Title: 2030 WRG Maharashtra State Coordinator
Organization: 2030 Water Resources Group/World Bank
Contract type: Short Term Consultant (STC)
Term Duration: 150 days
Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment
Location: Mumbai, India
Required Language(s): English
Preferred Language(s): Marathi (speaking and understanding)
Closing Date: April 5, 2019 11:59pm (EST)

Background/General description:

The 2030 Water Resources Group (2030 WRG) is a public, private, civil society partnership hosted by the World Bank Group. The partnership supports country-level collaboration designed to unite diverse groups with a common interest in the sustainable management of water resources. Our global partners include bilateral agencies and governments (Swiss Development Cooperation, Swedish Development Cooperation, the governments of Hungary and Israel), private companies (Nestlé, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Dow Chemical, Ab InBev), development banks (IFC, World Bank, African Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank), INGOs and IGPs (UNDP, GGGI, GWP, the World Economic Forum, BRAC and IUCN). The 2030 WRG was launched in 2008 at the World Economic Forum and has been hosted by The World Bank Group since 2012.

The primary aim of 2030 WRG is to develop partnerships at a national (or state) level that can assist governments to accelerate actions to increase water resources sustainability and water efficiency across the economy. This is based on the recognition that demands for water are increasing dramatically with economic and population growth, and that, assuming a continuation of current trends, the world is predicted to face a 40 percent gap between available renewable water supply and water demand by the year 2030. It is also based on the recognition that the public and private sectors have a common interest in strengthening water resource management and can achieve far more by acting in partnership than alone.

2030 WRG is currently active in Bangladesh, Mongolia, Vietnam, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and in India, the program is working in the states of Uttar Pradesh/India National, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

In Maharashtra, 2030 WRG in partnership with the Government of Maharashtra, private sector companies, and civil society organizations formalized a Multi-Stakeholder Partnership (MSP). Its high-level Steering Board is chaired by the Chief Secretary. This new partnership has identified three priority workstreams and cross-cutting initiatives:

• Water and Livelihood Security in Rain-fed Agricultural Areas
  2030 WRG is working to deliver coordinated, multi-stakeholder solutions at scale to promote water security and de-risk livelihoods of farmers in rain-fed areas in Maharashtra, through a combination of programmatic approaches, partnership models, financing mechanisms, and policy interventions. The two key initiatives in this respect include the Maharashtra Cotton Water Platform and market linkages in the cotton-belt.
• Wastewater Reuse and Management
  In the industrial and urban sectors, 2030 WRG focuses on policy/governance/tariffs, developing pilots to demonstrate recycling of city sewage and its application in the agriculture sector. The workstream members recently launched the unique Wastewater Reuse Certificates (WRCs) scheme to develop tradable permits for reuse. A Blockchain Hackathon was held recently to crowd-source algorithms to monitor WRCs in a simulated environment.
• Command Area Water Productivity
  This workstream facilitated the launch of a Project Implementation Unit to assist the development of integrated projects dealing with off-farm, on-farm water conservation efforts in the command area and associated market linkages, aligning with the “More Crop per Drop” policy objectives of the Government of Maharashtra.

2030 WRG is spearheading two cross-cutting initiatives related to Gender- Water – Agriculture and Water Accounting/Budgeting. These two cross-cutting themes are also covered in the multi-stakeholder platform. 2030 WRG recently launched a landmark joint publication with UNDP India titled “Gender and Water in Agriculture and Allied Sectors”.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The 2030 WRG Maharashtra State Coordinator will be 2030 WRG’s primary interface and representative for the Maharashtra initiative. The position will serve as a catalyst between public and private sectors and civil society on water and 2030 WRG. The thematic areas of work will include all facets of water in Maharashtra such as resource demand management, policies, projects, programs, and financing mechanisms. This assignment requires extensive experience and engagement with government officials to develop and monitor the program of the 2030 WRG Partnerships. This position will focus on leading the 2030 WRG activities associated with Maharashtra water resources management and report to the India Country Coordinator, Asia Regional Coordinator as well as the Global Program Manager for 2030 WRG. In addition to the responsibilities related to Maharashtra initiative, the position involves substantial knowledge-sharing and synergizing of initiatives in other states in India where 2030 WRG is operating. Specifically, this position requires the pro-active development of linkages between water and other sectors, such as agriculture and urban/industrial sectors.

