Senior Shelter Cluster Coordination Officer At UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

In complex humanitarian emergencies where UNHCR is designated as the Shelter Cluster (SC) Lead Agency under the Cluster Approach, the Senior Shelter Cluster Coordination Officer performs a dedicated coordination, strategy development and advocacy function. The incumbent reports directly to the UNHCR Representative who has final accountability for the performance of UNHCR as Cluster Lead Agency. The incumbent liaises with the Global Shelter Cluster Coordinator who has global responsibility for the performance of UNHCR as Global Cluster Lead Agency.
The Senior Shelter Cluster Coordination Officer effectuates UNHCR’s commitment to work within the framework of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) and the Cluster Approach. The UNHCR SC Lead Agency functions, embodied in the role of the Senior Shelter Cluster Coordination Officer, are critical in ensuring UNHCR¿s leadership within a diverse shelter community. The incumbent is expected to perform UNHCR’s lead role in the SC and to impartially represent the interests of the members of the Shelter Cluster, including the provision of active support, as applicable, to sub-national clusters which may be coordinated by other Agencies. As a result, the incumbent leads an inter-agency team in an environment that requires high standards of accountability and demonstrable leadership, coordination, negotiation and conflict resolution skills, and in which the principles of partnership and collaboration are essential.
The Senior Shelter Cluster Coordination Officer represents the SC in Inter-Cluster Coordination mechanisms. The incumbent ensures appropriate cross-sectoral coordination with other related clusters such as WASH, CCCM, Protection (HLP) and others, advocates for shelter in the humanitarian response, leads the mainstreaming of early recovery activities in the Shelter Cluster, and spearheads the integration of cross-cutting issues into the work of the Shelter Cluster, especially age, gender, diversity, HIV, environment.
The Senior Shelter Cluster Coordination Officer works closely with and/or directly supervises a multi-functional SC Support team, including, but not limited to, the areas of information management, needs assessment, technical support, shelter recovery, reporting and advocacy.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR¿s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties

Strategic Direction and Coordination

• Ensure that UNHCR delivers on its commitments and accountability as lead of the Shelter Cluster. Manage the team deployed or hired in country to coordinate the Shelter Cluster.
• Ensure that strong working relationships are established with all cluster members at national and in all sub-national locations in order to facilitate effective collaboration and communication. Upon consultations with SC members, take final decision over format and frequency of meetings, designation of focal points and the establishment of a strategic advisory group, sub-national clusters, Technical Working Groups and ad hoc/task-related bodies for specific issues.
• Ensure that coordination services, including meetings, are provided in line with the Principles of Partnership, ensuring that cluster coordination is inclusive, consultative and results-oriented at national level and in all the different sub-national locations.
• Under the framework of the Inter-Agency contingency Plan, lead the development of contingency plans, the revision of existing contingency planning and emergency preparedness measures and ensure they are updated and developed.
• Develop an SC Strategy in a consultative process with SC partners including the local government and ensure that the shelter response is driven by this strategy. Update as appropriate the SC Strategy: ensure proper linkages with disaster risk reduction, relief, and recovery and development efforts.
• Ensure that the SC Strategy is integrated into the Humanitarian Country Team¿s common humanitarian action plan.
• Promote accountability to affected population, participation of local and national stakeholders such as civil groups, and ensure coordination with government counterparts and other relevant authorities.
• Ensure that appropriate transitional measures are in place for handing over to the government or recovery and development actors.
• Ensure the establishment and maintenance of the cluster structure including the cluster core documents as defined by the Global Shelter Cluster guidance: Strategy, Technical Standards, and Factsheet.
• Lead the evaluation of the cluster¿s performance. Based on the feedback of this evaluation, work with Shelter Cluster members to develop a plan of response to improve the cluster¿s performance.

Needs Assessment, Resources Mobilization and Allocation

• Lead, coordinate and conduct within the SC or at Inter-Cluster level shelter needs assessments, including participatory assessments.
• Set up a system to ensure the timely availability of data to inform operational decisions by partners and strategic decisions of the Humanitarian Country Team.
• Ensure that the SC covers all identified shelter needs of the affected population and not only those relating to the specific mandate of individual members of the Shelter Cluster.
• Provide transparent strategic direction to the development of common funding criteria, resource mobilisation and prioritization within the SC for inclusion in Consolidated Appeals and pooled funds processes.
• Establish mechanisms for accountable and transparent financial resource allocation within the cluster.

Capacity Development

• Ensure capacity building of the government counterpart or the organization that will take over the coordination of the cluster once this is phased out.
• Coordinate the delivery of shelter training activities for SC members, other local partners, and relevant authorities.
• Coordinate initiatives to build the shelter capacity of the national and local government, partners and civil society.

Standard Setting and Implementation

• Ensure that the shelter response is informed by appropriate relevant Technical Standards including among others Sphere, and good practice.
• Ensure appropriate collaboration with shelter response-related clusters of CCCM, Early Recovery, Education, Health, Logistics, Protection and WASH in the work of the Shelter Cluster.
• Coordinate the integration of cross-cutting issues in the work of the Shelter Cluster, including age, gender, environment, diversity.
• Through Cluster-wide consultative processes, provide input into the development of global shelter policy and standards led by the Global Shelter Cluster.

Information Management, Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting

• Ensure that the SC has a functional information management strategy and mechanism to report and share information within the Shelter Cluster, with the other clusters, with the government, with the overall humanitarian community including donors, with UNHCR internal mechanisms, and with the Global Shelter Cluster.
• Ensure that the SC produces analytical shelter reports, including the Factsheet. Promote that information on affected population is disaggregated by sex and age. Implement decisions on indicators to measure impact and performance of SC members.
• Ensure that the SC maintains an updated website and produces regular updates on the shelter concerns of the affected population, the response by the shelter actors, the gaps, challenges and recommendations.
• Promote and ensure monitoring and evaluation of the impact of operations carried out by cluster members and the performance of the coordination team.
• Appraise the performance of any directly supervised personnel of the SC coordination team.

Advocacy, Promotion and Fundraising

• Identify core advocacy concerns for the SC through a consultative process: develop joint cluster/ inter-cluster initiatives to ensure regular and consistent advocacy.
• Represent the SC in meetings with sectoral and external partners, authorities, donors and other relevant interlocutors.
• Issue reports and make advocacy statements on behalf of the Shelter Cluster.
• Negotiate with the Humanitarian Coordinator/Resident Coordinator, the Humanitarian Country Team and cluster members the prioritization and inclusion of project proposals and common funding criteria for inclusion in inter-agency funding appeals.
• Direct transparent and accountable financial and other resource allocation within the Shelter Cluster, when required, such as with regard to CERF or CHF.
• Approach donors and other potential sources of funding to explain the SC strategy, challenges, and progress, and to advocate for funding for the overall shelter sector.
• Coordinate with UNHCR and other partners to maximize communication impact to donors and others on the SC priorities.
• Ensure a consistent interpretation and application of international law and related UNHCR and IASC legal standards and policies for the adequate provision of shelter.
• Ensure the Shelter Cluster¿s adherence to international human rights instruments, the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement as well as other relevant international and regional instruments; in cooperation with the Humanitarian Country Team.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P4/NOD – 9 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 8 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 7 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education
Shelter-related sciences (e.g. civil engineering or architecture) or other relevant field.
(Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential)