Project Officer - Construction Quality Officer - HOPE-MCH (Ghanaian Nationals Only)

Latter-day Saint Charities (LDSC) funded Holistic Opportunities for Positive Engagement in Maternal and Child Health (HOPE-MCH) Project

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

Primary Responsibilities:

Responsible for the field supervision of the construction and renovation of health care facilities in the communities; repair and rehabilitation of platforms around hand pumps; and repairs of drainage and soakaways. 

The successful candidate will attend regular construction site visits and will produce ongoing construction monitoring reports; pre-construction engineering assessments and document reviews.

Specifically, the Construction Quality Officer will conduct:

Technical development and design of infrastructure 

• Play a lead role in assessing the status of infrastructure in project target districts to identify needs and gaps
• Support in the technical design of infrastructure using computer-aided design software and tools (e.g., AUTOCAD)
• Support in the development of detail bill of quantities (BoQ) and guide the accurate estimation of cost for the construction and renovations 
• Support in the drafting of terms of references (ToRs), technical specification and all design documents for the selection of contractors

Regular Monitoring and Quality Assurance

• Use standardized electronic forms and photographs to monitor the progress and quality of construction and renovation of health care  and WASH facilities.
• Ensure compliance with the contract requirements including spot verification of human resources, equipment and materials as stipulated in contracts
• Spot verification of drilling and construction material quality: stones for foundation, sand, gravel, concrete blocks, wooden and metal frames, etc.
• Spot verification of construction quality: concrete mixing ratio, layout of foundations, drainage and soakaways, electricals and reinforcement, verticality of walls, etc.
• Spot verification to ensure adherence to safety measures on all construction sites
• Report progress using a central construction monitoring matrix
• Monitoring of appropriateness for users: flood resilient aprons around facilities, year round accessibility, disability user-friendly
• Map all infrastructure using  Geographic Information Technology ( GIS) technology

Coordination with Contractors

• Establish working relationship and clear expectations with contractor and/ or foremen at each site
• Work with contractors, GHS, DA and community members to identify all sites where new facilities will be constructed (paying attention to flood plain, environmental safety, ease of access, etc.) for final approval of the project coordinator
• Engage contractors or designates in site visits and compile issues discussed, recommendations and action points to management through the Project Manager.

Coordination with Government Agencies and Beneficiary Communities

• Build relationships and coordinate with District Engineer and Health Teams to perform joint site visits, and formally approve final construction for hand over to beneficiary communities
• Build relationships with and coordinate with other decentralized government agencies including Community Health Management Committees (CHMCs) and Community Health Volunteers (CHVs)
• Establish cordial relationships with beneficiary communities and opinion leaders 

Technical Review and related Support

• Support CRS to maintain accepted Infrastructural standards for the sector and ensure that project staff, partner agencies and recipient communities understand and adhere to these standards.
• Support in the technical review of bidding and tender documents to ensure that they meet standard requirements.
• Assist in reviewing the bill of quantities and material schedule to ensure the estimated costs are reasonable and comparable to market rates.

Internal Coordination  

• Coordinate with Senior Project Officers and project officers based in each district to build linkages to district monitoring committees and build the expectation that community-based groups should be monitoring the quality of construction
• Work with the MEAL unit to accurately report on the progress of construction, providing photographs and written summaries of construction as required for reporting
• Provide timely updates to Project Coordinator on any issues requiring immediate attention. 

Qualification

• Degree in Engineering/Water Resources Management/Building and Construction /Construction Management, or relevant HND qualification
• Minimum of 3 years’ construction supervision experience and general all-around knowledge of every aspect of WASH infrastructure construction including site work, boreholes drilling and hand-dug well construction, pipe laying, civil works, drainage, paving, concrete work and health and safety
• Skilled in the use of standard software applications. 
• Proficient in MS Office package (Excel, Word, PowerPoint 
• Good attitude and communications skills, including written materials 
• Great time management and ability to work to meet deadlines in multiple tasking environments
• Able to work with little direct supervision to achieve work objectives
• Ability to travel within the area of intervention 90% of the time (day trips)
• Licensed to ride a motorcycle.

Required Languages - Englsih

Travel - include percentage of required travel, if applicable. Could be stated as Must be willing and able to travel up to 30 %.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Set clear goals and work towards achieving them
• Collaborates effectively with staff and stakeholders
• Manages financial resources with integrity
• Applies program quality standards to project design and organizational learning

 Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in training and providing technical support to partners and other officers
• Experience in construction and civil works design, monitoring and supervision in multiple sites
• Experience in using AUTOCAD and developing bill of quantities is a plus
• Excellent English and oral communication skills 
• Strong team building skills as well as willingness to travel and work in the field

Supervisory Responsibilities: None

 Key Working Relationships:

Internal: Regional/HQ technical advisors, country representative, Head of Programs, Health, Head of Operations, Head of Office, and other line managers, Project Manager, Senior Project Officers, M&E Specialist, and other Project Officers 

External: Regional/District Directors of CWSA in target districts, District Works Department, Ghana Health Service, Contractors and Consultants.