Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Population Services International (PSI) - Ethiopia
Sanitation Engineer Consultant
PSI/Ethiopia
Travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Reports to WASH Director, PSI/E
Who we are
With over 45 years of experience, working in over 60 countries, Population Services International (PSI) is the world’s leading non-profit social marketing organization. PSI is reimagining healthcare, by putting the consumer at the center, and wherever possible – bringing care to the front door. We are working to fix market failures, shape future health markets and shift policy and funding to better support consumer empowered healthcare.
There are over 8,000 “PSI’ers” around the world. We are a diverse group of entrepreneurial development professionals with a wide range of backgrounds and experience. All with unique skills that we bring to the critically important work that we do.
Join us!
PSI/Ethiopia has developed an innovative pay-for-use latrine model in Addis Ababa to address the gap in sanitation access in densely populated low-income settlements. Branded as LiyuClass (Amharic for ‘special’ or ‘first class’), four pilot sites were established in Addis Ketema Sub-city to demonstrate PSI’s proof-of-concept for a franchising model to improve provision of public toilets.
These facilities are run as businesses by local entrepreneurs and associations, and they have proven to be self-sustaining by business operators, and the pilot has demonstrated that customers will pay to use accessible, affordable, clean, safe and secure public sanitation facilities, and that local entrepreneurs are willing to buy into this management model. The model has proven its potential for scale up, but the design of the facilities needs to be re-examined to correct problems that are likely to pose major obstacles to sustainability of the enterprise, financial and structural.
PSI/E has received funding to use user-centered design techniques to re-design its LiyuClass franchise facilities in anticipation of scale up of the pilot. Currently, LiyuClass toilet facilities feature a design that includes hand washing facilities and a shower service. The design is very compact, which allows the business to fit into a small area (3x4 metres for two sets of facilities). However, experience with the design has revealed several challenges:
suitability of construction for the sites provided by the government;
expense of construction materials;
inability to move facilities, if required;
usability issues for customers and operators.
According to a financial sustainability plan developed by PSI/E for Liyu Class scale up to 90 facilities, a reduction in cost in facility construction would have a significant impact on the timeline for achieving net profitability of the franchise enterprise. A reduction in construction costs of 10% would allow the franchise to reach break-even in five years under current funding assumptions. With a 20% reduction in construction costs, break-even would be achieved almost a year earlier. If those savings are put into faster scale up, the long-term outlook is even better, with net profitability within two to three years.
The redesign will have other positive effects, as well, such as higher customer flows (adding one facility has the potential to reach another 36,000 customers each year). With facility design improvements, keeping customer needs and operator efficiency in mind, we also expect customer flows per facility to reach higher numbers, which increases revenue flows for both franchisor and franchisees and further improves the outlook for and speed to sustainability.
We are looking for the consulting services of an experienced sanitation engineer consultant to lead a user-centered design process that results in development of alternative designs for LiyuClass pay-for-use sanitation facilities. This consultancy will require an estimated 15 days and will be carried out during the months of June and July 2018, including approximately 6 days on site in Addis Ababa.
The sanitation engineer consultant will work closely with the PSI/E WASH team and a co-consultant, a design facilitator, to prepare and lead a design workshop that brings together users, operators, local government officials and other stakeholders. The aim of the user-centered design process is to create and prototype alternative designs for the Liyu Class facilities. The consultant will be expected to draw on sanitation facility design and practical development experience to produce functional, effective and aesthetically pleasing designs through active and meaningful engagement of the target audiences.
Sound like you? Read on.
Your contribution
Work closely with design facilitator and PSI/E team to organize the user-cantered design workshop;
Travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to supervise workshop preparations and co-lead workshop activities;
Guide the PSI/E team in procurement of appropriate design and prototyping materials that are easily accessible and affordable in Addis Ababa;
Work with the design facilitator consultant to identify the range of design issues to be addressed during the workshop;
Ensure active engagement with workshop participants and other concerned stakeholders;
Lead testing of facility designs using models, prototypes, and computer-aided design (CAD) technology, as required;
Work with co-consultant to incorporate user input into sketches and final designs;
Incorporate knowledge of current design trends to support innovation in facility design;
Create final facility designs based on input from the design workshop;
With co-consultant, present designs for PSI/E WASH team feedback
Incorporate feedback into final architectural plans and guidelines that will serve as a basis for constructing re-designed facilities for scale up of the project.
What are we looking for?
Relevant university degree in engineering or architecture;
Extensive experience with user-centered product and/or facility design, including leadership of design workshops;
Superior workshop facilitation skills and experience using participatory design techniques;
Experience with engineering/designing public sanitation facilities preferred;
At least 3 years of experience working in a developing country context;
Strong capacity to present in spoken and written English;
Excellent interpersonal communication skills and ability to lead groups to discuss and build consensus through genuine collaboration;
Creative, innovative thinker and ability to inspire creative thinking in others;
Exposure to development programming and work with non-governmental organizations.
STATUS
Exempt
*Due to high volume of applications, only finalists will be contacted. Curious about your status? Please log into your iCIMS account to find out.
