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11 TY Danjuma Street, Abuja Nigeria

info@amcow-online.org
secretariat@amcow-online.org

+234 9096074166

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M&E
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Senior Monitoring, Evaluation and Results Officer (SME&R Officer)

Job Function: Reports to the Director of Programmes

Classification: Grade: Grade: P4 (out of a P1 – P5 professional grading structure)

Date Posted: 20 Oct. 2023

Background:

AMCOW is an intergovernmental, non-budgetary institution working under the Specialised Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment of the African Union (AU). AMCOW’s mission is to provide political leadership, policy direction and advocacy in the provision, use and management of water resources for sustainable social and economic development and maintenance of African ecosystems. For more information, refer to: http://www.amcow-online.org/.

The position of Senior Monitoring, Evaluation and Results Officer (SME&R Officer) is one of the key management functions under the Director of Programmes at the AMCOW Secretariat located in Abuja, Nigeria. The SME&R Officer will be the focal point person on all issues related to monitoring and evaluation of the AMCOW Work Programmes and project portfolio. The SME&R Officer provides technical guidance and advice to task teams on appropriate results management frameworks.

The scope of responsibilities of the role is described below.

Responsibilities:

Key responsibilities of SME&R Officer include overseeing the process of developing high-quality Water and Sanitation Sector Progress Reports and their submission at the African Union Commission (AUC) and development partners. The SME&R Officer will also lead the development and implementation of AMCOW’s monitoring and evaluation work. Further, the incumbent will lead the development of a result-based management system and support building capacity for implementation.   Other responsibilities will include systematizing existing results frameworks for greater consistency. This will involve scaling up and refining AMCOW’s monitoring systems to generate rich analysis that track progress of annual plans and implementation of AMCOW’s strategy. The SME&R Officer will also support project managers to develop realistic plans, reviews, and evaluations. This will include developing progress reports for various stakeholders. The SME&R Officer will also coordinate independent evaluation of AMCOW work including operational plans. The SM&E Officer, under the guidance of the Senior Management Team, will coordinate all the teams in the development of the AMCOW Annual report and corporate reports.   The detailed SME&R Officer’s primary scope of responsibilities consists of the following:  

Results and Reporting:

  1. Lead and coordinate processes for the development and submission of high-quality annual reports of the Commission on the implementation of the July 2008 Assembly Declaration on the Sharm El Sheikh Commitments for Accelerating the Achievement of Water and Sanitation Goals in Africa.
  2. Coordinate donor-funded projects’ reporting processes, ensuring that all accountabilities and responsibilities are met, in line with AMCOW’s obligations. This also include monitoring all project activities, expenditures, and progress towards achieving the project output.
  3. Devise ways and strategies to support building capacity for water and sanitation reporting at Member State level.
  4. Promote alignment of Continental and Global Reporting processes
  5. Lead and conduct sector resource mapping and manage resource mapping database. This includes providing various sector resource/financing analysis.
  6. Design and operationalize a functional Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and results system which aligns with the AMCOW strategy and accountability needs.
  7. Assist AMCOW’s Project development team in smartly integrating AMCOW monitoring, evaluation and learning systems into partnership agreements, with a view to effectively tracking progress, minimizing deviation from, and misalignment with AMCOW’s core mandate.

Frameworks:

  1. Lead the development and updating of AMCOW’s multi-year organizational results frameworks and strategic operational plans (SOPs).
  2. Coordinate the development of AMCOW’s annual organizational objectives, key performance indicators and targets that guide programmatic work.
  3. Support staff in developing programmatic and continental level results frameworks to measure progress against program and continental strategies – including work led in partnership with other organizations.

Systems and Analysis:

  1. Coordinate monitoring, evaluation, and results analysis across projects and programmes and ensure data standardization and quality.
  2. Facilitate and support capacity building activities towards water and sanitation sector system performance monitoring.
  3. Refine and improve AMCOW’s existing monitoring systems towards increased access and use by staff. This includes the automation and visualization of analysis, and integration of new data points, for individual and group learning as well as internal and external accountability.
  4. Commission and coordinate research and studies on key topics to help fill information gaps in the water and sanitation sector.
  5. Oversee the development of quarterly monitoring reports against organizational objectives; Lead analysis of progress against results, bi-annual analysis of research and data metrics.

Learning:

  1. Lead and facilitate reflection opportunities, including meetings and retreats, towards developing a strong organizational learning culture.
  2. Organize brown bag seminars with staff and, where relevant, externals.
  3. Draw lessons from analysis to deepen reflection to improve program design.
  4. Develop strategies for improving efficiency and effectiveness of projects by identifying bottlenecks.
  5. Contribute to processes of drafting learning papers to capture lessons from AMCOW’s work to inform policy in the water and sanitation sector in Africa.
  6. Input into the development of impactful case studies, to showcase insights and instances of success in AMCOW’s work.
  7. Lead initiatives and communities of practice that aim to share lessons, good practices and models in the water and sanitation sector in Africa.  

Evaluation:

  1. Commission and oversee independent evaluation of AMCOW’s work.
  2. Work with the institutional leadership team to define focus and research questions that generate maximum learning and value to inform AMCOW’s strategies.
  3. Support AMCOW staff in designing and implementing program evaluations.  

Management and Capacity:

  1. Manage consultants and or interns to undertake relevant analysis.
  2. Coordinate and facilitate technical working groups with development partners to harmonize efforts and improve the overall water and sanitation sector performance.
  3. Forge and consolidate working relationships with Universities and Academic Research Institutions to support filling information gaps at different levels. This includes streamlining work programme with the AUDA-NEPAD Centers of Excellence and capacity building networks and institutions.
  4. Work in close collaboration with team members to raise funding in support of AMCOW activities including monitoring and reporting.
  5. Perform other duties as required and assigned.

Experience and Requirements:

  1. At least a Master’s Degree in water or related disciplines including health, economics, statistics, social sciences, monitoring and evaluation, and international development.
  2. At least 10 years of direct relevant work experience in monitoring, evaluation and systems at senior level.
  3. Direct experience working with partners supporting monitoring, reporting as well as work programmes for the African Union Commission (AUC), AMCOW, AUDA-NEPAD, UN Agencies, and Development Partners.
  4. Experience in qualitative and quantitative operational research across countries, with substantive experience in preparing case studies.
  5. Experience in providing the following types of support: technical assistance, policy analysis, sector systems performance reviews, policy advocacy, and grant making; and targeting one or more of the following stakeholders: the AUC, governments, civil society, development partners towards improvements in governance policy and practice.
  6. Excellent diplomacy and relationship building skills, with an ability to prioritise, negotiate, and work with a variety of cross-cultural and high-profile technical experts and development partners.
  7. Experience in analyzing and presenting cross country data effectively, for a wide range of audiences, with attention to detail.
  8. Excellent oral and written communication skills.
  9. Ability to work well under pressure, to meet multiple deadlines in a fast-paced work environment.
  10. Multi-tasking skills, able to wear many hats in a fast-paced, challenging and rewarding environment.
  11. Strong facilitation and capacity building skills.
  12. Strong analytical skills and data/results visualization.

Technical Expertise:

Required Expertise:

Ability to effectively manage complex databases and systems. Interpret and implement different monitoring and results measurements strategies and also ensure a proper system is in place.

Language Requirements:

  1. Fluent and superior mastery of English and/or French through education and experience in a work context.
  2. Portuguese and/or Arabic languages would be an asset.

Skills:

  1. Strong proactive business development skills.Superior communication and presentation skills.
  2. Highly refined diplomacy and persuasive skills.Very good learning and knowledge sharing skills.
  3. Strong team building and motivating skills.

Computer Literacy:

  1. Expert-level use of the Office suite of applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).Familiarity with project management tools.
  2. Good knowledge and preferably work experience with Cloud-based technologies.

Age Requirement:

Candidate shall not be more than 55 years as at the publication of this job advert

Values:

  1. High professional ethics beyond legal compliance.
  2. Commitment to the public good.
  3. Commitment to quality and excellence, knowledge sharing and maintaining public trust.
  4. Accountability to AMCOW Secretariat, the AU member States and AMCOW Partners and Stakeholders.
  5. Transparency, honesty, and integrity including cross-cultural openness and flexibility.

Citizenship Requirement:

Citizen of any of the AU countries.

Submissions of Applications:

Interested candidates for this position should submit their formal application not later than 20th November 2023 at the address/email below.

The Executive Secretary,
African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), No. 11, T.Y. Danjuma Street, Asokoro District, Abuja, Nigeria.
Email: info@amcow-online.org;  
Female candidates are encouraged to apply.  

