Summary

In December 2022, the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) commissioned GIZ to the support of implementation of a technical cooperation project for “Strengthening the capacities of the Lake Victoria Basin Commission of the EAC” in integrated transboundary water resources management (ITWRM), with a focus on the Lake Victoria Basin (LVB) and its subsidiary institution, the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC). The project is implemented under the EAC Deputy Secretary General (DSG) for Infrastructure, Productive, Social and Political Affairs Sector (project holder), within the Directorate for Productive Sectors, in Arusha, Tanzania and with the LVBC in Kisumu, Kenya.

The present phase is conducted until December 2024, a follow up phase is envisaged (2025-2027), as well as a cooperation on Lake Tanganyika and Lake Kivu Water Management (EU-TEI-Tanganyika Kivu Water Management).

The project is structured along three intervention areas, strengthening:

• capacities of EAC Secretariat to create framework conditions for ITWRM in the EAC;
• capacities of LVBC to perform its ITWRM core functions as an organization; and
• cooperation between the LVBC and key actors in I(T)WRM in the five Partner States of the

Recently, ITWRM projects are increasingly designed to address the effects from climate change and designed along integrated approaches combining IWRM, environmental protection, natural resources management, nature-based solutions and transboundary landscape restoration.

Responsibilities

• To provide conceptual and technical support to the East African Community Secretariat (EAC, Arusha, output (i)) to create framework conditions for integrated transboundary water resources management (ITWRM) and to improve natural resources management (NRM) in the context of climate change.
• Liaising between the GIZ project team and the EAC Secretariat in Arusha, and with the GIZ team advising the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) in Kisumu, where outputs (ii) and (iii) of the project are implemented.
• Support the EAC Secretariat in developing and implementing strategies for Climate change adaptation within the EAC and the Partner States.
• Supporting the EAC Secretariat in liaising with project teams supported by other development partners (e.g. WB, AfDB, KfW, USAID, EU) implementing ITWRM and NRM projects in promoting regional harmonization and integration, within the Lake Victoria Basin and other transboundary basins in the EAC (e.g. Lake Tanganyika, Lake Kivu).
• Support the EAC Secretariat in designing and executing capacity development programs to enhance the knowledge and skills of regional stakeholders in transboundary water and natural resources management and climate change mitigation/adaptation.
• Supporting exchange, communication, and coordination between the EAC Secretariat and national river and/or transboundary basin organizations within the EAC, eventually also with neighboring regions to the EAC (ex. Lake Tanganyika, Lake Nyasa, SADC).
• Support EAC Secretariat in conducting policy analysis and provide recommendations to improve regional policies related to natural resources and climate change.
• Support in developing and implementation of interdisciplinary research agenda for pressing Water challenges, enhance climate change and promote sustainable water governance.
• Facilitating collaboration of short-term consultants with EAC staff, stakeholders in partner countries and LVBC personnel, ensuring that input and feedback of local partners are included in final outputs of the project (e.g., technical reports, concept notes).
• Supporting and monitoring activities of short-term consultants in developing an analysis of the status of ITWRM and NRM in the EAC, to be integrated into the Lake Victoria “State of the Basin Report” 2024, including an assessment of the performance of major lake and river basin organizations in EAC, with a focus on transboundary and trans-regional basins.
• Support the international consulting firm commissioned by GIZ to prepare three ready-for-finance IWRM project proposals along the new EAC-IWRM strategy and conforming to the EAC Gender & Safe-guards proofing mechanism; introduce the proposals to the relevant technical committees and decision makers of the EAC (and LVBC).
• Supporting, in collaboration with an international consulting firm contracted by GIZ, implementation of a concept note for a Center of Excellence on IWRM and NRM in the EAC.
• Supporting of monitoring, knowledge management and reporting of the project to the EAC steering structures, and prepare communication material for external representation (e.g. regarding knowledge sharing and dissemination, participation in stakeholder meetings and public dialogues), as well as GIZ internally.
• Support cross-sectoral cooperation with the EAC Secretariat and representatives of the EAC Partner States as well as with relevant regional, continental, and international institutions, academic institutions, organizations and networks.
• Cooperation and coordination with the GIZ team on site, in Arusha and at the LVBC in Kisumu, with other relevant projects, and with partner structures in the EAC region, including in identifying, developing and exploiting synergies and gathering best practices and sharing lessons learnt.
• Managing any other an area of responsibility that forms part of the programme objectives, team agreements and/or agreements with the superior

Education and Qualifications

• Completed university studies in water resources management, natural resources management, economics / organizational development, development studies or another degree programme relevant to capacity development in international development of ITWRM (Masters’ degree). A focus on water resources management, natural resources management and/or climate change adaptation and mitigation would be a plus.

Requirements

• At least five (5) years of experience working in capacity development experience in water resources management / natural resources management development programmes (ideally transboundary water resources management, water supply and sanitation, climate change adaptation, circular economy), with several years of experience in coordination and implementation of relevant projects.
• Several years of work experience in international collaboration; preferably approaches to capacity Knowledge of GIZ procedures and processes is an added advantage.
• Strong knowledge of policies, objectives, concepts, methods, and institutions of international and regional/transboundary cooperation, particularly in the thematic field of water resources management, lake, or river basin organizations and related climate mitigation and adaptation measures and their financing.
• Excellent advisory skills, strong conceptual and strategic skills, high performance under pressure and a solution and goal-oriented approach.
• Strong teamwork skills in diverse, multicultural teams, cooperation and communication skills; political and strategic intuition, sensitivity and diplomatic skills as well as very good networking Prior work and/or cooperation experiences with the EAC Secretariat and/or other key stakeholders in the region are an advantage.
• Fluent language proficiency in English, both written and Advanced skills in French and/or Swahili are desirable, language skills in German are an advantage.
• Preparedness to travel frequently in the EAC region.

Characteristics

• Very good working knowledge of ITC technologies (related software, phone, email, internet) and computer applications (e.g. MS Office, MS-Teams)
• Willingness to upskill as required by the tasks to be performed – corresponding measures are agreed with management.

Reporting To

Programme Manager and Senior water sector advisor