Expertise: irrigation, water resources management, coordination
Expertise Group: Agriculture/Rural Development
Consultant Source: National
TOR Keywords: irrigation, water resources management, coordination
Objective and Purpose of the Assignment
The Cambodia Resilient River Basin Masterplan (CRRBM) is supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB)
through technical assistance to the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology (MOWRAM). The initiative
is intended to support long-term water security, climate resilience, and integrated river basin
management in Cambodia.
The first phase of the CRRBM focuses on the Tonle Sap River Basin Group. It will support the preparation
of river basin management and investment plans, as well as capacity development for river basin planning
and management at national and provincial levels. The updated CRRBM terms of reference identify two main
areas of work: preparation of Tonle Sap River Basin Group Management and Investment Plans, and River
Basin Planning and Management Capacity Development.
The CRRBM is expected to provide a consistent and replicable approach to river basin planning,
strengthen national and provincial river basin management arrangements, and support the identification
and prioritization of climate-resilient water resources investments. It will also need to coordinate
closely with other ongoing and planned initiatives, including IWRMP, ACP4Climate, World Bank-supported
activities, AFD-supported work, K-Water initiatives, and other relevant programs. ADB’s mission
documentation highlights the need to avoid duplication, strengthen complementarity, and ensure coherence
among multiple river basin and water resources planning initiatives.
To support the effective implementation of the CRRBM, the River Basin Planning Coordinator will provide
strategic coordination, stakeholder engagement, institutional communication, partnership coordination,
and public communication support to MOWRAM leadership and relevant technical teams, particularly in
relation to coordination among government agencies, development partners, civil society organizations,
and related river basin planning initiatives.
Objective/Purpose of the Assignment:
The River Basin Planning Coordinator will provide strategic coordination, stakeholder engagement,
institutional communication, and partnership support to MOWRAM leadership in the implementation of the
CRRBM. The Coordinator will support strategic coordination, institutional communication, leadership
engagement, and development partner collaboration across government agencies, development partners,
technical teams, and related initiatives to help ensure that CRRBM implementation remains aligned with
Cambodia’s broader water resources planning priorities and institutional processes.
The position is intended to strengthen institutional coordination, stakeholder engagement, strategic
communication, and development partner alignment related to the CRRBM, while supporting timely decision-
making, improved coordination efficiency, and effective implementation of river basin planning
activities.
Scope of Work
The River Basin Planning Coordinator is expected to undertake the following responsibilities and related
tasks, among others, in support of MOWRAM leadership, institutional coordination, stakeholder
engagement, and the effective implementation of the CRRBM.
Detailed Tasks and/or Expected Output
Strategic coordination and program alignment
• Support strategic coordination among MOWRAM, ADB, PMU, the CRRBM consultant firm, relevant government
agencies, development partners, and other stakeholders involved in river basin planning and related
initiatives.
• Promote alignment and complementarity between CRRBM and related initiatives, including IWRMP,
ACP4Climate, World Bank-supported activities, AFD-supported work, K-Water initiatives, and relevant MRC-
related processes.
• Support efforts to strengthen institutional coherence, information sharing, and coordination across
ongoing and planned water resources planning and investment initiatives.
• Facilitate follow-up on key coordination priorities, institutional inputs, and agreed actions arising
from CRRBM-related discussions, consultations, and stakeholder engagement processes.
• Identify coordination risks, institutional bottlenecks, stakeholder engagement challenges, and
opportunities for improved collaboration, and provide recommendations for follow-up actions.
• Work closely with the Senior River Basin Planning Expert to support alignment between technical review
processes, stakeholder engagement, institutional communication, and strategic coordination efforts.
Stakeholder engagement and partnership lead
• Lead and support stakeholder engagement and communication among government agencies, development
partners, civil society organizations, technical institutions, provincial actors, and other stakeholders
relevant to the CRRBM.
