid June 2017; therefore we encourage the potential candidates to apply as soon as their application is ready.

OTHER INFORMATION:

To download a full position description, please go to http://www.livelearn.org/employment-opportunities

For further information on the project see: http://www.livelearn.org/projects/sanitationmarketing-

western-pacific or https://thewashbusiness.wordpress.com/ Live & Learn are an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to the wellbeing and safety of all children and employees are required to agree and abide by our Child Protection and Fraud Control Policies, our Good Practice Manual, and follow our Code of Conduct.