Website Practical Action
Senior Project Officer – Engineer
ABOUT US
We are an international development organisation putting ingenious ideas to work so people in poverty can change their world.
We help people find solutions to some of the world’s toughest problems. Challenges made worse by catastrophic climate change and persistent gender inequality. We work with communities to develop ingenious, lasting and locally owned solutions for agriculture, water and waste management, climate resilience and clean energy. And we share what works with others, so answers that start small can grow big.
We’re a global change-making group. The group consists of a UK registered charity with community projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America, an independent development publishing company and a technical consulting service. We combine these specialisms to multiply our impact and help shape a world that works better for everyone.
OUR AIMS
We help people find solutions to some of the world’s toughest problems, made worse by catastrophic climate change and persistent gender inequality. Our aims are to:
- Make agriculture work better for smallholder farmers, many of them women, so they can
adapt to climate change and achieve a good standard of living - Help more people harness the transformational effects of clean affordable energy and reduce avoidable deaths caused by smoke from indoor stoves and fires.
- Make cities in poorer countries cleaner, healthier places to live and work.
- Build disaster resilience into the lives of people threatened by hazards – reducing the risk of hazards and minimising their impact on lives and livelihoods.
HOW WE WORK
We work on holistic solutions that change systems and have a framework to help us achieve our aims:
- Analyse the root causes of a poverty and vulnerability
- Define the change at scale we need to make
- Develop activities along three complementary paths: Demonstrate, Learn and Inspire.
– Demonstrate that our solutions are sustainable in the real world
– Learn by capturing evidence and adapting our approach
– Inspire wider support to multiply our impact.
OUR ORGANISATION
Practical Action is an unconventional, multi-disciplinary changemaking organisation
- A highly innovative community development charity operating in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Practical Action community projects use ingenious ideas to design, test, refine and prove new ways to overcome poverty and disadvantage and then ‘open-source’ knowledge of what works so that it can be implemented at a greater scale by others.
- A world-class consulting operation that helps socially responsible business, government policy makers and other development organisations. This draws on learnings from our own development work as well as the combined brainpower of a roster of over 2,000 expert consultants. Practical Action Consulting helps to extend the reach of our influence by providing the best advice to others, whose work can make a bigger difference.
- A well respected specialist development publisher. Practical Action Publishing brings together development practitioners, researchers and thought leaders to create publications that stimulate discussion, strengthen peoples’ capabilities and inspire sustainable change.
About the project:
Practical Action jointly with AssetCool is going to implement Retrofit Application of Spectrally Selective Coatings to Overhead Lines (RASSCOL) technology project in Nepal with funding from Innovate UK. This innovative endeavor aims to enhance the efficiency and capacity of existing overhead lines through the application of specialized coatings and sensors. It involves collaboration with the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) and local stakeholders to identify suitable lines, conduct training, execute coating and sensor installation, and perform comprehensive evaluations.
The key objectives of the project are as follows:
- Identify suitable thermally limited lines for retrofit coating.
- Train local lineperson and contractors in the utilization of RASSCOL technology.
- Execute the clean, coat, and sensor installation process on the selected lines.
- Monitor the uprating of retrofit coated conductors.
- Achieve Technology Readiness Level 8 (TRL8) for commercialization of RASSCOL.
JOB PROFILE
Responsible to: Head of Programme Delivery
Matrix: Thematic Lead- Energy
Grade: 6
Line Manages: NA
Unit: Programme Delivery
Location: Kathmandu
Purpose, Scope and Relationships
The purpose of the role is to lead and oversee all aspects of the project, ensuring timely task completion and achieving project objectives.
The scope is to be responsible for the planning and coordination, stakeholder engagement, resource management, technical oversight; and reporting and documentation of the project.
The key working relationship is with the Head of Programme Delivery, the Thematic Team, the Programme Delivery Team, the Business Development and Programme Quality Team, the Communication Specialist, the Finance and Services Team, and the Concerned UK Team. S/he will coordinate with all stakeholders relevant to this project.
Job Functions and Responsibilities
Delivering Performance – 80%
Planning, monitoring and reporting of the project activities
a. Planning and Coordination:
- Prepares annual, quarterly, and monthly implementation plans (physical and financial) to effectively execute the Project activities as stipulated in the Project document.
- Coordinate with project partners, stakeholders, and subcontractors to ensure smooth activity execution.
- Establishes a strong working relationship with Thematic Lead, Programme Delivery, MEL, communication, finance, and services
- Monitors project progress, and implement corrective actions as necessary to mitigate risks and delays.
- Prepares and update project risk register and mitigation activities.
- Ensure Project monitoring, reporting and learning in line ensuring expected results of the project.
b. Stakeholder Engagement:
- Engages with NEA, local authorities, and other stakeholders to facilitate collaboration and garner support for project activities.
