Suitably qualified Congolese nationals are encouraged to apply. A competitive remuneration and benefits package is available, and will be discussed with serious candidates
BACKGROUND
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a non-profit, non-sectarian voluntary agency providing assistance to refugees around the world. IRC’s programs promote self-sustenance for refugees and host populations through public health, sanitation, shelter, rehabilitation, and educational programs. IRC serves refugees and Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in over 30 countries in Europe, Africa and Asia. IRC is committed to freedom, human dignity and self-reliance. This commitment is reflected in well-planned resettlement assistance, global emergency relief, rehabilitation, and advocacy programs. The International Rescue Committee DRC Program currently seeks a Construction Technical Advisor for its DFID-funded Community Driven Reconstruction (CDR) Program, locally known as Tuungane. The position will be based in one of the five Tuungane field sites (preferably Bukavu, Goma or Lumumbashi) with frequent travel.
Tuungane means ‘let’s unite’ in the Kiswahili language and echoes the program’s principal aim of uniting communities to have a greater voice and control over their own development. Tuungane also seeks to unite communities with their institutions (both community-based structures and local levels of government) in improving basic services and ensuring that they are sustainably supported by a capable and accountable local governance system. Tuungane Phase I ran from 2007 to 2011 and successfully reached 1.78 million people across three provinces of eastern DRC. Overall, 1,249 villages have embraced the program, mobilizing their own resources to carry out a community project, the majority of which involve construction projects in the education, health, and water and sanitation sectors. Tuungane Phase II, with a budget of £61m, will run from 2011 to 2014 and targets 1,800 communities in 15 territories with a total estimated population of 2.6 million people.
SCOPE The IRC is seeking a committed, dynamic and experienced construction professional to act as the focal point for all construction issues related to the Tuungane Program. Since the CDR approach means communities choose and manage their own construction project, the construction team’s role is to work with communities to ensure they are making appropriate choices, that projects meet minimum engineering standards, are safe and sustainable and that communities understand operations, maintenance, and cost implications. The construction team is also in a position to guide communities, along with the Tuungane team, on how best to work with contractors and enterprises to achieve the project, and is involved in monitoring of construction progress and quality. The Construction Technical Advisor will give technical and strategic direction to the construction team of expatriate and national Construction Coordinators and Managers in each of the five implementation regions (S. Kivu, N. Kivu, Maniema, H. Katanga, Tanganyika). The Construction Technical Advisor will work under the supervision of the Tuungane Program, Deputy Director-CDR. The position is initially for two years and may be extended depending on the availability of funding.
RESPONSIBILITIES Programmatic • Act as the country level Tuungane construction focal point with regard to all construction related programmatic, technical quality, and reporting issues; • Provide strategic direction to the construction teams across sites so as to ensure coherence and synergy on construction issues, standards and norms in the context of a good governance, CDR program; • Provide technical direction to, and respond to day-to-day communications from Tuungane Construction Coordinators and Managers providing them with timely, practical and comprehensive technical and programmatic advice; • Conduct technical support visits, training, and evaluations of Tuungane related construction activities with maximum field travel not to exceed 50% of time. Visit each of the five Tuungane construction programs at least once a quarter. Prioritize technical support visits to add maximum value for example assisting with startup activities in North Kivu, technical problem solving, and staff capacity building; • Work with provincial CDR Program Coordinators to ensure that their Construction Coordinators/Managers have clear implementation strategies, staffing plans, work plans and implementation tracking systems, that coincide with country-level program planning and implementation. Ensure work plans are on schedule and appropriate indicators are being met and tracked; • Design the implementation strategy for Tuungane’s construction interventions (i.e. construction tool kit) and act as the focal point for the continued development and review of the Tuungane Construction Tool Kit; • Where necessary, assist the Tuungane Senior Management Team in the refinement of policies, strategies and the vision for IRC DRC’s CDR programming;
Human Resources • Collaborate with provincial CDR Program Coordinators in the recruitment, training and orientation of expatriate and national Tuungane Construction Managers/Coordinators as necessary. Provide additional cover during human resources gaps as required; • Design and implement a staff development program for Tuungane Engineers and Technicians including field training, exchange programs and coaching. Organize and facilitate construction related workshops at least twice a year; • Ensure that construction staff at each of the sites use correct systems, are socialized in standards, norms and construction related protocols including project selection, project budgeting, project technical validation, project financial validation, approval by local authorities, project dossier preparation, contractor selection, project implementation and project quality monitoring. Share examples of good practice between sites;
Monitoring, Communication and Reporting • Ensure that CDR Construction Coordinators are effectively tracking construction project implementation, construction quality indicators, and expenditure as per Tuungane protocols; • Be prepared to monitor and evaluate all construction related interventions. Conduct randomized evaluations to determine the quality of CDR construction programming in each site at least once a year or as required; • Collate and compile construction related reports for interim reporting to DFID;
Coordination and Representation • Represent the construction component of the Tuungane program to government officials, line ministry officials in health, education, water and roads sectors, to DFID, other NGOs, UN agencies and other relevant authorities;
QUALIFICATIONS • Masters degree in Civil Engineering or similar; • At least 8 years experience in the management of construction elements in large-scale programs, preferably among conflict-affected populations at village/community level using the CDR methodology or similar; • Strong planning, organizational, interpersonal, leadership and communication skills; • Experience leading large diverse project teams; • Working knowledge of low cost construction techniques in the African context; • Experience of working in a fluid security environment preferably in the DRC; • Fluency in English and French, spoken and written;
Please apply at: http://tbe.taleo.net/NA2/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=IRC&cws=1&rid=7286
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