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CURRENT JOB LISTINGS: 1) Livelihood and Income From the Environment (LIFE) Program in the Sinai - Egypt 2) Organizational Strengthening Specialist - Afghanistan 3) Operation and Maintenance Training Program - Jordan 4) Natural Resource Management Specialists for the PLACE IQC 5) Budgeting and Bookkeeping Specialist – Washington, DC 6) Business Development Manager - Washington, DC
LIVELIHOOD AND INCOME FROM THE ENVIRONMENT (LIFE) PROGRAM IN THE SINAI - EGYPT April 2008 ECODIT, a US environmental management and international development consulting firm, is seeking a long-term Team Leader/Chief of Party (COP) and other long-term and short-term professionals for the USAID-funded Livelihood and Income From the Environment (LIFE) Program in the Sinai. The LIFE program in the Sinai will provide technical assistance to improve the livelihood of low income Egyptians in the Sinai through the promotion of sustainable development and through community development interventions that address basic needs of native inhabitants while preserving their cultural heritage. This goal will be achieved through the promotion of sustainable development and through community development interventions that address the basic needs of native inhabitants and that are appropriate to the existing local culture in Sinai. The focus of the LIFE Sinai project activities will be in the Central Sinai area. The main project office will be located in El Arish, with a satellite office or offices in the Nakhl or Hasana centers in the Central Sinai area. Implementation of the LIFE program in the Sinai includes: w Socio-economic surveys, Land Tenure, Engineering Surveys, and Community Needs Assessments; w Development and Approval of Community Development Plans; w Programmatic Environmental Assessment; w Construction and Implementation of Physical Interventions; w Renewable Energy Resources; w Environmentally Sustainable Tourism Initiatives; w Small Businesses Development; w Fast Track Interventions; w Community Development Grant Program; w Leveraging Resources; and w Institutional Development.
I. Chief of Party: Will manage a multidisciplinary team, in the Governorate of North Sinai. He will coordinate closely with USAID, the North Sinai Governorate, NGOs and other relevant entities in the area. The COP will be responsible for coordinating consultants’ inputs, delivering reports on time, ensuring that procurement and construction activities comply with USAID regulations and are on time.
Qualifications:
w Egyptian or U.S. citizenship – strong preference for dual nationals (Egyptian American); w At least 10 years of professional experience in the field of development, with at least five years as team leader or Chief of Party; w At least five years of experience working in development projects in developing countries and at least five years of experience working on relevant international donor projects; w Specific experience in relevant USAID projects (community development, environmental management, construction and procurement) is an advantage; w Excellent interpersonal skills and an excellent track record in dealing with client organization and recipient counterparts; w Excellent English language skills and demonstrated ability to coordinate progress reports, project reviews and presentations, and demonstrated ability to coordinate with host country counterparts; w Community development, construction and procurement management, and or environmental management experience are advantages; and w Some Arabic language capability (in the case of a US COP) is an advantage.
II. Deputy Chief of Party: The Deputy Chief of Party will assist the Chief of Party in managing the team and the project deliverables, he will play an important liaison role with the GOE and other relevant entities involved.
Qualifications:
w At least 10 years of relevant development experience; w At least five years of experience working on relevant donor projects; and w Five years of experience in the fields of community development, environmental management, procurement, or construction is required.
III. Administrative Manager: The Administrative Manager will coordinate all the administrative tasks in the office.
Qualifications:
w At least three years of experience in working on USAID projects; w At least three years of experience as the administrative officer in a similar project; w Expertise in coordinating training activities (setting-up workshops, conferences, etc.), or procurement activities (procuring of equipment) is an advantage; and w Demonstrated familiarity with USAID regulations is recommended.