PSI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of actual or perceived race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, personal appearance, matriculation, political affiliation, family status or responsibilities, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions or breastfeeding, genetic information, amnesty, veteran, special disabled veteran or uniform service member status or employment status.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Population Services International (PSI) - Ethiopia
Sanitation Engineer Consultant
PSI/Ethiopia
Travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Reports to WASH Director, PSI/E
Who we are
With over 45 years of experience, working in over 60 countries, Population Services International (PSI) is the world’s leading non-profit social marketing organization. PSI is reimagining healthcare, by putting the consumer at the center, and wherever possible – bringing care to the front door. We are working to fix market failures, shape future health markets and shift policy and funding to better support consumer empowered healthcare.
There are over 8,000 “PSI’ers” around the world. We are a diverse group of entrepreneurial development professionals with a wide range of backgrounds and experience. All with unique skills that we bring to the critically important work that we do.
Join us!
PSI/Ethiopia has developed an innovative pay-for-use latrine model in Addis Ababa to address the gap in sanitation access in densely populated low-income settlements. Branded as LiyuClass (Amharic for ‘special’ or ‘first class’), four pilot sites were established in Addis Ketema Sub-city to demonstrate PSI’s proof-of-concept for a franchising model to improve provision of public toilets.
These facilities are run as businesses by local entrepreneurs and associations, and they have proven to be self-sustaining by business operators, and the pilot has demonstrated that customers will pay to use accessible, affordable, clean, safe and secure public sanitation facilities, and that local entrepreneurs are willing to buy into this management model. The model has proven its potential for scale up, but the design of the facilities needs to be re-examined to correct problems that are likely to pose major obstacles to sustainability of the enterprise, financial and structural.
PSI/E has received funding to use user-centered design techniques to re-design its LiyuClass franchise facilities in anticipation of scale up of the pilot. Currently, LiyuClass toilet facilities feature a design that includes hand washing facilities and a shower service. The design is very compact, which allows the business to fit into a small area (3x4 metres for two sets of facilities). However, experience with the design has revealed several challenges:
suitability of construction for the sites provided by the government;
expense of construction materials;
inability to move facilities, if required;
usability issues for customers and operators.
According to a financial sustainability plan developed by PSI/E for Liyu Class scale up to 90 facilities, a reduction in cost in facility construction would have a significant impact on the timeline for achieving net profitability of the franchise enterprise. A reduction in construction costs of 10% would allow the franchise to reach break-even in five years under current funding assumptions. With a 20% reduction in construction costs, break-even would be achieved almost a year earlier. If those savings are put into faster scale up, the long-term outlook is even better, with net profitability within two to three years.
The redesign will have other positive effects, as well, such as higher customer flows (adding one facility has the potential to reach another 36,000 customers each year). With facility design improvements, keeping customer needs and operator efficiency in mind, we also expect customer flows per facility to reach higher numbers, which increases revenue flows for both franchisor and franchisees and further improves the outlook for and speed to sustainability.
We are looking for the consulting services of an experienced sanitation engineer consultant to lead a user-centered design process that results in development of alternative designs for LiyuClass pay-for-use sanitation facilities. This consultancy will require an estimated 15 days and will be carried out during the months of June and July 2018, including approximately 6 days on site in Addis Ababa.
The sanitation engineer consultant will work closely with the PSI/E WASH team and a co-consultant, a design facilitator, to prepare and lead a design workshop that brings together users, operators, local government officials and other stakeholders. The aim of the user-centered design process is to create and prototype alternative designs for the Liyu Class facilities. The consultant will be expected to draw on sanitation facility design and practical development experience to produce functional, effective and aesthetically pleasing designs through active and meaningful engagement of the target audiences.
Sound like you? Read on.
Your contribution
Work closely with design facilitator and PSI/E team to organize the user-cantered design workshop;
Travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to supervise workshop preparations and co-lead workshop activities;
Guide the PSI/E team in procurement of appropriate design and prototyping materials that are easily accessible and affordable in Addis Ababa;
Work with the design facilitator consultant to identify the range of design issues to be addressed during the workshop;
Ensure active engagement with workshop participants and other concerned stakeholders;
Lead testing of facility designs using models, prototypes, and computer-aided design (CAD) technology, as required;
Work with co-consultant to incorporate user input into sketches and final designs;
Incorporate knowledge of current design trends to support innovation in facility design;
Create final facility designs based on input from the design workshop;
With co-consultant, present designs for PSI/E WASH team feedback
Incorporate feedback into final architectural plans and guidelines that will serve as a basis for constructing re-designed facilities for scale up of the project.
What are we looking for?
Relevant university degree in engineering or architecture;
Extensive experience with user-centered product and/or facility design, including leadership of design workshops;
Superior workshop facilitation skills and experience using participatory design techniques;
Experience with engineering/designing public sanitation facilities preferred;
At least 3 years of experience working in a developing country context;
Strong capacity to present in spoken and written English;
Excellent interpersonal communication skills and ability to lead groups to discuss and build consensus through genuine collaboration;
Creative, innovative thinker and ability to inspire creative thinking in others;
Exposure to development programming and work with non-governmental organizations.
STATUS
Exempt
*Due to high volume of applications, only finalists will be contacted. Curious about your status? Please log into your iCIMS account to find out.
PSI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of actual or perceived race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, personal appearance, matriculation, political affiliation, family status or responsibilities, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions or breastfeeding, genetic information, amnesty, veteran, special disabled veteran or uniform service member status or employment status.
Amharic