Position: SSC Specialist – Institutional Support and O&M Supervision
Duty Station: Based in Surkhet, with frequent travel to the 28 SUSWA municipalities in Karnali Province.
Duration: 10 months (as agreed between August 2025 – July 2026), with the possibility of extension depending on the availability of the Technical Assistance months
Reports to: Team Leader, Project Support Unit (PSU), SUSWA Project

Background:

The SUSWA Project, a bilateral WASH initiative between the Government of Nepal and the Government of Finland, aims to strengthen sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene services in 42 municipalities across Karnali Province. A key component of the project is the establishment and institutionalization of Service Support Centers (SSCs) at both municipal and provincial levels to ensure long-term Operation and Maintenance (O&M) support to WASH service providers and users’ committees.

To respond to the increasing workload linked to the registration and capacity development of over 1,500 users' committees in FY 2025/26, and the roll-out of new tools such as O&M Fund Guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), SUSWA is recruiting a dedicated SSC Specialist.

Objective of the Position:

To provide targeted support to 28 municipal SSC operators and 2 provincial SSC operators in strengthening the institutional capacities of WASH units and users’ committees, and in ensuring effective implementation and supervision of O&M compliance measures.

Key Responsibilities:

A. Capacity Building and Institutional Support

• Support municipal SSC operators in capacitating users’ committees on institutional registration, governance, financial management, and O&M responsibilities.
• Provide technical backstopping to the WASH units of municipalities in implementing SSC service functions effectively.
• Assist in the roll-out and training related to new tools, including the O&M Fund Guidelines and SSC SOPs.

B. Monitoring and Supervision

• Supervise and ensure quality in the field-level application of O&M compliance measures by users’ committees.
• Monitor the progress of registration and training of users’ committees across 28 municipalities.
• Document and report issues, gaps, and best practices observed during field visits to inform continuous improvement.

C. Coordination and Support

• Coordinate with the 2 provincial SSC operators to strengthen the institutional linkages between provincial and municipal SSCs.
• Liaise regularly with PSU, PCO, and local government stakeholders to align activities and provide timely feedback from the field.
• Participate in review and planning meetings organized by PSU and contribute to the preparation of progress reports.

Required Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree (Master’s preferred) in Civil Engineering (with a focus on water supply/water resources/Environment or WASH), Management Information System or related fields.
• At least 7 years of relevant professional experience, with at least three proven experiences in supporting or monitoring rural water service delivery under water community-based management arrangements.
• Proven experience and knowledge in:
  a. Facilitating the creation and capacity development of WUSCs
  b. Cost-recovery of WSS service delivery and WUSCs challenges
  c. Understanding of Functionality and sustainability issues in rural water systems
  d. Deep understanding of CapEX and OpEX of rural water supply systems.
  e. Deep Knowledge in Asset Management
• Deep understanding of rural operations and maintenance of WSS, especially gravity-fed, and at least 2 hands-on experiences supporting rural communities dealing with O&M operations.
• Strong experience in institutional capacity development and training delivery, especially with community-based organisations.
• Deep understanding of O&M frameworks and rural WASH service delivery in federal Nepal, role of WUSCs, and local, provincial and federal governments.
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills in Nepali and English. Knowledge of local languages of Karnali is an asset.
• Willingness to travel frequently to rural municipalities and work with diverse stakeholders at the local level.

Contracting Modality:
Individual national expert, full-time assignment under PSU/SUSWA Project.