Shelter Officer At UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Shelter Officer conducts comprehensive sectoral needs assessments in liaison with other relevant sectors such as protection, programme, community services, public health, WASH, administration and supply. To ensure the most effective response, both quantitative and qualitative data should be gathered on the profile/needs and living conditions of both the displaced population and host community. In first instance, the incumbent ensures that UNHCR Field Operations are supported in carrying out shelter, infrastructure and settlement needs assessments taking into account the current situation, projected population planning figures and the expected scale of returns.
Close and regular contact is also maintained with technical and non-technical staff of UN Agencies, Implementing Partners, and shelter sector members, national and international NGOs and Government Authorities. The incumbent also discusses matters relating to shelter and infrastructure coordination and provision. S/he normally reports to a Senior Shelter colleague or Technical Coordinator and maintains a strong collaboration with the Shelter and Settlements Section in HQ.
Specialized functions to be dealt with by the incumbent include shelter & infrastructure design, planning, implementation and construction monitoring including remote monitoring (if necessary) throughout all phases of the sheltering cycle, therefore the person should have a strong academic qualification in civil engineering, architecture or a related discipline.
The incumbent ensures that shelter responses within the Area of Responsibility (AoR) evolve according to the changing nature of the situation, progressively working towards more durable solutions and drawing from local building practices and materials.
Within an urban context, it is essential that shelter responses take into consideration urban planning strategies, including an analysis of residential areas, housing affordability and availability. In addition, regardless of the context, shelter assistance should at all times minimize the risk of eviction, exploitation and abuse, overcrowded living conditions, limited access to services and unhygienic conditions. Special attention must be given to the environment and low carbon approaches, attention to material selection through sustainable means to ensure a green approach to shelter delivery.

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

Technical Guidance

• Develop and periodically update a suitable shelter approach for the Operation, taking into consideration area-based multi-sectoral approaches, age and gender, culture, climate, environmental protection and the availability of local resources, including materials, capacities and existing infrastructure.
• Carry out comprehensive sectoral needs assessments while liaising with other relevant sectors such as protection, programme, community services, WASH, administration and supply. Engage with the relevant stakeholders to ensure that the beneficiary selection process prioritises the shelter needs of the most vulnerable Persons of Concern (POC) are addressed.
• Contribute to the development of shelter strategies and periodically review them to reflect evolving situations and ensure alignment with national and global level policies and guidelines including: the Global Compact on Refugees, Sustainable Development Goals, Relevant Global Strategies and Policies.
• Provide shelter responses that are developed in line with the Master Planning Principles and designed to adapt to an area-based approach in implementation.
• Review, identify and monitor shelter programmes and initiate responses to address the gaps in collaboration and coordination with key UNHCR technical staff, operational partners and authorities as required.
• When planning shelter solutions, ensure that due consideration is given to standards in other relevant sectors such as water and sanitation, infrastructure for reception, education and health so that implementation is synchronised and coordinated.
• Enforce the adherence of technical elements to standards that reflect UNHCR and other international minimum standards and implementation within budgetary requirements for all shelter and infrastructure works.
• Establish clear guidance and detailed standards for coordinated shelter assessments, specific to the operational context in line with emergency standards and long-term durable shelter solutions.
• Monitor and follow up the design and construction works to confirm these are approved by the relevant authorities, technically sound, supplemented with accurate drawings, detailed BOQs and specifications.
• Provide technical information on the SIP (settlement information portal), and ensure shelter dashboards are populated with relevant data, prepare mission reports and debrief.
• Advice UNHCR¿s implementing partners on sound technical shelter and settlement issues while ensuring compliance with global, national and operational strategies and guidance.
• Disseminate and ensure compliance with appropriate internationally accepted shelter standards, best practice and guidelines within UNHCR and among partners to meet quality and oversight expectations.

Coordination and Leadership

• Ensure that UNHCR¿s operation is technically sound in the field of shelter, construction and infrastructure development within the AoR to best meet the needs of POC.
• Coordinate and manage UNHCR¿s shelter and infrastructure interventions in a timely, cost-effective, inter-sectoral manner providing adequate delivery of technical interventions and services to support operational needs. Liaise with the government, line ministries and relevant authorities and counterparts to ensure strong coordination and partnership.
• Where activated, ensure a close and operational leading role in the Shelter Cluster so that UNHCR¿s operational footprint is aligned with the agency goals. In refugee operations, take on the role of the coordination of shelter and settlement activities in line with the Refugee Coordination Model.
• Participate, as technical focal point for shelter/infrastructure, in coordination meetings with various stakeholders including Government counterparts to ensure UNHCR¿s interests and those of the POCs are adequately reflected and disseminate information to all stakeholders in a timely, efficient manner.
• Coordinate with partners to assess, analyse and map available information on shelter options in country considering relevant policies, guidelines and plans adopted by the Government.

Collaboration

• Collaborate with Programme and emphasise the importance of reviewing technical components of the Project Partnership Agreements that contain any construction and infrastructure projects. Provide advice to Programme during Implementing Partner Selection of shelter sector partners.
• Work with Programme as an active member of the Multi-Functional Team in the Operation and regularly participate in multi-sectoral activities to ensure protection and assistance needs of the population are met.
• Work with the Supply team to advise on matters related to the procurement of construction, infrastructure and other sector related works and services, including the development of technical specifications, BoQs and drawings for bid documents.
• Carry out technical evaluation of the received bids as well as review/inspect the quality of shelter and infrastructure products/works during implementation and at completion.
• Work in close collaboration with all relevant stakeholders including local authorities, implementing and operational partners and affected communities on issues related to the shelter and settlement programme, while ensuring the full participation of them in all work in order to achieve optimum levels of adequacy in the shelter response for enhancement of skills development and income generating opportunities.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P3/NOC – 6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education
Architecture; Civil Engineering; Structural Engineering;
Construction Management; or other relevant field

Certificates and/or Licenses
Shelter Coordination Training
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience

Essential

• Prior experience of implementing shelter and infrastructure projects in humanitarian context and large-scale emergencies coordinating with operational partners governmental technical departments.
• Prior experience in designing and implementing a shelter strategy, including host family situations, collective shelter and camp settings, in emergency while considering the transition to more sustainable solutions.
• Project formulation, planning, supervision and management skills.
• Previous involvement in implementation processes (including development of bill of quantities, analysis of local capacity and local markets, cost estimations, etc.)
• Experience of construction management (including site supervision, monitoring, quality control, evaluation etc.) including application of participatory approaches to facilitate active participation of communities into the project cycle and into the construction process.
• Experience in developing shelter and settlement need assessments and undertaking gap analysis for development of shelter programmes.
• Experience in building on existing local capacity and transfer knowledge as appropriate.

Desirable

• Knowledge of UNHCR shelter standards, as well as standards related to protection, WASH, environment and land use.
• Knowledge of a range of shelter assistance options, humanitarian infrastructure, including sensitivity to cultural and gender specific needs to ensure that the social and cultural background of the refugees is taken into account while designing, developing and implementing shelter options.
• Proficient in basic computer software¿s, including engineering (AutoCAD) and basic geo-spatial analysis tools (GPS).
• Familiarity with and considerable Field exposure to UNHCR programme planning and implementation and on humanitarian operations.
• Ability making the linkages to rehabilitation and development programmes will be an added advantage.