National Technical Advisor

Location

Field based position is 50-60% office-based in Antananarivo and 50-40%field-based, where living & working conditions are more basic.

Starting Date & Initial Contract Details

June 2024. Full time, 7 months (potentially renewable).

Role Overview

The National Technical Advisor provides strategic orientation, support, monitoring, review and evaluation of some aspects of the MDG programme. He/ she plays a key role in strategic thinking and programme implementation, helping the Sr management in securing funding and enhancing its stability (target: $500k-$1m per year), which includes advice to the PFM on potential donors and partnerships, and technical support to proposal writing, project implementation and reporting, also improving its quality. The Technical Advisor brings a solid contribution for better impact for beneficiaries through improved quality and exit strategies – more sustainable and in partnership with private actors – analyses of medium and long-term sustainability of Medair realisations of the last 3 years and make suggestions on how to restore/ revalorise failures could be envisaged.

Project Overview

In Madagascar, Medair implements DRR/ EWS, CVA, WASH and Shelter* (with the increasingly frequent use of the Cash Voucher Assistance modality), currently in the South and South-East of Madagascar, as a key stakeholder in emergency response in the country, partnering with different donors like UNICEF, SDC, IOM, Start Network, AFD, DRA, and working in close collaborations with numerous INGOs and local organisations. *Nutrition‐Health projects were run until June 2023 and new ones may be runned in a near future.

Our Culture

Key Activity Areas

Strategy Development – Assist the Sr Management and the PFM in: 

• Developing sectoral strategies, including an agreed vision, the training of technical capacity in our staff, adjusting the ways of working and the processes to be evidence based.
• Analysing of institutional humanitarian donor policy and practice, trends (strategies, geographical and thematic priorities) and funding opportunities.
• Developing proposals to attract climate adaptation funding that could be implemented under a DRR focus, while giving specific technical support on narrative and review of beneficiary costs.
• Identifying partners for potential consortiums, developing partnerships, and coordinating with partners to agree content of new funding proposals.
• Contributing to higher quality final reports to donors.

Innovation & project improvement

• Suggest & lead innovations and project design improvements that will enhance project quality, value-for-money, reach and sustainability.
• Run site visits for technical oversight of activities, advice and follow-up.
• Overview the writing of technical manuals such as the MDG137 Marolinta water-system user manual for handover to private company, in collaboration with the respective Project Manager (PM)

Humanitarian Coordination

• Share with the PFM the participation to forums of coordination where general and technical information is shared, including Humanitarian Advisory Group (HAG, weekly), national clusters and working groups (monthly) in WASH, Shelter, Health, Nutrition & Cash Assistance; other work groups as needed and relevant for instance: Humanitarian Response Plan, Workshops on humanitarian system in Madagascar, Nexus humanitarian – development Ministries in charge, such as WASH Ministry(MEAH), Ministry of Meteorology and Transport, BNGRC…

Programme and Quality Management 

• Work with the CD, DCD, and GSO Advisors to develop and implement a relevant and sustainable country strategy that is in line with the main priorities of national documents such as the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) developed by OCHA.
• Regularly assess and provide feedback, recommendations, corrective measures and training where needed to increase the quality of our interventions.
• Make sure that institutional donor requirements are met, and action relevant advice from GSO regarding project quality, strategy and technical guidelines.
• Financial Management
• Review proposal project budgets before submission, in collaboration with the relevant Project Manager(s), Project Coordinator(s) and Sector Advisors and in accordance with donor guidelines.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning

• Ensure the development and adoption of key indicators and quality benchmarks for sectors that helps each project to improve quality of reporting, clearly articulate progress and impact of projects, identify issues for advocacy and input for new programmes/projects in the future.
• Ensure active dissemination of programme findings and lessons learned through the production of high technical quality lessons learned documents and their effective dissemination to key stakeholders.

Communication 

• Help the Sr management and PFM in checking and improving communication material content.
• Develop and maintain a transparent, honest and supportive communication structure with colleagues to ensure they are kept informed of programme related activities and requirements, and positive relationships with programme stakeholders, representing Medair and ensuring good co-operation and partnerships.
• Insure that all information is well classified for use by the rest of the team. Relevant information should be easy to find, and relevant people should be aware of issuing of new information.

Matrix Management

• Be involved in the recruitment of technical staff for all sectors of the country programme (including WASH, ERT, DRR – EW and preparedness, CVA, SHE & Infrastructures), providing advice on technical skills and experience.
• Ensure that all WASH and Infrastructure staff are adequately trained and, if necessary, create possibilities for capacity building, mentoring and coaching, within budget constraints. Plan and develop training material.
• Support line managers in inductions and appraisals of project staff, particularly on technical skills.

Delegated authority 

• During a field emergency response, the holder of the position can be delegated to represent Medair towards external stakeholders or donors by the Head of Emergency Response or the Emergency Response Team Leader

Team Spiritual Life

• Reflect the values of Medair with team members, local staff, beneficiaries, and external contacts.
• Work, live, and pray together in our Christian faith- based team settings. Fully contribute to the rich spiritual life of your team, including team devotions, prayer, and words of encouragement.
• Encouraged to join and contribute to Medair’s international prayer network.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical field, preferably in civil engineering, architecture or construction management, with knowledge of appropriate construction materials/ methods for WASH and/ or SHE-Infrastructure
• Excellent English (spoken & written) and strong working knowledge of French

What is the ROC and why is it required?

Experience

• Relevant post-qualification professional experience in a management position in at least one of our sectors of intervention such as WASH, DRM-DRR, or SHE-Infrastructure
• 3-year humanitarian experience of 3 years in one of the above sectors (design, construction, evaluation).
• Strong commitment to capacity building of technical staff and partners with participatory approaches.
• Very good knowledge and understanding of the donor network for the SAIO region. problem solving ability; excellent communicator; good numerical and report writing skills; commitment to best practice
• Requires global HN Advisory technical level knowledge in line with Sphere, CHS and WHO and Medair donor standards (Echo, BHA)
• Requires servant leadership, self-motivation, diligence, good communication, and problem solving