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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Data Analysis and Visualisation Consultant for WASSMO Reporting Campaign 2023

Institutions: AMCOW with the support of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)

Detailed Description of the Activity:

Background

The African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) has the primary mission of providing political leadership, policy direction and advocacy in the provision, use, and management of water resources for sustainable social and economic development and maintenance of African ecosystems. The African Union Commission considers AMCOW serves as a support mechanism to its Specialized Technical Committee (STC) to drive the achievement of impactful results in the water and sanitation sectors. At the African Union Heads of State and Government Summit of July 2008, the African Minister’s Council on Water (AMCOW) was mandated to report annually on progress achieved in implementing the African Union (AU) commitments made in the 2008 Sharm El-Sheikh Commitments on water and sanitation, taking into account several international agreements including the Africa Water Vision 2025, the Africa Agenda 2063, as well as the global Sustainable Development Goals 6 (SDG-6) targets on clean water and sanitation.

In response to this directive, AMCOW in collaboration with the African Union Commission, and with financial support from Africa Water Facility (AWF) through the Africa Development Bank (AfDB), developed a web-based reporting system, the African Water and Sanitation Sector Monitoring and Reporting System (WASSMO) in October 2015: https://www.africawat-sanreports.org/Ui. This platform provides for reporting on water and sanitation sector indicators under seven themes: water infrastructure for growth; managing and protecting water resources; water supply, sanitation, hygiene, and wastewater; climate change and disaster risk reduction (DRR); governance and institutions; and financing.  

In June, AMCOW launched the 2023 WASSMO data collection campaign. This year’s data drive is focused on completing the missing baseline information and addressing the current data gaps from 2016 to date. The Secretariat of AMCOW will be conducting in-country missions to provide technical support to Member States as a means of strengthening their capacity to adequately collect the required quality of data for developing Africa’s Water and Sanitation Sector (WASSMO) 2023 Report. It is for this purpose that AMCOW requires the technical assistance of a data analyst expert that will support the cleaning, quality checks, analysis, and visualization of the WASSMO data. The aim is to contribute to the development of a high-quality WASSMO report that is of international reporting standards.  

The AMCOW Secretariat is seeking a data analyst and visualisation consultant to support in the analysis and interpretation of the data for developing the 2023 WASSMO report that includes strategic high-level findings and recommendations for insightful decisions by water and sanitation sector decision makers. Data analyst consultant will present the key findings of the different sections of the WASSMO report to AMCOW Secretariat

Tasks and Responsibilities

Through a consultative and participatory process, the consultant will work with the AMCOW Secretariat to perform the following activities:

  • Interpret data, analyse results using statistical techniques and provide periodic updates on activity progress.
  • Review the existing excel data analytics tools and ensure their compatibility with the WASSMO data collection systems and explore other strategies to enhance statistical efficiency and quality.
  • Identify, analyse, and interpret trends or patterns in data sets.
  • Filter and “clean” data by reviewing computer reports, printouts.
  • Assist the team in improving and streamlining processes regarding data flow and data quality to improve data accuracy, viability, and value.
  • Support the delivery of analytics and reporting solutions using Power BI/Data Visualization software or others.
  • Present the analysis per themes and country status.

Deliverables

  • WASSMO data exploration, analysis and modelling performed on the database, resulting in a clean data set to inform the 2023 WASSMO report narrative.  
  • Any additional deliverables that are part of the WASSMO data analytics outputs (infographics, charts, etc.)

Qualification and Experience

  • Minimum of a master’s degree in Statistics, Economics, Information Systems, Mathematics, Business Analysis, Management, or related field. PhD is an added advantage.
  • At least 15 years experiences as senior statistician or related field.
  • High Intelligence Quotient, Computer Science, or Knowledge in working with several Statistical Software is required.
  • Relevant work experience as a data analyst or business data analyst and visualisation for both quantitative and qualitative data.
  • Familiarity with AMCOW Secretariat work and water and sanitation sector landscape in Africa.
  • Strong writing abilities with articulative skills to develop a concise quality research analytic report on the results of Member States’ WASSMO data.
  • Excellent command of written and spoken English. French will be an added advantage.

Skills and abilities

  • Highly skilled in research and analysis: Very strong qualitative and analytic skills; keen attention to detail and data accuracy.
  • Technical expertise regarding data models, database design development, data mining and segmentation techniques
  • Knowledge of statistics and experience using statistical packages for analysing datasets (Excel, SPSS, STATA, SAS etc.)
  • Excellent communication skills: Strong knowledge of and experience with Data reporting packages (Business Objects etc.), databases (SQL etc.), and data visualization tools (Microsoft Power BI, Tableau, etc.)
  • Other: Demonstrated competence with using standard data software packages (MS Excel, MS Access, etc.).

Contract duration

The contract will be effective from date of signing and for a maximum of 90 days

Reporting language

English

Mode and logistics

The consultancy service will be provided remotely

How to apply

Interested candidates who meet the required qualifications and experience are invited to submit updated profile and cover letter explaining their motivation and why best suited for the assignment. Candidates are also encouraged to provide samples of previous related works.

AMCOW only accept applications sent via email – info@amcow-online.org

Please forward the application in English through the stated email no later than 29 September 2023.

The Executive Secretary,

African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW)

No. 11 T. Y. Danjuma Street, Asokoro District, Abuja, Nigeria.

For more information about AMCOW and its work programme, kindly refer to AMCOW website www.amcow-online.org

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Senior Policy Officer, Water Resources Management

Function:  Regional Engagement and Partnerships Development
Reports to:  Director of Programmes.
Grade: P4 (out of a P1 – P5 professional grading structure)
Posted: 2 August 2023
Closes: 31 August 2023

Background
AMCOW is an intergovernmental, non-budgetary institution working under the Specialised Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment of the African Union (AU). Our mission is to provide political leadership, policy direction and advocacy in the provision, use and management of water resources for sustainable social and economic development and maintenance of African ecosystems.
For more information, refer to: http://www.amcow-online.org/.
The position of Senior Policy Officer, Water Resources Management is one of the key management functions under the Director of Programmes at the AMCOW Secretariat located in Abuja, Nigeria. The scope of responsibilities of the role is described below.

Responsibilities:
The Senior Policy Officer, Water Resources Management, will be responsible for programming and coordinating implementation of the Secretariat activities to assure sustainable management of Africa’s water resources.
The primary scope of responsibilities consists of the following:

1)     Policy, regulatory and institutional arrangements: Lead AMCOW initiatives to strengthen water governance systems and management structures in Africa. Related interventions promote and facilitate investment-orientated transboundary management and governance of Africa’s water resources. Particular focus is placed on delivering on the commitments of Africa’s political leadership to:
a)     increase domestic allocations to the water, sanitation and hygiene sector, and attract investments for water resources development, utilisation and management. A key AMCOW strategy is to strengthen the business case for water investments in Africa to enhance human and institutional capacities, build infrastructure and improve information systems to support water management;
b)     innovate mechanisms to manage demand and improve efficiency in the production, supply and utilisation of water in agriculture;
c)     contribute to enhancing sanitation governance and services delivery mechanisms vis-à-vis:
i)       improving environmental integrity through wastewater and water quality management;
ii)      promoting circular systems for urban water cycles and productive sanitation; and,
iii)    resilient WASH Programming.
d)     mobilise groundwater networks and actors towards a common, harmonised, and evidence-based approach to sustainable groundwater use and management in furtherance of the Africa Water Vision 2025; the SDGs and AU Agenda 2063;
e)     strengthen the institutional linkages and operational arrangements between AMCOW and AMCOW’s technical, implementing and funding partners within the Water, Energy, Food and Ecosystems (WEFE) nexus framework; and
f)      strengthen mechanisms for tracking sector financing – at AMCOW level – and strengthen mechanisms for coordinating, leveraging and improving efficiency of utilising Official Development Assistance (ODA) funds to the sector.

