Description
The consultant will support water and sanitation activities involving strategic, knowledge, and policy work, sector portfolio management, and business development across the Southern and Eastern Africa regions. The consultant will report functionally to the Division Manager, AHWS.2, and collaborate with teams across relevant Bank units.
| Application Close Date | 2026-10-15 |
|---|---|
| Engagement Type | Individual Consultant |
| Job Family | 3.Engineering |
| A. Background Objectives | The African Development Bank (AfDB) is Africa’s premier multilateral development finance institution, mobilising resources and providing financial and technical assistance to advance sustainable development in its Regional Member Countries. Guided by the Ten-Year Strategy (2024–2033), the Bank is sharpening its strategic direction through four Cardinal Points: mobilising Africa’s financial resources; strengthening Africa’s financial architecture; harnessing demographic transformation through jobs, skills and enterprise; and investing in climate-resilient infrastructure while increasing value addition from natural resources. These priorities aim to accelerate transformative, inclusive and resilient development across Africa.The African Development Bank supports the development and implementation of a broad water and sanitation portfolio across its Regional Member Countries. This portfolio covers water resources development and management; urban and rural water supply; sanitation and hygiene; sector policy, governance and institutional reform; and institutional support and capacity building. Through these operations, the Bank seeks to strengthen water security, expand equitable access to sustainable and safely managed water and sanitation services, improve sector performance and institutional effectiveness, and advance health, livelihoods, climate resilience and inclusive socioeconomic development. Additional technical capacity is required to support timely portfolio delivery, provide technical backstopping, address implementation bottlenecks and advance the preparation of new operations. The Bank therefore seeks to recruit a qualified Water and Sanitation Individual Consultant to support upstream activities, business development, and project preparation, management and implementation across the portfolio.The consultant will support strategic, knowledge and policy work, sector portfolio management, and business development in the Southern and Eastern Africa regions. The consultant will report functionally to the Division Manager, AHWS.2, and work with teams across relevant Bank units. The specific objective of the consultancy is to support Task Managers and Bank management as follows:(i) Provide strategic, knowledge and policy support to sector work; (ii) Provide overall management and technical support to the assigned portfolio in the Southern and Eastern Africa regions. (iii) In the preparation of new operations including participating in identification, preparation, and appraisal missions; (iv) Sector coordination including actively participating in donor coordination activities; (v) Provide technical and project management support for the preparation, appraisal, supervision, and implementation of rural as well as urban water supply and sanitation projects, ensuring adherence to technical standards, timelines, safeguards, and results frameworks. |
| B. Scope of work | Under the overall guidance of the Division Manager – AHWS2, and the direct supervision of the Task Manager, the Consultant shall undertake the following tasks:• Contribute to the Bank’s water security and sanitation agenda and related objectives of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including attaining water security and sanitation for all thereby contribute to the improvement of quality of life of the people. • Advise and support the Manager and TMs on Water Supply and Sanitation policy and strategic matters and provide input to the portfolio and business development. • Support the TMs in the review of projects implementation progress in line with the Bank’s results management framework of the approved projects. • Support the TMs in reviewing and processing requests sent for Bank’s clearance to ensure timely response and feedback. • Review and advise on the general performance of the projects including implementation of the projects against the defined objectives and outputs. • Assist the Task Managers in reviewing monitoring reports from the Executing Agencies. • Support the Project Implementation Units in addressing any capacity related challenges. • Manage and supervise portfolio projects in accordance with Bank rules and procedures (planning & reporting, follow up of agreed actions and recommendations), identify capacity gaps of RMCs and provide tailored support. • Review procurement plans and address pending issues. • Review all contracts in the projects in terms of their disbursement levels, delivery of their targets, closing dates, and any issues relating to quality and timeliness in completion. • Actively participate in the preparation and appraisal of new operations; • Review and provide guidance on feasibility reports and scope of services; • Provide guidance on water supply and sanitation implementation approaches and sustainability of operation and maintenance. • Liaising and maintaining close collaboration with national level stakeholders and other water-related complexes in the Bank, while contributing to the appropriate management of technical knowledge and guidance towards building water security as well as promotion of sustainable and affordable water supply and sanitation technologies and approaches. • Participate in the Donor coordination group meetings for Water and Sanitation Sector • Prepare briefs and presentations on thematic issues in the water and sanitation sector • Undertake assignments as requested by management. |
