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ICA Specialist Level 2 (KEOC/GEF Volta River project)

The Water Resources Expert will work in close association with the TDA Coordinator, as well as the other core team members, in developing an approach to the assignment. They will contribute to the identification of further studies, which need to be performed to address gaps in the preliminary TDA as well as developing a structured approach to gaining the input of other stakeholders in the basin. They will also be responsible for providing input to the TDA on the freshwater water resources in the Volta Basin – surface as well as groundwater, as appropriate (Application Deadline: 30 June 2009).

Background

The “Addressing Transboundary Concerns in the Volta River Basin and its downstream coastal areas” Project is a joint initiative of the Governments of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali and Togo. The project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and executed by the United Nations Office for Project Support (UNOPS). The project, which has been designed to facilitate the integrated management, sustainable development and protection of natural resources of the Volta River Basin, plans to achieve its objectives by addressing priority regional transboundary issues and problems as identified through a preliminary transboundary diagnostic analysis (TDA) for the basin conducted in 2002. The project is expected to promote a more sectorally-coordinated management approach, based on Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) principles, both at the national and the regional levels, with a strong emphasis on an expanded role for all stakeholders. The long-term goal of the project is to enhance the ability of the countries to plan and manage the Volta basin within their territories and its aquatic resources and ecosystems on a sustainable basis. The project has three main components with associated objectives identified by the root cause analysis carried out during the project preparation process and updated during the inception phase as follows:

  • Specific Objective n° 1: Build capacity, improve knowledge and enhance stakeholders involvement to support the effective management of the VRB
  • Specific Objective n° 2: Develop river basin legal, regulatory and institutional frameworks and management instruments for addressing transboundary concerns in the Volta River Basin and its downstream coastal area
  • Specific Objective n° 3: Demonstrate national and regional measures to combat transboundary environmental degradation in the Volta Basin

Duties and Responsibilities

The principal activities to be performed by the Water Resources Expert include:
  • In collaboration with the other TDA core team members assess the gap analysis of the preliminary TDA and contribute to the preparation of a workplan for activities needed to address identified gaps, related to water resources, in each basin state.
  • For each of the basin states, data and information on water resources management need to be developed. The Water Resources Expert will provide input to the TDA Coordinator to prepare a detailed overview of the skills needed in consultancy teams within each of the basin states to address the above area.
  • In collaboration with country teams gather data and information of areas related to water resources identified in the Gap Analysis, including hydrogeology, hydraulic models, river flows, water resources infrastructure, sediment transport and responses to global change.
  • Assess the quality of and assist in editing and integrating the national studies related to water resources.
  • Participate in a number of regional stakeholder workshops to reach agreement on major perceived problems and issues (MPPIs) as well as to identify their root causes through performing a causal chain analysis.
  • Contribute to the preparation of the first draft TDA, taking responsibility for water resources aspects of the basin.
  • Integrate comments and inputs from external technical reviewers and relevant stakeholder, gathered at the respective national and regional workshops, into a final TDA.
  • Provide input from the TDA into the Strategic Action Programme development as necessary.

Qualifications

The consultant should have the following qualifications and experiences:
  • Considerable experience in TDA/SAP development,
  • A higher university degree in water resources management, hydrology, hydraulic modelling or other directly related physical science field,
  • Extensive, with at least 10 years of proven experience in working with and relating to governments and international agencies,
  • Sound understanding of Integrated Ecosystem Management, International River Basin Management, Integrated Water Resources Management, Groundwater Management, Hydraulic modelling principles and approaches,
  • Demonstrated experience in working with a multi-disciplinary scientific team,
  • Excellent and demonstrated (through academic journal articles or project reports) communication, consultation, editing and drafting skills,
  • Working experience and production of documents in English. French language skills are an asset,
  • Knowledge of transboundary issues in the Volta Region is an asset.

Application Deadline

30 June 2009

Qualified candidates may submit their application, including a letter of interest, methodology, complete Curriculum Vitae and an updated United Nations Personal History Form (P.11) English Version or French Version, via e-mail to angelikaq@unops.org with copy to vacancieskeoc@unops.org. Kindly indicate the vacancy number and the post title in the subject line when applying by email.

To read the full Terms of Reference, visit http://www.unops.org/_layouts/scripts/GetVAFile.aspx?id=3588

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