The USAID Water and Sanitation project is working to ensure sustainable, safe, and affordable water and sanitation services to stem the spread of cholera and other water-borne diseases. The project is supporting the scaling-up of water and sanitation services, with the goal of helping 250,000 people gain access to basic water services and 75,000 people gain access to basic sanitation services. The project is targeting five communes and focuses on four core elements 1) supporting high-impact and financially self-sustaining water supply and sanitation infrastructure projects; 2) integrating project activities within the local water and sanitation sector; 3) systems thinking for implementing and monitoring activities; and 4) learning and adapting based on evidence and local knowledge. The project is also implementing an Enterprise Acceleration Fund to scale up private sector involvement in the water and sanitation sector through subcontracts and cost-sharing grants.

The role of the Communications Assistant is to support all the communications and reporting functions of the USAID Water and Sanitation Project. The Project Communications Assistant’s role is
1. Support the production of the regular reports (weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual reports as well as success stories) and other official office communications;
2. Assist the M&E work,
3. Assist the other managers in organizing events, and
4. Assist the project in effectively telling the story of the importance of basic water and sanitation.

5. OBJECTIVES AND DUTIES:

Objectives and Duties:

The duties of the Project Communications Assistant will include, but not be limited to, the following tasks:
Reports and communication products
• Assist in the preparation, writing and editing of periodic reports and analyses as required by the contract (quarterly and annual reports, monthly newsletters ad success stories, weekly updates and any ad hoc reports as requested by the client).
• Oversee the final layout of all required program reports for USAID, including weekly, quarterly, and annual reports as well as monthly newsletters, weekly blurbs, and regular success stories:
• Edit all materials for external audiences for accuracy, spelling, grammar and syntax; oversee the day to day activities of the communications staff, and ensure that the project’s communication strategy and activities are directly linked to the objectives of the overall USAID Water and Sanitation Project;
• Gather stories from the field on both successes and challenges,
• Assist grantees with any communication requests
• Assist to the development and execute internal employee communications strategies and plans that engage, align and inspire project employees with the project’s overall strategy, vision and overall project objectives.

Monitoring and Evaluation
• Assist the M&E specialist when needed
Events
• Provide support to project activities, specifically in developing all communication mechanisms and forums in close collaboration with the project’s senior management team;
Other work
• Develop strategic plans for education and marketing efforts by activity, which include timelines, budgets, message development and dissemination strategies. Interviews and identifies qualified vendors, as needed.
• Work closely with USAID Water and Sanitation Project staff to train them to produce compliant and high-quality documents, reports, outputs:
o Build the capacity of local staff to understand reporting requirements and format;
o Design and deliver training for USAID Water and Sanitation Project staff as needed.

• At least four years of relevant work experience in communications, including reports writing and communications;
• Demonstrated ability to produce quality reports and other communication products;
• Excellent oral and written English and French;
• Bachelor’s degree in communications or a related field; and
• Proficiency with MS Office, including MS Word and PowerPoint.

Preferred Qualifications
• Experience working with previous USAID projects;
• Knowledge of USAID branding guidelines and style manuals;

CV
cover letter
Certificate and diploma of the studies carried out