Local Resident Representative (LRR) for Mutare Municipality, Zimbabwe

ROCKBlue is offering an opportunity to get involved with our dynamic and rapidly expanding organization. This Local Resident Representative (LRR) position provides the opportunity to “give back” and to help the water sector utility in your city gain from your considerable experience and knowledge.

In general, you will serve as ROCKBlue’s local representative to the utility. You serve as our ambassador in facilitating this partnership with the objective of helping our utility partner be better service providers. This effort is not particularly time consuming and does not require a lot of preparation. Most of our LRR volunteers spend less than four hours per week on this assignment. This is accomplished by email, WhatsApp, video calls (e.g., Zoom, SKYPE, MS Teams) and monthly drop-ins to maintain personal connections and reinforce relationships. The LRR will be supported by an offshore Utility Specialist assigned for the utility to help address management concerns and offer solutions. 

The ROCKBlue team serves as a mentor and a connector for our utility partners.

ROCKBlue as a mentor

As a mentor, ROCKBlue offers management expertise, in 21 categories, to our partner utilities to achieve greater efficiencies and increased capabilities in utility operations and maintenance. Utility management is sometimes unfairly expected to know all areas of operations. When and where there are gaps in a utility’s capabilities, ROCKBlue helps to make sure they are filled; and that in the future those gaps no longer exist.

ROCKBlue's engagement with a utility may vary from ad hoc input to a more intensive commitment of onsite support. The level of engagement depends on the needs and wishes of the utility at any given time. The relationship will continue until the utility has become self-reliant. The LRR and the Utility Specialist will be the key ROCKBlue representatives in guiding this process.

ROCKBlue as a connector

ROCKBlue connects its partner utilities with: donors, lenders, development partners, regional and international organizations, private sector, regulators, NGO’s, educational institutions, foundations, etc.

We leverage our team members’ international reputations, contacts and experiences to provide these connections, which are indispensable to a utility’s management team as they work to overcome challenges.

Other benefits to you

Your engagement with ROCKBlue will enable you to learn about the operations of a non-profit organization as well as learn about the latest trends in utility management. It is also likely that you will engage with development financial institutions (e.g., the World Bank), aid agencies (e.g., USAID), for- and non-profit organizations as well as other stakeholders working with our utility partners. In essence, you’ll expand your own list of contacts and knowledge in the urban water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector.

In which division you will work and assistance provided

You will work within the Utility Partnership division of ROCKBlue, under the guidance of the Director of Utility Partnerships (DUP). You will also be aided by the Administrative Assistant for this division as well as the Utility Specialist assigned to the Utility. We have a roster of over 120 Utility Specialists. Hence, if there is a demand from the utility partner that exceeds the availability or capability of the Utility Specialist, we can refer this demand to the DUP who will help source the additional help.

Responsibilities

• Your activities are largely to facilitate the Performance Tracking Form (PTF). The utility uses a short, 1-2 page, PTF to describe their top objectives for improved performance (e.g., reducing non-revenue water). Hence your engagements with the utility will largely be governed by facilitating dialogue between ROCKBlue and the Utility to strategise on meeting the goals of their PTFs.
• Attend regular calls with the Utility Partnership Division (UPD) for a status update and an understanding of their challenges and coordinate with the Utility Specialist to ensure tasks that are agreed during this call are accomplished.
• Visit utility partners in person once a month to reinforce personal relationships.
• Applying the adage “that which gets measured gets done” the PTF’s are reviewed monthly. You will coordinate with the Utility Specialist as well as ROCKBlue’s Technical Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist to help ensure quality updates every month.
• Attend regular Performance Achievement Workshop Series (PAWS) events each quarter. These may be virtual events.
• Work closely with and under the direction of the DOP and the Technical Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist

Requirements and Qualifications

• Engineering degree and working knowledge of the water sector and utility operations
• Lives close to the partner utility or municipality
• Known by the partner utility/municipality and have at least a general understanding of the work they do
• Must be a national of the country in which the utility/municipality resides
• Strong written and verbal English communication skills
• Effective time management
• Access to a stable internet connection
• A fair understanding of the principles of utility operations

Time commitment

We envision the following limited time commitment for a one-year duration:

• Attending coordination calls and, occasionally, meetings with the utility to discuss our work– anticipated time commitment about 2 hrs every two months
• Contacting the utility on ROCKBlue’s behalf by phone/email/in person to relay communication both ways (ROCKBlue to the utility and the utility to ROCKBlue) – anticipated time commitment about 3 hrs per month

Remuneration

This is a volunteer position