2)     Stakeholder Engagement: Contribute to strengthening of decision-making processes through technically facilitating the interaction, at all levels, of governmental and non-governmental actors, including the private sector. The incumbent will lead the Secretariat’s efforts to translate AMCOW’s Water Resources Management Priority Action Programme into partnerships for action to:
a)     promote economic accounting for water as a discipline to, among others, improve the financing and investment outlook for water resources management in Africa;
b)     motivate action to improve national-level capacities for collecting complete and reliable hydro-meteorological and piezometric data in all of Africa’s 64 shared river basins;
c)     apply nexus perspective solutions to assure water, food and energy security in Africa;
d)     improve agricultural water management, including facilitating the use of waste as a resource in agriculture at the national level;
e)     catalyse implementation of the prioritised transboundary water projects in the second priority action plan of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA);
f)      promote and facilitate multifunctional “green” basin development centred on natural and built infrastructure to provide a continuum of water storage solutions;
g)     support Member States and River and Lake Basin Organisations (R/LBOs) to conduct water resources assessments, assessing the availability of groundwater resources and the impact of climate change on freshwater availability;
h)     support Member States to monitor and manage groundwater use;
i)       promote the development of legal, policy and institutional frameworks for wastewater management and safe discharge of effluent into transboundary water courses and aquifers;
j)       increase access to and control of resources, assets, capabilities, agency and opportunities for climate-vulnerable and marginalised groups; and,
k)     mobilise institutional partnerships for strengthening water security.

3)     Resources Mobilisation: Work in close collaboration with the Senior Policy Officer – Governance and Partnerships to raise funding and coordinate initiatives in support of AMCOW activities. The activities are articulated in the Secretariat workplans; engagement plans with partners, and PIDA-PAP transboundary water projects. The incumbent’s responsibilities include:
a)     instituting mechanisms to implement projects identified for their shared benefits, notably, the ability to attract investments:
b)     leveraging funding streams from partners for the implementation of the AMCOW Work Programme;
c)     leading in the conception and formulation of WRM engagement plans and coordinating their implementation with RECs, R/LBOs, technical and implementing partners; as well as other sector players;
d)     contributing to the meetings and engagements of the Water and Sanitation Sector Development Partners Coordination Framework (DPCF).
Other responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
1)     Enhance AMCOW’s presence and visibility at the country and regional levels, aiming to promote effective policy-making tools and useful intelligence on sustainable water resources management on the continent.
2)     Promote regional synergies and country-level efforts on water resources management and institutionalise WRM coordinating mechanisms within the Secretariat.

More specifically, the Senior Policy Officer, Water Resources Management is responsible for managing the following key activities:
1)     Ensure consistent and proper use and visibility of AMCOW’s brand by improving WRM activities, effectiveness and outreach in order to enhance awareness and understanding of WRM issues amongst stakeholders through country, regional and wider public events like Africa Water Week and AfricaSan Conferences;
2) Collaborate with the Knowledge Management and Communications Officer to prepare press releases and interview messages, as well as coordinate, proofread and assure content delivery of AMCOW’s newsletters and other types of learning materials and policy documents.

Essential Requirements:
1)     Minimum 12 years of work experience, preferably in the water sector, of which at least six (6) years of experience should be in integrated water resources management (IWRM), water security analysis, planning and advocacy.
2)     Direct experience or experience working with partners supporting WRM-related policy initiatives and work programmes of the AUC, the AMCOW Secretariat, AUDA-NEPAD, the RECs and RLBOs.
3)     Proven commitment to excellence and quality of measured results, programme development and operationalisation in an inter-governmental setting.
4)     A successful track-record of
a)     effective facilitation of technical processes and coordination of high-profile multi-stakeholder processes;
b)     setting priorities and developing implementation arrangements in politically sensitive and technically demanding operational environments; and,
c)     technical responsibility for the quality and content of decision-supporting reports at the political level.
5)     Excellent diplomacy and relationship-building skills with an ability to prioritise, negotiate, and work with a variety of cross-cultural and high-profile technical, implementing and development partners, as well as Member States.
Multi-tasking skills, able to wear many hats in a fast-paced, challenging and rewarding environment.

Education, Professional Qualifications and Certification:
A Master’s Degree or PhD in a field relevant to water and related natural resources management; Engineering; and water supply, sanitation, and hygiene services provision.

Language Requirements:
Fluent and superior mastery of English and/or French through education and experience in a work context. Portuguese and/or Arabic languages would be an asset.

Skills:
1)     Strong proactive business development skills.
2)     Superior communication and presentation skills.
3)     Highly refined diplomacy and persuasive skills.
4)     Very good learning and knowledge-sharing skills.
5) Strong team building and motivating skills.

Computer Literacy:
1)     Expert-level use of the Office suite of applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
2)     Familiarity with project management tools.
3) Good knowledge and preferably work experience with Cloud-based technologies.

Age Requirement:
Candidate shall not be more than 55 years as of 01 August 2023.

Values:
1)     High professional ethics beyond legal compliance.
2)     Commitment to the public good.
3)     Commitment to quality and excellence, knowledge sharing and maintaining public trust.
4)     Accountability to AMCOW Secretariat, the AU member States and AMCOW Partners and Stakeholders.
5) Transparency, honesty and integrity, including cross-cultural openness and flexibility.

Citizenship Requirements:
National of any of the AU Member States.
Any interested candidates should send a CV and Cover letter to: info@amcow-online.org
Click the link below to download Job Description: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9s3tohegw449ms4mp0qjs/JD_Senior_Policy_Officer_Water_Resources_Management_Final.docx?rlkey=8joeyyg8ms3s9clz5t20i75ex&dl=0
AMCOW Jobs Senior Policy Officer-Water Resources Management
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Chargé de mission principal, Gestion des ressources en eau

Grade : P4 (dans une grille de gradation professionnelle allant de P1 à P5)

Contexte de base :
AMCOW est une institution intergouvernementale et non budgétaire qui travaille sous l’égide du Comité technique spécialisé sur l’agriculture, le développement rural, l’eau et l’environnement de l’Union africaine (UA). Notre mission est de fournir un leadership politique, une orientation politique et un plaidoyer dans la fourniture, l’utilisation et la gestion des ressources en eau pour un développement social et économique durable et le maintien des écosystèmes africains. Pour plus d’informations, veuillez consulter : http://www.amcow-online.org/. Le poste de Chargé de mission principal, Gestion des ressources en eau, est l’une des principales fonctions de gestion relevant du directeur des programmes au secrétariat de l’AMCOW, situé à Abuja, au Nigeria. L’étendue des responsabilités du poste est décrite ci-dessous.