IV. Other Long-Term and Short-Term Experts Needed: The LIFE Program in the Sinai also will require additional local long-term as well as expatriate and local short-term technical assistance in several areas of expertise, including community development, construction management, ground water and flash floods management, procurement, natural resources conservation, sustainable tourism development, environmental impact assessment, renewable energy, and small business development, institutional development, and public/private partnerships. Candidates with expertise in one or more of these areas will need to have a post-graduate degree in an appropriate field, at least five years of relevant technical experience in the proposed area of responsibility, as well as Interpersonal Skills, English and/or Arabic Language Skills, and Analysis & Report Writing skills. Graduate degrees may be substituted with five years of additional relevant professional experience. Experience in relevant international donor activities is an advantage. Experience in North Africa or the Middle East Area is an advantage in all expatriate team members.
Level of responsibility and salary are commensurate with background and experience.
Interested candidates should email their resume and cover letter, with a reference to Egypt LIFE Sinai Program in the subject line, ASAP to:
E-mail: hrd@ecodit.com No phone inquiries accepted.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRENGTHENING SPECIALIST - AFGHANISTAN
April 2008 BSP/NEPA is an activity begun in November 2007 under an agreement between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). BSP/NEPA’s purpose is to strengthen the Afghan National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) and its ability to implement its mandate under the Environment Law signed into effect in March 2007. BSP/NEPA works with personnel of NEPA and those of relevant ministries and other collaborating partners to improve environmental management capability and effectiveness in Afghanistan, including coordination and monitoring of activities affecting the environment, public awareness of environmental issues as they relate to national development, regulation of activities affecting the environment, financing of NEPA operations, and promoting and monitoring community-based management of natural resources. All activities of BSP/NEPA must support conservation of biodiversity as an explicit direct or indirect objective as defined by the USAID biodiversity guide. Position Description: The Organizational Strengthening Specialist holds primary responsibility for the overall coordination and implementation of institutional strengthening and awareness activities within NEPA and with a range of other public and private entities, as well as capacity building of nongovernmental organizations involved in the CBRM small grants program. The Organizational Strengthening Specialist is based in the Kabul BSP/NEPA office, where he/she will spend approximately 85% of his/her time. Some travel to conduct field training, supervision and monitoring may be necessary to provinces where BSP/NEPA is supporting provincial NEPA operations[1]. He/she will report directly to the ECODIT team leader, also based in the BSP/NEPA office in Kabul. The Organizational Strengthening Specialist will perform the following duties in executing this responsibility:
1) Coordinate overall implementation of organizational strengthening activities for the BSP/NEPA project, according to strategies and work plans agreed by ECODIT, NEPA, and USAID. The specific areas of organizational strengthening where the incumbent holds primary responsibility for implementing strategies and work plans are the following: a) Institutional Strengthening of NEPA – in close coordination with, and mentoring of, the Capacity Building Assistant embedded in NEPA: i) Serve as primary coordinator of workshops and seminars required to implement the BSP/ NEPA portions of the NEPA capacity building plan, including provide and/or coordinate and support technical assistance as appropriate in the following areas: (1) Strengthening NEPA ability to implement its EIA-related responsibilities; (2) Strengthening NEPA internal management and operations systems; and (3) Disseminating NEPA procedures and rules for permits, EIA reviews, and other service provision to public and private sector entities obtaining these services from NEPA. ii) Organize and coordinate the development and delivery of short training courses and regional study tours to implement the BSP/ NEPA portions of the NEPA capacity building plan. iii) Participate in substantive discussions related to the institutional strengthening of NEPA and advise the BSP/NEPA team leader as needed on matters related to the above tasks. b) Public Education and Outreach – in close coordination with, and mentoring of, Afghan long-term technical assistants embedded in NEPA: i) Provide and/or coordinate and support technical assistance to NEPA and other stakeholders as needed to support implementation of the BSP/ NEPA portions of the overall NEPA information, education and communications strategy, including the following: (1) Strengthening the NEPA information resource center; (2) Supporting NEPA in the production of publications and multi-media outreach; and (3) Training NEPA and other stakeholders on public education and outreach. ii) Provide and/or coordinate and support technical assistance to NEPA and education ministries and institutions on improving environmental education curricula in Afghanistan. iii) Participate in substantive discussions