Assistant Shelter Officer

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Description

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• Assist in developing and periodically updating a suitable shelter approach within the AoR, taking into consideration area-based approaches, age and gender, culture, climate, environmental protection and the availability of local resources, including materials, capacities and existing infrastructure.
• Participate in 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 shelter strategies and periodically review them to reflect evolving situations and ensure alignment with national and global level policies and guidelines including: Global Compact on Refugees, Sustainable Development Goals, Relevant Global Strategies and Policies.
• Oversee all construction and infrastructure projects within the AoR ensuring that works are carried out in compliance with established UNHCR and national standards/best practices for the full project cycle.
• Review, identify and monitor shelter programmes within the AoR 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, work closely with other relevant sectors such as water and sanitation, infrastructure for reception, education and health so that implementation is synchronised and coordinated.
• Work with established 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 of infrastructure and other facilities (schools, health centres, reception centres, drainage and roadworks etc) to confirm these are approved by the relevant authorities, technically sound, supplemented with accurate drawings, detailed BQs and specifications.
• Support implementing partners on sound technical shelter and settlement issues while ensuring compliance with global, national and operational strategies and guidance.
• Work with appropriate internationally accepted shelter standards, best practice and guidelines and disseminate this information among partners within the AoR to meet quality and oversight expectations.

• Support the supervisor in ensuring 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.
• Participate in coordination and management of 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. Work with the government and relevant authorities and counterparts to ensure strong coordination and partnership.
• Where activated, provide support to 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 within the AoR.
• 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 the AoR considering relevant policies, guidelines and plans adopted by the Government.

• Support Programme in reviewing technical components of the Project Partnership Agreements that contain any construction and infrastructure projects. Provide technical inputs and advise Programme colleagues during Implementing Partner Selection of shelter sector partners.
• Actively work with Programme as a 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.
• Support Supply team on matters related to the procurement of construction, infrastructure and other sector related works and services. Draft complete sets of bid documents for all construction and infrastructure projects including technical specifications, BoQs, drawings, etc.
• Carry out technical evaluation of the received bids as well as review/inspection of 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 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.
• Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
• Perform other related duties as required.

• 1 year relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or no experience with Graduate degree; or no experience with Doctorate degree

• Architecture; Civil Engineering; Structural Engineering; Construction Management; or other relevant field.

• For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
• For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
• For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

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