Responsabilités :
Le Chargé de mission principal, Gestion des ressources en eau, sera responsable de la programmation et de la coordination de la mise en œuvre des activités du Secrétariat visant à assurer la gestion durable des ressources en eau de l’Afrique.
Ses principales responsabilités sont les suivantes :
1)     Arrangements politiques, réglementaires et institutionnels : Diriger les initiatives de l’AMCOW visant à renforcer les systèmes de gouvernance de l’eau et les structures de gestion en Afrique. Les interventions connexes promeuvent et facilitent la gestion et la gouvernance transfrontalières des ressources en eau de l’Afrique, axées sur l’investissement. L’accent est mis en particulier sur le respect des engagements pris par les dirigeants politiques africains en vue de :
a)     augmenter les dotations nationales au secteur de l’eau, de l’assainissement et de l’hygiène, et attirer les investissements pour le développement, l’utilisation et la gestion des ressources en eau. L’une des principales stratégies de l’AMCOW consiste à renforcer les arguments économiques en faveur des investissements dans le secteur de l’eau en Afrique afin d’améliorer les capacités humaines et institutionnelles, de construire des infrastructures et d’améliorer les systèmes d’information à l’appui de la gestion de l’eau ;
b)     innover dans les mécanismes de gestion de la demande et améliorer l’efficacité de la production, de l’approvisionnement et de l’utilisation de l’eau dans l’agriculture ;
c)     contribuer à l’amélioration de la gouvernance en matière d’assainissement et des mécanismes de prestation de services en ce qui concerne:
i)       améliorer l’intégrité environnementale par la gestion des eaux usées et de la qualité de l’eau
ii)     promouvoir les systèmes circulaires pour les cycles de l’eau urbaine et l’assainissement productif ; et,
iii)    un programme WASH résilient.
d)     mobiliser les réseaux d’eau souterraine et les acteurs vers une approche commune, harmonisée et basée sur des preuves de l’utilisation et de la gestion durable des eaux souterraines dans le cadre de la Vision africaine de l’eau 2025, des ODD et de l’Agenda 2063 de l’UA ;
e)     renforcer les liens institutionnels et les accords opérationnels entre l’AMCOW et ses partenaires techniques, de mise en œuvre et de financement dans le cadre du nexus eau, énergie, alimentation et écosystèmes (WEFE) ; et
f)      renforcer les mécanismes de suivi du financement du secteur – au niveau de l’AMCOW – et renforcer les mécanismes de coordination, d’effet de levier et d’amélioration de l’efficacité de l’utilisation des fonds de l’aide publique au développement (APD) dans le secteur.
2)     Engagement des parties prenantes : Contribuer au renforcement des processus décisionnels en facilitant techniquement l’interaction, à tous les niveaux, des acteurs gouvernementaux et non gouvernementaux, y compris le secteur privé. Le titulaire du poste dirigera les efforts du secrétariat pour traduire le programme d’action prioritaire de l’AMCOW en matière de gestion des ressources en eau en partenariats d’action visant à :
a)     promouvoir la comptabilité économique de l’eau en tant que discipline pour, entre autres, améliorer les perspectives de financement et d’investissement pour la gestion des ressources en eau en Afrique ;
b)     motiver les actions visant à améliorer les capacités nationales de collecte de données hydrométéorologiques et piézométriques complètes et fiables dans l’ensemble des 64 bassins fluviaux partagés de l’Afrique ;
c)     appliquer des solutions fondées sur la perspective du lien entre l’eau, l’alimentation et l’énergie pour assurer la sécurité de l’eau, de l’alimentation et de l’énergie en Afrique ;
d)     améliorer la gestion de l’eau agricole, notamment en facilitant l’utilisation des déchets comme ressource agricole au niveau national ;
e)     catalyser la mise en œuvre des projets prioritaires relatifs aux eaux transfrontalières dans le deuxième plan d’action prioritaire du programme pour le développement des infrastructures en Afrique (PIDA) ;
f)      promouvoir et faciliter le développement multifonctionnel des bassins “verts” axé sur les infrastructures naturelles et construites afin de fournir un continuum de solutions de stockage de l’eau ;
g)     aider les États membres et les organisations de bassins fluviaux et lacustres à réaliser des évaluations des ressources en eau, en évaluant la disponibilité des ressources en eaux souterraines et l’impact du changement climatique sur la disponibilité de l’eau douce ;
h)     aider les États membres à surveiller et à gérer l’utilisation des eaux souterraines ;
i)       promouvoir l’élaboration de cadres juridiques, politiques et institutionnels pour la gestion des eaux usées et le déversement en toute sécurité des effluents dans les cours d’eau et les aquifères transfrontaliers ;
j)       améliorer l’accès et le contrôle des ressources, des actifs, des capacités, de l’agence et des opportunités pour les groupes vulnérables au climat et marginalisés ; et,
k)     mobiliser les partenariats institutionnels pour renforcer la sécurité de l’eau.
3)     Mobilisation des ressources  : Travailler en étroite collaboration avec le Chargé de mission principal – Gouvernance et partenariats pour mobiliser des fonds et coordonner des initiatives à l’appui des activités d’AMCOW. Les activités s’articulent autour des plans de travail du secrétariat, des plans d’engagement avec les partenaires et des projets PIDA-PAP sur les eaux transfrontalières. Les responsabilités du titulaire sont les suivantes :
a)     instituer des mécanismes pour mettre en œuvre des projets identifiés pour leurs avantages partagés, notamment la capacité d’attirer des investissements :
b)     l’exploitation des flux de financement des partenaires pour la mise en œuvre du programme de travail de l’AMCOW ;
c)     diriger la conception et la formulation de plans d’engagement en faveur de la gestion des ressources en eau et coordonner leur mise en œuvre avec les CER, les organisations régionales et locales, les partenaires techniques et de mise en œuvre, ainsi qu’avec d’autres acteurs du secteur ;
d)     contribuer aux réunions et aux engagements du cadre de coordination des partenaires au développement du secteur de l’eau et de l’assainissement (CCPD).
Les autres responsabilités comprennent, sans s’y limiter à :
1)     Renforcer la présence et la visibilité d’AMCOW au niveau national et régional, dans le but de promouvoir des outils de prise de décision efficaces et des informations utiles sur la gestion durable des ressources en eau sur le continent.
2)     Promouvoir les synergies régionales et les efforts nationaux en matière de gestion des ressources en eau et institutionnaliser les mécanismes de coordination de la gestion des ressources en eau au sein du Secrétariat.
Plus précisément, le chargé de mission principal, Gestion des ressources en eau, est responsable de la gestion des activités clés suivantes :
1)     Assurer une utilisation et une visibilité cohérentes et appropriées de la marque AMCOW en améliorant les activités, l’efficacité et la portée de la gestion des ressources en eau, afin de renforcer la sensibilisation et la compréhension des questions de gestion des ressources en eau parmi les parties prenantes par le biais d’événements nationaux, régionaux et grand public tels que la Semaine africaine de l’eau et les Conférences AfricaSan ;                        
Collaborer avec le responsable de la gestion des connaissances et de la communication pour préparer les communiqués de presse et les messages d’interview, ainsi que pour coordonner, relire et assurer la diffusion du contenu des bulletins d’information d’AMCOW et d’autres types de matériel d’apprentissage et de documents politiques.

Caractéristiques essentielles:
1)     Au moins 12 ans d’expérience professionnelle, de préférence dans le secteur de l’eau, dont au moins 6 ans d’expérience dans la gestion intégrée des ressources en eau (GIRE), l’analyse de la sécurité de l’eau, la planification et le plaidoyer.
2)     Expérience directe ou expérience de travail avec des partenaires soutenant les initiatives politiques liées à la GIRE et les programmes de travail de la CUA, du secrétariat de l’AMCOW, de l’AUDA-NEPAD, des CER et des organismes régionaux de bassin.
3)     Engagement avéré en faveur de l’excellence et de la qualité des résultats mesurés, du développement et de l’opérationnalisation des programmes dans un cadre intergouvernemental.
4)     Une expérience probante dans les domaines suivants :
a)     la facilitation efficace des processus techniques et la coordination des processus multipartites à forte visibilité ;
b)     la fixation de priorités et l’élaboration de dispositions de mise en œuvre dans des environnements opérationnels politiquement sensibles et techniquement exigeants ; et,
c)     la responsabilité technique de la qualité et du contenu des rapports d’aide à la décision au niveau politique.
5)     Excellentes compétences en matière de diplomatie et d’établissement de relations, avec une capacité à établir des priorités, à négocier et à travailler avec une variété de partenaires techniques, de mise en œuvre et de développement interculturels et de haut niveau, ainsi qu’avec les États membres.
Aptitude à effectuer plusieurs tâches à la fois, capable de porter plusieurs chapeaux dans un environnement rapide, stimulant et gratifiant.

Formation, qualifications professionnelles et certification :
Un master ou un doctorat dans un domaine lié à la gestion de l’eau et des ressources naturelles connexes, à l’ingénierie et à la fourniture de services d’approvisionnement en eau, d’assainissement et d’hygiène.

Exigences linguistiques :
Maîtrise courante et avancée de l’anglais et/ou du français grâce à l’éducation et à l’expérience dans un contexte professionnel.
La maîtrise du portugais et/ou de l’arabe serait un atout

Compétences :
1)     Solides compétences proactives en matière de développement commercial.
2)     Compétences supérieures en matière de communication et de présentation.
3)     Diplomatie et capacité de persuasion très raffinées.
4)     Très bonnes aptitudes à l’apprentissage et au partage des connaissances.
5) Solides compétences en matière de constitution d’équipes et de motivation.

Compétences informatiques :
1)     Utilisation experte de la suite d’applications Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
2)     Familiarité avec les outils de gestion de projet.
3) Bonne connaissance et, de préférence, expérience professionnelle des technologies basées sur l’informatique en nuage.

Conditions d’âge :
Le candidat ne doit pas être âgé de plus de 55 ans à la date du 1er août 2023.

Valeurs :
1)     Une éthique professionnelle élevée au-delà de la conformité légale.
2)     Engagement envers le bien public.
3)     Engagement en faveur de la qualité et de l’excellence, du partage des connaissances et du maintien de la confiance du public.
4)     Responsabilité envers le secrétariat d’AMCOW, les États membres de l’UA et les partenaires et parties prenantes d’AMCOW.
5) Transparence, honnêteté et intégrité, y compris ouverture et flexibilité interculturelles.

Conditions de citoyenneté :
Le ou la candidat/e doit être un/e ressortissant/e d’un des États membres de l’UA

Les candidats intéressés par ce poste doivent soumettre leur candidature officielle au plus tard le 31 août 2023 à l’adresse électronique suivante :

Dépôt des candidatures
Le Secrétaire exécutif,
Conseil des ministres africains chargés de l’eau  (AMCOW),
No. 11, T.Y. Danjuma Street, Asokoro District,
Abuja, Nigeria .
Email : info@amcow-online.org;
 
Les candidatures féminines sont vivement encouragées.
Veuillez noter que seuls les candidats présélectionnés seront contactés.
AfricaSan
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Consultancy for the reconciliation of tools for situation assessment of sanitation and hygiene policy environment

Background

In accordance with the objectives of its Strategic Operational Plan to align Member States’ sanitation and hygiene policy environments with continental and global commitments, AMCOW developed the  African Sanitation Policy Guidelines.  The ASPGs were developed through a consultative and collaborative process with key sector players and African Union Member States. It provides the recommended core elements and processes for the review, revision, and development of policies, strategies, and plans toward achieving SDGs 6.2. To demonstrate the progress and impact of ASPG utilization over time, AMCOW is establishing a monitoring and reporting mechanism.

