Water Governance Officer (WGO)

Background

The Hailemariam & Roman Foundation (HRF) is a non-profit international NGO established by the Former Prime Minister of Ethiopia, H.E. Mr. Hailemariam Dessalegn and the Former First Lady of Ethiopia, H.E. Mrs. Roman Tesfaye. It strives to support the efforts of government, communities and partners in bringing socioeconomic transformation in Ethiopia and the broader continental Africa.

With its programmatic focus areas- maternal and child health and nutrition, climate-smart conservation and ecotourism, agricultural transformation, and economic empowerment of women and youth, synergizing each other, the foundation envisions seeing A healthy and economically empowered community in a well-conserved environment. Geographically, its support focuses on areas with the highest disparities where the foundation could add value.

Job Summary

The Climate Smart Conservation and Ecotourism (CSCET) program of HRF is a flagship initiative with the main goal of ensuring collaborative and community-based response measures towards addressing the two interrelated problems of biodiversity loss and lack of secure community livelihoods in a way that mitigates persistence of both anthropogenic and climatic impacts on the biodiversity stock. To attain this goal, the program adheres to a community-based sustainable conservation approach whereby local communities and their institutions work closely with the park officials while ensuring sustainable benefits from their conservation endeavors through the creation of various forms of alternative livelihoods, including ecotourism. Ultimately, the program work is meant to create as many alternative livelihood strategies as possible for all of the community members around the national parks who depend on these resources to support their living (food, fuel, fodder, etc.) and empower them to be in full charge of protecting the resources from further depletion.

The Maze conservation and community livelihoods project, entitled The Preservation of Maze National Park and its Watershed in Ethiopia, is a five-year (2024-2028) project fully funded by the Agence franaise de dveloppement (AFD) and implemented by Hailemariam & Roman Foundation (HRF). The project is aimed at ensuring the long-term integrity of Maze National Park for the benefit of nature and communities around the park with three key components: a) Maze National Park is functional and achieves its conservation objectives; b) a win-win approach regarding natural resources management is in place between communities and the park; and c) the water flow in the park's rivers is ensured and sufficient. For the implementation of this project, HRF has set up a project Management Unit (PMU) located in Maze NP, Morka Town, Gamo Zone. The PMU has been set up to coordinate the implementation of the five-year project through mobilizing and engaging local communities, park management, local government offices, and other relevant partners towards the realization of the stated project goal.

The Maze National Park is situated within the wider landscape, being prone to the ongoing degradation of soil and water in the upper catchments that have a massive impact on its ecological integrity, wildlife viability, and the livelihoods of the surrounding community. Thus, undertaking sustainable watershed management works along with the installation of an effective water governance system that puts in place equitable and sustainable use of water resources across the watersheds is one of the key components of this particular project. Even though the physical and biological works of the watershed management tasks are to be executed by the governments office of agriculture, as stipulated in the project document with a separate agreement completed between AFD and the regional bureau of agriculture, the water governance officer is entitled to closely and intimately plan and work together with the agriculture sector. Apart from collaborating in watershed works with the Bureau of Agriculture, the Officer is fully responsible for coordinating, facilitating, and putting in place plausible, all-inclusive, and overarching water governance architecture in the landscape towards creating fair, win-win-oriented, sustainable, equitable, and binding framework agreement while ensuring the continuous flow of the Maze waters into the park.

Specific Roles and Responsibilities of the Water Governance Officer (WGO)

• Prepare annual plan of action and schedules for watershed management works in consultation with the local stakeholders in line with the project document and guide its implementation with relevant stakeholders.
• Prepare plans and working manuals or guidelines for efficient water use in the landscape in collaboration with the local government, community organizations, privately led irrigation systems in the low-land areas of the park bordering Weredas and Kebeles as well as, and private sector actors.
• Generate innovative mechanisms and methodology for sustainable, efficient, and equitable use of water resources in the landscape and create awareness among all involved.
• In line with the national and regional water use policies and regulations, coordinate the development of plausible water governance architecture in the landscape in close collaboration with the local stakeholders and guide its implementation.
• Organize the water user associations within the landscape and create and build the capacities for the efficient use, conservation, and sharing of water resources as per the water governance by-laws and frameworks adopted.
• Based on continuous field-based assessment and water monitoring, support preparation and implementation of water use calendar; and undertake proactive measures to resolve water-related issues and conflicts that arise from water use and seasonal shortages.
• Identify best water use and conservation practices in the country and facilitate experience sharing among communities and water governance platforms.
• Document the best practices of the project and disseminate them to the relevant audience.
• Prepare progress and periodic performance reports and submit them to the Project coordinator as per the project implementation manual.
• Participate in the water assessment studies in collaboration with relevant local-level partners and strive for the effective execution of the key recommendations of the water assessment studies with the PMU staff.
• Undertake other assignments of the PMU as assigned by the project coordinator.

Job duties:

• The job holder should work in line with the New Labor Proclamation - Proclamation No. 1156/2019, at least eight hours daily (Monday to Friday). The position requires physical presence in the workplace (Gamo Zone, Kucha Wereda, Moka Town).

Nature of supervision:

• The position holder is directly responsible to the Project Coordinator of the PMU and is to be supervised as per the Foundations HR policy and in line with the project Implementation Manual.

Duration of contract: for one year with the possibility of extension.

Quantity: 1

Sex: Both and female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Vacancy number: HRF- CSCET-PO-006/2024

Required qualifications and competencies

• The Water Governance Officer must have a Masters degree in academic fields such as Watershed Management, Water Engineering, Natural Resource Management, Water and Development, Water Governance, Water Resource Management, or other related fields, including training /competency-raising in the field of good practices for irrigation in the lowland areas of Ethiopia.
• The Officer must have a relevant work experience of 8 years and above, particularly in the water sector.
• Demonstrated expertise and experience in watershed works and natural resource conservation.
• Articulated knowledge of government policies and strategies in relation to watershed management, water governance, small-scale, medium and large-scale irrigation development and management, etc.
• Proven experience in communicating and collaborating with local communities, private sector, and local, national and regional stakeholders to achieve agreed collective outcomes.
• Excellent facilitation and coordination skills, the ability to manage the timely and effective delivery of quantity and quality work on time.
• Demonstrated expertise and experience in water governance and management, technology-based water governance monitoring, geospatial data acquisition, analysis and reporting.
• Strong communication and presentation skills and an ability to prepare appropriate and timely reports to various audiences and cultures/contexts.
• Familiar with and working efficiently on Office 360 and other project management software using smart technologies.
• Proven command of written and spoken English; conversing with the local language of the project area community and culture is mandatory.