Mekong Basin Manager

Job Description

Position Title: Mekong Basin Manager
Supervisor: Mekong Regional Water Governance Project Manager
Location: Phnom Penh Cambodia
Contract Type: Fixed Term to 31 st August 2019 (with possibility of extension)
Category: C1
Salary: In line with Oxfam values
Starting Date: March 2018

Oxfam is an equal opportunities employer, committed to diversity within the workplace.

Background

Oxfam is an international confederation of 20 organizations networked together in 97 countries. As part of a global movement for change, we are working together to end world poverty and injustice. We work with thousands of partners in countries around the world, and employ staff in a wide variety of posts. We work directly with communities and we seek to influence the powerful to enable the most marginalized to improve their lives and livelihoods and have a say in decisions that affect them.

Working at Oxfam is so much more than just a job. As an Oxfam employee, consultant, or volunteer, you will join a team of dedicated and passionate professionals working to save lives, help people overcome poverty, and fight for social justice.

As the next step in the Oxfam 2020 regional transition, the Asia Water Governance Program is a new organisational cluster building on three existing Mekong projects: the Mekong Regional Water Governance Program* (unrestricted: 2013-19 and including some aspects of PEM**), the Inclusion Project (Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade -DFAT funded: 2014-19) and TROSA (Swedish Government funded:2017-2021) that are aligned with the Asia Regional Strategy. Combined, the projects cover 9 countries in the region with an annual budget USD 5 million FY18/19. Although at different stages of implementation some
synergies and shared project activities are already being implemented and this cluster will facilitate more to be identified with the ultimate aim by 2019 of one Asia Water Governance Program with a range of multi-country and trans-boundary projects. Building on the existing structures in Phnom Penh, a consolidated Regional Project Management Unit (PMU) will be developed.

The aim of the Mekong Regional Water Governance Project is to increase participation by civil society in water governance in order to influence changes in water resource governance at community and civil society level as well as policies and practices at the national and trans-boundary level. The project objectives are achieved by facilitating:

• Increased civil society participation and engagement in water resource governance
• Promoting more open, inclusive, accountable and effective water resource governance.

Project activities are conducted under three components:

• Gender and women’s leadership in water resources;
• Strengthening civil society capacity to participate in water decision making;
• Convening and promoting policy and project dialogue.

Oxfam and partners seek to influence changes in water resource governance at the community and civil society level, as well as in policies and practices at the national and trans-boundary level.

Purpose:

As a member of the management team, the Basin Manager will ensure the existing Mekong projects*** are implemented to a high standard and will contribute to positioning the project to engage with DFAT’s new strategy. The project engages at regional scale, with partnerships and collaborations at country, regional and institutional levels with a mix of institutional and unrestricted funds.

The position is responsible for work at a basin level (trans-boundary) with the integration of partnerships, capacity building, training and events components for staff and partners. Whilst the priority will be ensuring the DFAT funded work (Inclusion Project) is implemented and exited to a high standard, the post holder will be
encouraged to create opportunities to make linkages with the TROSA civil society partners and influencing work.

S/he will line manage the (Mekong) Regional Partnership and Grants Coordinator and Project Officer, the Mekong Water Governance MEL Coordinator and Regional Administration and HR Officer (4) and hold a matrix management line to country coordinators. The Basin Manager will be responsible for ensuring policy and technical advice is integrated with partners and linkages are made wherever possible.

The Basin Manager will be responsible for the compilation of reports and manage and monitor delegated components of the budget and planning for civil society capacity building, networking and influencing events and is expected to maintain an overview of the project stakeholder’s capacity needs. S/he will network and have oversight of external stakeholders’ plans to avoid duplication, build sustainability and maximise impact. S/he will be expected to lead the development and maintain a scoping of potential private sector partners and allies.