• Lead and facilitate the organization of national workshops, technical consultations, policy dialogues,
coordination meetings, and stakeholder engagement platforms related to river basin planning and
management.
• Support timely communication, engagement, and coordination with relevant stakeholders to ensure that
government agencies, development partners, civil society organizations, and technical institutions are
appropriately informed, briefed, and engaged throughout the implementation of the CRRBM.
• Maintain constructive coordination and communication with development partners and institutions
supporting related water resources planning, governance, and climate resilience initiatives.
• Support institutional outreach and engagement efforts aimed at strengthening understanding, ownership,
alignment, and coordination around CRRBM objectives, processes, and related initiatives.
• Contribute to the identification and management of stakeholder coordination issues, engagement gaps,
and opportunities for strengthened collaboration and partnership.
Leadership, institutional and public communication support, and strategic briefing
• Prepare briefing notes, issue summaries, talking points, coordination updates, and other strategic
communication materials to support MOWRAM leadership.
• Support efforts to ensure that MOWRAM leadership and relevant government agencies are appropriately
briefed on key coordination, institutional, stakeholder engagement, and strategic issues arising from
the CRRBM.
• Assist in consolidating institutional inputs, stakeholder feedback, and coordination updates from
relevant agencies, development partners, and stakeholders.
• Support communication and follow-up related to meetings, consultations, technical discussions,
workshops, and coordination processes involving the CRRBM.
• Prepare meeting summaries, coordination notes, action points, and institutional follow-up records
related to CRRBM implementation.
• Support MOWRAM leadership in communicating key messages, coordination efforts, stakeholder engagement
outcomes, and relevant CRRBM-related processes to relevant audiences and the public where appropriate,
in line with MOWRAM guidance and communication protocols.
• Support preparation of presentations, coordination dashboards, consultation materials, and online
engagement documentation where required.
• Support institutional communication and dissemination of key CRRBM coordination outcomes in accordance
with MOWRAM communication protocols.
Knowledge management, institutional learning, and strategic support
• Support documentation of key coordination outcomes, lessons learned, and good practices emerging from
CRRBM implementation and stakeholder engagement processes.
• Contribute to knowledge sharing and institutional learning related to river basin planning,
stakeholder engagement, and coordination approaches.
• Support preparation of coordination summaries, lessons learned, and recommendations to strengthen
future river basin planning and management initiatives.
• Assist in communicating key coordination outcomes and institutional experiences to relevant
stakeholders where appropriate.
• Provide strategic support efforts on emerging issues, stakeholder concerns, and institutional
coordination matters as requested by MOWRAM leadership.
Expected outputs and deliverables
The Coordinator will provide strategic coordination, stakeholder engagement, and partnership support at
agreed intervals and key milestones throughout CRRBM implementation. Expected outputs, which shall be
subject to review and endorsement by designated MOWRAM leadership, may include:
• Coordination and stakeholder engagement summaries prepared at agreed intervals and key milestones of
CRRBM implementation.
• Briefing notes, issue summaries, talking points, and coordination updates for MOWRAM leadership.
• Coordination notes and summaries from meetings, consultations, workshops, and stakeholder engagement
activities.
• Stakeholder engagement and coordination support for CRRBM-related consultations, technical
discussions, and institutional coordination processes.
• Inputs to coordination materials, stakeholder engagement documentation, communication summaries, and
key messaging related to CRRBM implementation and stakeholder engagement processes.
• A final coordination and partnership support report summarizing key activities, lessons learned,
coordination outcomes, and recommendations.
• Support to the preparation of institutional communication and public engagement materials related to
CRRBM coordination and stakeholder engagement processes, where required.
The River Basin Planning Coordinator will report directly to the designated MOWRAM leadership
responsible for overseeing coordination of the Cambodia Resilient River Basin Masterplan (CRRBM) and
related river basin planning initiatives.
The position will work closely with the IWRMP PMU, ADB, the CRRBM consultant firm, relevant departments
of MOWRAM, and other national and sub-national institutions involved in river basin planning, water
governance, climate resilience, and related development initiatives.
