Help Desk Specialist at Cowater International: (Deadline 30 September 2023)

KEY INFORMATION

Job Title: Help Desk Specialist

Sector: Social Protection; Governance; International Development

Position Type: Part-Time

Duration/Level of Effort: Short-Term

Position Location: Kigali, Rwanda

SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT

The FCDO has been a key partner in developing Rwanda’s social protection sector since the inception of the Vision 2020 Umurenge Programme (VUP) in 2008. The first phase of support to the social protection in Rwanda (2009-2014, £34m) focused on supporting the Government of Rwanda (GoR) to set up VUP. The second phase (2013-2018, £62.4m) focused on expanding the VUP, both in terms of geographical reach and in terms of reaching the most vulnerable and excluded in Rwanda.

The Exiting Poverty in Rwanda (EPR) Programme is the third phase of support and aims support people to exit poverty at the same time as protecting Rwanda’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens in the future. This is likely to be the last UK-funded programme supporting Rwanda’s social protection sector that involves financial resource transfer at this scale so greater focus will be on influencing the wider policy context for social protection (SP), strengthening systems and building capacity and building long-term sustainability.

FCDO’s support in this phase will go beyond the VUP programme to provide essential financial and technical assistance to support Rwanda to establish a robust, domestically financed, inclusive and comprehensive SP sector. The Technical Assistance (TA) Facility is therefore designed to support the effective implementation of its Social Protection Sector Strategic Plan (SP-SSP) and ultimately a strengthened national social protection system. To do so, the TA Facility provides technical expertise and capacity building to the Government of Rwanda, specifically the Ministry of Local Governments (MINALOC) and the Local Administrative Entities Development Agency (LODA) and supports the delivery of FCDO’s EPR programme.

The intended outcome of EPR is to enhance the resilience of vulnerable men, women and children and of the social protection system that helps sustain them. To achieve this outcome, the EPR TA facility will contribute towards the following outputs:

• Developing institutional capacity and strengthening systems for evidence-based planning, strategic sector management, and effective SP service delivery enhanced.
• Improving access to more effective core social protection programmes for selected vulnerable groups to more effective core social security instruments.
• Design of a shock-responsive social protection (SR-SP) component together with operational guidelines and a system for implementing SR-SP established.
• Strengthening linkages between SP and complementary services that enable sustainable graduation from extreme poverty strengthened.

As service provider to FCDO for the effective delivery of the EPR TA Facility, Cowater will implement the TA programme under four components as follows:

• Design and manage a TA Facility to support implementation of the Government of Rwanda’s SP-SSP and FCDO’s EPR programme;
• Deliver capacity building interventions through technical inputs and advice, training and workshops, mentoring and coaching of government technical personnel and undertake studies and research;
• Drive forward the design, piloting and scale up of innovations within the Social Protection sector as set out in the SP-SSP and EPR Business Case, which includes work on graduation, shock responsive SP and categorical grants (moving towards universal coverage as per SP-SSP and Vision 2050).
• Manage a TA Strategic Fund in close collaboration with GOR and FCDO.

SUMMARY OF THE POSITION

The TA Facility, funded by FCDO through the Exiting Poverty in Rwanda Programme has being supporting the efficient operation of LODA’s Monitoring and Evaluation Information System (MEIS) by the review of MEIS functionality for the VUP Components. LODA is preparing to roll-out improved components for Nutrition Sensitive Direct Support (NSDS) and Expanded Public Works home based Early Childhood Development component (ePW – HBECD).

The process for improving MEIS functionality for a component has three stages

Stage 1:  functionality revised and tested

Stage 2:  training for the users

Stage 3: live help desk support to coach District and sector staff after introduction and to document system glitches etc.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The help desk support will be available to respond to queries from 20 Districts for NSDS and 30 Districts for ePW. A dedicated phone number will be provided to all Districts so they can call when they experience challenges with either of the new modules for advice.

The help desk specialist will support all calls for assistance received as follows:

• Document the nature all phone calls received in a SYSTEM LOG including the following data (i) who called,(ii) date and time (iii) what the nature of the issue reported.
• Resolve the issues reported and provide a response to all callers with in 24 hours.
• Update the SYSTEM LOG with the following data (i) advice provided (ii) time and date of the response.
• Record the status of each issue reported.
• All system glitches will be recorded in a weekly and provided to the system managers and the Developer so that they can be reviewed and corrected
• The help desk staff will prepare and maintain a “Frequently Asked Questions” document which can be circulated to Districts to address common issues

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Education:

• IT expertise/qualifications at least to Bachelors level or equivalent professional IT qualifications

Essential Skills:

• In depth knowledge of MEIS, trained in the new components
• Knowledge of Social Protection IT system in Rwanda
• Able to communicate systematically and verbally and in writing through electronic media

Language Proficiency:

• Fluent in both Kinyarwanda and English

Employment Conditions:

The help desk specialist will be based in LODA.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Candidates are encouraged to apply by 30 September 2023/as soon as possible through our website: Cowater International Career Opportunities – Cowater International. Interviews will be held on a rolling basis.

For your application to be considered, please upload your documents as followed: Candidate Last Name, First Name, date, Title of the Position.

Cowater International is an equal opportunity employer, basing employment on merit and qualifications as they relate to professional experience and position expectations. Cowater does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, religion, sex, gender identity, disability, age, or any other basis protected by law.

We thank all applicants, however only those shortlisted will be contacted. 

ABOUT US

Cowater International is a leading global development consulting company founded in 1985. Headquartered in Ottawa, Canada and with corporate hubs in Montreal, Canada, Brussels, Belgium, and London UK. Cowater International has successfully delivered a portfolio of over 2500 projects and assignments in more than 95 countries. We work with governments, private sector actors and communities implementing projects that support socio-economic development, institutional strengthening, environmental improvements and advance equal opportunities for all. We are a diverse and experienced team committed to building a better tomorrow for the people we serve. Our adaptive approach to management has led to our yearly award-winning work and recognition as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies since 2017.

We thank you for your interest in building a better tomorrow with Cowater International.