Core Responsibilities:

Project Specialty

Partnerships, capacity building, internal linking (with policy and technical & TROSA)

• Line manage the regional partnership team and MEL Coordinator and matrix manage country level staff to ensure partners are supported and networked, grants are made on time and work is monitored and reported on to a high standard.
• Ensure alignment between Mekong and TROSA projects on the management of regional partners and identify influencing opportunities
• Ensure the partnership team understands the tools and standards that are being promoted through the project in order to assess what is required and ensure requirements are met.
• Coordinate the partnership team to identify partner and staff capacity development needs and maintain a rolling plan and budget to support building capacity particularly in gender and water management and ensure there is no duplication. Where possible this should include the TROSA team and partners.
• Ensure MEL, policy, technical and communication plans are made together and integrated and partners have a say in the plans.
• Maintain oversight of the piloting and further development of the ‘Water, Dams and Rivers Curriculum’ (Asia) and ensure ownership and sustainability
• Manage the next phase of the plan for the gender impact assessment tools, ensure the team understands gender in water governance and is receptive to new approaches to promote gender in water governance
• Ensure that learning documentation of events and training provides information accessible to partners and stakeholders and a wider audience whilst being sensitive to the different social and cultural contexts.
• Through the team networks and individual outreach, build a broader understanding of engagement and opportunities with the private sector

Business Services

• Manage delegated components of the budget including monitoring and reporting of the partnership and capacity building budget
• Manage delegated accountabilities for project risks and report regularly.
• Coordinate training and policy events with stakeholders in the other DFAT program pillars, other affiliates and the wider network.
• Manage grant disbursements and other contractual requirements of the program, and monitor to ensure narrative and financial reports meet Oxfam and donor requirements.
• Manage and ensure the integration and compliance of Oxfam’s policies and relevant sector codes of good practice.
• Contribute to the implementation and compliance of Oxfam administrative, health, safety and security policies and frameworks.

Representation and Relationships

• Build, manage and maintain effective working relationships with all internal stakeholders, particularly line reports and matrix managed posts to ensure the program team provide relevant support to partners.
• Develop working relationships with partners at the appropriate level i.e. support to Oxfam staff who hold the partner relationship or direct relationships in order to critically assess capacity.
• Represent Oxfam at relevant workshops and events, particularly in coordination with the other DFAT pillar leads
• Attend relevant Oxfam and external meetings and provide backstop support to the Mekong Regional Water Governance Manager on an ‘as needs’ basis
• Proactively manage strong relationships with policy and technical expert staff to ensure shared plans and strategies
• Support and contribute to networks and collaborate with local and international organizations working in the same scope of work.
• Participate actively in wider organizational development and change processes and teams.

Professional Attributes

Skills and Experience

• Extensive first-hand experience of building partner’s technical and organizational capacity.
• Experience of building networks and regional experience of building capacity in gender
• Experience of promoting policy dialogue in sensitive environments
• Excellent facilitation, communication and coaching skills.
• Experience in facilitating learning processes and in leading training.
• Proven analytical and decision making skills in a challenging context and aptitude for developing management skills
• Systematic with realistic planning skills
• Knowledge of water governance issues and natural resource management approaches, and context of these in the Mekong region.
• High level organizational and capacity building skills and able to understand and explain budget and financial reports
• Relevant computer skills, which include experience in using project management software tools, PowerPoint, Word and Excel
• Excellent written (incl.report writing) and oral communication skills in English, Mekong language competency preferred.
• An ability to undertake significant travel to support program teams and partners in multiple countries, and to join field based work if needed.

Applying

This position aims to recruit nationals from the 6 Mekong River Countries including Cambodia, Vietnam, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, China.

Please send your applications for the position by email to [email protected] before the deadline on February 16th 2018 5.00pm Cambodia time.

Please send your CV and a cover letter stating your motivation and relevant skills and experience for the application. Please do not send copies of diplomas/certificates, recommendation letter etc.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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* Includes Salween Basin Myanmar

** PEM; People Protecting their Ecosystems in the Lower Mekong: 2016-2018

*** 35 partners in Myanmar, Lao PDR, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam with the goal of enabling communities and civil society to be better able to realise sustainable livelihoods in the Mekong and Salween river basins