Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Program Manager / Quality Assurance Advisor Job Vacancy

Catholic
Relief Services (CRS) is an international non-governmental organization
supporting relief and development work in over 100 countries around the world.
CRS
JOB DESCRIPTION
 Job
Title: Program Manager / Quality Assurance Advisor   
Department:
Programming 
 
Reports
To: MEAL Advisor
Country/Location: Kigali,
RWANDA

Background
As
part of the universal mission of the Catholic Church, CRS works with local,
national and international Catholic institutions and structures, as well as
other organizations, to assist people on the basis of need, not creed, race or
nationality. The primary goal of CRS/Rwanda programming is to ensure that
vulnerable households in Rwanda achieve full, integral human development. 
In
this context, CRS is leading the implementation of the Integrated Nutrition and
WASH Activity (INWA) locally referred as GIKURIRO, a five-year, USAID-funded
initiative now in the second year of implementation which aims to improve the
nutritional status of women of reproductive age and children under five,
emphasizing the first 1,000 days of life between pregnancy and the child’s
second birthday. In eight districts of Rwanda, Gikuriro is reinforcing the
Government of Rwanda’s efforts towards its national goal of eliminating
malnutrition, through targeted behavior change communication (BCC) for
nutrition and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and through strengthening
the capacity of government and local civil society organizations to implement
key actions and strategies set out in the National Community-based Food and
Nutrition Policy (CBF&NP) and the Community-based Environmental Health
Promotion Program (CBEHPP).
The
Quality Assurance Manager position has 60% level of effort (LOE) on
ensuring Gikuriro interventions (especially Water and Sanitation) quality
control standards are met and 40% LOE on MEAL
activities for the program. The paragraphs following detail both the MEAL and
Water component of the project that will be covered by this position.
Gikuriro
project includes a robust and adaptable MEAL design which will work through
existing systems for data collection and reporting. In addition to routine
monitoring activities, annual survey data will be collected using ICT4D tools,
and evaluations to assess the status quo and progress at baseline, midterm,
and end line. Project learning will be advanced via regular quarterly
reflection meetings and other activities, and partner and LCSO capacity will be
strengthened through MEAL training, on-job training, joint supportive and
appreciative inquiry. Gikuriro MEAL Team, including the Quality Assurance
Manager, MEAL Advisor, Deputy MEAL Advisor, and MEAL Officers, will be
responsible to ensure the development, coordination and smooth implementation
of these activities.
On
water component, The JMP 2017 report of Rwanda indicates use of 57%
basic, 21% limited, 15% unimproved services and 8% surface water, confirming
the need for additional efforts in these areas. Water quality and quantity have
significant effects on nutrition outcomes. Gikuriro will be working with
District Water Supply Officers to assess the availability and status of water
sources in the eight districts of intervention.  Gikuriro’s investment in
water component include 1) technology upgrades to schemes, 2) repairs
and rehabilitation, 3) new water systems. Based on identified needs,
Gikuriro will be implementing water supply systems and rainwater catchment
systems in schools. Gikuriro will be rehabilitating broken water sources
instead of building a new system. Prior to starting construction activities,
Gikuriro will coordinate with village level stakeholders to form and train
community water committees to manage/collect fees, operations, maintenance and
repairs of the water system built by the project. Gikuriro will be piloting
community water kiosks (also called Small Water Enterprises) in promising
locations, based on successes identified in recent research conducted by
Huttinger (2017). Communities will be selected for the pilot taking into
consideration sufficient water supply; consumer demand; price sensitivity; and
production cost, as well as project-specific criteria. Given the complexity of
developing and managing SWEs, Gikuriro will provide in-depth training to SWE
Operators in collaboration with the District Water Supply Officers. 
Job
Summary:
Main
Purpose of Position is to Develop and implement an integrated system to manage
all aspects of Quality Assurance and Control activities within Gikuriro WASH
expansion activity. In addition, The Quality Assurance Manager, will
assure the design and effective implementation of Gikuriro MEAL components with
a focus on the WASH expansion activity, supporting the strategic direction
developed by Gikuriro team and providing supervision to WASH expansion
activities and partners’ staff. S/he will coordinate timely data collection
activities in the field, supervise WASH constructions/infrastructures and
ensure Quality compliance, lead MEAL capacity building activities for WASH
expansion activity staff and partners.  
Job
Responsibilities:
  • Develop
    Quality Assurance and Control Program to meet the requirements of the
    program.
  • Develop
    methodologies to ensure compliance with industry best practice of Quality
    Assurance and Control for all aspects of Gikuriro construction programs
    including water sources and sanitation infrastructure.
  • As
    part of the Gikuriro team, facilitate information flow between other
    managers, and other programming and program support departments;
  • As
    needed, provide support and exchange ideas on quality control activities
    and planning with the program team
  • Implement
    a compliant system for contractor evaluation and monitoring including
    tender process and review.
  • Coordinate
    and maintain an on-going dialogue with the central, district and local
    authorities, DWASH boards and actively participate in developing and
    maintaining productive relationships with individual families and
    communities.
  • Oversee
    the full implementation of a national and district team of Quality
    Assurance and Control inspectors to ensure compliance with agreed
    standards
  • Accomplish
    site inspections to ensure that contract construction is in accordance
    with design specifications.
  • Prepare
    field reports and maintain a filing system for proper and efficient
    project documentation.
  • Evaluate the
    performance of contractors and issue notices of non-compliance when
    necessary
  • Ensure
    that design concerns raised by contractors and district teams are raised
    to the program management team.
  • Coordinate
    field data collection activities, maintaining a schedule of all routine
    monitoring activities as well as annual or periodic MEAL activities to be
