Sub-national Shelter Cluster Co-chair for the East

Country Programme: Ukraine

Base: Kharkiv

Line Manager: Country Director

About the Ukrainian Programme of People in Need:

People in Need (PIN) is a Czech Republic-based NGO globally working in the relief and development sectors. PIN has been active in Ukraine since 2003, and since early August 2014 PIN humanitarian program has been rapidly expanding. PIN is currently growing its Shelter program as well as its role in the coordination of the Shelter response within the cluster system, especially in the east and south. Therefore, it is looking for a Subnational Shelter Cluster Co-chair to co-chair the eastern region shelter cluster supporting UNHCR’s in the role of the chair.

According to the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2024, a staggering 14.6 million people, constituting 40% of the country’s population, are in dire need of multisectoral humanitarian assistance. The effects are particularly intense in frontline and hard-to-reach areas, where not only is humanitarian access constrained, but localized capacities are also fragile. While the impacts of the conflict remain far-reaching, leaving civilians in various regions of the country exposed to continuous safety threats and other protection risks, the most acute humanitarian needs crystallize in the eastern regions (Dnipropetrovska, Kharkivska, Zaporizka, Donetska) and the southern regions (Khersonska and Mykolaivska).

It is estimated that 1.4 million residential properties are directly damaged by war, with an additional 37,000 houses affected by the catastrophic flooding caused by the Kakhovka dam, of which 15% are damaged beyond repair. The largest number of damaged houses is in eastern regions – Donetska, Luhanska, and Kharkivska oblasts, which have seen the heaviest ground fighting and bombardment. The total cost of damage to the housing sector is estimated to be over US$50 billion. In 2024, approximately 7.9 million people will need shelter assistance, with 36% and 26% falling into the extreme and catastrophic ranges, respectively. With the resources available through humanitarian assistance, 3.9 million people are planned to receive support, leaving 49% unassisted. While housing remained one of the critical needs, absence of housing land and property documentation and a lack of information among the affected communities is hindering appropriate assistance and access to government’s compensation mechanism for damaged and destroyed housing– estimated 10% of surveyed population lack proper HLP documents. In addition to shelter needs, an estimated 7.92 million people in Ukraine require SNFI assistance, including 4.37 million non-displaced, 2.15 million internally displaced people, and 1.4 million returnees.

About the role:

The shelter cluster subnational co-chair for the east hub will work closely in support of the sector lead agency (UNHCR), to enhance the coordination set up, and representation of NGOs, INGOs, UN agencies, and other Humanitarian organizations who are members of the Shelter Cluster. The co-chair will be reporting to the subnational shelter cluster coordinator in Dnipro. The following tasks will be assigned:

Main Duties & Responsibilities:

1. Effective and efficient input into the Shelter cluster coordination architecture

• Participate in the preparation of regular subnational shelter cluster meetings and co-chair the meetings at the subnational level in the east.
• Represent the subnational shelter cluster in the Inter-Cluster Coordination Group (ICCG), General Coordination Meetings (GCM), and other relevant coordination meetings when needed.
• Ensuring inclusion of key humanitarian partners within the Shelter cluster.
• Contribute to the Cluster Technical Working Groups (TWIGs) by providing input for the development of technical guidance/ and or co-chair some of the TWIGs when needed.
• Focus on supporting local authorities in strengthening the local coordination structures

2. Ukraine planning and strategy development

• Support the subnational shelter cluster coordinator with developing the strategy of the Shelter and NFI Cluster, work plans, and coordination of response activities, considering cross-cutting issues.
• Contribute to the Humanitarian Programme Cycle (including planning, periodic reporting, and strategic development of the Ukraine Response Plan) and engage with Shelter partners for their input.

3. Monitoring and reporting

• Support information gathering and analysis on the subnational shelter cluster response in order to provide accountability for the sector in terms of delivering on strategy, objectives, targets, outcomes, programme quality, and adherence to humanitarian principles. It includes analysis of anonymized Post Distribution Monitoring and Post Construction Monitoring Data from the partners.

4. Needs assessment and analysis

• Support the subnational shelter cluster in the development of needs assessment tools and gap and response analysis.
• Contribute to a better understanding and analysis of shelter needs as a priority need for displaced populations, including better-integrated programming with shelter as an entry point.

5. Development and application of standards in support of the Shelter Cluster

• Advocate for Shelter/NFI best practices.
• Participate in the development of relevant and contextualized minimum standards, policies and guidelines.
• Build capacity to apply these common standards.
• Ensure that partner responses are informed at different phases of the response by appropriate policy guidelines and standards.

6. Advocacy and resource mobilization

• Support the sub-national cluster to advocate and mobilize resources for the Ukraine Shelter response.
• Ensure that members are aware of funding opportunities and support their capacity to access these.

Main requirements:

Education: A minimum of a BA International relations, Humanitarian assistance, Social/political science, Sociology or similar, knowledge or experience in Architecture, Civil Engineering or other Shelter-related fields will be an asset.

Relevant Job Experience:

Three years of relevant work experience.

Knowledge of the Humanitarian reform process and the role of the humanitarian community (UN System, Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, and NGO), preferably in Shelter/NFI sector.

Knowledge of current humanitarian issues. Good knowledge of shelter-related technical guidelines and standards is considered an asset.

Required languages (expected overall ability is at least B2 level): English and Ukrainian.

PIN offers:

• Working environment in a well-established and continuously growing humanitarian organization in a challenging context;
• Salary and benefits according to PIN salary scale and HR policies;
• 25 days of holiday per year
• R&R policy;
• Travel health insurance;
• Reimbursement of travel expenses with travel to the country of residence once every 6 months of work;
• Reimbursement of costs of visas and vaccinations; assistance with the visa application procedure;
• Reimbursement of the medical check-up before and after the deployment;
• Free 24/7 medical helpdesk and psychological consultation available online;
• Free access to e-learning sites, global PIN’s Induction Training, Knowledge and Learning department onboarding, and individually tailored capacity-building opportunities; incl. HEAT training.

Security situation in Ukraine

Humanitarian workers continue to operate throughout Ukraine, although the front line areas are being shelled almost constantly, and main cities are being targeted with missiles and UAVs quite regularly. PIN security SOPs require PIN staff to proceed to shelter should the risk level be assessed by the Security Department as the highest (launch of missiles or drones) and remain there until the air raid siren is cancelled, which cumulatively can be several times a week, occasionally for several hours at a time (although shorter periods are as well occurring). While air strikes that were targeting energy infrastructure have finished after winter, they have succeeded in reaching their goals and are likely to resume in late autumn/winter. At the moment military and civilian objects are being targeted, including the west of Ukraine. While Kyiv enjoys relatively strong air defence systems that are intercepting most of the missiles and UAVs, other regions are covered much less significantly which results in bigger damage. Outside of the areas in the vicinity to the contact line, services such as medical care, shops, public transportation as well as restaurants or leisure facilities remain operational.