Shelter Technical Officer

Job Purpose:

S/he will work on the implementation of Concern’s Shelter and WASH activities, in shelter units at residential, non-residential level and in collective site, as well as in informal settlements. This role includes gathering information and data on Shelter locations, assessments, technical preparation and review of construction activities, production of bill of quantities, negotiations of contracts with contractors, negotiation of rental agreement, and monitoring of Concern’s activities, along with support to, and mobilisation of, refugee communities and oversight and monitoring of infrastructure construction.

Main duties & Responsibilities:

Programme Implementation

• Identify and assess beneficiaries to be assisted with shelter activities in collaboration with municipality, community focal points, existing beneficiaries and other stakeholders following Concern and UNHCR eligibility criteria;
• Conduct technical assessments of occupied and unoccupied units including emergency temporary shelters, as well as common area in collective sites, along with the preparation of bill of quantities for rehabilitation in line with the donor and sector guidelines and in collaboration with residents and landlords;
• Negotiate with landlord the scope of works and occupancy agreement terms to ensure affordable shelters;
• Participate in resolution of any conflict that may arise between landlord and families if requested.
• Ensure that the programme is being implemented in accordance with the objectives agreed with the donor, Concern procedures, and best practices
• Develop weekly, monthly and quarterly work plans and ensure that these are implemented
• Ensure the preparation of detailed implementation work plans (weekly, monthly and quarterly work plans) and provide the necessary guidance and support to the team to achieve timely and quality implementation of activities.
• Ensure that accurate programme databases are maintained for different activities such rehabilitation of occupied, unoccupied shelters and Emergency Temporary Shelters (ETS), common area upgrade, installation and rehabilitation of septic tanks, weatherproofing assessments, water quality sampling and distribution of needed items Participate to the budget planning and revision in coordination with the finance team and the Shelter and Infrastructure Coordinator
• Liaise as necessary with the Shelter Social Team, as well as other Concern programmes, systems, and logistics teams
• Assist with ensuring that programme targets are reached in accordance with agreed programme objectives, as per donor contracts, in line with the overall programme approach
• Monitor case identification within target populations and subsequent referral for service provision (health, education, legal assistance, livelihoods, WASH, etc.).
• Ensure a functional referrals system on RAIS for the Shelter Technical Activities.

Reporting and Information Management

• Support on case identification within target populations and subsequent referral for service provision (health, education, legal assistance, livelihoods, WASH, etc.).
• Manage and track the Shelter Technical referrals through RAIS and in coordination with the other Concern department.
• Provide documentation and information about all services in the area (including addresses and contact details) to beneficiaries after identification of service of each Municipality of intervention as well as nationwide.
• Identification of beneficiaries requiring other services and full follow up of referral to other services, especially for beneficiaries residing in unoccupied and transitionary shelters.
• Coordination with Concern Case Management team for identification of protection cases eligible for shelter assistance
• Sharing of Concern Complaint Response Mechanism and contact details.
• Follow up on incoming referrals to the shelter team including assessment and response.
• Follow up on outgoing referrals from the Shelter team
• Ensure that Concern’s and donors’ reporting commitments are met, including weekly, monthly, quarterly reports as necessary in accordance with Concern’s procedures and those of donors
• Ensure that collected project data and documents are properly stored, analysed and backed-up.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

• Ensure that the Shelter Technical project activities are accurately reflected in the integrated M&E system, identifying activities to be monitored and data to be collected.
• Ensure Programme Quality through working closely with the MEAL team to develop the M&E system to measure impact, outcomes and outputs. This would include shelter assessments, site improvement assessments, common area assessments, baseline and endline assessments, post-distribution assessments and reports, etc.
• Coordinate with the MEAL team on the referrals reporting
• Ensure Programme Quality through working closely with the MEAL team to develop the M&E system to measure impact, outcomes and outputs.
• Ensure proper follow up of beneficiaries after receipt of the services for additional support and referral

Representation and Coordination

• Participate in Shelter and Protection working groups and Cash working groups at regional and national level when needed
• Coordinate the project activities with different stakeholders, including area based committees and municipalities
• Work closely with Concern’s Shelter and Protection teams on the program implementation and on coordination

