Lebanon: Shelter Program Manager - Lebanon

I.Background on ACTED

Since 1993, as an international non-governmental organization, ACTED has been committed to immediate humanitarian relief to support those in urgent need and protect people’s dignity, while co-creating longer term opportunities for sustainable growth and fulfilling people’s potential.

ACTED endeavors to respond to humanitarian crises and build resilience; promote inclusive and sustainable growth; co-construct effective governance and support the building of civil society worldwide by investing in people and their potential.

We go the last kilometer: ACTED’s mission is to save lives and support people in meeting their needs in hard to reach areas. ACTED develops and implements programs that target the most vulnerable amongst populations that have suffered from conflict, natural disaster, or socio-economic hardship. ACTED’s approach looks beyond the immediate emergency towards opportunities for longer term livelihoods reconstruction and sustainable development.

With a budget of 164 million EUR in 2014, ACTED is active in 35 countries and implements more than 450 projects a year reaching over 8 million beneficiaries with 400 international staff and 4,300 national staff.

II.Country Profile and Background of the operation

Lebanon has generously opened its borders to refugees fleeing conflict in neighbouring Syria, and now hosts over 1.1 million refugees. After four years, Lebanon’s resilience has reached a critical point; economic growth has faltered, public services are overwhelmed and unemployment is rising. In a complex context and with many communities already vulnerable prior to the crisis, Lebanon’s fragile stability requires an integrated assistance framework, which encompasses all affected communities. In 2014, ACTED developed and implemented a holistic approach to meet basic emergency needs and ensure continued basic service provision, targeting the most vulnerable at the household, community and institutional levels.

In Greater Beirut, living conditions of vulnerable households have deteriorated rapidly due to tremendous pressure on housing markets, increasing prices, and limited access to income. In response, ACTED provides integrated WASH and Shelter emergency assistance to displaced families in informal settlements, unfinished buildings, and other types of sub-standard housing. This aims to ensure access to clean water, basic washing and sanitation facilities, improved hygiene practices, protection from the elements, and privacy. This assistance is complemented by cash transfers to enable the most vulnerable to meet their basic needs. In total, over 110,000 individuals have benefited from such assistance in 2014.

Working with service providers, local authorities and civil society in Akkar, Beirut and Mount Lebanon ACTED has also implemented over 30 Community Support Projects to increase the capacity of host communities and authorities to cope with challenges caused by the refugee influx, including pressure on local resources and infrastructure. These focused on supporting basic service provision (water provision, waste management, electricity, school infrastructure), as well as on addressing the economic impact of the crisis on vulnerable communities’ access to income through vocational training and support to agricultural livelihoods. In 2014, these community-level interventions have benefited over 100,000 individuals.

In 2015, ACTED Lebanon will engage with humanitarian stakeholders to ensure the cost-effectiveness of activities, notably through increased reliance on cash assistance, which has proven an effective delivery mechanism, as well improved targeting of the most vulnerable communities and households. Strengthening the capacity of Lebanese civil society and local authorities to jointly tackle key community concerns, including service provision and income generation, will also become an increasingly critical means of addressing the impact of the Syrian crisis in Lebanon. Finally, ensuring community participation in the delivery and coordination of assistance will allow for more effective interventions, as well as improved protection of refugees by addressing rising social tensions.

III. Position Profile

The role of the Shelter Programme Manager is to provide technical oversight and coordination of ACTED’s shelter interventions in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, which fit within the framework of ACTED’s holistic neighbourhood-based approach for the provision of integrated WASH and Shelter support. This geographically-focused and community-driven neighbourhood approach aims to foster a strong sense of ownership for shelter interventions by establishing linkages with local stakeholders in each target neighbourhood, and building the capacity of these stakeholders to place them at the centre of the response.