related to NEPA public education and outreach efforts and advise the BSP/NEPA Team Leader as needed on matters related to the above tasks. c) Community-Based Resource Management – in close coordination with, and mentoring of, the Biodiversity and NRM Assistant embedded in NEPA: i) Serve as a member of the CBRM small grants program advisory committee that reviews applications and recommends qualifying organizations and projects for grant awards. ii) Conduct periodic review and monitoring activities of ongoing CBRM projects funded through the small grants program, including field visits to project sites. iii) Provide technical assistance as needed to local NGOs or other organizations implementing CBRM projects on technical and grant administration aspects of implementation. iv) Provide technical assistance to NEPA personnel involved in the CBRM small grants program to strengthen their capability to procure services and monitor implementation. 2) Coordinate and monitor the day-to-day activities and accomplishments of a small team of junior Afghan professionals embedded within NEPA. 3) Support the team leader and other project staff to ensure meeting all contract deliverable and reporting requirements, including documentation of significant activities and events. 4) If qualified and upon approval of ECODIT, serve as deputy team leader by participating in senior level strategy and planning discussions on project implementation and assisting in the formulation of those strategies and plans. The deputy team leader also may serve as acting team leader as needed. 5) Perform other duties as assigned that contribute to successful implementation of the task order. 6) Comply with all terms and conditions of ECODIT employment for the BSP/NEPA project. Qualifications Required: The Organizational Strengthening Specialist must hold an advanced degree in a field relevant to building the capacity of a public sector environmental agency. S/He must have at least 8 years experience working with public sector agencies in developing countries, with environmental or natural resources agencies preferred. S/He also must have demonstrated success in strengthening the competence and credibility of government or nongovernmental organizations, including the coordination of workshops, seminars, and training activities. Experience implementing small grants programs under USAID regulations is required, with a strong preference for CBRM programs in developing countries. Experience with project management is an advantage, as is knowledge of the USAID attribution requirements for biodiversity funding. Experience in an Islamic culture is desired but not required. The demonstrated ability to write clear, concise technical reports suitable for presentation to USAID and other professional audiences is required [samples may be requested from short-listed candidates]. [1] Provincial support to NEPA is restricted to areas of biodiversity conservation interest and low security risk.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE TRAINING PROGRAM - JORDAN January 2007 Chief of Party and Other Long-Term Positions ECODIT, a US water and environmental management and international development consulting firm, is seeking candidates for Chief of Party (COP) and other long-term positions for a USAID-funded Operations and Maintenance Training (OMT) Program in Jordan. The COP will work closely with the USAID Mission in Jordan, Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MWI), the Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ), the Jordan Valley Authority (JVA), and private-sector treatment plants.
The Chief of Party will be responsible for implementing an OMT Program in response to the Enhanced Integrated Water Resources Management Strategic Objective, focusing on 1) Training staff for the operation and maintenance of Jordan Wastewater and Water treatment facilities; 2) Policy and regulations to require trained and certified water and wastewater treatment plant staff; and 3) Strengthening of the commercial training sector in Jordan. The Chief of Party (COP) will oversee the completion of the overall components of the program (described below)The COP also will be responsible for the completion of overall project work planning, task implementation, and supervision and quality control of project staff, subcontractors, and consultants. He/she will ensure compliance with USAID regulations on contractual reporting, including quarterly reports, annual work plans, and reports. The COP will interface with the USAID Mission, MWI, WAJ, JVA, and other concerned governments and local stakeholders as necessary. Qualifications: ü A master’s degree in water/environmental engineering, technology and policy, public administration, urban or regional planning, or related field; ü A minimum of 10 years of experience managing water/wastewater sector O&M capacity building and training/certification or similar programs in developing countries; ü Proven track record in managing similar water/wastewater O&M training and certification projects over a long period of time achieving targets and results; ü Proven project management skills on a USAID-funded program, including prior Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party or Team Leader experience; ü Prior COP experience on similar USAID or other donor-funded water projects in the Middle East or North Africa a plus; ü Strong leadership and teambuilding skills; ü Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively in English, both orally and in writing; and ü Fluency in or knowledge of Arabic an advantage.
