Plan TL - Rural Water Supply Engineer

Posted by Kim Axworthy to Plan Timor Leste, 5th March 2010, 4:05pm
Location: Timor Leste
Applications close 5th April 2010

Download the application form here (Word doc 131kB)

Description

Plan Timor Leste aims to achieve lasting improvements in the quality of life of deprived children in developing countries, through a process that unites people across cultures and adds meaning and value to their lives. Plan TL does this through empowering young people and promoting unity among peoples of different cultures and countries.  They have worked in Timor-L’este since 2001 in the districts of Dili, Aileu and Lautern.

Under one of their six programs, the Water and Environmental Sanitation (WES) Program, Plan TL works with four local partner NGO’s: Fraterna, Bia Hula, HTL and NTF. Plan TL and their partners have provided clean water and sanitation to 8,500 people living in poor rural communities over the past two years, and improved community knowledge on hygiene to thousands more. They aim to make these changes sustainable and community-owned through encouragement of “Community Led Total Sanitation.”

Plan TL has requested an EWB volunteer to reinforce their partners’ technical skills in the WES Program.  This would include improving the partners’ capacity to undertake technical surveys, hydraulic analysis and quality construction works. They would work with all local NGOs in one district in partnership with Plan TL’s WES Adviser in charge of the program’s implementation.  By developing an understanding of the Government of Timor-Leste’s policies, the volunteer would provide recommendations on ways Plan TL’s WES program can be better aligned to the national approach. The EWB volunteer would be field based, in Aileu Kota, the district capital at an altitude of approx 1100m. Aileu is about 90 minutes south of Dili.

Support from the EWB Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Hub will be available. 
This role would be suited to engineers experienced in the planning, analysis and/or design, of water supply systems, and with the ability to communicate, teach and work effectively in a remote setting.

Key Activities         

• Assess the technical capacity of Plan TL’s partners and establish a capacity development plan with each partner
• Organise theoretical and practical training to field partners and Plan TL staff as applicable, with the aim of the partners becoming capable to design a small scale water supply system of suitable (Government) standard
• Identify opportunities to pilot new technologies in selected communities and make plans to run pilot technologies
• Attend WES Program Team meetings at the district level, in the view to assess the need for and support the creation of technical forums
• Support the Plan TL WES Program Team to develop technical packages and monitoring milestone in relation to the Government of TL’s policies

 
 

Timing

The role consists of three important phases beginning June 2010, including a 11-month field secondment commencing in August 2010.

 Phase 1: Pre-departure – June 2010

• Pre-departure preparation (medical, training, administrative)
• Linking with EWB project team (Australia-based) if required for the project
• Linking with a local EWB chapter (enhancing your resources and sharing experience with members)

Phase 2: Field operations – 2010 (start date August 2010)

• Departure to host country and partner organization
• Orientation with support from existing EWB Field Officer and established EWB field volunteers in the area; introductions to Plan team
• Coordinate development of rural water supplies in conjunction with NGO staff capacity development

Phase 3: Post field alumni – 2011

• Return to Australia to collaborate with South East Asia management team and with and EWB chapter for a minimum period of 12 months
• Participate in various EWB events including the National Conference
• Participate in the development and dissemination of ‘Learning & Change’ materials within the EWB community
• Mentor future field volunteer preparing to work with South East Asian partner organisations

Applications

Please complete the volunteer application form and attach a statement addressing how you meet the selection criteria. We cannot assess applications that do not address the selection criteria.

Applications close on Monday 5th April 2010.

Please complete and return applications to Kim Axworthy, South East Asia Program Coordinator by email: k.axworthy@ewb.org.au

Or to EWB’s Perth office:
Engineers Without Borders Australia
c/o Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics
The University of Western Australia
35 Stirling Highway, M015
Crawley, Western Australia, 6009

Please DO NOT attach CVs, references or any other documentation.

For more information contact Kim Axworthy;
Email: k.axworthy@ewb.org.au
Ph: +61 8 6488 8039
 

Criteria

Essential

• Bachelor in Civil Engineering
• Experience in site construction of reinforced concrete works
• Experience in working in somewhat remote settings within developing countries, with a sensitivity to other cultures
• Desire to work closely with local staff
• A positive, enthusiastic, can-do attitude
• Good problem solving techniques and initiative
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Self motivated and well organized, able to work independently with remote supervision

Desirable

• Site experience and experience with pipe fittings
• Experience working with international and/or local NGOs and CBO in water supply and sanitation
• Bahasa Indonesian or Tetum language knowledge, or an ability to learn foreign languages
• Experience working in a foreign country, and more particularly familiarity with the Timor Leste context
• Motorbike license

Personal Attributes

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Commitment to teamwork and capacity building techniques
• Ability to cope with cultural and professional isolation and possibly basic living conditions
• Patience, tolerance and flexibility
• Excellent health; physically and mentally capable of working in a new cultural setting in a potentially stressful environment

 

Additional information

Allowances:

• Volunteers will receive an allowance for living and basic accommodation.
• Volunteers will be provided with airfares at the commencement and completion of the placement, plus basic travel insurance and emergency evacuation insurance.

Confirmation of secondment is subject to:

• Formal approval from EWB and the partner organisation.
• Procurement of visa and work permits.
• Satisfactory completion of a first aid certificate.
• Satisfactory participation in a pre-departure briefing run by EWB in July 2010
• A satisfactory medical examination for the applicant.
• A satisfactory criminal record check by the Australian Police for the applicant and all accompanying adults.

 
EWB adheres to statutory laws in Australia and foreign countries regarding child exploitation, child pornography and the abuse of children. We are committed to the protection of all children from all forms of harm.

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