Shelter and Settlement Assistant South Sudan Nyirol

Position:                                  Shelter & Settlement Assistant (01). 

Reports to:                              Shelter & Settlement Officer

Context:                                    Humanitarian / Emergency

Duty station:                            Nyirol, Jonglei state (Field based)

Norwegian refugee council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organization. Our task is to improve international protection of refugees and internally displaced persons and offer humanitarian assistance regardless of race, nationality or political views. 

Our efforts are founded on the principal that all human beings are entitled to a life in peace, liberty, safety and equality, as this is expressed in the universal declaration of human rights. NRC has been working in South Sudan since 2004. Our core activities include WASH, Education, Shelter & Settlement, Cash and Markets, and Information, Counselling and Legal Assistance (ICLA). 

All NRC employees are expected to work in accordance with the organization’s core values; Dedication, Innovation, Inclusivity and Accountability. These attitudes and believes shall guide our actions and relationships.  

1. Role and responsibilities

The purpose of the Shelter & Settlement Assistant is to support the Shelter & Settlement Officer in the implementation of Shelter & Settlement activities of the project including; beneficiary registration and verification, distribution of shelter kits and NFIs, monitoring of shelter construction and repair works, community mobilization, and data collection and record keeping from the field. The Shelter & Settlement Assistant shares regular updates with the Shelter & Settlement Officer concerning project implementation and any other situation that requires immediate action. 

The following is a brief description of the role. 

Generic responsibilities (max 4)

These responsibilities shall be the same for all positions with the same title. The responsibilities shall be short and essential. Details belong in the Work- and Professional Development Plan.

1. Supporting the Shelter & Settlement Officer in the day-to-day implementation of project activities; planning, implementing, and monitoring.

2. Mobilizing and working with communities, incentive workers, artisans and community shelter committees as directed by the Officer.

3. Attending meetings with local authorities, communities and partners on behalf of NRC when delegated by the Officer.

4. Preparing weekly activity updates and submitting them to the Shelter & Settlement Officer with the challenges and plans for the following week.

Specific responsibilities 

• Assisting in Shelter & Settlement needs assessments, beneficiary identification, registration and verification, ensuring vulnerable and disadvantaged households are included.

• Assisting in setting up and running distribution points for shelter kits and NFIs, crowd management, verification of beneficiaries, distribution lists, tally sheets and signed acknowledgements.

• Supporting day-to-day monitoring of shelter construction and repair works; following up artisans and labourers, checking use of materials and quality of work, and reporting any issues to the Officer.

• Assisting the Officer in preparing BoQs, material lists, work plans, completion certificates and works reports.

• Mobilizing communities and local labour and supporting community shelter committees; ensuring participation is balanced in terms of gender and age.

• Assisting in orientation and training of beneficiaries and artisans on safe construction techniques and shelter maintenance, and keeping records of attendees.

• Cooperation with local authorities and local communities; attending meetings, taking notes, and informing the Officer about the outcome of meetings attended.

• Supporting the Monitoring and Evaluation team in baseline, post-distribution and post-intervention data collection, including the use of digital data collection tools.

• Receiving community feedback and complaints in line with NRC’s accountability mechanisms, and referring protection or safeguarding concerns to the Officer immediately.

• Documenting activities; photos, attendance sheets, distribution records and filing of supporting documents.

Critical interfaces

By interfaces, NRC means processes and projects that are interlinked with other departments/units or persons. Relevant interfaces for this position are:

• Project planning: Shelter & Settlement Officer, WASH & Shelter Coordinator.

• Area operations: Logistics support.

• Staff capacity building: Shelter & Settlement Officer, WASH & Shelter Coordinator.

• Implementation: Shelter & Settlement Officer, incentive workers, artisans, community shelter committees.

Scale and scope of position

2. Competencies 

Competencies are important for the employee and the organization to deliver desired results. They are relevant for all staff and are divided into the following two categories:

 1. Professional competencies 

These are skills, knowledge and experience that are important for effective performance. 

Generic professional competencies for this position: 

• Diploma or certificate in Construction, Civil Engineering, Architecture, Building Technology, Community Development or related field (or secondary education with relevant practical experience).
• Minimum experience of 1-2 years working with humanitarian organizations, preferably in Shelter & Settlement, construction or NFI distribution.
• Ability to work well in diverse teams and with communities, and to help resolve disagreements.
• Basic knowledge of Shelter & Settlement and NFI programming in emergency and recovery contexts.
• Good command of English, both written and verbal.
• Basic computer skills (Word, Excel) and familiarity with digital data collection tools.

Context related skills, knowledge and experience (shall be adapted to the specific position): 

• Ability to plan own work and meet deadlines.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a multi-tasking and multi-cultural environment.

• Knowledge on prioritization of disadvantaged groups or populations (IDPs, marginalized groups, returnees, GBV survivors, etc.).

• Flexibility and time management.

• Knowledge of the local languages

• Knowledge of the local context (areas of operations).

• Awareness of good practice standards: SPHERE standards.

• Experience in beneficiary registration, distributions or community mobilization.

2. Behavioural competencies (max 6)

These are personal qualities that influence how successful people are in their job. NRC’s Competency Framework states 12 behavioural competencies, and the following are essential for this position:

• Planning and producing results.
• Team spirit.
• Communicating with respect and impact.
• Applying professional expertise.

• Working in insecure environments.

3. Performance Management

The employee will be accountable for the responsibilities and the competencies, in accordance with NRC Performance Management Manual. The following documents will be used for performance reviews: 

• The Job Description. 

• The individual Work- and Professional Development Plan.

• The Competency Framework.