Chief Technical Advisor - Water Engineering

UNDP - United Nations Development Programme

Male

P-4, International Professional - Internationally recruited position level

Application deadline: October 01, 2019

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Summary by Impactpool

Candidate Requirements:

Background

The unique geographic attributes of the Maldives make its water resource situation both complex and diverse. With widely ranging populations numbers on the islands, even basic water and sanitation service must be tailored to local resources and population needs. Management of the limited water resources is complicated due to the small catchment areas for rainfall, limited rainwater and groundwater storage capacity, long dry seasons, and the susceptibility of groundwater aquifers to pollution and salinity intrusion.

The outer islands of the Maldives already experience drinking water shortages during the dry season. These shortages have had significant adverse human, environmental and social impacts on the outer island communities. The key problems pertaining to freshwater security relate to the increasingly variable rainfall patterns induced by climate change and sea-level rise induced salinity of groundwater. A sea level rise and decreasing rainfall amounts will considerably compound current water stress in the country. The Government faces constraints in responding to the challenge at hand without assistance, especially in the context of anticipated impacts of climate change.

As water security is closely bound to rainfall and extreme events in Maldives, the adaptation scenario will demand: (i) the rainfall collection capacity to increase at least threefold; (ii) groundwater controlled extraction and replenishment to keep water table levels high in order to buffer away saltwater intrusion; and (iii) increased water production capacity through desalinization (Reversed Osmosis – RO technology), as to secure sufficient back up resource during the extended dry periods for household supply and timely distribution.

In response to this challenge, the proposed project objective is to deliver safe and secure freshwater to 105,000 people in the 49 target islands of Maldives in the face of climate change risks. This will be achieved by delivering the following results:

Scaling up integrated water supply system to provide safe water to vulnerable households (at least 32,000 people, including 15,000 women);
Decentralized and cost-effective dry season water supply system introduced benefiting 73,000 people across 7 Northern Atolls;
Groundwater quality improved to secure freshwater reserves for long term resilience on 49 islands;

The project will provide sufficient water to supply the potable water needs of island residents year-round for a 35-year design period to 2050. Project finance will be used to establish an integrated water resources management system that integrates the three main sources of water (rainwater, groundwater and desalinated water) into a least cost delivery system and which is able to maintain service levels against a context of rainfall variability and sea level rise and includes measures for groundwater quality recovery to secure freshwater reserves in the long term.

Ultimately, the project will achieve an uninterrupted water supply on the islands that currently experience a 90 day chronic water shortage during dry season and depend on transported water from Male’, which is an extensive, overlong and costly operation. As a result of the project, 49 priority islands will have increased rainwater collection capacities, out of which, 4 bigger islands will additionally have water production systems of water desalination (Reverse Osmosis – RO water production plants), that will secure sufficient water production capacity enabling a decentralized and timely water distribution across all northern outer atolls during the extended dry periods, when shortages may occur.

Water stress alert information based on forecasted meteorological information will feed into the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for system management, thereby protecting lives and livelihoods from environmental risks associated with climate change. This will also feed into strengthening the Meteorological - MMS services on reaching out to the communities actionable early warning information, and preparing the water utilities, island councils and the communities to receive and act on such information. The system will achieve cost effectiveness in service provision through effective management of water resources and the use of renewable energy and locally appropriate technologies. Alongside the system design will be a capacity development workstream designed to obtain the support and ownership from communities, which is necessary for financial sustainability of the system, as well as the capacity development of the State Utilities (such as FENAKA and STELCO) to manage service delivery, and of the decentralized authorities and central government to provide an enabling environment for sustainability and scale up.

Under the guidance of the Resident Representative, the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA)/Progamme Specialist Provide technical expertise and strategic guidance to all project components, assuming quality control of interventions, and support the Project Manager in the coordination of the implementation of planned activities under the GCF project as stipulated in the project document. He/she also provides a suite of technical advisory, planning & management and coordination services to the project where key work areas will include Technical and Management Services; Project Advisory and Guidance; Project Monitoring and Implementation Support and Training.

Duties and Responsibilities

Provision of top-quality technical advisory support tProvision of top-quality technical advisory support to GCF Programme, implementing partners and UNDP programme team and high-quality support to management and achievement of performance targets.

Guiding and supporting the implementation of the existing Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) of the project and observe a full compliance during the entire project duration.
Providing guidance to the Project Manager with the implementation and monitoring of all risk mitigation measures and take necessary actions to mitigate the risks.
Providing technical inputs and guidance into the development of a baseline study that involves a diagnosis of the water and sewerage sector including public health aspects of Water and Sewerage, and an assessment of the legal, technical, financial, operational and management situation with particular focus on the target outer islands in Maldives and establish the legal, technical, institutional and financial barriers to adaptive water management and effective ways to address these.
Providing guidance and technical support in creating a comprehensive overview of a good international practice of sustainable water production and resource management systems of relevance for Small Island States faced with geographical challenges of isolation and dispersed nature of islands especially coralline archipelagic islands and small populations;
Providing support and technical input to the analysis of the status of existing sewerage and solid waste management in relation to groundwater sources and related public health aspects, and recommend the policy direction and practices (e.g. land use, construction, quality monitoring, public health, pollution prevention, controlled recharge and extraction) in relation to safe groundwater sources.
Providing support and technical input to the design of phased investment work plans, related detailed procurement plans, tender documents and TORs that include feasibility study, design, implementation/construction, stakeholder involvement, quality control and risk management for Rainwater Harvesting methods, Groundwater Management, Water Desalination.
Support the effective implementation of Regional Distribution/Dry Season Water Distribution as per the Potable Water Security Plan.
Provide support and technical input to establish Early Warning for Water emergency Alerts and related SOP, GIS and O&M plan.
Providing support and technical input towards the design and revision of detailed work plans, related procurement plans, tender documents, TORs, implementation and review of project deliverables related to Climate Change, Economic and Financial Studies
The CTA shall provide support and technical input into assessing, planning and conducting Capacity Development and Training programmes within the project and its stakeholders.

Provision of top-quality management support to GCF Programme, implementing partners and UNDP programme team and high-quality support to management and achievement of performance targets

Providing guidance and support to the Project Manager, other project staff and Ministry of Environment in the areas of project management and planning, management of site activities, regular impact assessments and monitoring of the project.
Guiding the project M&E Specialist to undertake monitoring the technical quality of project M&E systems including AWPs, indicators and targets; this includes developing a detailed M&E plans throughout the project implementation; guiding and assisting the project M&E Specialist to adjust the project Results Framework targets and indicators, if and as the baseline assessment findings would require;
Assist the Project Manager in preparation of project and programme related reports for submission to ME, UNDP, Project Steering Committee and the GCF Secretariat;
Assist Project Manager in; managing evaluation processes, auditing and spot checks;
Advise PMU on structured approach to ensure operations are performed to achieve delivery in the scheduled time;
Provide hands on guidance and mentorship to broader project management team to develop core management skills and capacities;
Providing necessary guidance to PMU in all aspect of programme and project management.

Competencies

Core competency

Innovation

Ability to make new and useful ideas work: Creates new and relevant ideas and leads others to implement them

Leadership

Ability to persuade others to follow; Plans and acts transparently, actively works to remove barriers.

People Management

Ability to improve performance and satisfaction; Models high professional standards and motivates excellence in others.

Communication

Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform; Gains trust of peers, partners, clients by presenting complex concepts in practical terms to others.

Delivery

Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement; Critically assesses value and relevance of existing policy / practice and contributes to enhanced delivery of products, services, and innovative solutions.

Technical/Functional Competency

Advocacy