Key responsabilities of the Program Manager will include:

• The conceptualisation and design of context-appropriate tools and frameworks for successfully meeting the objectives of ACTED’s shelter programme. This will include design of technical tools (BoQ templates, guidelines and capacity building modules for field teams, voucher mechanisms), review of landlord-relations management tools (contract templates, rent reductions, HLP training modules, etc), ensuring linkages between shelter interventions and the broader neighbourhood approach.
• Technical oversight and field-monitoring of technical shelter staff including engineers and skilled workers, in close coordination with the Project Coordinator, notably to ensure quality control and adequate implementation of the planned tools and frameworks.
• Liaising with other shelter agencies at field and country level, to ensure identification and sharing of best practices, coordination to optimize coverage and resource allocation, and harmonization of tools and practices.
• Generate reports and ensuring visibility on shelter components for donors and coordination, as requested, as well as contribute to program development for shelter components.
• Prepare and administer relevant program budget components and evaluate financial program effectiveness for relevant components.

• Ensure external representation of ACTED in the shelter sector

- Representation vis-à-vis Donors:

Participate in technical and sectoral Donor meetings in coordination with and in line with requests from Country Coordination;

- Representation vis-à-vis shelter actors:

Participate in technical and sectoral meetings and working groups involving NGOs, UN Agencies andother relevant institutions to promote ACTED’s approach and ensure sharing of best practices and cross-learning;

Contribute to the creation of reports, ensuring the quality and accuracy of technical information provided as well as the confidentiality of internal information as required;

More generally, the programme manager is expected to contribute to the creation of a positive image and overall credibility of the organisation, notably through the application of ACTED’s mandate, ethics, values and stand-point with regard to other actors.

2. Project Cycle Management

- Project implementation:

Plan the various stages of project implementation in relation to shelter components, and design appropriate tools and methodologies;

Guide the implementation of the project and the methods of follow-up, with a focus on technical aspects and quality insurance through close monitoring;

Manage project finances, logistics and materials in relation to shelter activities;

Liaise with all internal and external counterparts of the shelter component;

Assess the activities undertaken and ensure efficient use of resources;

- Project reporting requirements:

Set up a clear timeline of reports to be submitted to internal counterparts in line with donor reporting requirements;

Draft narrative reports and contribute to the development of financial reports through regular budgetary follow up;

Ensure adherence to FLAT procedures.

More generally, communicate systematically to the Country Coordination team on project progress and planning.

3. Provide Relevant Technical Expertise

- Ensure that technical quality and standards are considered during project implementation:

Collect technical information and analyse associated opportunities and risks;

Provide capacity building of project teams in relation to appropriate technical standards

Identify relevant technical counterparts, and share lessons learnt and best practices to ensure the sound application of standards.

- Undertake quality control:

Analyse technical added-value and project impact;

Set up technical monitoring and evaluation exercises during and following implementation.

4. Oversee Programme Staff and Security

- Guide and direct programme staff:

Contribute to project coordination meetings and ensure sharing of relevant information within the program team;

Develop, review and monitor workplans of technical shelter team members, in coordination with the Project Coordinator;

Contribute to a positive working environment and good team dynamics;

Undertake regular appraisals of directly supervised colleagues in line with ACTED’s policies and practices;

Ensure a building of capacity amongst technical and non-technical staff in relation to shelter

- Oversee staff security:

Ensure that security procedures are respected by each member of the project team.

5. Identify Best Practices and Lessons Learned

- Collect information and tools employed for project implementation;

- Document lessons learned and best practices identified during the project, and disseminate in consultation with country coordination

IV. Qualifications

The qualified candidate must have:

• A university degree in a relevant field, including project management, architecture/engineering or other related field;
• 3+ years of field experience in humanitarian relief and/or development programs focused on shelter construction and settlement planning, ideally within urban emergency contexts, and/or in the Middle East.
• Knowledge of global (and preferably locally-adapted) shelter standards and practices.
• Knowledge of and practical experience in the development of training modules and methodologies for community-driven shelter approaches, HLP promotion, and other relevant approaches.
• Knowledge of and experience with donor practices and requirements, the project cycle process, and humanitarian or development program solicitations and applications;
• Knowledge of and experience with program monitoring and evaluation
• Sound understanding of operational guidelines and project management tools, including notably budget management;
• Ability to operate Microsoft Word, Excel and Project Management software required.

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

VI. Submission of applications

Please send, in English, your cover letter, CV, and three references to jobs@acted.org

Ref : SPM/LEB/SA

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