Job title: Senior Programme Officer/ Drin Riparian Coordinator
Reports to: Project Manager and, ultimately to the Deputy Regional Coordinator/ Theme Leader on Transboundary water resources management, WEFE Nexus, and Environment
Duty station: Tirana, Albania /place of residence, with international travel
Contract duration: One year, renewable
Occupation: Full time engagement
Type of Contract: Service Contract (of freelance type e.g. through personal company)
- Scope of the position:
Reflecting priorities of the GWP Strategy 2026-2030, thematic agendas addressed by the Global Water Partnership-Mediterranean (GWP-Med) include, but are not limited to:
- Water solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals, including
- Water Governance & Financing
- Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems Nexus
- Source-to-Sea, including IWRM/integrated Coastal Zone Management
- Technical Water Solutions (including Non-Conventional Water Resources Management)
- Water-Employment-Migration
- Climate Resilience through Water
- Transboundary Water Cooperation
Furthermore, GWP-Med addresses three across-themes areas:
- Engaging private sector;
- Contributing to gender equality;
- Mobilizing youth for water security.
GWP-Med is seeking to recruit a Officer/ Drin Riparian Coordinator (SPO) that will contribute to meeting objectives and outcomes of the GEF supported project implemented by UNDP and executed by GWP-Med, entitled “Implementing the Strategic Action Programme of the Drin Basin to Strengthen Transboundary Cooperation and Enable Integrated Natural Resources Management” (Drin Project; Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia), and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) supported Project executed by GWPO and implemented by the GWP-Med, entitled “Building Technical and Institutional Capacity in the Water Sector in Montenegro to Facilitate Inclusive Climate Resilience Initiatives (MNE GCF Water Readiness project)”.
Projects Description:
The Drin project aims at providing the populations of the Drin basin with improved water security, health conditions, more stable livelihoods, enhance resilience to climatic change and variability while promoting gender equality. To do so, the project will support and accelerate the implementation of the Strategic Action Programme developed during the foundational IW project and endorsed by the Drin Riparians at ministerial level on April 24, 2020. The SAP actions that the project will support include the development of technical tools; the filling of gaps in the understanding of the Drin Basin ecosystems functioning; the establishment of effective transboundary cooperation mechanisms among Drin Riparians and socio-economic sectors and the development of critical transboundary policy instruments; the promotion of sustainable water use to ensure ecosystem functioning and resilience. In addition to the transboundary cooperation mechanisms to be established, the project will enable the enhancement of long-term sustainability of achievements through the implementation of mechanisms for stakeholder’s participation, gender mainstreaming, dissemination, coordination and monitoring of progress and trends.
The project responds to the aims and objectives of the Drin Coordinated Action, that is the framework set by the Drin Riparians for the implementation of the Drin Memorandum of Understanding (Tirana, 25 November 2011). Within this institutional context, the Drin Riparians requested the project to: develop a Drin River Basin Management Plan, and initiate actions for the establishment of a sustainable joint coordination body in the form of the current institutional arrangement or an evolved one – a Drin Commission – that may be the result of the successful negotiation and signing of an international agreement for the management of the Drin Basin.
The GCF MNE Water readiness project aims to strengthen Montenegro’s capacity to respond to climate change within the water sector, specifically focusing on the Adriatic watershed. The initiative seeks to enhance the understanding and response capabilities of public and private actors while developing a pipeline of adaptation-focused investment opportunities. To do so, the project will support the creation of a Climate-Resilient Water Investment Plan and at least one GCF Concept Note to translate national priorities into bankable projects. The actions supported by the project include the establishment of a Water and Climate Resilience Working Group integrated with the National Designated Authority to ensure inclusive stakeholder engagement and cross-sectoral alignment.
In addition to the institutional frameworks, the project will enable the long-term dissemination of best practices through the creation of an online knowledge-sharing platform. This platform will serve as a centralized hub for lessons learned and technical tools, helping stakeholders apply climate resilience strategies to future efforts. The project responds to the urgent need for climate adaptation in Montenegro’s water management, working to establish sustainable coordination mechanisms and technical instruments that will secure the sector’s resilience against climatic variability.
