Regional Shelter and Settlements Coordinator

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 192-member National Societies. The overall aim of the IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” The IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.

The IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of the IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.

The IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services.

The IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The IFRC also has country cluster delegation and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

IFRC APRO supports 38 National Societies in the region through eight country delegations – CD (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea and Philippines) and five country cluster delegations’ teams – CCDTs (Bangkok, Beijing, Jakarta, New Delhi and Suva), each covering a cluster of countries. Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore each receive direct support from IFRC APRO.

IFRC/APRO has developed the Operational plan for 2022-2025 in line with the IFRC Strategy 2030 and its 5 Strategic Priorities (1. Climate and Environmental crisis, 2. Evolving crisis and disasters, 3. Growing gaps in health and wellbeing, 4. Migration and Identity, 5. Values, power and inclusion). As part of the HDCC Department , the Shelter and Settlements Coordinator will be based Kuala Lumpur or in another Country where IFRC have legal status.

As part of the IFRC plan, the following targets have been set for 2025, IFRC have committed to support 50 National Societies to have shelter and urban strategies in place by 2025, which include city-level coordination, partnerships with development actors and actionable municipal contingency and response plans

In 2020 IFRC and Australian Red Cross entered into a five-year partnership to strategically advance shelter cluster coordination in Asia Pacific. This partnership contributes to pillars 1, 2 and 4 of the Global Shelter Cluster (GSC) Strategy (coordination, advocacy and capacity) and enables IFRC and Australian Red Cross to jointly plan, prioritise, implement and share responsibility for the delivery of more effective, predictable and accountable regional shelter cluster coordination. This agreement provides additional human resource capacity in the form of a Roving focal point for Shelter Coordination in the Asia Pacific Region.

Job Purpose

The IFRC’s APR Shelter and Settlements job purpose is to support National Societies in IFRC APRO in Shelter and Settlements for disaster preparedness, response and recovery programming in close coordination with CD and CCSTs, the support includes technical advice and review of DREF, Emergency Appeal, Operational Strategy, Operations Update and other documents related to emergency operations such assessment plans, assessment reports, programmatic evaluations, recovery plans, among others. The job purpose also includes the support to advise the development of shelter and urban strategies in coordination with Climate and Environmental crisis team.

The coordinator will support the Roving Focal Point for Shelter Coordination (Asia Pacific) in representing the IFRC in its role as convener of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Global Shelter Cluster for disaster response and preparedness activities and will work with the IFRC APRO shelter and settlements technical working group members in NS and IFRC CD and CCDTs.

Inherent in the role is the need for flexibility, the ability to travel, and willingness to work in multiple contexts with different stakeholders.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

As Regional position, the Shelter and Settlements Coordinator will be focused on the roles and responsibilities described below, these are related to the services, support, and coordination for the whole of Asia Pacific (38 NSs and IFRC offices).

Disaster and crisis Response & Recovery (including protracted crisis in Asia Pacific)

1. Provide operational support to shelter and settlements preparedness, emergency response and recovery programming where required, through technical assistance by remote support or field deployments
2. Provide technical inputs to Emergency Appeals, DREFs, Operational Strategies and contribute to the production of narrative and financial reports as required
3. Be deployed in the following capacities to assist the national society with: Shelter coordinator, shelter advisor, as part of an assessment cell and to serve as surge capacity any time in any operation in Asia Pacific
4. The shelter coordinator must be able to deploy at a short notice for significant periods of time and up to 40% of the year traveling to remote and potentially unstable areas

Organizational Readiness

1. Enhance the operational capacity of NS to deliver appropriate and best practice shelter response and recovery programming solutions for populations affected by disaster, consistent with each NSs mandate.
2. Strengthen the capacity of NS and IFRC delegations at local, national and regional level, training and supporting shelter development, contingency planning and community level shelter risk reduction and preparedness activities.
3. Support and develop as appropriate sheltering capacity building initiatives, including contributing to tools, policies, training, mentoring and other learning and skills development activities. This will include support for the development and maintenance of regional rosters of shelter-skilled personnel in close collaboration and links with the Regional Surge Capacity coordinator for APRO
4. Together with country and regional disaster management representatives, identify, document, disseminate and promote best practices in sheltering from the experiences of National Societies, Global Shelter Cluster and other agencies. This will include preparedness, response and recovery actions and collaboration (as required) with other technical sectors including health and water and sanitation and preparedness, relief, recovery, disaster law, etc.