ECODIT is also potentially looking for additional long-term specialists based on the following Program Components. These long-term positions have not been identified by USAID yet.
1. Initiation of a certification program The certification program will target training materials and successful participants. Certification will ensure training courses meet specified quality standards, all providers offering the same course will present similar material and build similar skills, and successful participants will receive certificates of real value. Drafting such policy will occur in year one of the program. Most work on developing the certification program will occur in the first two years, with fine-tuning occurring over the remainder of the program.
2. Development of standard operating procedures (SOP) that link plant operations and maintenance operating procedures to training courses. Assist water sector infrastructure management entities and equipment suppliers to develop SOPs. SOPs is defined to include overall plant control manuals that pull equipment SOPs together into a unified program. Development of SOPs is a continuous process, as equipment is upgraded SOPs are changed. However, SOPs for current operations will be completed in year one of the program.
3. Development and presentation of new courses to fill the gaps in training program offerings. This will help ensure water plant managers, operators, and maintenance staff have all the training they need to ensure sustained plant operation within design parameter limitations. Most course development will occur over the first three years of the program. During this time local expertise will be built to develop future courses. In the last two years of the program new courses will be developed by local expertise with short-term experts providing assistance as required.
4. Improvement of training skills of local training providers. Training specialist will upgrade trainers’ skills in the use of adult and continuing education principles for the technician/vocational training level. Training of trainers will receive significant emphasis during years one and two of the program and begin tapering off in year three. During this same period criteria and procedures for developing new trainers without donor assistance will be developed. During the last two years these criteria and procedures will be used, with limited oversight by the consultant and assistance as needs are identified.
5. A Regional Training Marketer (RTM) can leverage Jordan's strategic location and human resource base to develop other less fortunate countries in the region. The marketer will not offer training courses. The role of the RTM is to market Jordanian training opportunities within the region, liaise between training offerors and training requestors, monitor the market demand and supply of courses, and identify the need for development of new courses. Establishment of the RTM will commence in year three of the program and continue through the remainder of the program.
For inquiries submit your CV to David Tye at dtye@ecodit.com.
No phone inquiries accepted
Natural Resource Management Specialists for the PLACE IQC October 2006 As a small business holder of the “Prosperity, Livelihoods And Conserving Ecosystems” (PLACE) IQC, ECODIT anticipates receiving task orders on a sole-source basis that will require very quick turnaround. Therefore, ECODIT is building up its roster of qualified consultants who may be interested and available to work with ECODIT on the PLACE IQC. Please send your up-to-date resume highlighting your skills and qualifications in the PLACE IQC components –see list below—to hrd@ecodit.com. Please indicate your language skills and countries/regions of experience, as well as your interest/availability for short-term versus long-term assignments. PLACE IQC COMPONENTS Overarching Themes: 1. Promoting Transformational Development 2. Integrated Landscape Management 3. Scaling-up & Sustaining Impact Primary Natural Resource Management Categories: 1. Biodiversity Conservation (terrestrial, freshwater and marine) 2. Sustainable Forestry 3. Sustainable Tourism 4. Ecologically Sustainable Agriculture 5. Provision of Ecosystem Services Cross-cutting Natural Resource Management and Biodiversity Conservation Approaches: 1. Natural Resource Governance and Policy Reform 2. Resource & Property Rights 3. Capacity Building & Institutional Strengthening & Capacity Building 4. Enterprise Development 5. Sustainable Finance 6. Conflict Mitigation & Management 7. Gender & Strengthening Disadvantaged Groups Additional IQC Services: 1. Information Management & Geospatial Information Technologies 2. Assessment, Analysis and Knowledge Management 3. Cross Sectoral and Strategic Planning 4. Program Development and Implementation 5. Performance Monitoring & Evaluation 6. Communication, Outreach & Behavior Change 7. Environmental Monitoring and Compliance 8. Alliances, Partnerships and Volunteer Programs 9. Small Grants Management 10. Commodity Procurement