The mechanism will comprise the following key elements:

I. Development of an agreed indicator framework for monitoring changes in Member States’ enabling environments for sanitation and hygiene services provision in line with global and continental commitments

II. The institutionalisation of a data collection and information generation protocol, including defining modalities and or systems for:

  • Situation assessments to both:
  • capture, analyse and store the data gathered and the information generated;
  • the periodic reporting cycle.

III. Strengthening capacity at the Member States and other relevant levels to operationalise the monitoring and reporting mechanism;
IV. data gathering and reporting format and
V. information sharing and dissemination approach

Situation assessments will be a key component of the overall framework for monitoring the outcomes of the utilisation of the ASPGs by Member States. They will be useful to:

  1. establish individual Member States’ baseline conditions prior to interventions to strengthen the policy environment utilising the ASPGs; and,
  2. collect information at regular periodic intervals for use in monitoring changes in the policy environment over time;

Currently, two tools exist for conducting assessments of the sanitation policy environment prior to ASPG utilisation. They are namely:

  1. the African Sanitation Policy Assessment Tool (ASPAT); and
  2. the Policy Monitoring and Assessment Tool (PMAT).

Against this background, AMCOW seeks to engage the services of a consultant to reconcile the ASPAT and PMAT tools.

Objectives of the Consultancy:
The overarching objective of the consultancy is to reconcile the African Sanitation Policy Assessment Tool (ASPAT) and Policy Monitoring and Assessment Tool (PMAT) into one comprehensive tool for conducting situation assessments of the sanitation and hygiene policy environment. In the context of this assessment, the policy environment includes policy documents, governance arrangements for sanitation and hygiene; regulatory frameworks; institutional arrangements; as well as sector funding mechanisms.
Specific objectives: The specific objectives of the consultancy are to:
i. harmonise terminologies,
ii. identify and address gaps for comprehensive situation assessments that are not covered by the two tools when considered together;
iii. remove redundancies and or repetitions in the information that can be collected using the tools; and,
iv. develop recommendations for a suitable name for the reconciled tool.
Overall, the intent is to improve accuracy and consistency at the stage of data collection and reporting resulting from using the tool.

Scope of Work:
The scope of work for this consultancy entails the following:
• Desk review: a desk review of policy documents will be conducted. Below is an inexhaustive list of documents for review:

  • African Sanitation Policy Guidelines (ASPG)
  • African Sanitation Policy Assessment Tool (ASPAT)
  • Policy Monitoring and Assessment Tool (PMAT)
  • AMCOW 2018 – 2030 Strategy
  • AMCOW Strategic Operational Plan 2022 – 2024
    • Tools Reconciliation: This involves the reconciliation of the ASPAT and PMAT assessment tools to form a single tool that covers the specific objectives in (2) above.

The table below summarizes the expected tasks and deliverables for this assignment

Tasks/MilestoneDeliverables/Outputs
Virtual inception meeting on the scope of work, clarifications on the assignmentDevelopment of a work plan for the consultancy
Desk review of relevant documents in 3 aboveDesk review of relevant documents conducted
Reconciliation of the ASPAT and the PMAT and related documents into a single toolA draft situation assessment tool presented
Virtual consultation with governments on the draft toolConsultation meetings with governments and key stakeholders conducted
Virtual validation meeting among key stakeholdersSituation assessment tool validated
Finalization of the situation assessment toolReconciled tool finalised
Production of assignment reportFinal report produced

Terms of Payment

 Payments will be associated with outputs upon satisfactory delivery of expected results.

Reporting and Task Management

AMCOW will manage this assignment with a direct reporting line to the Policy Officer for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (POWASH), who will be responsible for final approvals of deliverables.

Duration of Assignment

The successful applicant should be available to commence on 20 May 2023. Bearing in mind that progress on the reconciled tool will be presented at the AMCOW Executive Committee meeting on June 12 2023.

Education, Required Skills and Experience of the Consultant.

The following minimum qualifications and experience are required to successfully deliver on this assignment:

  • Advanced University degree in social sciences, environment, public policy, and sanitation-related subjects.
  • Minimum of 10 years experience in policy-related matters in water resources management, sanitation, and hygiene
  • Familiarity with the ASPGs would greatly contribute to this assignment’s success.
  • Knowledge of policy development and revision process in Africa and globally
  • Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation, including experience in developing a situation assessment tool, would be required to attain success in this assignment.
  • Excellent analytical, communication, and report-writing skills in English are desired.
  • Submission of Proposals

Interested parties – both individuals and firms – that meet the criteria above are invited to submit proposals (maximum of 15 pages as a single attachment) providing the details below:

  1. An expression of interest and technical capability statement;
  2. Details of the proposed approach, methodology and activity scheduling;
  3. A summary of relevant experience – over the last 5 years – of developing situation assessment tools in both private sector and inter-governmental organisational contexts. Please use the table below for each of the relevant assignments. Contact information of the respective clients should be provided for each of the relevant assignments listed.
Assignment name:  Approx. value of the contract:  
Countries:  Duration of assignment:  
Name of client and contact details:  Total no. of staff months of the assignment:  
Address:  Approx. value of the services provided by your firm/you under the contract:  
Start date:   Completion date:  No. of professional staff-months provided by associated consultants:  
Name of associated consultants, if any:Name of the senior professional staff of your firm involved and functions performed: Eg. XXXX YYYYY, Team Leader, hydrologist, hydraulic conditions ZZZZ AAAA, Water Economist BBBB CCCCC, Financial Modeller
Narrative description of the project: (please provide summaries of the background, approach and methods used, and outputs/recommendations)    
Description of actual services provided by your staff/you within the assignment:  
  • the applicant’s resume – for individual consultants – or resumes of the key staff of the bidding firm highlighting relevant expertise;
  • a financial proposal containing time and cost estimate for delivery of the above-described deliverables, including a break-down to level of effort and expenses.
  • links to samples of the bidder’s written work/deliverables from previous assignments.

9.  How to apply

Interested candidates who meet the required qualifications and experience are invited to submit a formal proposal and resume no later than 10th May 2023.

The application should be addressed and emailed to:

The Executive Secretary

African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW)

No. 11, T.Y. Danjuma Street, Asokoro District

Abuja, Nigeria.

Email: info@amcow-online.org The same e-mail address can be used to request additional information and or clarifications.

Akwa ibom lake
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Request For Proposals: Development of a  5-Year Business Plan

  1. Background

The African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) is an intergovernmental institution formed in 2002 in Abuja, Nigeria. The vision of AMCOW is an Africa where there is an equitable and sustainable use and management of water resources for poverty alleviation, socio-economic development, regional cooperation and the environment. AMCOW’s mission is to provide political leadership, policy direction and advocacy in the provision, use and management of water resources for sustainable social and economic development and maintenance of African ecosystems. The Organs and structures of AMCOW serve as the working group on Water and Sanitation of the African Union’s Specialized Technical Committee (STC) of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (ARBE).

Over the past 5 years, AMCOW Secretariat has gone through a number of institutional reforms to improve its operational and governance arrangements to deliver on its mandate effectively. The overall objective is to provide a high-level platform to push the water agenda forward at the continental, regional and country levels. Ultimately, the aspiration is for Member States to ensure effective and sustainable management of water resources for all purposes to address both poverty reduction and social development goals.

2. Rationale

A key outcome of the institutional development support to date has been the establishment of broadly inclusive participatory mechanisms – coordinated by the AMCOW Secretariat – for informing decision-making. Information generated from the Africa Water and Sanitation Sector (WASSMO) system is used to inform continental policy initiatives to coordinate and technically facilitate the water sector in Africa.

On the continuum of institutional growth, the focus has now shifted to assuring both the short-term funding stability and the long-term financial security of AMCOW.

Numerous political commitments notwithstanding, the water sector – in general – and AMCOW as an institution – are faced with a chronic challenge of incommensurate funding. The Sharm-el-Sheikh Declaration takes it on with commitments on:

  • increasing domestic allocations to the sector;
  • developing appropriate financial instruments and investment plans for funding the water and sanitation sector; and,
  • mobilising funding support from development partners.

