Mekong Regional Water Governance Project Manager

Job Description

Position Title: Mekong Regional Water Governance Project Manager

Supervisor: Asia Regional Water Governance Cluster Manager

Location: Phnom Penh

Contract Type: Fixed Term: eighteen months (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 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. This post will be a key member of the management team to shape and implement these plans.

The Mekong Water Governance Project Manager will manage all aspects of the Mekong work and ensure the existing Mekong projects*** are implemented to a high standard. She/he will lead on strategic development and positioning the project to contribute to the donor’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 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.

Purpose:

The position is responsible for the management, delivery and reporting to a high standard of all the work under the Mekong Regional Water Governance project stream. The position will form part of Asia Regional Water Governance leadership team, working closely with the TROSA Project Manager to create opportunities for increased alignment and efficiencies between the projects and to jointly manage some posts. The position will retain management oversight of the portfolio of work across the three component areas contributing to the two objectives outlined above.

S/he will line manage the Project Management Unit (PMU): 5 direct reports and shared posts. The Mekong Regional Water Governance Project Manager will retain management oversight of PEM work (ending 2018) and relationships with project partners and external stakeholders and will hold the relationship with the institutional donor as it pertains to the Mekong Water Strategy.

The position will be responsible for management oversight of project and budget planning, monitoring and ensuring the monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) framework is embedded in the project cycle and reported to a high standard; grant and contract management; and strategic external engagement with stakeholders. As the Asia Water Governance cluster develops the line reports may change.

Core Responsibilities: Leadership and Management

• Manage the Mekong Regional Water Governance project and regional team of core project staff (PMU) consistent with Oxfam’s management standards
• With the TROSA Project Manager, co-manage some posts and ensure simplicity and clarity on roles and responsibilities.
• Retain oversight of PEM implementation and delegate responsibilities as needed
• Lead on the strategic development of regional water governance programs, ensure the project is increasingly aligned with the Asia Regional Strategy (including campaigns) and the proposed structure is fit for purpose
• Keep informed of government and relevant international policy that impacts on water governance programming in the Mekong and Salween
• Given the political sensitivity of the program, responsible for the overall ownership and maintenance of risk assessments and management strategies are in place
• Manage direct reports: Mekong Basin Manager, Policy Coordinator, Policy Advisor, MEL Coordinator and shared management of Communications and Senior Water Governance Advisor
• Responsible for overall reporting to comply with donor and government requirements

Accountability

• Monitor the inter-affiliate agreements and recommend amendments to ensure effectiveness
• Maintain oversight of grant disbursements and other contractual aspects of the program, and ensure narrative, financial reports and practice meet Oxfam and donor requirements.
• Support the implementation of strategic human resource initiatives and maintain an overview to ensure that all aspects of local labour law and Oxfam HR policies and procedures are followed and staff demonstrate good human resource practice and compliance with agency policies and procedures
• Monitor workloads and work environment for self and for staff under management and take reasonable steps to minimise risks to self and others

Program Quality

• Manage the PMU to ensure that the project is meeting objectives on time and to a high quality
• Management oversight of the program budget, including monitoring and timely reporting.
• Ensure there is an appropriate funding strategy for the Mekong Water Governance Program and that resources are in place to identify potential funding sources, liaise with donors and marketing staff and manage the development of proposals.
• Ensure that gender and diversity analysis is applied to all phases of the program cycle and partner organisations have the capacity and commitment to promote gender equality in their work
• Ensure compliance with Oxfam’s program and finance management standards and requirements including the effective appraisal, implementation, monitoring, reporting, evaluation, audit and document management of agency programs and projects

Representation and Relationships

• Provide high level representation of the Asia Water Governance Project with key external stakeholders and donors and be responsible for reporting to the Asia Water Governance Oversight Committee (or relevant structure)

Professional Attributes:

• Problem Solving: Uses clear and innovative thinking to solve problems and ensures supervisors are made aware of any risks.
• Continuous Learning: Demonstrates a commitment to own professional development by actively participating in continuous learning.
• Self Awareness: Is aware of own strengths and development needs and seeks to improve style, skills and performance including cultural and gender sensitivities.
• Adaptability: Adjusts approach and thinking to work effectively in a variety of situations and with different people.

Staff Attributes:

• Clarifying Direction: Ensures the implementation plans are understood and that component and country plans, and team member’s goals and work plans are aligned.
• Agency Knowledge: Demonstrates an understanding of the full range of agency functions and reporting mechanisms that impact on their area of responsibility.
• Personal Qualities: Commitment to participatory water governance, social justice, participation, transparency and gender equity and leads by example by aligning personal values and behaviour with the agency's purpose and values.
• Negotiation skills: Proven ability to engage with people and manage complex problem solving, using negotiation to achieve resolution and outcomes.
• Results Focus: Achieves objectives by taking an organisational perspective and working with and through others to achieve results.
• Decision Making: Articulates the process for decision making and ensures decisions are reached from agreed processes.
• Inclusive Communication: Communicates how the work and goals of staff under supervision contributes to the wider goals and vision of Oxfam and provides a context for daily tasks and project goals.
• Team Building: Facilitates and encourages trust and cooperation between staff under supervision and builds effective communication between own staff and those from other projects, sections and units in country teams and affiliates.
• Psychosocial Mindfulness: Actively addresses workloads and possible stress levels of staff under supervision including mindfulness of any personal issues.
• Accountability: Is accountable for own actions and working practices and holds staff under supervision accountable for their actions and working practices. Addresses performance issues in a timely and constructive manner.
• Regular Meetings: Ensures/participates in clear and regular two way communication with staff under supervision including regularly scheduled one to one and team meetings.
• Encouraging and Developing Others: Provides staff under supervision/peers with the resources, support and learning opportunities required to ensure the timely fulfilment of daily tasks and project goals as well as career development opportunity.

Skills and Experience:

• Extensive experience in cross cultural project management at a senior level.
• Experience with an international NGO, including leading the successful delivery of a large complex project
• High level capacity and experience in managing multiyear, large budget, complex projects
• Experience in distance and matrix management
• Experience in leading strategic planning and implementation
• Technical skills in water management or a field of relevance.
• 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.
• Experience working in environments with political sensitivities
• High level financial management 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.

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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* Including 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