Budgeting and Bookkeeping Specialist – Washington, DC October 2006 ECODIT seeks a well-organized, self-motivated individual with proven budgeting and bookkeeping/accounting skills to help prepare budgets for cost proposals and assume basic bookkeeping/accounting functions. ECODIT is a small business specialized in international development and based in Arlington (Rosslyn), Virginia (www.ecodit.com). This position offers an excellent opportunity for professional and career development within a reputable small business poised for growth. Responsibilities: ü Enter all ECODIT financial transactions into QuickBooks® on an ongoing basis under the direction and supervision of the ECODIT Chief Financial Officer; ü Prepare budgets for large multi-year, multi-million dollar proposals to USAID and other clients using MS Excel under the direction and supervision of the Financial Proposal Manager; ü Undertake basic office management tasks, such as: Ø Process all bills received for timely payment and maintain records of ECODIT’s overhead expenses; Ø Assist other ECODIT staff to review and prepare project invoices for submission to clients and coordinate with them to ensure timely payment of project-related bills received; Ø Organize and maintain the office filing system, including personnel files, insurance files, bank account records, tax records, incoming and outgoing mail, etc.; and Ø Follow-up on all office-related issues such as communication with general suppliers regarding billing or technical problems (e.g., phone providers, Internet provider, insurance company ü Help other ECODIT staff and consultants, in particular Project Administrators, complete their assignments and respond to emergencies. Qualifications: ü Minimum of three years of relevant bookkeeping/accounting and budgeting experience, preferably with an international development organization working with USAID and other donors; ü Prior experience with QuickBooks® or similar accounting software; ü Strong organizational skills and attention to detail; ü Sound judgment and initiative; ü Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills; ü Strong communication and writing skills; ü Strong skills in Microsoft Excel and Word; ü Ability to prioritize and handle multiple tasks under tight deadlines; ü Minimum of bachelors degree, with background in business or accounting preferred; ü Knowledge of USAID rules and regulations a plus; and ü International development experience desired. Interested candidates should send a resume and cover letter to: hrd@ecodit.com.
Business Development Manager - Washington, DC December 2005 ECODIT is seeking candidates for the position of “Business Development Manager” to be based in its Home Office in Arlington, Virginia, with frequent travel overseas. The Business Development Manager will assume a lead role in marketing ECODIT’s services and managing the preparation of proposals to USAID missions around the world and in Washington, DC. ECODIT holds six IQCs with USAID (water, environment, energy, sustainable urban management) as a subcontractor to major USAID contractors. ECODIT also holds an Environmental Schedule and a MOBIS Schedule under a direct Corporate Contract with GSA. Qualifications: ü Proven business development track record and proposal management experience on a wide range of USAID-funded projects and programs; ü Long-term experience and familiarity with USAID-funded programs and people in different parts of the world including the Middle East and Africa; ü Demonstrated project management skills on USAID-funded projects/programs, including Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party, or Team Leader experience, a plus; ü At least 10 years of technical assistance and program management experience in areas such as: integrated water and coastal resource management, environmental protection and sustainable development, renewable energies, sustainable urban management, municipal infrastructure and services, disaster prevention management, institutional strengthening and policy support, community participation; ü Strong written and oral communication skills; ü Fluency in at least one relevant language other than English (e.g., Arabic, Spanish, French); and ü Combined training in engineering/sciences and public policy/economics a plus. Level of responsibility and salary are commensurate with
background and experience. Interested candidates should send a resume and
cover letter to:
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