COWASH IV Consultancy Service for WASH Saving and Loan Association Specialist 74 views

The Community-led Accelerated WASH Project, Phase IV (COWASH IV) is a bi-lateral project financed by the Governments of Ethiopia and Finland. The project is supporting the Ethiopian WASH sector in eight regions covering 104 woredas using the Community Managed Project (CMP) approach. COWASH IV runs from 01 April 2021 to 30 September 2025. NIRAS Finland Oy who is providing technical assistance services for the project is seeking a consultancy service for WASH Saving and Loan Association Specialist to join the Federal Technical Assistance Team for the remainder of the project. The WASH Saving and Loan Association will have a total of input of 252 days over 15 months of period.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop a deep understanding of the project context and the objectives of WASH SLA establishment;
• Prepare a work plan to conduct the WASH SLA establishment training to RSUs, woreda experts and kebele health extension workers, including the training materials development and reporting;
• Provide WASH SLA training to selected participants in project woredas using the adult training facilitation methodology;
• Provide continuous technical support to established WASH SLAs and experts who are closely supporting the groups;
• Closely follow-up and ensure that established WASH SLAs conduct regular saving meetings, have developed workable bylaws, provided credit to members and properly managed their loan funds.
• Closely follow-up and ensure that established WASH SLAs record savings, dispersed loans and any financial transactions are properly managed;
• Support and facilitate linkage with sanitation technology suppliers such as MBS centers for toilet slab purchases;
• Technically support and facilitate linkage with financial institutions to access financial services to the extent necessary;
• Support and work closely with health extension workers to use the platform of the WASH SLA meetings to promote good sanitation and hygiene practices;
• Technically support and work with RSUs and woreda government experts, such as cooperative offices, to upgrade WASH SLAs to WASH SACCOs.
• Produce reports, capture lessons, knowledge or challenges and share with the FTAT and the RSUs to document and distribute to project woredas;
• Work closely with the FTAT Communication and Dissemination Specialist to develop case stories to showcase the approach and successes;
• Critically identify challenges that affect the WASH SLA and suggest operational and technological solutions.

Place of the assignment:

• Based in the Ministry of Water and Energy, Addis Ababa with frequent travel to the regions.

Education and Language Capability:

• Master’s degree in a relevant field
• Fluency in English with excellent writing skills.

Experience and Skills:

• Have significant knowledge and experience in rural development and financial access creation to rural community;
• Demonstrated experience in Village Saving and Loan Association establishment and coaching and mentoring established saving groups in different regional contexts;
• Have an established relationship with a wide range of financial service providers;
• The consultant should have extensive experience in training facilitation, collaborative work with a range of stakeholders and supporting small scale saving and lending methodologies;
• Hands-on experience in supporting VSLAs (WASH SLA) in terms of recording, bylaw development and conducting saving and loan meetings;
• Experience in upgrading VSLA to Saving and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs);
• Work experience in the WASH sector is preferred;
• Good reporting and writing skills;