In the N’Gor Declaration, a commitment is made of having established sanitation and hygiene budget lines of a minimum of 0.5% of national GDP by 2020.

For the majority of AMCOW’s Member States, action on these commitments has not matched the enormity of the task of ensuring water security. By extension, statutory contributions to the core budget of AMCOW are insufficient to meet a key stipulation of the AMCOW Governance Framework on funding AMCOW initiatives.

To fund AMCOW activities, the Secretariat is mandated to receive and manage Member States’ contributions, as well as such sources as shall be established by the Executive Secretary. These sources include contributions from the private sector; and funding, technical and implementing partners. The AMCOW Governance Framework, thus, stipulates that the core functions of the Secretariat shall be financed by the Member States themselves to demonstrate commitment and ownership.

As such, strengthening the Secretariat’s capacity to mobilise resources towards implementation of AMCOW’s core functions has implications for the institution’s funding model. The Secretariat’s ability to attract partner investments into AMCOW activities is linked to the ability to demonstrate financial commitment to AMCOW’s core functions.

Hence the ongoing activities to formulate and implement a business plan to set the strategic direction and inject new approaches into AMCOW’s resources mobilisation efforts.

Objectives of the Assignment

Against the background of the foregoing, technical services are sought to prepare an impact oriented AMCOW Business Plan to support implementation of the AMCOW Strategy 2018 – 2030. A key immediate output from the plan will be to put in place measures – including revenue generation – to provide financial stability at the Secretariat.

A key requirement is to concisely articulate strategies – grounded in private sector business acumen – to assure both the short-term funding stability and the long-term financial security of AMCOW.

Scope of Work

Under the overral  guidance of the Executive Secretary and direct supervision of the  Director of Corporate Services, the consultant will be responsible to:

  • Conduct detailed consultation on AMCOW programmes and other potential revenue generating products and services, such as Conferences etc, with the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), Management, Staff and key partners/stakeholders.
  • Conduct a market analysis and risk assessment, and study the critical sustainability factors for similar entities, including operational gaps, funding loopholes, competitiveness and viability;
  • Conduct a thorough review of AMCOW’s governance, management and operational structure, systems and policies to inform the development of a sound and efficient business model and plan;
  • Conduct validation sessions to discuss and review the draft Business Plan before it is finalized. This should include proposed products and services; governance, operational and financial management structures, including any tax implications; branding and communication strategies and cost estimates/budget.

Deliverables

A 5-year Business Plan that fully responds to the objectives of the assignment as detailed in Section 2 above. It will include, but not be limited to:

  1. clearly defined operational strategies, governance and management structures;
  2. details of the key tasks and responsibilities of each actor;
  3. a financial and operational plan;
  4. cost estimates/budgets of recommended actions, including tax implications;
  5. a risk mitigation/management plan, as well as,
  6. a plan for measuring performance and impact.

Duration of the Assignment

The assignment is expected to take approximately 30 input days spread over a period of 3 calendar months.

Qualification and Experience

Demonstrated experience in undertaking similar assignments within Intergovernmental mandated institutions such as the AU, Regional Economic Commissions, River and Lake Basin Organisations and the UN and Not-for-Profit Organisations such as NGOs and Civil Societies within the last ten (10) years.

At least a Master’s degree or equivalent in business administration, strategic Management, development studies, Economics or related fields;

Familiarity and strong understanding of the water and sanitation sector in Africa

Strong research and analytical skills, communication (oral and written), interpersonal and facilitation skills.

Ability to work remotely with a multi-disciplinary team

Good leadership and organisational skills.

Language capabilities to function in both English and French is an added advantage.

Submission of Proposals

Interested parties – both individuals and firms – that meet the criteria above are invited to submit proposals (maximum of 15 pages as a single attachment) providing the details below:

  1. an expression of interest and technical capability statement;
  2. details of the proposed approach, methodology and activity scheduling;
  3. a summary of relevant experience – over the last 5 years – of preparing business plans in both private sector and inter-governmental organisational contexts. Please use the table below for each of the relevant assignments. Contact information of the respective clients should be provided for each of the relevant assignments listed.
Assignment name:  Approx. value of the contract:  
Countries:  Duration of assignment:  
Name of client and contact details:  Total no. of staff-months of the assignment:  
Address:  Approx. value of the services provided by your firm/you under the contract:  
Start date:   Completion date:  No. of professional staff-months provided by associated consultants:  
Name of associated consultants, if any:Name of senior professional staff of your firm involved and functions performed: Eg. XXXX YYYYY, Team Leader, hydrologist, hydraulic conditions ZZZZ AAAA, Water Economist BBBB CCCCC, Financial Modeller
Narrative description of project: (please provide summaries of the background, approach and methods used, and outputs/recommendations)    
Description of actual services provided by your staff/you within the assignment:  
  • the aplicant’s resume – for individual consultants – or resumes of the key staff of the bidding firm highlighting relevant expertise;
  • a financial proposal containing time and cost estimate for delivery of the above-described deliverables, including a break-down to level of effort and expenses.
  • links to samples of the bidder’s written work/deliverables from previous assignments
  • How to apply

Interested candidates who meet the required qualifications and experience are invited to submit a formal proposal and resume not later than 8th May 2023.

The application should be addressed and email to:

The Executive Secretary

African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW)

No. 11, T.Y. Danjuma Street, Asokoro District

Abuja, Nigeria.

Email: info@amcow-online.org

The same e-mail address can be used for requests for additional information and or clarifications.

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Request for Proposal: Independent Mid-term Evaluation of the AMCOW Strategic Operational Plan (SOP) 2020 – 2024

Publication Date: 17th March 2023

Background

The African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) is an autonomous African intergovernmental body formed in 2002 to provide a coordinating platform for water policy dialogue on the African continent and promote sustainable management and development of the continent’s water resources with a focus on expanding access to water supply and sanitation services in Africa. AMCOW serves as a delivery mechanism on water and sanitation to the Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment (ARDWE) of the African Union Commission.

To achieve its mission, AMCOW developed a twelve-year  Strategic Plan (SP) 2018-2030 to guide its activities and initiatives. The development of the SP 2018-2030 was a collaborative effort involving AMCOW’s Executive Committee, staff, and various stakeholders. The process involved a comprehensive review of AMCOW’s past performance, analysis of the current water sector landscape in Africa, and consultations with relevant partners.

The SP articulates the high-level vision, mission, core values and overarching priorities of the Organization. It outlines a set of long-term goals and strategic objectives with a 2030 horizon as well as identifies areas of focus for the 2020-2024 financial period. The Operating Plan 2020-2024 translates the strategy into specific actions by defining outputs to be delivered (i.e. lower-level results) and annual milestones to be achieved. It also lists planned activities, indicates the resources available, and outlines performance indicators intended to measure progress in achieving the strategic objectives over the next 5 years. Building on the framework of strategic and cross-cutting priorities and actions laid out in the Strategy, the SOP articulates AMCOW’s values and theory of change that shape the organisation’s approach to its mission to “Provide political leadership, policy direction and advocacy in the provision, use and management of water resources for sustainable social and economic development and maintenance of African ecosystems”. Given the significant investments made in developing and implementing the SOP 2020-2024, AMCOW is committed to monitoring and evaluating its implementation to ensure its relevance and effectiveness in achieving its strategic objectives. As such, AMCOW is seeking to engage the services of a team of experienced and professional independent evaluator or company to undertake a mid-term evaluation (MTE) of the implementation of the SOP 2020-2024.

Rationale for the mid-term review

This mid-term review fulfils the AMCOW Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy for the purpose of learning and reflecting on the delivery of AMCOW’s work priorities. The evaluation will provide a critical assessment of progress and recommendations for enhancing AMCOW’s effectiveness in the remaining years of the SOP as well as the next five-year planning period.

Evaluation objective

The objectives of this mid-term evaluation are to:

  • evaluate the relevance and coherence of both the SOP 2020-2024 and the triennial Work Programme 2022-24 vis-à-vis achieving the goals of the AMCOW Strategy 2018 – 2030;
  • benchmark achievements to-date and the rate of progress against the expected results and outcomes of implementing SOP 2020-2024, taking into consideration the updates to the plan as contained in the Triennial Work Programme 2022-2024.
  • analyse the challenges faced and draw lessons to enhance organisational developmental learning.
  • develop recommendations to assure:

o   efficiency of implementation going forward; and

o   alignment of planned activities for the period 2023 – 2024 with both the expected SOP outcomes and emerging urgent water and sanitation sector needs at Member States’ level.

