The Klaus Toepfer Fellowship Programme aims to strengthen organisations from the nature conservation sector in Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia, by developing the personal capacity of early-career conservation professionals to overcoming global biodiversity loss. The training programme catalyzes personal capacity development through training on international best conservation practice and policy, management training, and personal network development.

Key features of the Klaus Toepfer Fellowship Programme:

The only extra-occupational training programme for established conservation professionals from both governmental and non-governmental organizations of the region

Putting a broad focus on biodiversity policy

Promoting professional excellence

Focusing on technical, management and leadership skills

Considering the ecological, historical and political linkages among the transition countries of the Eurasian region

Fostering a professional network in support of regional cooperation in biodiversity conservation

Combining highly interactive seminars held in English language, field trips and inter-sessional assignments, e-learning as well as a transfer project.

The Klaus Toepfer Fellowship Programme is implemented by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) in partnership with IUCN, the CBD Secretariat, the Secretariat of the CMS, and UNEP-WCMC. Funding of the programme is provided by the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).

The International Association of Water Service Companies in the Danube River Catchment Area (IAWD) has received financing (Grant No.:TF071876) from the Austrian Government, administered by the World Bank, to implement Component 2 of the „Danube Region Water Supply and Waste Water Sector Capacity Building Program“, better known as Danube Water Program (DWP).

With the support of the DWP,  a set of activities has been in launched within the Danube region to build the capacity of utility companies to provide sustainable water and wastewater services, e.g. the Danube Water Conference, the Danube Learning Partnership (D-LeaP) and the open online knowledge space DANUBIS.org.

At this stage, IAWD as well as the DWP including all above mentioned activities communicate independently from each other (i.e. separate website and newsletters) with only limited interrelation among each other.

IAWD is therefore searching for an individual consultant  to review the current communication tools and develop and present a strategy how to effectively and efficiently communicate with its stakeholders including a social media presence.

Full details of the assignment and expected steps are included in the Terms of Reference.
The assignment will be based on a short term contract with IAWD. The assignment is expected to be completed in December 31, 2019.

Expressions of interest (including complete CV, cover letter and a reference list of work) as part of the application must be delivered (by mail or by e-mail) to the address below by August 31, 2019.

IAWD - International Association of Water Service Companies in the Danube River Catchment Area

Attn: Philip Weller, Danube Water Program

c/o World Bank Praterstrasse 31/18, A-1020 Vienna, Austria

E-mail: weller@iawd.at with a copy to schilling@iawd.at

The Danube Water Program

In the wake of European Union accession and harmonization, the countries in the Danube region are undergoing a process of rapid modernization that has had a major impact on the status and organization of the water sector. Large investments in water assets and infrastructure upgrading are taking place, often with significant external financial support. However, these investments have not been matched consistently with a regulatory, organizational, managerial, and technical modernization of the sector’s institutions and governance. In the water and wastewater services sector, many utilities in the region suffer from chronic problems of overstaffing, poor financial performance, insufficient service quality, and tariff structures that fail to recover costs.

To address these challenges, new skills and knowledge are required to ensure high-quality, cost-efficient delivery of water and wastewater services, mobilize additional sources of funding for investments, and provide incentives for better performance. National governments and regulators need to define and implement policies on topics such as reforming utility management, targeting subsidies to low-income groups, restructuring tariffs, and improving regulation, while local governments and utilities need to develop their managerial capacity to improve the coverage, quality, efficiency, and sustainability of the water and wastewater services they provide.

To facilitate these processes, the World Bank and the International Association of Water Companies in the Danube River Catchment Area (IAWD) have come together to launch the Danube Water Program (DWP), with initial financing by the Government of Austria. To this date, the Danube Water Program, managed by a joint team based in Vienna, Austria, and covering a dozen countries south-east of Austria, has facilitated exchanges among hundreds of participants in 15 countries, providing capacity building to more than 100 utility companies, launched a regional knowledge platform called DANUBIS.org, and published landmark reports on the State of the Sector of water services in the region.

