Municipal Council of Kisumu: Project Coordinator, Engineering Technical Assistant & Finance Technical Assistant

The Municipal Council of Kisumu would like to recruit internationally competent, skilled and experienced staff for Kisumu Urban Project.

1.0 Background of Kisumu

Kisumu is the third largest town in Kenya, with over 700 000 inhabitants and a growth rate estimated at 2.6% per annum.

Over the past 25 years, Kisumu’s municipal boundary has expanded from 40 km² to 497 km² due to demographic growth and uncontrolled urban sprawl. The absence of proper planning policy has led to severe infrastructure backlog and the city’s population lacks access to basic services like water, electricity and healthcare. This lack of public control has also been associated to sprawl of densely populated informal settlements in the surrounding areas.

Currently, Kisumu experiences the highest average urban poverty levels at 48% against a national average of 29% and it lacks adequate shelter with approximately 75% of peri-urban inhabitants living in temporary and semi- permanent structures. The key challenges Kisumu seems to be facing can be categorised as follows:

• urban sprawl,
• slum expansion and informal development,
• Poor solid waste management
• a high level of unemployment and
• Inadequate Service Delivery.

Its against this background that the Kisumu Urban Project has received funding from the French Agency for Development.

2.0 Project Description

The Kisumu Urban Project (KUP) is a pilot project, considered to be innovative both for Kenya and the French Agency for Development (AFD). It is a 4 year-urban development project (2010-2014) funded by the French Agency for Development (AFD), for a total amount of 30 to 40million Euros

Its general objective is to enhance living conditions of Kisumu’s population by introducing a comprehensive urban
programme. The KUP will finance needed public infrastructure and facilities, slum upgrading and local capacity
strengthening (financial, technical and political). Its local ownership and management underlies its specificity.

The overall objective of the KUP is to improve the living conditions of Kisumu’s population while reinforcing the municipal capacities and accountability in a context of ongoing decentralization.

Thus, specific goals pursued by the KUP are:

• modernization of public policies by an enhancement of municipal management system in order to improve the public service delivery;
• improvement of the land management system by upgrading under-equipped estates (slums) and urban planning;
• rehabilitation and creation of public facilities and urban infrastructures

3.0 Summary of Project components:

The KUP aims at emphasizing its investments on actions presenting high social impacts and income-generating
opportunities.

The KUP is comprising of 5 components as listed below:

• Capacity building, fiscal management and spatial planning
• Solid waste management
• Comprehensive slum upgrading
• Commercial equipments and markets
• Public facilities and infrastructures rehabilitation.

In addition, the KUP will focus on 5 cross-cutting issues, concerning every component and being of high significance for the city’s development, these are:

• Environmental preservation and conservation issues,
• employment issues and capacity building issues,
• stakeholders coordination, communities’ participation, gender balance, youth involvement,
• financial management and planning,
• HIV sensitization.

1. Project Coordinator

Country: Kenya
Work Station: Kisumu, Kenya
Client: Municipal Council of Kisumu

Position: Project Coordinator
Duration of services: 2 years renewable
Commencement of services (tentative): September 2010
Concerned Project: Kisumu Urban Project (KUP)

Profile of the expert:

• A Masters degree in Urban development or related fields
• At least 10 years relevant working experience in urban development fields.
• Have experience in management of similar projects in developing countries.
• Has knowledge of Metropolis, local and central government operations and regulations
• Have postgraduate qualifications in project planning and Management.
• 5 years post qualification experience will be an added advantage
• Experience in international assignments will be an added advantage.