 Evaluation findings will be used by the Secretariat and stakeholders to understand what, if anything, needs to be approached differently to assure the eventual attainment of the AMCOW Strategy 2018-2030. The evaluation is also expected to document lessons and good practices to inform the approaches for the period 2023-2024 and beyond.

Evaluation approach and key questions

The evaluation should be conducted in the context of criteria and approaches for international development assistance as established by the OECD/DAC Evaluation Quality Standard (the relevance, effectiveness, coherence, sustainability, and impact) of the AMCOW Strategic Operational Plan (SOP). The MTE will include an evaluation matrix with evaluation questions, qualitative and quantitative indicators and data collection techniques designed to be gender sensitive and maximize participation.

Relevance:

·        To what extent does the SOP 2020-2024 respond to the goals of the AMCOW Strategy 2018-2030?

·        To what extent are the outcomes of the SOP 2020-2024 addressing the African water vision and the sustainable development water agenda?

·        What emerging issues in the water sector in Africa need to be taken into consideration vis-à-vis the relevance of the AMCOW Strategy 2018-2030 and the SOP 2020-2024 to achieve water and sanitation goals in Africa.

Effectiveness:

·        What partnerships have been mobilised to support the implementation of the SOP 2020-2024?

·        What resources mobilisation mechanisms have been developed to assure attainment of the expected outcomes of the SOP 2020-2024?

Efficiency:

·        To what extent has the SOP 2020-2024 been implemented as planned and achieving the expected results

Sustainability: 

·        What mechanisms are being put in place to assure continuity of the outcomes and impacts of the SOP 2020-2024 in the long-term

·        To what extent do the Member States identify with the continental policy initiatives being implemented within the framework of the SOP 2020-2024

 Coherence:

·        In the course of implementing the SOP 2020-2024, what are the emerging areas of potential redundancy, duplication, overlaps and or gaps vis-à-vis ongoing efforts to achieve the goals of the water and sanitation sector in Africa? It is recognised that the pursuit of the Africa water vision is supported mandated institutions including the AUC, AfDB, UNECA, and RECs/R/LBOs, all of which have got ongoing water programmes.

 Impact:

·        What monitoring and evaluation mechanisms are in place to track the attainment of results, outcomes and the impact of the SOP 2020-2024.

The evaluation will use these questions as a guide to assess the implementation of the SOP 2020-2024 and provide recommendations for improvement or additional .

The evaluator/evaluation team will be expected to develop a more detailed evaluation methodology at the inception phase. The aim is to explain how the various criteria will be addressed using a mixed and triangulation methodology, to increase the validity and rigor of the evaluation findings. The AMCOW Secretariat and relevant stakeholders are available for consultation during the data collection and reporting phases. 

AMCOW Secretariat adheres to the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) evaluation norms and standards as well as to the OECD/DAC Evaluation Quality Standards. The evaluation is an independent evaluation, and the final methodology and evaluation questions will be determined by the consultant in consultation with AMCOW Secretariat. A virtual workshop will be organized toward the end of the evaluation, with participation from the respective stakeholders and AMCOW Secretariat Staff. This will provide the opportunity to present the preliminary findings, invite the participants to validate them and fill in any data gaps. Compilations of a draft evaluation report will follow thereafter.

The draft will be subject to a methodological review and upon the necessary adjustments, it will be circulated among the key stakeholders.

The key deliverables of the evaluation are:

  • An inception report that clearly outlines the evaluation approach and tools to be used. The inception report must also include an evaluation matrix which includes the methodology to be used, indicators, evaluation questions and detailed work plan.
  • A draft evaluation report in English. The draft of the report will be presented to AMCOW for comments and inputs, after which the evaluator will finalize the report and submit the final evaluation report to AMCOW Secretariat.
  • A final evaluation report that reflects comments/feedback from stakeholders consolidated by the AMCOW team as well as annexes, including electronic copies of raw data, copies of the data collection tool, the list of staff and stakeholders interviewed, or organizations included in surveys.
  • Report submission shall be followed by a briefing session to present findings and recommendations.

A two-page evaluation brief in English language.

The evaluation fee is all-inclusive and should take approximately 30 effective working days spread over a period of 2 calendar months from April to June 2023. The financial proposal should include the evaluator’s daily rate and a breakdown of the number of days for each of the tasks planned under the methodology. If travel becomes possible, all costs related to flights, hotel accommodation, trip to AMCOW Secretariat and any other cost associated with a field evaluation should be indicated as a separate item. Disbursement of the evaluation consultancy fees will be paid upon satisfactory submission and approval by AMCOW Secretariat.

Application procedure:

Qualified interested candidates or teams should submit their proposal (maximum 10 pages excluding CVs), including:

  • Detailed CVs
  • Technical offer describing in detail the approach and methodologies for the assignment.
  • Financial offer (budget) including estimated working days for above-mentioned deliverables and daily rate.
  • A recent evaluation report example.
  • A list of previous evaluations that are relevant to the context and subject matter of this assignment, indicating the role played by the consultant(s) applying (they can be highlighted in the CV)
  • A statement confirming their availability to conduct this assignment in the period stated, and the daily professional fee expressed in US dollars (being a home-based assignment no other extra cost will be considered)
  • Two references of clients (mails and phone to be potentially contacted).

Women are encouraged to apply.

Qualification and eligibility:

The evaluator or evaluation team are expected to have the following minimum qualifications and experience:

  • Minimum master’s degree in social research and/or evaluation methods, social science, Development studies, or similar disciplines.
  • Minimum of 10 years of experience in evaluating development programmes, Institutions or initiatives including Theory of change approach on evaluation programming, and Results Based Management.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of Africa intergovernmental organisation and familiarity with the Water and Sanitation sector
  • A good working knowledge of qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques quantitative data analysis techniques and report writing.
  • Knowledge of AMCOW roles and mandate is an asset.
  • Strong conceptual, analytical, and communicational abilities.
  • Demonstrated ability to deliver quality assignments under tight timeframes and managing an evaluation remotely.

This application is open to all individuals / companies. In the case of a company, you are expected to provide the following:

  • Profile

References list, a copy catalogue of previous related work done will be an added advantage.

Assessment of proposal:

The proposal will be assessed considering the following criteria:

  1. Team leader and/or team member: 50%
  • Qualifications required in the ToRs
  • Samples of previous work
  1. Proposed methodology and approach: 30%
  • Overall concord between the ToR requirements and proposal
  • Detailed proposal with main tasks, including sound methodology to achieve key outputs
  • Proposal presents a realistic implementation timeline

3. Financial proposal (honorarium): 20%.

Interested candidates who meet the required qualifications and experience are invited to submit a formal proposal and resume not later than 14th April 2023. The application should be addressed and email to:

The Executive Secretary 

African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) 

No. 11, T.Y. Danjuma Street, Asokoro District 

Abuja, Nigeria. 

Email: info@amcow-online.org    

You may want to download a copy of the RFP in the link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9rys9yqfjkliyof90a0i7/RFP_SOP_MTR_Rmb_inputs_revised-17-02-2023.docx?dl=0&rlkey=y44mgzwa7j2mh92dy91avukrg   

Archives

REQUEST FOR QUOTATION: RAISED FLOOR AND FM200 FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM

Duration of the assignment: 2 weeks
Publish date: 24th January 2023

1.0    BACKGROUND 

The African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) is an intergovernmental institution formed in 2002 in Abuja, Nigeria. The vision of AMCOW is an Africa where there is an equitable and sustainable use and management of water resources for poverty alleviation, socio-economic development, regional cooperation, and the environment. AMCOW’s mission is to provide political leadership, policy direction and advocacy in the provision, use and management of water resources for sustainable social and economic development and maintenance of African ecosystems. The Organs and structures of AMCOW serve as the working group on Water and Sanitation of the African Union’s Specialized Technical Committee (STC) of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (ARBE). For more information, refer to: http://www.amcow-online.org/

AMCOW has recently signed up Grant Agreements with USAID and BMGF for, among other things, institutional support. AMCOW wishes to apply some of the proceeds of these Grants to upgrade its server room which hosts the Pan-African Water and Sanitation Sector Monitoring and Reporting System (WASSMO) and AMCOW’s Enterprise Resource Planning System Servers.

Against this background, AMCOW invites interested consultants to provide financial and technical proposals for the installation of the FM200 fire suppression system and Raised floor in its Server Room.

2.0      OBJECTIVE OF THE CONSULTANCY

This consultancy aims to improve the server room’s standard at the AMCOW Secretariat and implement systems that protect crucial equipment from fire outbreaks and floods.

3.0      SCOPE OF WORK

Install the Raised floor using a Cementitious access panel (600×600 x 40mm) with skating material. The server room is approximately 14ft x 9ft. The raised floor should be 1.7ft above the ground.

