Shelter Expert - Warrap, South Sudan

Department: Programme
Position: Shelter Expert Contract duration: 1 month Location: Republic of South Sudan
Starting Date: May 2013

I. Background on ACTED

ACTED is an independent international, private, non-partisan and non-profit organization that operates according to principles of strict neutrality, political and religious impartiality, and non discrimination.

ACTED was created in 1993 to support populations affected by the conflict in Afghanistan. Based in Paris, France, ACTED now operates in 32 countries worldwide, with over 200 international and 4000 national staff. ACTED has a 110 million € budget for over 370 projects spanning 8 sectors of intervention; including emergency relief, food security, health promotion, economic development, education & training, microfinance, local governance & institutional support, and cultural promotion. For more information, please visit our website at www.acted.org

II. Program Information

Capital Office : Juba National Staff : 136 International Staff : 28 Areas : 10 On-going programmes : 8 Budget : 2.9 M €

In 2012, ACTED has undertaken an expansion of activities in South Sudan. A Juba level coordination office was opened in 2011, and in 2012 the capital office has expanded to provide additional support to our field offices that opened in Bentiu, Unity State, and Malakal, Upper Nile State. The rapidly changing situation in South Sudan over the past months has led ACTED to up-scale its emergency response capacities, while also continuing to provide basic services in the traditional areas of intervention. Since January 2012, ACTED has been providing refugee and IDP assistance in Unity and Upper Nile states. In Maban County, this assistance has focused on the life-saving assistance to refugees from Blue Nile State, Sudan. ACTED as camp manager for Jamam refugee camp has strived to provide the basic needs for the population including shelter, waste management, livelihoods, and construction of community infrastructures. Additionally, ACTED has responded to the new refugee influx in May with the provision of shelter and emergency latrines at transit sites while providing transportation assistance to refugees relocating to permanent settlements. In Unity state, ACTED has focused on the provision of livelihoods assistance to refugees in Nyeel and Pariang refugee camps. ACTED also continues to build on its traditional areas of intervention, focusing on food security and livelihoods in Western Bahr el Ghazal and Warrap, and water, sanitation and hygiene in both states as well. Tonj North in Warrap was also a new area for ACTED where a Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) project is being implemented in the underserved area. All of these interventions continue to provide both basic and live-saving assistance to vulnerable populations throughout South Sudan.

III. Position Profile

CONTEXT The seasonal rains began in June 2012, flooding huge areas of South Sudan including Upper Nile, Unity, Warrap, Northern Bahr el-Ghazal, Western Bahr el-Ghazal, Jonglei and individual counties of Central and Eastern Equatoria States. The Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHACOF) reports that South Sudan has experienced above-normal rains up to this point and anticipates an increase in flooding in areas where the soil is saturated with moisture. The effects of the flooding have differed across the country, in many areas the flooding prompted displacements of hundreds or thousands of households.

The rains are expected to continue through September. It is essential that currently displace persons in Warrap are equipped to withstand the continued rains and potentially continued floods in the immediate period before they can return to their homes. Additionally, given the seasonal nature of the floods, it is imperative that government and humanitarian actors determine ways in which they might prepare for future rainy seasons. Not only is infrastructure needed to prevent flooding, but preparedness plans are needed to determine where best the activities can be undertaken. Preparedness will strongly support the Government of South Sudan in its shift to longer-term development oriented projects.

The overall objective of this project is to decrease vulnerability to floods in South Sudan through immediate support to flood-affected households with provision of NFIs and development of a longer-term flood preparedness plan.

One of the objectives is to provide information and recommendations on the seasonal floods to develop a preparedness contingency plan for the communities, government, NFI/shelter cluster and humanitarian actors through its partner, REACH and under the guidance of the NFI/emergency shelter cluster and partners. This will address and build on the cluster requirement of strengthening cluster coordination and drawing on lessons learned identified under the priority for frontline services.

A detailed assessment of the environment, past experiences and community resilience along with flood and conflict mapping and mapping of NFI/shelter programs conducted in Warrap for gap analysis will provide relevant data to inform predictions of recurrent floods and consequent recommendations for cluster contingency planning. Additionally, an ACTED shelter expert will develop culturally and environmentally appropriate, flood-resistant shelter designs. These will include new shelters and adaptations to current shelter designs. All recommendations will be shared to strengthen cluster coordination mechanisms.

The Shelter expert will be in charge of: - Participating in the REACH assessment throughout the 2 counties to map flood prone areas and evaluate the kind of shelters exists/resists. - Assessing potential flood resistant shelter designs - Producing report with Technical-specific recommendations - Writing the lessons learned

ASSIGNMENT The Shelter Expert will contribute to the development of his project, which is a constitutive part of the country strategy, and subsequently manage its implementation. The position will be based in Wau County, Western Bahr El-Ghazal State, covering activities up to Gogrial West county in Warrap State, South Sudan.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Project Management and technical inputs • Manage the shelter related activities in order to meet the project objectives within budget and within the project period. • Develop and implement an appropriate and effective strategy in consultation with other staff and field managers. • Ensure the shelter activities and outputs are implemented in line with donor proposals and requirements and in accordance with ACTED and international standards such as SPHERE and HAP. • Continuously monitor and supervise activities, overseeing the technical design, execution and evaluation of progress through outputs and impacts using both quantitative and qualitative data. • Provide technical input in an effort to achieve intended objectives, including sustainability measures and future plan for emergency shelter related in the area.

Monitoring and Evaluation • Collect information and tools employed for project implementation; • Draft memos detailing lessons learned and best practices identified during the project; • Share such memos with internal and external partners; • Communicate such information to the Area Coordinator and / or Country Director and Project Development / reporting department.

Communication and Coordination • Develop and maintain appropriate, regular, transparent and supportive communication structures with the assigned team, Area coordinator, Country director and other relevant stakeholders.

IV. Qualifications:

• Higher level qualification in a technical field, and/ or significant technical experience in architecture/ engineering / surveying. Qualification in emergency shelter is an advantage. • Strong knowledge of English (spoken and written), knowledge of local language is an advantage • At least 5 years post-qualification professional experience in a relevant field; • Experience using GIS software and / or using CAD software is an asset • Proven ability in strategic coordination with multiple and multilevel partners and stakeholders across the project areas • Demonstrated ability to manage complex program in the settlement of IDP / Refugee camps area while also dealing with different tribal societies. • Ability to prioritise clearly, oversee multiple tasks and set clear objectives and delegation of work for staff

V. Conditions:

• Salary defined by the ACTED salary grid; educational level, expertise, hardship, security, and performance are considered for pay bonus
• Additional monthly living allowance
• Free food and lodging provided at the organisation’s guesthouse
• Transportation costs covered, including additional return ticket + luggage allowance
• Provision of medical, life, and repatriation insurance + retirement package

How to apply:

VI. Submission of applications:

Please send, in English, your cover letter, CV, and three references to jobs@acted.org Ref : ES/SSUD/RW

ACTED Att: Human Resources Department 33, rue Godot de Mauroy 75009 Paris FRANCE

Fax. + 33 (0) 1 42 65 33 46

For more information, visit us at http://www.acted.org