Long-term planning

1. Develop the Regional Shelter and Settlements Roadmap for APRO in coordination with NS, IFRC CD, CCT and IFRC membership
2. Work with Partnership Department to develop a fundraising plan to implement shelter activities as defined in the Shelter and Settlement Roadmap
3. Support the continuing development of the APRO shelter and settlements work plan in line with the Unified plan; ensure that the operational plan is aligned with global operational plan of HDCC in Geneva and the relevant IFRC CD and CCDTs
4. Ensure a holistic approach to shelter and settlements programming, including the development and implementation of appropriate sheltering strategies, tools, programming and contingency planning for shelter and settlements at the national level; ensure that shelter programming is included in integrated programming approach of the NS and IFRC delegations
5. Develop and promote Shelter and Settlements within the wider thematic areas of Disaster Management, such as, community resilience, preparedness and response in the urban environments, innovative programming, information management, partnerships, etc.
6. Ensure that shelter programs consider priority cross-cutting issues such as disaster risk reduction, environment (Green Response), housing land and property rights, protection, gender and inclusion, and security; and that site activities comply with appropriate local, national and international standards and regulations.

Coordination

Operational

1. Coordinate closely with IFRC Shelter and Settlement technical team in HDCC Department based in Geneva
2. Coordinate closely with IFRC Asia Pacific shelter and settlements technical working group members in National Societies and IFRC CD and CCDTs
3. Liaise and collaborate as appropriate with international, government and non-government agencies, UN agencies, private organisations and academia to develop and promote the IFRC’s role in shelter and settlements; contribute to the forging of partnerships with appropriate internal and external stakeholdersShelter Cluster Coordination
4. Support the Roving Focal Point for Shelter Coordination (Asia Pacific) in representing the IFRC in its role as convener of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) global shelter cluster for disaster response and preparedness activities
5. Coordinate with the Roving Focal Point for Shelter Coordination (Asia Pacific) to support National Societies in their approach and involvement with the national, regional and global shelter cluster mechanisms.

Education

Required:

1. Bachelor degree or equivalent qualification in structural/civil engineering, architecture, construction management, project management or related field
2. IMPACT course or equivalent knowledge and trainings
3. IFRC Shelter Technical Training or similar training

Preferred:

1. IFRC FACT training or related trainings
2. IFRC Shelter Coordination Training or similar training (preferably in the last two years)

Experience

Required:

1. 15+ years of experience with a minimum of 10 years shelter/housing or rehabilitation programming experience, including site supervision and contract and/or project management preferred
2. Minimum of 6 years of experience in managing and supporting staff
3. Experience within the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, in particular working successfully with NS.
4. Experience in developing and implementing shelter or community infrastructure projects on behalf of development organizations
5. Familiarity with current standards and guidelines for humanitarian emergency response, in particular Sphere
6. Experience of managing budgets
7. Experience with the IASC shelter cluster coordination and contingency planning, in particular working successfully with National Government Ministries.

Preferred:

1. Previous experience working in Asia Pacific and knowledge of the region
2. Previous experience working in Asia Pacific and knowledge of the region

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Required:

1. Good professional communication skills, both written and verbal
2. Knowledge of IFRC policies and procedures, particularly with regard to shelter.
3. Knowledge of the Humanitarian Reform/ IASC Cluster system
4. Excellent computer skills including Microsoft Office applications
5. Ability to use own initiative and problem-solving skills
6. Valid international driving licence (manual gears)
7. Fluently spoken and written English

Preferred:

1. Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic)