Shelter and NFI Cluster Co-chair

NRC in Iraq

The unfolding crisis in Iraq is one of the most complex humanitarian emergencies in the world today, with millions of uprooted Iraqis, and hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees. For the past several years, millions of people have been displaced from and within Iraq as a result of military operations. At the end of 2015, the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) began a military operation to enter and retake control of parts of the country under the control of armed opposition groups, especially in the Anbar governorate. Civilians have been caught in the crossfire. 

NRC has been present in Iraq since 2010, with offices located in Baghdad, Erbil, Dohuk, Kirkuk and Mosul.  We have scaled up our response across Iraq to meet the large-scale crisis facing the country, reaching Iraqis with emergency assistance and supporting Syrian refugees as they live in exile.  Our goal is to always be prepared to work in new settings, so we are establishing more local partnerships in Iraq.  Additionally, NRC is part of the UNICEF and WFP-led Rapid response mechanism (RRM), which enables us to reach newly displaced populations with the most urgent life-saving assistance.

Today, NRC is one of the biggest cash providers in Iraq. Our emergency assistance also includes distributing food rations, hygiene kits, water and basic non-food items (NFIs). In the winter months, we also provide blankets and heaters.  We pay particular attention to gender equality and ending gender-based violence (GBV).

Shelter and Non-Food Items (NFI) Cluster Co-chair

The Shelter and NFI Cluster Co-Chair will work under the direct supervision of Head of Office and technical supervision of the Shelter and NFI Cluster National Coordinator in Iraq and will work in collaboration with other members of the cluster coordination team.

The main objective of this post is to support the Shelter Cluster Coordinator to ensure that the cluster fulfills its core functions as defined by the Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC).  

Role Specific Information

• Support the Cluster Coordinator in providing advisory services and expanding the contact with key sector stakeholders, including national and international organizations, representatives of affected populations, national and provincial authorities if relevant, respecting mandates and programme priorities of each of the stakeholders across Iraq
• Support the preparation and updating of the cluster core documents as defined by the Global Shelter Cluster: Strategy, Technical Guidelines, Factsheet, reports. The Co-Chair will have a key role in overseeing the implementation of the workplan’ that the cluster has been developing in the last months.
• Ensure that updated strategic and operational guidance is readily available for shelter actors at the provincial, national and global level including through the website. Support can be provided from the Geneva Shelter and Settlement Section in this aspect.
• Support the Cluster Coordinator in establishing an appropriate distribution of responsibilities amongst cluster partners by defining their commitments in responding to needs and filling gaps with clearly identified focal points for specific issues where necessary.
• Support the Subnational Cluster Coordinators and partners in the operational coordination, so as to harmonize programs, guidelines, policies, and any related tool at national level.
• Promote and adopt standardized approaches, tools and formats for common use in shelter programming within the framework of an agreed common shelter strategy. These methods, tools and formats will, when possible, be in line with those promoted by the Global Shelter Cluster.
• Chair ad-hoc task forces or working groups to agree on response approaches, with a special focus on use of cash based interventions in shelter and NFI programs, vulnerability criteria, protection mainstreaming. Support the National Cluster Coordinator in chairing the Shelter Cluster coordination meetings as well as SAG meetings. Ensure that the meetings are effective and action-oriented. Promote utilization of participatory and community based approaches in the planning and implementation of projects in order to ensure that humanitarian responses build on local capacities.
• Support the national coordinator in maintaining effective links with other clusters, in particular the WASH, CCCM and Protection clusters and the Cash Working Group, and coordination and cooperation with the ICCG and OCHA.
• Guide partners to work within the framework defined by the coordination mechanisms supporting return while continuing the promotion and advocacy for (protracted) displaced people in and out of camps.
• Ensure the integration of agreed priority cross-cutting issues in sectorial needs assessment, analysis, planning, monitoring and response (e.g. age, gender, environment, HIV/AIDS, and diversity).
• Ensure that cluster partners are aware of relevant policy, guidelines and technical standards that the Iraq authorities have undertaken; promote adherence to agreed standards and good practice by all cluster partners, taking into consideration the need for local adaptation. Ensure exchange of good practices and lessons learnt amongst cluster partners by organizing presentations, joint visits, sharing documents and other activities. These include promoting common beneficiary selection criteria and mechanisms.
• Manage and oversee the Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund Allocations.
• When required ensure back-up functions for the National Coordinator as well as Sub national Cluster Coordinators.
• Further develop the Shelter Cluster’s plan in line with the Grand Bargain to support the localization of humanitarian aid in Iraq as well as the monetarization of assistance in the Shelter and NFI sector across the country.

Our Ideal Candidate:

Advanced University Degree in architecture, civil Engineering or related technical field with Minimum of six years of relevant experience. We are looking for someone with strong understanding of shelter-related technical guidelines and NGO humanitarian community in the Shelter cluster.

Work experience in Iraq and the region would be an advantage.

Additional Information:

Contract period: 6 months

Salary/benefits: According to NRC’s salary scale and terms and conditions

Duty station: Erbil

Approved health certificate will be requested before contract start