    completed
  • To
    continuously review quality processes, procedures, and capabilities
    in order to sustain the most cost-effective and efficient
    methods for meeting quality requirements and making a
    recommendation for improvement as appropriate.
  • Supervise
    the rehabilitation/construction of the water supply and sanitation
    facilities
  • Collaboration,
    planning, and coordination with government officials towards meeting
    the water and sanitation needs for communities based on the design of the
    program proposal.
  • Implementation
    of projects in accordance with the Gikuriro WASH Program Development and
    Implementation Guidelines
  • Work
    with Ministry staff and private partners to establish operation and
    maintenance regime to ensure sustainability.
  • Together
    with WASH Manager and Ministry Officials, design and undertake training to
    Water User Committees taking into account existing Government training
    modules.
  • Ensure
    optimal utilization of resources, cost-effectiveness, and
    accountability on site.
  • Monitor
    the functioning of beneficiary accountability and feedback mechanisms.
  • Coordinate
    and carry out joint monitoring visits to project sites.
  • Conceptualize
    processes for systematic documentation of project successes and
    communication of successes/lessons learned with various stakeholders and,
    with MEAL Officer, ensure these processes are implemented.
  • Coordinate
    with other Gikuriro support departments concerning all aspects of project
    implementation.
Typical
Background, Experience & Requirements:
Education
and Experience
  • Water
    Engineer, or related university degree with at least 5 years’ experience
    in the field.
  • Minimum
    four (4) years’ experience in managing and implementing Water and
    Sanitation programs in rural and remote environments
  • Strong
    rural as well as semi-urban, water and sanitation design and project
    management experience with a proven track record of successful
    teamwork.
  • Familiarity
    with principles and current approaches to MEAL of development programs,
    using both quantitative and qualitative methods; substantial experience
    applying both types of methods
  • Proficiency
    in analyzing, interpreting and communicating information to various
    stakeholders
  • Understanding
    of USAID MEAL requirements, Environmental Mitigation and Management plan
    and policies; previous Water Engineer and MEAL experience for USAID
    projects is a plus.
  • Strong
    organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills
  • Ability
    to adapt to changing requirements
  • Ability
    to work independently and in a team
  • Previous
    experience working with local partner organizations in capacity
    strengthening roles
  • Previous
    experience developing management information systems
  • Demonstrated
    commitment to gender-responsive programming
  • Fluency
    in English and French, written and spoken
  • Excellent
    oral and written communication skills, ability to work well with people,
    good judgment and commitment to CRS’ mission
  • Ability
    to transfer knowledge through formal and informal training
  • Willingness
    to travel approximately 50% of the time to remote areas of the country
  • Rwandan
    nationality
Key
MEAL Competencies (specific for this position):
  • MEAL
    in Design: Developing project-level Theories of Change, Results
    Frameworks, Proframes, related MEAL system tools,
    and components, and accompanying MEAL narratives.
  • Monitoring:
    Implementing monitoring activities, including timely collection
    of quality data, set up and maintenance of databases, facilitation of
    participatory reflection on monitoring results, and submission of timely
    progress reports.
  • Evaluation:
    Supporting project and program evaluations and reviews by ensuring the
    quality of evaluation methods, tools, and data and facilitating the use of
    evaluation results to inform decision-making and enhance learning
  • Accountability:
    Improving our accountability to a range of stakeholders through increased
    participation, transparent communication, responsive feedback mechanisms
    and adherence to internal and external quality standards and requirements.
  • Learning:
    Promoting excellent knowledge management and collaborative learning
    processes at the project, program and institutional levels,
    generating robust evidence for project and programmatic learning
    that leads to action, decision-making and influence.
  • Analysis
    and Critical Thinking: Engaging with data, challenging biases and
    assumptions, posing thoughtful questions, pursuing deeper understanding
    of evidence through reflection and perspective-taking, and making informed
    programming decisions.
  • ICT
    for MEAL: Applying knowledge on information and communication
    technologies (ICT), both hardware and software, for opportune and accurate
    data collection, database management, conducting
  • MEAL
    Management: Managing financial and human resources in a way that optimizes
    the quality, effectiveness, and utility of MEAL systems.
 Required/Desired
Foreign Language
  • Strong
    oral and written skills in both English and French/Kinyarwanda.
Key
Working Relationships:
Supervisory: None
Internal: Gikuriro
Program Staff including WASH sub-team, Gikuriro MEAL Advisor, Gikuriro MEAL
Officers, Deputy Chief of Party, Gikuriro Chief of Party; Regional Technical
Advisor for MEALRegional/HQ WASH advisors
External:  International
and local partners, government offices and affiliated agencies, USAID M&E
staff, potential consultants and TA providers.
Agency
Behavioral Competencies (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.
  • Integrity
  • Accountability
    and Stewardship
  • Builds
    relationships
  • Develops
    talent
  • Continuous
    Improvement and Innovation
  • Strategic
    Mindset
 Disclaimer: 
This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties,
and responsibilities associated with the position.
CRS’
talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and
vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.
Equal
Opportunity Employer
How
to apply
Electronic
applications-Only a motivation letter and a current detailed CV should
be addressed to the CRS Country Representative exclusively at CRS_RW@global.crs.org not
later than Tuesday, October 9,  2018, at 5:00 pm. Due
to anticipated high interest in this post and the expected number of
applicants, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
                                                
Kigali September 26, 2018
                                                 Darren
Posey
                                                 Country
Representative.

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