BRAC Internship Description

Programme/Enterprise: Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH)

Project/Unit: Equitable & Sustainable WASH services in Bangladesh Delta plan
hotspot “2022-2026.
Duration: 3 Months
Application Deadline: 25.05.2024
Starting Date: 02.06.2024
Location (Office & Floor): Haor areas
Working Hours: 8 Hours
Monthly Stipend: BDT 8000

Programme/Enterprise Description.

Since its inception, WASH was included as an important component in BRAC’s overall activities.
In 2006, WASH started its journey as an independent programme. The programme provides
hygiene education and increased access to safe water and sanitation in 289 sub-districts of
Bangladesh. The current expectation of the WASH Programme is to contribute in achieving the
national targets of safely managed water, safely managed sanitation and basic hygiene services
as formulated in the SDGs which remains a challenge for Bangladesh, particularly in climate
vulnerable hard to reach areas. Recent progress of safely managed water and sanitation in
comparison the Joint Monitoring Report (UNICEF and WHO) of 2015 and 2020 revealed that this
progress is very slow. Only 3% of safely managed water (in 2015 is 56% and 2020 is 59%) and
similarly safely managed sanitation is 5% (in 2015 is 34% and 2020 is 39%). Recognizing the gap
between access and quality of services to reach the SDG target 6.1 and 6.2 the WASH
programme has been focusing on four streams of WASH interventions: i. Expanding alternative
financing for safely managed water and sanitation facilities; ii. Enhancing context specific and
resilient WASH facilities at schools; iii. Promoting the use of digital platforms for improved hygiene
behaviour at academic institutions and at communities; iv. Piloting climate resilient water
technologies in the Barid region. In addition, WASH programme is providing qualitative and
demand driven services considering the emerging issues of gender, climate change and disability
inclusion with particular focus on financing, digitalization and technological innovation. In this
connection, the programme is also strengthening collaboration with other BRAC programmes
(MF, IDP, CCP, Education, UPGP), formed partnerships with credible organisations in the sector.

BRAC incorporated interventions to support Haor, Barinda, Char and CHT communities in a
platform called integrated development programme. Different programme interventions have
been designed and implemented under IDP such as MF, SELP, Education, Skills, Livelihood,
UPG, Health and WASH. The WASH Programme has professional expertise and working closely
with IDP for last couple of years for effectively execution of community needs in the intervention
areas. Haor is one of the hard-to-reach geographical area where people are living with inadequate
access to WASH services of safely managed water and safely managed sanitation. Collaboration
and sharing is a good mechanism which can support good management practice to effectively
and efficiently manage limited resources. The WASH Programme is intended to collaborate with
IDP and extend technical expertise to provide adequate and quality services at household,
community and institutional levels in Haor areas.

Project Description

WASH programme has been implementing the project titled “Equitable and Sustainable WASH
services in Bangladesh delta plan hotspot. The project goal is to promote and deliver safely
managed water and sanitation services in 4 climate hotspots of Bangladesh. Major interventions
of the project are below:

● Increasing access to finance (repayable grants),

● Strengthening capacity of local institutions,
● Introducing (climate resilient) technologies and service delivery models through private
sector,
● Including more sustainable operation & maintenance mechanisms

The project is working through a sub-district approach with a focus on the climate hotspots 45
sub-districts under 14 districts in 4 climate hotspots (Barinda, Haor, Costal and Flood Plain) of
Bangladesh. These are often hard-to-reach areas and the targeted locations are mainly rural in
nature. Union Parishads lag behind in terms of resource allocation and capacity. That is the
reason this project wants to support the rural areas. Another key reason to focus on rural areas
is to address the needs of the marginalized people. The project will reach in total, 1 million
community members and students through safe water and sanitation services.

Purpose of Internship (including learning outcomes)

The purpose of this role is to provide sustainable support to the sr. management in areas of
developing context specific WASH technologies, implementation, enhance capacity and skills
development of private entrepreneurs and community, assist staff capacity building -training and
refresher. Coordination and collaboration with BRAC other programmes and stakeholder, field
activity follow up and monitoring the progress and to document systematic learning processes to
continue BRAC’s effort to build and nurture a learning culture within the programme. This position
is reportable to the programme head and works closely with the WASH EKN team.

Intern’s Responsibilities:
o Assist to the operation team to implement the programmatic planned activities
align with Annual Operating Plan (AOP) and review the specific and regular micro
level implementation plan and provide guidance for implementing those plans.
o Assess community needs on willingness to pay with ability, indigenous knowledge/
perception and practice/culture for ensuring comparatively better WASH services
to implement the programmatic activities.
o Assist in the identification/ development climate resilient water and sanitation
technology for haor areas.
 o To follow up and monitor the installed WASH facilities and provide guidance for
proper O&M.
o Maintain close collaboration with BRAC staffs and WASH stakeholders
o Practice, promote and endorse the issues of safeguarding policy among team
members and ensure the implementation of safeguarding standards in every
course of action
o Responsible to ensure team members are appropriately trained, supported and
have access to resources regarding issues that are identified and actioned in
accordance with the safeguarding policy and procedure.

Requirements

● Educational Background
o Level: B.Sc or M.Sc/ Equivalent degree.
o Subject: Civil Engineering or Environment Engineering

● Language Proficiency
o Bangla (written/spoken):
✔ Conversational Bangla language skills

o English (written/spoken):
✔ Proficiency in English is required (spoken, reading and written,
native or C1 level)

● Knowledge/Skills/Competencies:
o Knowledge
✔ Knowledge on development and WASH sector
✔ Proven and good understanding of community-based approaches
✔ Financial management
✔ Basic Knowledge on microfinance/Revolving fund
o Skills
✔ Computer Literacy (MS-Word, Excel, power point etc.)
✔ Presentation skills
✔ Report preparing
✔ Motivation Skills
✔ Negotiation and problem-solving skills
✔ Coordination and communication
✔ Time management
o Competencies:
✔ Attention to detail, organizational skills, and a sense of urgency
✔ Strong analytical skills, and the ability to work with quantitative
and qualitative information
✔ Strong written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to
distil complex information into concise and pragmatic messages
✔ Outstanding interpersonal skills
✔ Strong sense of personal initiative
✔ Strong interest in learning more
✔ Demonstrate ability to collaborate, coordinate, and network, both
internally and externally to influence decisions in favour of the
organization
✔ Ability to initiate and facilitate interactions with people who can
share their insights
✔ Drive, flexibility, resilience and the ability to work under pressure
✔ Ability to effectively work remotely, across time zones and team
locations, as well in person
✔ Team building (positive reinforcement, collaboration and
partnering)
✔ Planning and prioritizing (resource allocation and critical thinking)
✔ Local network & relationship building