| C. Deliverables Expected | The expected consultant’s deliverables including the following: • Technical review notes on project documents and studies • Monthly progress updates and mission reports • Inputs to implementation progress reports, aide-mémoires, and back-to-office reports, • Support to lending operations in Namibia (#1) and South Africa (#2) – Concept Notes (PCN), and Appraisal Reports (PARs), as needed • Contributions to procurement reviews and disbursement processing • Project Completion Report (PCR) for Manzini Region Water and Sanitation Project and technical summaries • Knowledge briefs or lessons-learned documents and contribution to policy briefs. |
| D. Duration and Timetable for the Assignment | The Consultant will commence the assignment on 5th November 2026 for an initial period of six months to be extended to twelve (12) months based on satisfactory performance and budget availability. |
| E. Bank Contribution and Institutional Arrangement | The African Development Bank (AfDB) is the premier multi-lateral development finance institution fostering economic growth and social progress in Africa. The AfDB’s primary goal is to reduce poverty and improve living standards by mobilizing resources in and outside Africa and providing financial and technical assistance for development projects and programs in Africa. In order to sharply focus the objectives of the Ten-Year Strategy (2024 – 2033) and focus on Four Cardinal Points – Access to Capital; Consolidating Financial Systems: Harnessing Demographic Transformation; and Building Climate-Resilient Infrastructure.The Water Development and Sanitation Department (AHWS) is responsible for the coordination of the Bank’s water development and sanitation-related activities. It is comprised of divisions AHWS.1 for water security and sanitation in West Africa and Nigeria, and AHWS.2 for water security and sanitation in the East and Southern Africa, AHWS.3 for Water Security and Sanitation in the Central and Northern Africa, and, the African Water Facility (AWF). These sector divisions work in tandem with the Regional Business Delivery Departments.The Consultant will be working from within AHWS2 team covering Eastern and Southern Africa based in the Pretoria, South Africa Regional Business Delivery Office (RDGS). The Consultant will be functionally supervised by the Manager, AHWS.2. Day-to-day guidance and assignment management will be provided by the designated Task Manager(s). All deliverables and outputs shall be submitted to the responsible Task Manager for review and acceptance, with overall oversight provided by the Manager AHWS.2.The Bank will provide the Consultant with access to relevant project documents, appraisal reports, supervision reports, procurement and disbursement records, policy and strategy documents, operational guidelines, and other information necessary for the execution of the assignment, subject to applicable Bank policies and confidentiality requirements.The Bank will provide office workspace, access to Bank systems and relevant information, an email account where applicable, and administrative support necessary for the execution of the assignment. Mission travel authorized by the Bank will be arranged and funded in accordance with applicable Bank rules and procedures. The Consultant shall be responsible for providing his/her own personal equipment unless otherwise agreed by the Bank. |
| F. Duty Station | The assignment will take place at the Bank’s regional office in Pretoria, South Africa, and may require occasional mission travel. |
| G. Essential Specialized Skills/Knowledge/Competencies | • The consultant should have at least a master’s degree in fields related to Water and Sanitation Sector, including Civil Engineering, Water and Sanitation Engineering, Water Resources, Hydraulic Engineering, or any related field with a focus on water security and sanitation. • Have a minimum of eight (8) years of relevant professional working experience in water security and sanitation programming or related operations, project cycle management, and policy formulation at national level (including in multilateral development institutions). • Proven experience working in project development and implementation in Water and Sanitation Sector. • Ability to work in a team spirit to achieve defined objectives in international multicultural contexts. • Portfolio management experience working in Africa is a must. • The consultant must have excellent communication skills and with good knowledge of English language. Good knowledge of French language is advantageous. • Preferably a consultant with knowledge of the Eastern and Southern Africa Region and sector institutions. • Competences in the use of standard Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint). • A national of the Bank’s Member Country. |
| H. Supervisor | The Water and Sanitation Expert Consultant will report to the Manager AHWS.2 and will work in close collaboration with the country-specific public sector experts assigned to each transaction. |
Consultancy Input Days
129.00
