The purpose of the Western Kenya Water Program (WKWP) is to increase the availability of, and access to, water services in Western Kenya, while enabling better management of water resources. The GOK’s goals for devolution and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals will drive our implementation of the Program, and we will thus focus on enabling county-wide approaches, supported by accessible models, tools, and data necessary for water security. We will employ an efficient and collaborative approach that makes best use of the natural, human, and financial resources available in Kenya across the public and private sectors.

From the Program Description in the Request for Application (RFA), we have identified the following three goals for the Western Kenya Water Program:

• To increase the ability of selected county governments and service providers to deliver good quality, reliable, and safe water services to urban, peri-urban, and rural populations.
• To strengthen the systems within which providers operate—including governance, financing, and WRM—building a foundation for continued, sustained improvements in country water services.
• To support sector inclusivity, by helping to create channels for increased participated and meaningful engagement of the private sector, women and youth.

Objectives of the assignment

The Grants Manager will play a pivotal role in managing and implementing the Solution Fund guided by the WKWP work plan. The Grants Manager will oversee the design and management of the grants funds including the In-Kind Grants with Repayments program and the Solution Fund to cost-share activities with the private sector. S/he will be responsible for adherence to the project’s Field Operations Manual (FOM), USAID regulations, contract requirements and limitations, grant policies, procedures, controls, and reporting systems. The individual will proactively coordinate with all staff on planning and implementing grants through open communication, proactive market research, and price analysis.

Tasks & Responsibilities

Management

• Responsible for providing training, guidance, and direction to project grants staff on planning, implementation, and compliance of grant policies, procedures, and instructions.
• Use the FOM to ensure that policies, procedures, and/or practices are being met.
• Responsible for ensuring documentation requirements are met with various departments i.e. technical, grants, and finance.
• Supervises Grants Team.

Planning and Implementation

• Oversees grants management in coordination with the Grants Team.
• With guidance from the Finance and Operations Lead, develops and implements the use of the WKWP grants manual.
• Participates in work planning and activity planning to align the grants program with overall project activities.
• Leads the development of timeline and details required for any activities needing grants; conduct market search and price analysis in coordination with technical staff.
• Coordinates with staff requesting grants to prepare Request for Applications (RFAs) to solicit applications and assess the capacity and readiness of potential grantees.
• Manages the evaluation and selection committee process for grantees.
• Prepares the required approvals to ensure compliance with internal and external contract and policy requirements.
• Prepares grant agreements and amendments, explaining terms, conditions, roles, and responsibilities. Ensures that identified weaknesses in initial grantee assessments and related requirements are incorporated into the agreements explicitly/clearly with the required monitoring and actions on the part of the grantee.
• Organizes kickoff meetings and apprises grantees of the responsibilities, requirements and policies and procedures to be followed during the life of the grant.
• Ensures post award grant management in accordance with relevant regulations and generates reports of status of grant activities, such as forecasting payment, inventory, amendments, close outs, and sector specific data (i.e. monthly and quarterly reporting).
• Coordinates with Finance and Technical Teams to ensure on-time deliverables, payments, and cash flow requests by monitoring milestones and payment schedules.

Compliance

• Provides training, guidance, and direction to project staff on planning, implementation, and compliance of grants policies, procedures, and instructions, specifically their role in the process.
• Reviews grants for completeness and appropriateness with the work plan.
• Ensures all required documentation is uploaded in the grants database TAMIS.
• Reviews grant milestones and requests for payments against grant agreements to ensure compliance.
• Trains on and enforces policies and procedures to prevent improprieties, intentional and unintentional.
• Leads the audit of grant files no less than annually.
• Other tasks as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; degree in business or related field preferred.
• At least 8 years of professional experience, including increasingly responsible grants experience, preferably with international donor-funded organization.
• Familiarity with USAID rules and regulations required.
• Previous experience with DAI policies, procedures, and systems (TAMIS) preferred.
• Ability to solve complex technical, managerial, or operational problems and evaluation options based on relevant information.
• Strong communication skills - both written and oral – in English and Kiswahili

The Western Kenya Water Project (WKWP) is a 5-year USAID funded project whose purpose is to increase the availability of, and access to, water services in Western Kenya, while enabling better management of water resources. The GOK’s goals for devolution and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals will drive our implementation of the Program, and we will thus focus on enabling county-wide approaches, supported by accessible models, tools, and data necessary for water security. We will employ an efficient and collaborative approach that makes best use of the natural, human, and financial resources available in Kenya across the public and private sectors. The project will work across eight counties in Western Kenya—Bungoma, Busia, Homa Bay, Kakamega, Kisii, Kisumu, Migori, and Siaya within the Lake Victoria North and South Basins.

The Western Kenya Water Project has the following three goals:

• To increase the ability of selected county governments and service providers to deliver good quality, reliable, and safe water services to urban, peri-urban, and rural populations.
• To strengthen the systems within which providers operate—including governance, financing, and WRM—building a foundation for continued, sustained improvements in country water services.
• To support sector inclusivity, by helping to create channels for increased participation and meaningful engagement of the private sector, women and youth.

Objectives of the Assignment

The Rural Water Specialist will be responsible for implementing rural water service improvements in collaboration with County government and stakeholders, and in coordination with other WKWP component teams.

3. Tasks & Responsibilities

• Identify, adapt, and support implementation of Service Delivery Models (SDMs) including design and implementation of capacity building and technical assistance to support corporate governance, business planning, revenue improvement strategies, customer service, NRW and water quality management.
• Support development of a suite of 4–6 SDMs aligned to rural typologies, with associated guidance and learning for the use of other sector stakeholders.
• With WASREB and county government, increase regulation in the rural sector including through licensing, contracting and County oversight
• Facilitate county and service provider co-investment in last-mile measures
• Support identification of strategic rural water infrastructure for increased access, last-mile improvements.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen Water monitoring and evaluation in target rural communities
• Provide regular and timely inputs into quarterly, and annual reports, as well as annual work plan to the Water Services Lead
• Other tasks as required by supervisor.