Staff management

• Line manage the Shelter Assistant(s) contributing to their capacity building and career development through technical support and on-the-job training and coaching, including in particular a thorough induction at the start of their contract.
• Ensure that all managed positions have accurate job descriptions and that each member of the team fully understands outcomes, which are expected of them, by setting SMART objectives, and that they are aware of the success criteria relating to their work.
• Ensure that all managed staff are aware of and comply with all of Concern’s policies and procedures.
• Monitor and review performance of the Shelter Assistant(s) and hold staff accountable for meeting their success criteria; give corrective feedback where required and take decisive action in the case of poor performance.
• Ensure that work within the team(s) is planned and organized in a way which will meet the organization’s needs in the most cost effective manner possible; ensuring that the managed staff are given appropriate workloads and are working efficiently.

Other:

• Actively participate in collective exercises such as preparation or updates of Preparing for Effective Emergency Response (PEER) plan, Security Management Plan (SMP) and other Concern initiatives. 
• Take active measures to address equality issues, particularly relating to gender, in programme as well as operational activities.
• Ensure the highest stands of accountability through ensuring good communication and information sharing within and outside the organisation.
• Be aware of, understand and comply with all of Concern’s policies and procedures (P4, finance, logistics, HR, security management etc).
• Contribute to ongoing security management and planning as necessary.
• Actively participate in any emergency response if called upon to do so (within the existing programme area or in a new one).
• Undertake other related duties as may reasonably be assigned by the Country Director or the Shelter and Infrastructure Coordinator

Emergency response

Concern is committed to responding to emergencies efficiently and effectively in order to help affected people meet their basic needs, alleviate suffering and maintain their dignity. To this end, when emergencies strike and Lebanon Programme is to respond, all staff are required to actively participate in the response, regardless of location and contribute to the efforts aimed at achieving the humanitarian objective of the organization.

Person specification:

Essential

• Degree in Engineering, certificate in building/construction or related technical qualification
• Experience in monitoring construction and managing contractors
• Familiarity with the minimum construction standards for camps (e.g. Sphere)
• Leadership and supervisory skills and ability to foster team spirit
• Strong commitment to ensuring the protection of refugees and minority groups
• At least 2 years of experience in humanitarian organisation, especially in the Shelter and Protection sectors
• Experience in working with vulnerable populations
• Strong negotiation and mediation skills and ability to work independently
• Strong organizational skills and able to coordinate and manage a diverse array of activities and stakeholders
• Experience in conducting surveys, managing data and statistics
• Sense of security management and willingness to follow security guidelines and regulations

Desirable

• Specific experience with UN agencies in similar projects
• Experience in conducting surveys, managing data and statistics

Special Skills, Aptitude or Personality Requirements:

• Good communication and interpersonal skills
• Flexibility and willingness to adapt to change
• Strong organizational skills and able to coordinate and manage a diverse array of activities and stakeholders
• Report writing skills and computer skills in word processing and spreadsheets
• Strong negotiation and mediation skills and ability to work independently
• Report writing skills and computer skills in word processing and spreadsheets
• Able to take initiative and work independently to deliver on tight deadlines
• Willingness to learn
• Strong commitment to ensuring the protection of refugees
• Good language skills in English

Concern Code of Conduct and its Associated Policies

Concern has an organisational Code of Conduct (CCoC) with three Associated Policies; the Programme Participant Protection Policy (P4), the Child Safeguarding Policy and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Policy. These have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants from exploitation, and to clarify the responsibilities of Concern staff, consultants, visitors to the programme and partner organisation, and the standards of behaviour expected of them. In this context, staff have a responsibility to the organisation to strive for, and maintain, the highest standards in the day-to-day conduct in their workplace in accordance with Concern’s core values and mission. Any candidate offered a job with Concern Worldwide will be expected to sign the Concern Staff Code of Conduct and Associated Policies as an appendix to their contract of employment. By signing the Concern Code of Conduct, candidates acknowledge that they have understood the content of both the Concern Code of Conduct and the Associated Policies and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these policies.