Based on those successes, the Danube Water Program, which is one of the World Bank’s leading technical assistance instruments, has recently been extended into Phase III until December 2021. The Program, which was traditionally concentrated on technical and policy advice for water and wastewater services, covers now also a broader water security theme by including a significant new dimension around water resources and water risks management alongside the existing water services delivery scope. The World Bank’s Water Global Practice is seeking a Program Analyst to support the implementation of Phase III of the Program.

The Water Global Practice now seeks to recruit a high potential Program Analyst with proven policy and analytical experience in the water and wastewater sector to help implement the Program as part of the Bank Team. The position will be a local hire based in Vienna, Austria with missions in the region and possibility for trips to Headquarters (Washington DC). The analyst will work under the overall supervision of the Practice Manager responsible for the Danube Water Program with closer reporting to the DWP Program Leader and Senior Water Resources Management Specialist based in Vienna. According to how the Program Analyst’s work program develops in the first year, opportunities to work with operational teams based in other countries may arise.

DUTIES & ACCOUNTABILITIES

• As a member of the Vienna-based core team, assist in delivering the overall work program for the DWP Phase III, in particular with regards to the Bank-led Component 1 (policy and analytical activities).
• In close consultation with the Bank team, IAWD and clients, help ensure that delivery of the Program is in line with country and client priorities.
• Contribute to the preparation of advisory services and analytics (ASA) work in water and sanitation services and water security topics of the Danube region countries, including data collection and processing, contribution to major reports, and independent application of analytical and diagnostic tools.
• Contribute to the program’s administration by liaising with WB and IAWD teams to produce internal and external Program status reports, regularly updating Program planning documents and results framework and monitoring of the Program’s budget.
• Assist in designing, organizing, conducting and documenting relevant institutional and policy capacity development activities and events under the Program, including study tours, exchanges, conferences, workshops, trainings and other similar knowledge events.
• Support the implementation of utility and regulatory benchmarking activities in partner institutions of the Program.
• Support the team in contracting, managing, organizing and reviewing the work of international and local consultants hired under the Program, including the preparation of Terms of Reference and Work Programs, the planning of their technical visits, and the review and consolidation of technical outputs.
• Support the team in the identification and securing of additional financing to complement DWP financing for specific activities.
• Contribute to the Program’s knowledge generation, dissemination and documentation through the preparation of knowledge/learning briefs, blogs, brochures, notes, papers and presentations in Bank and regional events.
• Participate, virtually or in person, in professional development and knowledge sharing activities in the Water sector, including the World Bank Water Week and other internal and external events, and take a role in contributing specific knowledge both within the assigned countries and across the Bank.

Selection Criteria

• Master’s or Advanced Degree(s) in a field relevant to water, public service delivery, engineering, water resource or infrastructure economics, or public policy with at least two years of relevant work experience, preferably in the water policy or international water field;
• Strong organizational, research, and oral presentation skills; strong editorial and report writing skills and track record of conducting and publishing independent research or operational work; Ability to research, analyze and synthesize information, retrieve information from large complex databases, using elaborate queries, and clearly and concisely prepare results;
• Ability to work effectively with minimal supervision with internal/external partners, and multi-cultural environment;
• Integrative skills: Demonstrates strong integrative thinking and ability to support project teams in developing an integrated point of view around a development challenge;
• Good understanding of economic, social and political context and its impact on the development process in the Danube region. Willingness to travel extensively in the Danube Region countries; field experience in ECA countries is a plus;
• Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) skills needed. Knowledge of statistical software desired;
• Excellent communication skills in English; local languages from the Danube region desirable;
• Experience in the administration of international programs and prior experience with Bank processes and procedures in operational and ASA work is a strong plus;
• Enthusiasm for, and commitment to development work.