 Qualifications and Experience

• 7+ years of experience working in rural water-related programs, preferably donor-funded.
• Good understanding of the technical and governance issues related to rural service provision issues in Western Kenya.
• Knowledge of WASREB and Government of Kenya guidelines and objectives for rural service delivery.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field required; Master’s degree in a related area preferred.
• English language written competence and verbal fluency.

Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent analytical skills and the ability to summarize information in a clear and concise manner.
• Training skills to build the capacity of partner institutions such as subcontractor partners, government institutions, WSPs, etc.
• Ability to work independently to efficiently meet deadlines.
• Oral and written communication skills to effectively communicate with other staff, county government officials and the local communities.

Project Background

The Western Kenya Water Project (WKWP) is a 5-year USAID funded project whose purpose is to increase the availability of, and access to, water services in Western Kenya, while enabling better management of water resources. The GOK’s goals for devolution and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals will drive our implementation of the Program, and we will thus focus on enabling county-wide approaches, supported by accessible models, tools, and data necessary for water security. We will employ an efficient and collaborative approach that makes best use of the natural, human, and financial resources available in Kenya across the public and private sectors. The project will work across eight counties in Western Kenya—Bungoma, Busia, Homa Bay, Kakamega, Kisii, Kisumu, Migori, and Siaya within the Lake Victoria North and South Basins.

The Western Kenya Water Project has the following three goals:

• To increase the ability of selected county governments and service providers to deliver good quality, reliable, and safe water services to urban, peri-urban, and rural populations.
• To strengthen the systems within which providers operate—including governance, financing, and WRM—building a foundation for continued, sustained improvements in country water services.
• To support sector inclusivity, by helping to create channels for increased participated and meaningful engagement of the private sector, women and youth.

Objectives of the Assignment

The WASH Financing and Private Sector Partnerships Specialist will support the Financing and PSP Lead in implementing three iterative financing strategies: concentrating on core activities that improve the financial viability of urban and rural service providers;maximizing access to, and effective use of, available sources of finance, including county, WSTF, and available streams of commercial funding; and helping to identify and develop new funding sources, including through the private sector, for both water services and water resource investments.

Tasks & Responsibilities

As part of an integrated WKWP Team, s/he will support a county-led development process. The specific responsibilities, include:

• Help stabilize finances and improve creditworthiness of utilities and enterprises through a process of rapid financial analysis, prioritized interventions, and an emphasis on the better development and use of data for decision-making
• Assist in the goal to facilitate county governments, WSPs, and enterprises to tap into existing financing, including the WSTF, through county-specific financing strategies – including for last-mile services – working in close collaboration with Component 5
• Help to develop alternative sources of financing and expand private sector opportunities including through catalytic use of donor finance, improvements in supply-side lending, fostering private sector interest, and operationalization of the Water Act and PPP law at local levels.
• Contribute to, and participate in, work-planning, co-creation, project reporting, events, and learning activities

Qualifications and Experience

• At least 7 years of experience providing technical assistance and capacity building to improve private sector performance or mobilize finance in the WASH sector.
• Bachelors in related field required; Advanced degree in business, management, economics, finance, or other field related to the financing of basic services is preferred.
• Strong interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills are highly desired.

Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent analytical skills and the ability to summarize information in a clear and concise manner.
• Training skills to build the capacity of partner institutions such as subcontractor partners, government institutions, WSPs, etc.
• Ability to work independently to efficiently meet deadlines.
• Oral and written communication skills to effectively communicate with other staff, county government officials and the local communities.

Objectives of the Assignment

The Governance/Urban Water Specialist will support the development of the enabling environment for expanding water supply and sanitation services through capacity building of water institutions, county governments, and other local stakeholders and enhance their relations with all external stakeholders. He or she will engage with county governments to increase their ownership responsibility through policy and budgeting.

Tasks & Responsibilities

• Introduce new approaches to support improvements in operational efficiency of WSPs including through network mapping, metering, customer identification, and development of Performance Improvement Plans to align with WASREB metrics.
• Work with county governments and utilities to develop disaster risk management (DRM) and water safety plans
• Enhance compliance of utilities with water quality key performance indicators
• Work with WASREB to build the capacity of the shareholders, boards of directors, and senior management of targeted water utilities
• Strengthen collaboration and coordination mechanisms for actors at the national and county levels. Familiarity with Government of Kenya structures and reporting systems will be desirable.
• Stimulate increased budgetary allocations by counties
• Undertake citizen engagement to enhance transparency and accountability
• Support county governments to develop/review and adopt relevant water laws, policies, and guidelines
• Support county governments to adopt the Water Governance Training Handbook for CECMs and county assemblies.
• Co-create with the regulator and targeted county governments an incentive-based regulation mechanism for water services.
• Other tasks as may be required by supervisor.

Qualifications and Experience

• 7+ years of experience working in water-related programs.
• Familiarity with county stakeholders in the water sector.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field required; Master’s degree in a related area preferred.
• Experience in working on urban water supply program implementation.
• Knowledge and experience working on Kenyan water supply issues including governance and inclusion.
• English language written and verbal fluency.

Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent analytical skills and the ability to summarize information in a clear and concise manner.
• Training skills to build the capacity of partner institutions such as subcontractor partners, government institutions, WSPs, etc.
• Ability to work independently to efficiently meet deadlines.
• Oral and written communication skills to effectively communicate with other staff, county government officials and the local communities.