Senior Shelter Associate- UNOPS LICA7 At UN High Commissioner for Refugees

ORGANIZATIONAL SETTING AND WORK RELATIONSHIPS:

The Kakuma Camp and Kalobeyei Settlement hosts approximately 215,180 refugees from across the region, including from South Sudan 58%, Somalia 18%, Ethiopia 5%, the Democratic Republic of the Congo 7%, Sudan 5% and Burundi 6%, & other nationalities 1%. Approx. 56% of its population is under the age of 18, and there is a greater proportion of men 54% than women 46%. Kakuma refugee camp is split into 4 sub-camps, each with residential & market areas while Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement is divided into three villages. Due to areas that very prone to flooding in Kakuma refugee camp its habitable area is only enough to host about 90,000 refugees but it is currently home to more than 170,265, PoCs & Kalobeyei is home to 43,260 refugees. The huge population in Kakuma has put strain on public facilities and services such as water supply, playgrounds, schools, communal centres, shelter constructions and other services. The situation complicated by the fact that Kalobeyei Settlement that was envisaged to decongest Kakuma has already reached full capacity. In 2018, a cash-based intervention pilot project was implemented in Kalobeyei settlement & the evaluation exercise recognized this approach of transferring the cash directly to the beneficiaries to manage the construction of their houses through cash-based mechanism as one of the best ways to reduce the refugee dependency syndrome & promote their socio-economic integration, and to establish a good inter-linkage between the host and refugee communities. By end of 2020 a total of 6030 transitional shelters had been converted to permanent shelters leading to approx. 75% total permanent shelter coverage in Kalobeyei. Several construction projects are in progress and others are in planning stages so the incumbent of the position must be very good design, in preparation of architectural and structural drawing, in preparing bill of quantities and cost estimates. All these have to be done bearing in mind the challenges to implementation in Kakuma & Kalobeyei which include flooding of Kakuma Refugee camp; slow delivery of materials by the suppliers affected the rate of achieving the deliverables in the transitional shelter constructions for new arrivals; poor drainage system and inaccessible road network within the camp remains a challenge in accessing some of the areas, this affects mobility and timely delivery of shelter materials to site; affected timely relocation of the refugees from communal arears to the community.

PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF ASSIGNEMENT

Technical Guidance Duties:

• Assist in carrying out shelter needs assessments while liaising with other relevant sectors such as protection, programme, community services, WASH, administration and supply.
• Work with the relevant stakeholders to ensure that the shelter beneficiary selection process prioritizes the needs of the most vulnerable Persons of Concern (PoC).
• Assist the supervisor in developing and updating shelter strategies 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.
• Provide support in the daily management of all construction and infrastructure projects within the AoR ensuring that works are carried out in compliance to established UNHCR and national standards/best practices for the full project cycle.
• Monitor and follow up the design and construction of infrastructure (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 and implemented according to plans, completed within designated timelines, budget and ensure that this information is shared with relevant colleagues.
• Work closely with other relevant sectors such as WASH, education and health so that shelter and infrastructure implementation is synchronized and coordinated.
• Assist implementing partners on sound technical shelter and settlement issues while ensuring compliance with national and global standards, national and operational strategies and guidance.

Coordination Duties:

• Provide technical support in the field of shelter, construction and infrastructure development within the AoR to best meet the needs of PoC.
• Assist in coordination and management of UNHCR¿s shelter and infrastructure interventions in a timely, cost-effective, inter-sectoral manner. Work with the government and relevant authorities and counterparts to ensure strong coordination and partnership.
• Participate, as technical focal point within the AoR 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.

Collaboration Duties:

• Assist Programme in reviewing technical components of the Project Partnership Agreements that contain any construction and infrastructure projects.
• 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.
• Draft bid documents for all construction and infrastructure projects including technical specifications, BoQs, drawings, etc.
• Assist in the technical evaluation of received bids as well as in the review/inspection of the quality of shelter and infrastructure products/works during implementation and at completion
• Perform other related duties as required.

MONITORING AND PROGRESS CONTROLS

The Senior Shelter Associate provides support in carrying out 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. The incumbent will provide support in the day to-day operations of all construction and general infrastructure projects within the Area of Responsibility (AoR) to ensure that works proceed as designed and comply with established standards and procedures for the full project cycle.

Close and regular contact is maintained with technical and non-technical staff of shelter sector members, national and international NGOs and Government Authorities. The Senior Shelter Associate normally reports to a more senior shelter colleague or Technical Coordinator and normally supervises some support staff.

The incumbent assists the supervisor in ensuring that shelter & infrastructure responses within the AoR evolve according to the changing nature of the situation, progressively working towards more durable solutions and drawing from sustainable local building practices and materials. S/he provides technical support in general infrastructure planning, design and construction monitoring.

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 harm, 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.

QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE

a. Education
4 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher in civil engineering or Architecture.

b. Work Experience

4 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher in civil engineering or Architecture

Essential
Versatile in use of word processing and spreadsheet applications ability to prepare schedules / bills of quantities and estimating cost. Experience in developing shelter and settlement need assessments and undertaking gap analysis for development of shelter programs.

Desirable
Knowledge of computer graphics, AutoCAD and mapping software as well as the capacity to use mapping tools (GPS), and digital photographic equipment, and related software (map info etc.).