Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Senior Advisor

The Office of Infrastructure, Engineering, and Energy (OIEE) supports Mission programming efforts in support of USAID/Haiti’s infrastructure development goals.  With a planned budget of $500 million over the US Government (USG) Haiti Strategy period, OIEE manages large-scale infrastructure activities, advises Mission senior staff, and provides specialized guidance to other technical teams within the Mission.  OIEE’s portfolio consists of four main components: housing and settlements, ports, health infrastructure, and energy.  OIEE will also provide project management and engineering support to a new Mission-wide initiative on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene.

Water is at the heart of integrated development.  Limitations on the amount or quality of water available will determine the success of interventions in health (diarrheal disease and child survival, infection control in health facilities, population growth around water points, etc.).  Water accessibility also impacts economic opportunities in agriculture, livestock, and industry, and environmental sustainability.  Water resources management as well as water supply and sanitation infrastructure/service provision can be highly attractive and effective entry points for democracy and governance activities.  Water-related activities are a high priority of local governments.  Decision-making and management of the water resource itself (access/allocation, conflict resolution, and protection) as well as maintenance, operations, and cost-recovery related to water infrastructure are important means of developing community governance capacity and strengthening local government institutions and policies.  Increasing access to potable water and improved sanitation and hygiene are essential to achieving targeted development outcomes and sustained poverty reduction.