The SPO will manage the day-to-day Drin project operations in Albania and provide technical input for the implementation of the project in the Drin Riparians, and will support the Project Manager (PM) or undertake as appropriate, the coordination of the work of the international and riparian level consultants engaged for project implementation. The SPO will ensure effective communication with the authorities of the Drin Riparian that is based at.
Further, the SPO will ensure that gender considerations are mainstreamed into all aspects of the two projects.
- Duties and responsibilities
The SPO will have the following specific duties:
Management (for the Drin Project)
- Day-to-day management of activities predominately in Albania but also in other Drin Riparians as per Project needs, contributing to the achievement of the Project’s outcomes and outputs.
- Assist/contribute as necessary in line with their level of responsibility the PM in the following tasks:
- Catalyze the adaptive management of the project by actively monitoring progress towards achievement of project outputs and outcomes vis-a-vis the agreed progress indicators, watch for plan deviations and make course corrections when needed within project board-agreed tolerances to achieve results.
- Ensure in meeting the financial delivery targets set out in the approved project annual work plans and contribute to the reporting on project funds and related record keeping.
- Monitor and manage the project risks -including social and environmental risks- initially identified and submit newly identified risks to the Project Board for consideration and decision on possible actions if required; update the status of these risks by maintaining the project risks log.
- Monitor implementation plans including the stakeholder engagement plan, and any environmental and social management plans.
- Ensure close cooperation/coordination and good working relations with institutions, organizations and developmental partners in Albania for implementing the Project. Serve as a project liaison to authorities, Drin Riparian-level civil society organizations, and other Drin Riparian-level stakeholders.
- Provide advice regarding stakeholders to the PM.
- Support the preparation of project work-plans as well as the operational and financial planning processes including project budget revisions as required by the needs of the project implementation.
- Ensure that Drin Riparian project activities/the activities that the SPO is responsible for are implemented according to the agreed project workplan.
- Provide inputs to narrative and financial reports (work progress and budgets) as agreed with the PM.
- Support the PM in the preparation for/organization and follow-up of the project board meetings.
- Contribute to administrative processes for the recruitment and procurement of quality services and equipment.
- Collect and report national information on co-financing to the Project Board.
- Prepare agendas and arrange field visits, appointments and meetings both internal and external related to the project activities and prepare minutes from the meetings.
- Co-ordinate all project-related travel and accommodation in the respective Drin Riparian of responsibility.
- Assist in logistical organization of meetings, training and workshops.
- Ensure the proper day-to-day functioning of -an eventual- PMU office that is based at, by advertising riparian level and international procurement related to the Project, with support of the financial officer in GWP; supervising the provision and acquisition of all necessary supplies and services including maintenance contracts, office supplies and communications; arranging for customs clearance if required. The SPOs shall be responsible for the proper running and upkeep of the PMU hardware including the computers, copiers, etc. Maintain records over project equipment inventory.
- Monitor the implementation of project activities and assist the PM in monitoring budgets and financial expenditures and prepare draft budget revisions and working budgets.
- Advise all project counterparts on applicable administrative procedures and ensure their proper implementation.
- Assist all PMU staff and international and riparian level experts in Albania with personnel matters relevant to the performance of official duties.
- Ensure coordination with the Project Partners towards successful implementation of the Project activities.
- Cooperate with the Finance/Administration and Communications Team of GWP, including by providing input/feedback related to her/his work agenda.
- Perform other duties as required.
Technical Input (for the Drin Project)
- Coordinate and provide technical input -directly within her/his technical expertise- for the implementation and documentation of project activities, including demonstration activities implemented, in a way that it is ensured that objectives are met, and envisaged outcomes and outputs are delivered as described in the Project Document and the activities’ ToR. In this regard the SPO will among others collect and synthesize background information and draft technical reports and parts of studies.
