Junior Project Officer (Jr. PO)

Position Title:                             Junior Project Officer (Jr. PO)

Project Name:                            Strengthening Water Access for Climate Resilience in Phongsaly Province (SWACR Project) 

Department:                               Project/Program Department

Location:                                      Phongsaly Province

Position reports to:                  Project Coordinator (PC)

Position Type:                            Fixed Term (01 year with potential extension), Full-time 

Job Summary / About the Role

The Junior Project Officer will lead activity implementing at the field target villages of the Strengthening Water Access for Climate Resilience project in Phongsaly Province.

This position will work in partnership with the DHO, LWU, DAFO, DONRE and in close coordination with other CARE development projects in Phongsaly province Lao PDR.

This position will support the coordination and implementation of the project providing technical advice and implementing key aspects of CARE’s work on  promoting WASH access and behaviors, gender equality, and climate resilience. The position will work closely with ethnic communities including women in 15 communities in Samphan and Mai districts.  The project will focus on strengthening access and quality through exploring more sustainable approaches to water infrastructure and community behavioral practices. This will be achieved through:

1. Ensuring all families in 15 target communities have year-round access to adequate volumes of safe water at the household level and that models for the sustainable supply of clean drinking water for all households developed and implemented in at least two communities.
2. Capacities are built at village and district levels ensure technical, social and environmental sustainability of water supply systems established.

Climate resilient adaptation options that enhance community incentives for watershed forest protection / expansion and thus contribute to sustainable water access are piloted and assessed

This position is based in Samphan or Mai district Phongsaly province with extensively travel to project target villages in Khua and Vientiane   sometime.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, IMPLEMENTATION AND QUALITY ASSURANCE
   • Responsible of planning, implementing and monitoring activities and reporting of project activities.
   • Develop quarterly plan and monthly work plan for SWACR project ensuring that work plan and activities implementation is in line with the project Log frame and program/project objectives.
   • Responsible to prepare the accurate activity report in a timely manner to the project coordinator (including monthly report, quarterly report) as well as provide oral and written reports on progress of the activities – as contribution to internal and external reports– if it is requested.
   • Works closely with DHO, LWU, DAFO, DONRE and other relevant staff assigned to the project.
   • Together with provincial/district water supply department lead for construction water supply system in the 15 target villages and contribute to community capacity development/training.
   • Keep regularly informed line manager (Project coordinator) on the activities, problems faced during the implementations and share accurate information and updating during weekly/monthly meeting and other relevant meetings.

2. BUDGET MANAGEMENT

Responsible of project budget management including:

• Prepare cost work-plans (monthly/quarterly) and review monthly budget report.
• Timely preparation of project advance and clearance.
• Ensure the efficient and proper use of project funds in line with the approved budget and in compliance with CARE’s finance manual and donor guidelines.
• Request and clear all field cash advances in a timely fashion in accordance with CARE Finance policies and procedures and ensure project staff manage any cash advances in line with financial management procedures.

3. MONITORING EVALUATION AND LEARNING

• Support for monitoring change at community level.
• Learning CARE MAELKA framework, closely follow up project proposal and project log-frame.
• Preparing the monthly activity report.
• Facilitation to project team, consultant at the field level.
• Monitoring and supporting target communities based on project action plan, including project baseline survey, mid-term review and project final evaluation.
• Contribute to continuously improving the quality of activities through leading on joint reflection.
• Entering data into the Activity Tracking System.
• Actively implement agreed technical approaches and provide feedback on cross-cutting issues as follows:
• Understand key gender equality concepts and CARE approaches.
• Ability to facilitate action and reflection at community level to empower women and reflect on social norms

4. STRENGTHEN CAPACITY AND COORDINATION:

• Manage day-to-day relationship with district counterparts about smart agriculture related with climate change issues.
• Coordination with village heads in a timely manner.
• Arrange field logistics as required.
• Coordinate with Government of Laos (GOL) counterparts at district level: DAFO, DONRE and LWU.
• Prepare timely documentation of the meetings and training of communities.
• Provide input and recommendations for improving the performance of the team.
• Report Participants’ progress key issues and lessons learnt to line manager.
• Attend regular team coordination meetings and other training as required.

 EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in construction Engineer/or rural development.
• Minimum 3 years work experience in Engineer/or rural development:
• Have experience on water supply construction and water supply system management.
• Have experience in climate change adaptation promotion.
• Have experience in WASH/or hygiene promotion
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in Lao, knowledge of local ethnic language highly desired.
• Basic skills in Microsoft Office with knowledge in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Have the patience to work in remote areas for long periods.