Position Description - Engineers Without Borders Asia

Position Description
Placement Title
Partner Organisation
Location
Duration of placement
Expected placement dates
Application deadline
Design team placement
Proximity Designs
Yangon, Myanmar
6 months
1 September – 28 February 2015
8th May 2015
About EWB-Asia
Engineers Without Borders Asia is a Singapore-based non-profit organisation that empowers
disadvantaged communities by improving their quality of life through sustainable engineering
solutions. Working in partnership with community-based organisations locally and in the region, we
provide opportunities for engineers to contribute their expertise to address community needs
through skilled volunteerism.
International programmes:
EWB-Asia supports the work of local community-based organisations working in areas of
humanitarian engineering and appropriate technology, by facilitating and supporting their technical
development through capacity building projects.
We provide this support through the long-term placements of volunteer engineers. Over the duration
of 6-12 months, our volunteers will provide relevant engineering support and expertise to our partner
on a specific program or project, as well as carry out technical capacity building within our partner
organisation and with the local communities that they work with.
These placements offer the volunteers the opportunity to work hands-on in the field, gain better
understanding of social, economic and cultural contexts in bringing technology to people and
communities, and insights into delivering engineering aid that is appropriate and sustainable.
About the Partner Organisation
Partner
Proximity Designs
Organisation
Mission
Proximity began life in 2004 as a country office of iDE. Eight years on, they are
statement and
accessible to nearly 80% of the rural population, employing a nationwide staff of
organisation
over 450, and offering a complete range of services that address many of the
background
most pressing needs of rural families.
Proximity initially focused on creating affordable irrigation products tailored to
the Myanmar farmer. They work on building a distribution network through
teams of field staff across their project regions. To make these technologies
accessible to thousands more rural families, they developed a product financing
service, such as a crop loan service that provides credit for critical inputs, to help
farmers set themselves up for a successful season. They have since launched a
successful range of solar lighting, and are beginning to spin off their crop loans
into a larger entity called Proximity Finance.
Engineers Without Borders Asia is a Singapore-registered Charity and Company Limited by Guarantee
UEN: 201408320W | TripleOne Somerset #12-05, 111 Somerset Road, Singapore 238164 | ewb-asia.sg
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Position Description
Activities
Proximity has several business units focusing on irrigation, energy, farm advisory,
product financing, crop financing infrastructure and research. Together they
address many of the most pressing needs of Myanmar rural families.
Irrigation Products:
The Proximity irrigation products are designed with quality and almost next-tocost affordability. These products include four foot-powered water pumps, a
complete drip irrigation system and two portable water storage tanks. They
replace the back-breaking and time-consuming work of hauling water from the
well to the field in heavy sprinkler cans.
Energy:
Proximity’s energy business unit currently focuses on solar lanterns but are
exploring the potential for larger solar options such as solar home systems and
micro-grids. Their solar lanterns tap into a real need for cheap, sustainable
lighting and mobile phone charging options in rural areas. They currently offer
solar lights designed in the U.S. by d.light Designs.
Farm Advisory Service:
The Farm Advisory Service organises teams of skilled agronomists to be on call
throughout the Ayeyarwady delta region and they can deploy to a farm and
begin assessment within hours of being notified. Once there, they help farmers
come up with the perfect, affordable solution to their problem. More than over
35,000 farmers have also been trained in a bundle of techniques that increase
yields and improve crop health.
Size and structure
of organisation
EWB-Asia’s
history with
organisation
Financing:
Proximity has innovative financial solutions for rural smallholders. They range
from credit to purchase one of our solar home systems to an affordable crop loan
that will make a prosperous harvest possible. Proximity has two lending
operations: Yetagon Credit is an in-house small-asset financing arm for our
irrigation and energy products while Proximity Finance provides growers with
ongoing access to credit.
Proximity has a total staff count of 460, mostly comprising of field staff
The Yangon office has about 60-70 staff, of which 10-15 are international staff
This will be the pioneer EWB-Asia placement with Proximity design
About the position
Placement
The overarching objective of the placement is to:
objectives
 To work with the Design team in the development of affordable irrigation
products tailored to the Myanmar farmer
Key tasks and
To achieve these objectives, the EWB-Asia field volunteer will:
responsibilities
Engineers Without Borders Asia is a Singapore-registered Charity and Company Limited by Guarantee
UEN: 201408320W | TripleOne Somerset #12-05, 111 Somerset Road, Singapore 238164 | ewb-asia.sg
Page 2 of 5
Position Description