- Coordinates with Thematic Lead (energy), other technical teams, and the communication team to deliver agreed knowledge outputs for sharing project learning with all stakeholders.
- Organizes meetings, workshops and other information dissemination events with different stakeholders as demanded by the project.
- Involves in various learning sharing events at local, provincial and national level to share the project knowledge as well as to influence the policy process
- Works closely with the Head of Programme Delivery, other Project Managers, and relevant units of Practical Action to achieve effective synergy and collaboration.
- Works closely with Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning unit to assure the quality of interventions and to report as required by global indicators of Practical Action.
- Ensures project visibility and profiling in coordination with communication unit of Practical Action
c. Resource Management:
- Manages project resources, including budget, equipment, and personnel, to optimize efficiency and effectiveness.
- Procures necessary materials and services in accordance with project requirements and budgetary constraints.
- Provides operational support to AssetCool on local logistics, report writing, data analyses and communication.
d. Technical Oversight:
- Provides technical oversight and guidance throughout the project lifecycle, ensuring adherence to quality standards and best practices.
- Liaises with AssetCool, technical experts and consultants to address technical challenges and ensure the successful implementation of RASSCOL technology.
- Coordinates to carry out load analysis on transmission assets and determine lines at thermal capacity.
- Provides inputs to carry out a full cost-benefit analysis of AssetCool’s technology about existing methods.
- Prepares materials and conducts training sessions with NEA linespersons and local contractors regarding sensor installation/handling, data collection, storage, housing, and analysis.
- Records and store temperature data of coated conductors.
- Conducts techno-economic analysis of capital cost, operating cost, productivity, operational performance, scalability, environmental compliance and financial viability
e. Reporting and Documentation:
- Prepare regular progress reports for project stakeholders and donors, including milestone achievements, budget expenditures, and risk assessments.
- Maintain accurate documentation of project activities, including meeting minutes, correspondence, and deliverables.
Managing Relationships – 20%
- Develops and strengthen networks of peers and professional contacts outside the organization for the project.
- Maintains relationships with the local, provincial, and national level stakeholders, ensuring that transparency at all levels is maintained and project information is communicated to relevant stakeholders in a timely fashion.
Organizational Policies, Safeguarding and Code of Conduct
- Ensure that all involved acting on the organisation’s behalf is well aware on Safeguarding Policy, Diversity and Dignity in the Workplace Policy, Code of Conduct, Fraud policy and Whistleblowing policy.
- Ensure beneficiaries whom we work with are aware of the safeguarding policy including the reporting lines when appropriate.
- Be responsible that anyone acting on our behalf has signed up to the Safeguarding and Code of Conduct policies
- Ensure our ethics and values, as set out in our Code of Conduct and related policies, including safeguarding, are embedded in team culture and well modelled by others. Ensure that reporting structure is well promoted and respond to all concerns appropriately.
- Responsible for gender responsive behaviour in all actions and decisions. Ensure non-discriminative behavior based on gender, age, sex, race, ethnic background, culture, disability, nationality, religion and marital status. Is sensitive and adaptable to gender and social inclusion
DIVERSITY & DIGNITY AT WORK
The organization is committed to Diversity and Dignity at work and has a written policy. You have a personal responsibility for the practical application of the policy. A copy of the relevant policy is available on netconsent or from the People & Culture team.
SAFEGUARDING
The organization is committed to safeguarding those who come into contact with our work and has a written policy. You have a personal responsibility for the practical application of the policy. A copy of the relevant policy is available on netconsent or from the People & Culture team. You will be required to attend a mandatory safeguarding training course and complete the global induction programme modules, which are funded by the organisation and will be arranged as part of your induction process.
CODE OF CONDUCT
We expect anyone acting on our behalf to uphold good standards of behaviour that embody our organisational values. A copy of the relevant policy is available on netconsent or from the People & Culture team.
PERSON PROFILE
To be successful in the role, the ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate:
EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE
- Five years of relevant experience in managing complex projects in the energy or infrastructure sector, preferably in an international development context.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to coach/train others.
- Strong leadership and communication skills, with the ability to effectively engage with diverse stakeholders and facilitate consensus.
- Proficiency in project management tools and methodologies, with a track record of delivering projects on time and within budget.
- Knowledge of renewable energy technologies, national grid electricity, NEA, and regulatory requirements in Nepal would be advantageous.
- Proactive and resilient, with the ability to engage others within the team and independently overcome obstacles. Ability to work effectively as part of a team.
BEHAVIOURS & MOTIVATIONS
The most important practical behaviors for role success are:
- Completing
- Collaborative
- Creative
- Dynamic
- Qualifications: At least bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering, Project Management, or a related field. Master’s degree is preferred.
Submit a cover letter along with the duly filled standard application form to hr@practicalaction.org.np
Listing details
Closing Date: 12 May 2024
Location: Nepal
Supporting documents