- Coordinate activities in Albania, towards the development and signing of the international agreement for the management of the Drin Basin. In this regard work and coordinate with the Project Team to enable the success of negotiations among the Drin Riparians.
- Ensure -in cooperation with and using advice by the PM- that the outputs are of the highest possible quality.
- Coordinate and facilitate, for the activities the SPO coordinates, inputs of authorities, partner organizations, scientific and research institutes, subcontractors, and riparian level and international experts in a timely and effective manner.
- Contribute to the recruitment / mobilization of qualified riparian level and international external experts and organizations as needed to provide specific consultancy services; in this regard contribute to defining the technical responsibilities and deliverables expected from riparian level and international consultants and service providers and to elaborate them in comprehensive Terms of Reference.
- Provide oversight and guidance to international consultants recruited to support specific areas of project implementation.
- Ensure, for the activities she/he coordinates, that riparian level and international consultants prepare adequate work plans, prepare their deliverables in accordance with the ToR.
- Prepare reports for the respective activities as requested by the PC/CTA.
- Assist the PM in the review of reports of riparian level and international consultants.
- Provide technical input to maintain and develop the project website.
- Prepare inputs regarding ‘lessons’ in the GEF Experience Notes format or for IW:LEARN as directed by the PM.
- Contribute to the work of the Communications and Knowledge Management Officer as necessary.
Gender mainstreaming related work (for both Projects)
- Develop and periodically review a gender framework, including Gender Analyses and a Gender Action Plan for the MNE GCF Water Readiness project, revising corresponding management plans as required.
- Monitor implementation of the Drin project Gender Action Plan.
- Oversee/develop/coordinate implementation of all gender-related work and provide gender and social inclusion support across all project’s outputs.
- Contribute to the promotion of gender equality by reaching out to, involving and benefiting both women and men in project activities (gender mainstreaming) ensuring gender disaggregated data are available.
- Establish formal and informal partnerships -such as a Gender Community of Practice (CoP)- to support a Gender Equality Agenda in transboundary cooperation and integrated natural resources management, aligned with the Stakeholder Engagement Strategy.
- Review key documents (e.g., reports, surveys, strategies, plans, and legal instruments) and support Project Managers in reviewing reports from riparian and international consultants through a gender lens, to ensure gender mainstreaming across all project interventions at riparian and local levels.
- Assist with the development and/or adaptation of gender training materials for project stakeholders. Design and assist with training for project staff on gender equity and women’s meaningful participation in project activities.
- Encourage awareness and promotion of gender equality among project staff and partners.
- Competencies:
Corporate competencies
- Able to coordinate well with diverse individuals and teams and to negotiate effectively with colleagues and stakeholders to achieve results.
- Applies principles of ethics, integrity, transparency and non-discrimination and follows the organisation’s ethos.
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability. Treats all people fairly without favouritism.
- Fulfils all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.
- Committed to the Vision and Mission of GWP.
Functional competencies
- Strong technical and managerial skills for substantive project implementation. Strong analytical, writing, reporting and presenting abilities.
- Strong interpersonal skills, communication skills, ability to manage staff. Demonstrated diplomatic and negotiating skills.
- Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback.
- Ability to work under pressure and stressful situations.
- Qualifications:
Required
- University degree in water resources, natural resources management, environmental studies, ecology, geology, social/political science, or other relevant fields of study.
- Minimum 5 years of experience in project management related to international or bilateral projects with relevance to water, climate change and environmental issues
- Minimum 5 years of working experience in a transboundary context/project.
- Minimum 1 year of experience of gender assessment and mainstreaming in projects related to environmental / public sector initiatives.
- Excellent analytical, writing, advocacy, presentation, and communications skills.
- Ability to support the work of multidisciplinary groups of experts.
- Good communication, problem solving and planning skills.
- Strong computer skills, in particular mastery of all applications of the MS Office package and internet search.
- Fluency in English (oral and written) and Albanian.