Working
relationships:
immediate
supervisor &
counterpart(s)/te
am
Office/field
location
Working hours
Annual leave
Work language
Communications
Access to IT,
computers etc.
Access to
transport
Accommodation
Support the product development process in his/her area of expertise e.g.
industrial, electrical, or mechanical design
 Make trips to rural communities to carry out empathy studies and needs
assessments
 Work in close collaboration with the Design team and contribute to building
up the capacity of the team through advice, support and knowledge sharing
This position will be:
 Supervised by the Design team lead, Mr. Taiei Harimoto
 Working in close collaboration with the Design team, particularly Mr. Aung
Ko Ko (Design team co-leader)
The volunteer will mainly be working at the Design workshop in Yangon, with
frequent visits to the Yangon head office and occasional travels to rural
communities
8:30am – 5:15pm from Monday to Friday with 45 min lunch break
20 days per year, with 10 days additional medical leave allowance, pro-rated to
the placement duration
Leave to be agreed upon with your supervisor and EWB-Asia project coordinator
The main language in Myanmar is Burmese but some members in the design
team are able to speak English. It’s is highly recommended you allocate time and
energy to learning Burmese so as to get the most out of your experience and
integrate better in the team.
Mobile phone and internet coverage is sufficient for most places and are
improving
Basic IT needs will be met by the partner organisation
WiFi is available in the office and workshop
The volunteer can bring and use his/her personal laptop if he/she prefers to
Motorbikes are illegal in Yangon. Most people travel by car or public transport
(bus and taxi). A company vehicle will available for work related activities, with a
company driver - the volunteer is not allowed to drive the company car
Proximity will be able to help source for accommodation close to the route of the
company’s pickup vehicle
Selection criteria
Essential
Citizenship
Knowledge


Technical skills,
qualifications and
Experience





Singaporean or PR preferred
Understanding of community development, capacity development and
current development issues
Understanding of EWB-Asia’s mission, vision and values
Understanding of user centered design
Degree or experience in Industrial design and/or
Degree or experience in Mechanical Engineering and/or
Degree or experience in Electrical Engineering
Engineers Without Borders Asia is a Singapore-registered Charity and Company Limited by Guarantee
UEN: 201408320W | TripleOne Somerset #12-05, 111 Somerset Road, Singapore 238164 | ewb-asia.sg
Page 3 of 5
Position Description


Desirable
Knowledge
Skills
Experience
Knowledge, skills and experiences relating to quality control and quality
assurance
Experience working in dynamic and flexible cross cultural environments





Qualification in community development or international studies
An understanding of rural community development in Myanmar
Understanding of frugal innovation
Leadership and teamwork in an international setting
Experience working in a developing country, and/or community-based
NGOs










Patient (in daily living and communication)
Strong technical knowledge allowing quick grasp of concepts and ideas
Team player who is also excited to contribute to the team
Enthusiasm and passion for the cause
Flexibility
Good learning attitude
Adaptable and resilient
Willingness to travel to rural areas
People oriented
Strong communication skills
Personal attributes
EWB-Asia financial and other support
Living allowance
The volunteer will be provided an allowance for living and basic
accommodation while overseas
Travel
Airfares to host country at commencement and completion of placement
Other
 Pre-departure training and briefing including first aid training
 Work visa expenses
 Travel and emergency evacuation insurance
 Technical support from EWB-Asia mentors
Timing
The role consists of three important phases beginning in May 2015, including a 6-month field
placement commencing at the beginning of July 2015.
Phase 1: Pre Pre-departure preparation (pre-departure training, medical clearances,
departure – May
administrative)
to June 2015
 Language and cultural immersion
 Identifying additional resources and support for the project
 Communicating with the Partner Organisation to discuss and clarify the
project and role requirements
Phase 2: Field
 Departure to host country and partner organisation
operations – 1
Engineers Without Borders Asia is a Singapore-registered Charity and Company Limited by Guarantee
UEN: 201408320W | TripleOne Somerset #12-05, 111 Somerset Road, Singapore 238164 | ewb-asia.sg
Page 4 of 5
Position Description
July to 31
December 2015
Phase 3: Post
field alumni

Working alongside counterparts within the partner organisation to meet your
position objections and build organisational and technical capacity
 Submission of quarterly monitoring and evaluation reports
Return to Singapore to join the EWB-Asia Alumni. Activities expected include:
 Submission of final monitoring and evaluation report
 Actively participate in a local project team for a minimum of 6 months, on a
volunteer basis
 Participate and share experiences in various EWB-Asia events including Meet
and Greet sessions and other outreach media
 Mentor future field volunteers preparing to work with the partner
organisation
How to apply
Please complete the volunteer application form (download from EWB-Asia website) and submit with
your CV (maximum 2 page). We cannot assess applications that do not address the selection criteria.
Applications close on FRIDAY 8TH MAY 2015 (applications will be assessed as they are received)
Please complete and return applications to international_program@ewb-asia.sg with “Application –
Proximity (Design team)” as the subject title.
For more information contact us at international_program@ewb-asia.sg
What happens if I am successful?
Candidates who pass the application stage will be asked to attend a face-to-face interview, and
reference checks. Should these stages be cleared, a formal offer for the placement will be made.
Confirmation of placement is also subject to:
 Formal approval from the overseas partner organisation
 Procurement of visa and work permits
 Satisfactory completion of a first aid certificate
 Satisfactory participation in pre-departure training run by EWB-Asia
 A satisfactory medical examination of the applicant
Engineers Without Borders Asia is a Singapore-registered Charity and Company Limited by Guarantee
UEN: 201408320W | TripleOne Somerset #12-05, 111 Somerset Road, Singapore 238164 | ewb-asia.sg
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