The role will also support coordination and engagement with development partners, civil society
organizations, technical institutions, and other relevant stakeholders to help strengthen alignment,
communication, and institutional coherence across related initiatives.
Close coordination with the Senior River Basin Planning Expert will be required to ensure strong
alignment between technical review, stakeholder engagement, institutional communication, and follow-up
actions.
Key competencies
The Coordinator should demonstrate:
• Strong institutional coordination and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to support strategic communication and leadership briefing processes.
• Good understanding of development partner coordination and government engagement processes.
• Strong analytical, synthesis, and organizational skills.
• Ability to facilitate coordination among diverse institutions and stakeholders.
• Strong written communication and reporting skills in English and Khmer.
• Ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary and multi-institutional environments.
• Ability to proactively manage coordination challenges and support timely institutional follow-up.
• Commitment to supporting MOWRAM ownership and leadership of the CRRBM process.
Reporting and coordination arrangements:
The River Basin Planning Coordinator will report directly to the designated MOWRAM leadership
responsible for overseeing coordination of the Cambodia Resilient River Basin Masterplan (CRRBM) and
related river basin planning initiatives.
The position will work closely with the IWRMP PMU, ADB, the CRRBM consultant firm, relevant departments
of MOWRAM, and other national and sub-national institutions involved in river basin planning, water
governance, climate resilience, and related development initiatives.
The role will also support coordination and engagement with development partners, civil society
organizations, technical institutions, and other relevant stakeholders to help strengthen alignment,
communication, and institutional coherence across related initiatives.
Close coordination with the Senior River Basin Planning Expert will be required to ensure strong
alignment between technical review, stakeholder engagement, institutional communication, and follow-up
actions.
Travel and logistical arrangements
The Coordinator will be based at MOWRAM in Phnom Penh. Field travel to provinces, consultation venues,
workshops, meetings, and project sites may be required. Travel, per diem, and other approved work-
related expenses will be covered in accordance with applicable project procedures.
Duration of contract and payment
The position shall be engaged on an intermittent basis, with an estimated level of effort equivalent to
approximately 132 working days during the contract period of one year, subject to satisfactory
performance and project needs. The expert will be remunerated in accordance with the applicable ADB
consultant engagement procedures and the agreed contract.
Payments shall be processed based on actual approved inputs/deliverables and in accordance with the
agreed payment schedule, subject to satisfactory performance, submission of required documentation, and
endorsement by the designated MOWRAM leadership responsible for overseeing coordination of the CRRBM and
related river basin planning initiatives.
Work location: Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, with travel to
provinces and project sites as required
Minimum Qualification Requirements
The River Basin Planning Coordinator should have:
• A Master’s degree in international development, communications, development studies, international
relations, water governance, or a related field.
• At least 12 years of progressively responsible professional experience in stakeholder engagement,
strategic coordination, regional cooperation, development partner engagement, strategic communication,
or water governance.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating multi-stakeholder processes involving government agencies,
development partners, civil society organizations, technical institutions, and regional or international
organizations.
• Strong experience supporting institutional coordination, strategic engagement, consultations, dialogue
platforms, partnership-building initiatives, or donor-supported programs.
• Familiarity with Cambodia’s water sector, river basin governance, development cooperation environment,
and/or Mekong regional cooperation context is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated experience preparing high-quality briefing notes, coordination summaries, strategic
communication materials, institutional reporting documents, stakeholder engagement outputs, or public
communication materials.
• Experience supporting digital coordination systems, online consultations, presentation preparation,
and stakeholder communication platforms is an asset.
• Strong coordination, facilitation, stakeholder engagement, institutional communication, and
interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to engage effectively with senior officials,
technical experts, development partners, and diverse stakeholders.
• Excellent written and spoken English and Khmer.
Minimum General Experience: 12 Years
Minimum Specific Experience (relevant to assignment): 7 Years