The position will assist the 2030 WRG to:

1. Develop/ refine the 2030 WRG Maharashtra strategy and implementation plan and contribute, as needed, to strategy development and implementation in the 2030 WRG India program
2. Facilitate and further the role of Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) on Water in Maharashtra and take a leadership role in advancing Maharashtra-MSP activities, specifically leading stakeholder engagement process at the most senior- (minister, Chief Secretary, CEO) and operational levels, across government (central and state), private sector (leading corporate houses, solutions providers, financial institutions), civil society, and other key agencies (e.g., multilaterals, academic institutions), in order to develop trusted relationships with key decision-makers and create/ sustain effective collaborative platforms at overall Maharashtra – and thematic work stream levels
3. Ensure delivery of series of concrete projects and programs along identified work streams, and deliver both short-term (collective action) projects, immediate results and demonstration effects, as well as medium- and longer-term programs and policy improvements for higher impact initiatives; the individual will also lead the secretariat of the MSP, including the Steering Board, Work Streams and Task Forces for specific projects/ programs in Maharashtra and contribute to the key innovations in other states in India
4. Maintain active dialogue with relevant parallel initiatives related to Maharashtra water resources management that are managed by local, multilateral and/or bilateral agencies, and develop appropriate collaborations and synergy
5. Lead additional analytical studies as and when required, including development of ToRs, and selection and supervision of consultants
6. Support overall knowledge management with regard to multi-stakeholder processes in general and related to Maharashtra water resources management in particular, by collaboration with relevant knowledge institutes, think tanks and government agencies. Also contribute in bringing in best practices from other states/countries to the Maharashtra program
7. Provide on daily basis leadership to the 2030 WRG Maharashtra team and strengthen their capacity by contributing experiences with water- and/or private sector development and leveraging relevant networks for water resources management
8. Develop and implement the 2030 WRG Maharashtra communication strategy and outreach agenda, including identification of relevant fora where 2030 WRG should have a presence
9. Actively pursue local (national/state level) funding mobilization opportunities from government, donor agencies and/or private sector (in line with World Bank Group donor/ client engagement policy and procedures) and ensure appropriate partner/ donor/ client relationship management
10. Lead overall program management including resources mobilization/approvals, reporting, budgeting and other administrative tasks
11. Ensure relevance and highest quality of activities and deliverables
12. Collaborate closely with the broader 2030 WRG Asia team and explore mechanisms to strengthen knowledge management within 2030 WRG Asia; additionally, to consider new ways to synthesize lessons learnt and communicate results externally to interested parties
13. Contribute to the 2030 WRG partnership goals, knowledge development, communication and networks as and when required including representing 2030 WRG as an expert speaker/panelist at various conferences or events
14. Identify opportunities to collaborate with the World Bank and IFC offices, where relevant

Selection criteria:

The required skills and experience are as follows:

• Masters level degree in natural resource management, engineering, irrigation, water resource management, economics, finance, or equivalent
• At least 15 years of relevant professional experience, of which a minimum of (a) five years in the field of water/ natural resource management and/or sustainability, and (b) five years in private sector (development)
• Knowledge of and relationships with the various 2030 WRG stakeholders (public sector, private sector and civil society) in Maharashtra
• Solid understanding of political economy, water policies, stakeholders, strategies, institutions, and regulations in Maharashtra and other states in India
• Experience in program management and managing consultants a plus, delivering within tight timelines
• Excellent verbal and written skills, and ability to present ideas and information both clearly and concisely
• Excellent organizational, team player, multi-tasking skills with strong sense of initiative and responsibility
• Entrepreneurial attitude with ability to identify and develop new opportunities outside of immediate scope of work
• Results oriented, and ability to monitor and report on a project cycle basis and work effectively in a team-oriented, multi-cultural environment
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills and ability to develop and maintain effective relations within internal and external stakeholders
• Fluency in Hindi and Marathi (speaking and understanding) preferred
• Fluency in English essential

How To Apply
Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, CV, and list of at least three references to aradhakrishnan3@worldbank.org no later than Friday, April 5, 2019.
Kindly use the subject line “2030 WRG Maharashtra State Coordinator”.