Hygiene & Sanitation Officer at Self Help Africa

Self Help Africa

Position: Hygiene & Sanitation Officer

Job Time: Full-Time

Job Type: Permanent

Place of Work: Addis Ababa - Ethiopia

Posted date: 5 months ago

Deadline: Submition date is over

Self Help Africa is an international development organization that works through agriculture and agri-enterprise development to end hunger and extreme poverty. The organization has programmes in 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and also implements projects in Brazil and Bangladesh. In early 2023 we launched a new five-year organization strategy, which defines shared mission as the alleviation of hunger, poverty, social inequality and the impact of climate change through community-led, market-based and enterprise-focused approaches so that people can have access to nutritious food, clean water, decent employment and incomes while sustaining natural resources. Our wider organization also includes social enterprise subsidiaries Partner Africa, which provides ethical auditing and consultancy services, TruTrade, an innovative trading platform in East Africa, and CUMO, Malawi’s largest micro-finance provider. Our three core values are:

▪ Impact: We are accountable, ambitious and committed to systemic change.

▪ Innovation: We are agile, creative and enterprising in an ever-changing world.

▪ Community: We are inclusive, honest and have integrity in our relationships.

Job Title: Hygiene and Sanitation Officer

Company: Self Help Africa

Department: Programmes

Location: East Gojam, (Goncha Sisu Enebse and Enebse Sarmeder)

Contract Type: Six-month contract, renewable based on performance review and availability of fund

Reports to: Senior WASH Officer

Job Purpose

The role of the Hygiene and Sanitation Officer position is to oversee and implement the hygiene and sanitation activities under the humanitarian response project in line with other lifesaving interventions in East Gojam Zone; Enbese Sarmeder and Goncha Sisu Enebse and its surroundings areas. The position will provide direct support and technical advice in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of hygiene and sanitation components of humanitarian projects, build the capacity of SHA and its partners in technical issues pertinent to the sector and develop and strengthen partnerships among sector stakeholders, government departments and NGOs for effective collaboration and co-ordination in implementation woredas.  

The hygiene and sanitation officer will be reporting to the Senior WASH Officer and work closely with the Field and Cluster/subcluster office staff to ensure the successful implementation of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene activities throughout the region. He/She will ensure effective integration and harmonization exercised with the livelihood, nutrition and health programming

Key Responsibilities

Specific duties include, but are not limited to:

• Become familiar with the current program documents and to develop a work plan to incorporate all the Hygiene and Sanitation activities in collaboration with the WASH officer.
• Organizes campaigns and regular programs with the aim of educating the Community in the need for preventive services of personal and hygienic measures.
• Organize water committee with extension agents or community groups, or other kebele and village agents of the targeted beneficiaries.
• Hold meetings with all members of target beneficiaries and promote their awareness on water, sanitation, and hygiene.
• Works closely with field staff and extension agents in the dissemination of health/hygiene-related materials/information
• Liaises with all stakeholders and works closely with community establishments and government such as schools, health centers, health centers, and Voluntary agencies to ensure hygiene health education and disease prevention.
• Facilitate hygiene promotions at the community and institutional level together with Self Help Africa selected VESA facilitator (VF), Community Development Facilitators (CDF), and Woreda Health experts using field-tested and practical community participatory approach and effective hygiene education techniques (such as CLTSH, PHAST, etc.) for enhancing hygienic behavior, sanitation improvements, and community management of water and sanitation facilities.
• Mobilize the community for Hygiene and sanitation-related activities using agreed community engagement and water source development approaches in collaboration with VF and CDFs.
• Facilitate targeting of eligible beneficiaries and ensure project deliverables are reaching the target community.
• Participate in the targeting and distribution of Multi-Purpose Cash to the eligible beneficiaries at the woreda level.
• Participate in the targeting and distribution of dignity kits and WASH/NFIs for the beneficiaries eligible as per the Standard guidelines.
• Prepares hygiene and sanitation education materials, develops simple training modules, and carries out training activities for the community and extension staff on basic sanitation, including site selection, construction and use of pit latrines, nutrition, proper water storage and use, hygienic food handling, proper disposal of waste, cleaning of public places and eradication of other hazards to sanitation.
• Takes water samples from constructed schemes and facilitates the water quality tests as necessary.
• Assists the Senior WASH officer in following up and monitoring any construction-related activities and measurements.
• Closely follow up, strengthen, establish and supervise the WASH committee in villages and kebeles.
• Provide training for WASHCos and ensure that the WASHCos are well functioning.
• Ensure optimal safety and security management procedures and practices are in place for the emergency response program and continually monitor the safety and security situation, adapting staff safety and security procedures accordingly in collaboration and cooperation with the Security Focal Person and Country Director.
• Perform any other tasks and duties assigned as necessary.

Monitoring and Reporting:

• Ensure strong accountability to beneficiaries.
• Ensure quality programs and the monitoring of this through regular site visits within the response.
• Ensure that the minimum SPHERE standards are maintained in accordance with the Humanitarian Charter Principle and Sphere standards.
• Develop activity, output/outcome indicator tools for monitoring the Hygiene and Sanitation activities.
• Carry out regular monitoring visits to implementation sites to identify gaps and document lessons learned and make recommendations for adjustments to ensure WASH NFI and Dignity Kit assistance is delivered according to the cluster standards and donor requirements.
• Support in all phases of the program cycle, from appraisal, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation through regular field visits, training-based capacity building, and desk-based feedback.
• Monitoring progress by following up the project work plan, procurement plan and spending plan through coordination with relevant field project teams.
• Prepare monthly, interim, final and mission reports for WASH NFI programming.
• Assist the Senior WASH officer in updating the WASH NFI projects matrix info.
• General:
• Comply with SHA policies and practices with respect to safeguarding, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.
• Take the lead on other SHA humanitarian requirements such as preparedness planning, disaster risk reduction, etc.
• Contribute to transparent ways of working ensuring key information from projects, coordination meetings and other information-sharing and lessons-learned fora is shared in an open and transparent way to build capacity and strengthen the overall SHA.
• Ensure gender, nutrition and environmental aspects are mainstreamed in all project activities.
• Establish and maintain good working relations with government partners at zone and district level as well as other collaborators in this project.
• Perform any other duties assigned by the line manager and CMT within the area of technical competence.

Key Relationships

• Internal
• Finance and Admin and HR
• Addis office Programme team
• Field Office Cluster Co, Field Officers, Programme Officers and Support functions  

External

• Local Government Authorities, Other International and Local NGOs

Qualifications/Knowledge and Experience

Essential:

• Bachelor’s degree in public health, environmental health, public health nursing and experience in emergency WASH projects, or other related discipline
• At least 2 years and above with a first degree, and previous work experience in the area of hygiene and sanitation; preferably in international NGOs
• Applicants are encouraged to be from the local areas with a good level of understanding and flexibility in the context.
• Sound judgment and ability to work effectively with others at all levels.
• Knowledge of hygiene and sanitation promotion tools (PHAST and CLTSH)
• Proficiency in verbal and written English,
• Proven skills in project planning, design, implementation, and M&E.
• Experience in training and capacity building and ability to carry out training needs analysis and develop capacity building, Mentoring and coaching skills
• Ability to work in hardship and longer hours and good skill in data collection.
• Proven experience in networking, influencing and negotiation skills.
• Knowledge of the government's current systems and policy environment specifically at the Woreda level.
• The firm believes in teamwork, gender equality, and conceptual approach in sustainable development programming.
• Demonstrated skills working in computer software and design applications, CAD knowledge, Spreadsheet, etc.