Installation of complete FM200 Fire Suppression system with 32 kg cylinder and gas.

Interested Consultants are to prepare a technical and financial proposal for this activity. The technical proposal should demonstrate a detailed understanding of the subject matter and clearly state the materials and quantities used. The financial proposal should state the payment terms.

4.0      DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The duration of this assignment is 2weeks. Consultant would be required to work weekends too to reduce the impact of downtime.

5.0      QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

A minimum of 5 years experience setting up data centres and server rooms, deploying Raised floors and FM200 fire suppression systems are required. Consultants are to submit verifiable evidence of previous similar work done.

6.0      SUBMISSION OF TECHNICAL & FINANCIAL PROPOSALS

Interested consultants must submit their technical and financial proposals before 7th February 2023. All proposals should be sent via email and addressed to the Executive Secretary.

The Executive Secretary

African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW)

No 11, T.Y Danjuma Street, Asokoro

Abuja

         info@amcow-online.org

The same e-mail address can be used to request additional information or clarifications. Interested consultants may visit the Secretariat for more information to aid the proposals.

Archives

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI) EVENT MANAGEMENT FIRM TO DELIVER THE 7th AFRICASAN CONFERENCE

Details

1.0.        ABOUT THE AFRICAN MINISTERS’COUNCIL ON WATER

The African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) is an intergovernmental institution formed in 2002 in Abuja, Nigeria. AMCOW’s structure and organs serve as the working group on water and sanitation for the Specialized Technical Committee (STC) of the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment (ARWE) of the African Union (AU). Our mission is to provide political leadership, policy direction and advocacy in the provision, use and management of water resources for sustainable social and economic development and maintenance of African ecosystems. For more information, visit https://amcow-online.org/  

2.0.        BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The AfricaSan Conference is convened by the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) in conjunction with the African Union Commission and organized with other development partners. It represents a political commitment at the highest level. The conference draws at least 1,000 participants from governments, regional institutions, international partners, the private sector, the scientific community, civil society, and the media from all over the world. The AfricaSan Conference offers a platform for stakeholders in Africa’s sanitation and hygiene services delivery to collectively share lessons and formulate solutions to the sector’s challenges.

 Held biennially, the AfricaSan Conference has been institutionalized as one of AMCOW’s flagship platforms to accelerate the achievement of sanitation and hygiene goals in Africa. The other is the Africa Water Week. The two knowledge-sharing and accountability platforms are within the framework of motivating action to achieve the targets of the Ngor commitments, the SDGs; the Africa Water Vision 2025; and related goals of Africa’s Agenda 2063.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

AfricaSan Conference

The 7th AfricaSan conference is scheduled to take place on 12 – 16 June 2023 under the auspices of the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) in conjunction with the African Union Commission and supported by several partners. The overall aim of the conference is to

facilitate dialogue and sharing of knowledge and enhance the path towards achieving Sanitation and hygiene targets in Africa.

Specific objectives of the conference

The specific objective of the conference is to contribute to the overall goal:

  • To accelerate action to ensure adequate and equitable, safely managed sanitation and hygiene service provision for all, including women and girls and eliminate open defecation by 2030.

The conference is structured based on the following components:

  • Online registration and payment platform
  • Mobile application for dynamic event management
  • Registration Management
  • Protocol and reception
  • Transportation management (vehicles)
  • Accommodation
  • Ceremonies management (Opening, closing, awards, evening eve of conference networking and gala dinner)
  • Room and accessory management
  • Simultaneous translation system (equipment and translators)
  • Management of technical and tourist visits
  • Secretariat management
  • Paramedics services
  • Media management and journalists
  • Exhibition
  • Communications
  • Management of consumer events
  • Financial and accounting management

The conference target is tentatively planned to include the following:

Conference streamEight conference streams consisting of plenaries, country dialogue, sector dialogue, thematic sessions, ministerial dialogue, side events, exhibition, and field trip
Thematic sessionsAround 50 – 70 thematic sessions are to be organized over the conference period
Exhibition areaAround 50 exhibition points
Expected participants500 – 1000.
RoomsTen (10) rooms for sessions, secretariat, bilateral, paramedics,

To this end, expressions of Interest (EOIs) are invited from professional Events Management Firms of international repute to support AMCOW and the Local Organising Committee in the delivery of the AfricaSan7 conference.

2.1. Objectives of the Expression of Interest

This EOI aims to identify a plan to provide the best overall value to the 7th AfricaSan Conference. While price is a significant factor, more so now than in the past, other criteria will form the basis of the final decision.

Specifically, the selected firm will build on the achievements of AfricaSan5 in Cape Town, South Africa, to:

  • increase the AfricaSan Conference’s footprint and visibility;
  • develop and grow the conference exhibition component;
  • introduce an accountability element in the Conference’s overall format; and,
  • facilitate an increased amount of networking and relationship cultivation amongst actors in the sanitation and hygiene sector.

The Event Management firm will be responsible for delivering the entire conference, whose scope includes but is not limited to designing, branding, and overall event management.

2.2      Specific tasks for this assignment include:

2.2.1. Design and organise all streams of the conference:

  • Effectively plan and manage the arrangements of plenary sessions, country dialogue, sector dialogue, thematic sessions, ministerial dialogue, side events, exhibitions, award segments and field trips.
  • Participate in meetings as part of the preparatory process for the conference. This will include but not be limited to AITF meetings.
  • Engage support staff to ensure accurate timing of session transitions as well as provide general assistance during the conference period.
  • Attract sponsorship, exhibitors and continental and global participants to the conference
  • Contribute to the development and review of contents before upload as at and when necessary.

2.2.2. Information Technology (IT) Related services

  • Provide a portal for abstract collection and evaluation
  • Create and manage the conference website and app.
  • Provision and management of a seamless registration portal.
  • Provision of name tags with barcode scanners.
  • Establish a secretariat to manage all IT-related activities, including collation of presentations, ensuring rich and constant internet connectivity, provision of monitors, sound systems, etc
  • Rooms must be equipped for simultaneous interpretation in English and French.

2.2.3     Securing and managing the venue and accommodation

  • Secure conference venue. Ensure venue proximity to suitable accommodation, airport, and tourism sites.
  •  Ensure the conference facility has a hall suited for 1000 people, about seven (7) rooms that can accomodate100 – 200 people for parallel sessions, three (3) smaller rooms for secretariat services, meetings, and convenience facilities with walkways for tea/coffee dispensers
  • Ensure conference and meeting rooms are arranged before and after every session.
  • Arrange security and safety measures for a successful event.
  • Brand conference rooms and premises with information signs to aid identification and navigation within the conference vicinity and airports.

2.2.4      Hotel and restaurant:

  • The hotel/accommodation category must vary from 3 to 5 stars with preferential rates.
  • Recommended hotels must be listed on the conference website with pre-arranged pickups and drop-offs to and from hotels and conference venues.

2.2.5. Conference souvenirs:

  • Provide branded souvenirs for all registered delegates
  • Gift items should include branded note pads, pens, bags and other items fit for an event of such magnitude.

2.2.6. Exhibition Area

  • The conference venue should accommodate an exhibition area of 2000 M2 which will run in parallel with the main conference activities.
  • Water, coffee, and tea must be organized within the exhibition area throughout the conference period.

2.2.7. Communication and marketing

  • Provide a Communication Plan
  • Distribute a daily newsletter of event updates
  • Ensuring Communication for the general public

2.2.8.    Welcoming participants

  • Have access to the participants’ flight plan
  • Greeting new arrivals at the Airport
  • Integrate the delivery of a “Welcome kit” (including a refreshment) to arrivals (luggage area of the airport)
  • Organize the Airport/Hotel Transfer via shuttle to be handled by the hotel.
  • Ensure the transfer of participants to their different hotels

2.2.9.    Health management

  • Ensuring the COVID-19 system
  • Ensure the health system throughout the event
  • Ensure the relationship with selected hospitals
  • Provide the list of pharmacies/health centres in the vicinity (hotels & conference venue)
  • Set up a PCR test centre on the Conference site for the duration of the conference, especially near departures.

2.2.10. Catering services

  • Provisioning tickets on electronic badges of all participants, including exhibitors
  • Establish a list of surrounding restaurants and shopping malls  
  • Arrange a meal for technical field visits
  • Provide two tea breaks and lunch during the conference. Water and coffee must be available at the strategic location within the event premises.

2.2.11.  Printing services:

  • Management of all conference-related printing in line with AMCOW’s in-house style and brand guidelines.

Applications for this assignment close on 23 January 2023.