Consultant, Roving Shelter Cluster Coordinator

Organizational Context

The International Federation (IFRC) agreed to take on the responsibility of convening the Shelter Cluster for disasters, through a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). The Global Shelter Cluster is co-led by UNHCR (for conflict situations) and IFRC (for disasters).

 

The GSC in line with its strategic objectives aims to lead effective, efficient and accountable humanitarian shelter and settlement action to achieve extended impact and optimal reach. This is partially being achieved through Roving Cluster Coordinators to support country-clusters, as well as when new clusters are created or when there is a new emergency in an existing cluster.

 

The delivery of effective shelter response to disasters and crises requires timely, predictable, and widely accessible shelter coordination services at field level. This can only be achieved through strong capacity at the global and country levels. The Roving Shelter Cluster Coordinator is a key element of the GSC capacity to provide shelter coordination services. This function strengthens the link between global capacities and local coordination of shelter response efforts in the immediate aftermath of disasters and crises.

Job Purpose

The Roving Shelter Cluster Coordinator will be exclusively dedicated to the task of supporting, remotely and/or in-country, shelter cluster coordination services. They will work closely with the humanitarian actors and national and local authorities. Countries of assignment will include, but not be limited to, Mozambique and Honduras.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Key activities and method of delivery

The Roving Shelter Cluster Coordinator is responsible for providing leadership in emergency shelter and crisis preparedness, response and recovery; working in partnership to prevent and reduce shelter-related morbidity and mortality; ensure evidence-based actions, gap-filling and sound coordination; and enhance accountability, predictability and effectiveness of emergency shelter actions.

 

The Roving Shelter Cluster Coordinator main activities centre on meeting the core cluster functions:

1. Supporting service delivery
2. Informing strategic decision-making of the HC/HCT for the humanitarian response
3. Planning and strategy development
4. Monitoring and evaluate performance
5. To build national capacity in preparedness and contingency planning
6. To support robust advocacy
7. Promoting Accountability to Affected Populations

 

The method of delivery includes the set-up of a dedicated Shelter Coordination Team (SCT), as applicable, working exclusively on coordination services to shelter agencies. The SCT does not engage in any IFRC operational activities, and thus is able to provide independent and neutral coordination services to the Shelter Cluster members. The IFRC establishes a firewall between its role as Shelter Cluster convener, and its operational role as shelter implementer.

 

The Roving Shelter Cluster Coordinator will support any other tasks that may be required to achieve the objective of this assignment.

 

Alignment to the IFRC’s objectives and strategy

(IFRC’s Strategy 2030)

IFRC’s Global Shelter Cluster leadership role contributes to Strategy 2030 Goal 1: People anticipate, respond to and quickly recover from crises.  It also promotes the Agenda for Renewal effective global coordination and leadership ambitions. IFRC’s GSC role sits within Strategic Priority 2: Evolving Crises and Disasters and Enabler: 1 Engaged - with renewed influence, innovative and digitally transformed with greater emphasis on National Society Development of the IFRC Plan and Budget 2021 – 2025.

 

Desired outcomes

The Roving Shelter Cluster Coordinator primary objective is to achieve more efficient, effective and predictable shelter and settlements responses, through:

• Leading or supporting, as applicable, in-country and/or remotely, country-level shelter clusters to deliver the core cluster functions in the countries of assignment, which will include, but not be limited to, Mozambique and Honduras.
• Participate in and contribute to Global Shelter Cluster initiatives such as trainings, working groups and fora upon request.

 

Reporting lines and support

The Roving Shelter Cluster Coordinator will report directly to the Head of the IFRC Country or CCST office, Head of Operations, or as otherwise advised, when supporting country-level clusters. The reporting line will be to the Senior Officer, Shelter Cluster Coordination at IFRC for global level activities.

 

At country level, the Roving Shelter Cluster Coordinator will liaise closely with the UN Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator, other coordination staff of UN OCHA, national authorities and clusters carrying out coordination functions in others sectors/areas.

 

The Global Focal Point for Coordination and Regional Focal Points where applicable will provide remote support as required. Other members of the Global Shelter Cluster Support Team will also provide support in their respective areas of expertise.

 

 

Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)

The IFRC Country Delegation or CCST Office involved during deployments will provide safety and security guidance, logistics and administration support to the Roving Shelter Cluster Coordinator as required.

 

Duty Station

The Roving Shelter Cluster Coordinator will be home-based, except when requested to deploy to countries where IFRC has a shelter cluster coordination role.

 

Timeframe

The timeframe for the assignment will be for one year, from 15 August 2024 to 14 August 2025, and is for a maximum of 240 days of work. If additional time is required to meet the overall objective of this assignment, IFRC will endeavour to extend the assignment or find a replacement for an additional period to be determined and subject to the availability of resources.

 

Education

Required

• Shelter Coordination Training or equivalent knowledge.

Preferred

• Relevant University Degree. 

Experience

Required

• Minimum of 5 years relevant professional experience in humanitarian action. 
• Experience of working for a humanitarian aid organisation in a developing country. 
• Experience in shelter and settlements cluster coordination and response at the global or country levels.
• Experience working in a RC/RC National Society and/or IFRC/ICRC. 

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Required

• Fluent spoken and written English, Portuguese, and Spanish.
• Ability to work with sensitive issues in a multi-cultural, multilingual and multidisciplinary environment and with virtual or/and dispersed teams.
• Ability to undertake strategic analysis and translate thinking into practice.
• Ability to network effectively and influence and inspire others including the membership, governments, other agencies, and own peers, staff, and partners.
• Ability to inspire, to build confidence and to find creative and constructive solutions to difficult issues.
• Familiarity with current standards and guidelines for humanitarian emergency response. 
• Results oriented and demand driven individual, entrepreneurial, ability to lead in unprecedented and/or ambiguous situations.
• Thorough knowledge of the humanitarian coordination architecture, tools and processes.

Preferred

• Good command of another IFRC official language (French or Arabic).
• Good command of Russian.
• Project Management skills.
• Training and staff development skills.

Competencies, Values and Comments

Application Instructions

• Please submit your application in English only.
• Please include in your motivation letter
  • your availability,
  • your current Daily Fee Rate in CHF,
  • outlining your interest in this consultancy and how your experience, qualifications and skills make you an ideal candidate for the role.