Scope of Works and Objectives for the expert

Reports to the Town Clerk

The Coordinator shall

• Be the Project Manager
• The Chief advisor to the Town Clerk and His Worship the Mayor on the Kisumu Urban Project
• Prepare baseline and impact framework for the project
• Prepare annual work plan for the implementation of the Kisumu Urban Project (KUP)
• Supervise Kisumu Urban Project (KUP) implementation
• Supervise procurement process for Short Term Action Plan (STAP) and Medium Term Action Plan(MTAP) studies implementation
• Prepare the progress report
• Ensure coordination between various stakeholders in the project implementation
• Work in consultation with the management and steering committee

Expert skills:

• Good interpersonal relationship
• Managerial skills
• Communication skills (a good command of both written and spoken English)
• Report writing

Expert Capacities:

• Capacity building
• To work with Multi disciplinary teams in a fluid environment

Remuneration:

The expert will be competitively renumerated on negotiated terms based on expert qualifications, experience and capabilities.

2. Engineering Technical Assistant

Country: Kenya
Work Station: Kisumu, Kenya
Client: Municipal Council of Kisumu

Position: Technical Assistant – Civil Engineer
Duration of services: 2 years renewable

Commencement of services (tentative): September 2010
Concerned Project: Kisumu Urban Project (KUP)

Profile of the expert:

• At least a bachelors degree in civil engineering
• At least 10 years post qualification working experience in projects of the same nature and magnitude
• Possess experience in management of similar projects in developing countries.
• Must be a registered engineer with relevant national bodies
• Have at least a postgraduate qualifications in project planning and Management
• Must be internationally recognised to practice

Scope of Works and Objectives for the expert

Reports to the Project Coordinator.

The TA shall:

• Be in charge of drawing of contracts in liaison with the project coordinator.
• In charge of supervision of works
• Prepare progress reports
• Chair site meetings
• Advice on project cash flows
• In charge of preparation of estimates for the works.
• Prepare all the project implementation progress documentation
• Develop a capacity building manual for staff of MCK
• Advise in procuring of consulting firms

Expert skills:

• Good interpersonal relationship
• Managerial skills
• Communication skills (a good command of both written and spoken writing)
• Report writing

Expert capacities:

• Capacity building
• Attention to detail
• To work with Multi disciplinary teams in a fluid environment

Remuneration:

The expert will be competitively renumerated on negotiated terms based on expert qualifications, experience and capabilities.

3. Finance Technical Assistant

Country: Kenya
Work Station: Kisumu, Kenya
Client: Municipal Council of Kisumu

Position: Technical Assistant – Finance
Duration of services: 2 years renewable

Commencement of services (tentative): September 2010
Concerned Project: Kisumu Urban Project (KUP)

Profile of the expert:

• At least masters degree in business or finance related fields
• Professional qualification ACCA or CPA(K) will be mandatory requirement.
• At least 10 years as a finance expert in a big organization.
• Must be a registered practitioner with ICPAK or equivalent national bodies
• Knowledge in accounting packages
• Knowledge in finance management in donor funded projects will be an added advantage
• 5 years post qualification experience will be an added advantage

Scope of Works and Objectives for the expert

Reports to the Project Coordinator.

The Technical Assistant shall:

• Advice the Council on project financial matters
• Expenditure control for the KUP project
• Facilitation of procurement of goods and services for the project
• Budgetary allocations for the KUP project
• Generation of financial reports for the KUP project
• Develop a capacity building manual for MCK finance staff
• Develop financial policies
• Develop internal control systems

Expert skills:

• Good financial analytical skills
• Financial Management skills

Expert Capacities:

• To work with Multi disciplinary teams in a fluid environment

Renumeration:

The expert will be competitively renumerated on negotiated terms based on expert qualifications, experience and capabilities.

4.0 To Apply:

The application should comprise the following documents:

1. A cover letter clearly identifying how they meet the requirements of the post with a comprehensive curriculum vitae attached;
2. Two certified true copies of each degree and professional certificates;
3. Two passport photos;
4. Testimonials (to provide his/her experience);

Interested candidates who are qualified for the posts should send the above mentioned documents to the address below not later than 6st September 2010 at 12.00. Late applications will be rejected.

Detailed job profile can be found on the AFD and the Ministry of Local Government websites.

Daniel S. Nkere
Town Clerk
Municipal Council of kisumu
P.O Box: 105-Kisumu

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