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CONSULTANCY - TERMS OF REFERENCE
UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to a population of some 5 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human development, pending a just solution to their plight. UNRWA’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance. UNRWA is the largest UN operation in the Middle East with more than 30,000 staff. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions.
Consultancy – New School Design and Construction, Gaza
BACKGROUND
Conflicts, including the most recent July – August 2014 hostilities, have exacerbated the effects of the ongoing Israeli-imposed blockade of Gaza, which has now entered its tenth year. The blockade has had a devastating impact on the lives of Palestinians in Gaza, with freedom of movement severely restricted, crippling the once vibrant, export-led economy, while rendering the majority of the population dependent on humanitarian aid to meet basic needs, and a growing reliance on UNRWA services. As an example of this, the number of refugees in need of food assistance has increased tenfold since 2000, from 80,000 refugees to over 900,000 in 2016.
Recurrent conflicts have had a particularly severe impact on children in Gaza, exacerbating existing child protection issues and undermining protective mechanisms (such as stable access to quality education). Many children witnessed the death or injury of a family member or neighbour, and many more experienced displacement, often in tense emergency shelters. UN assessments have found that, in addition to an estimated 1,000 children who suffered disabling physical injuries[1], a UN rapid assessment found that some 373,000 children have suffered psychological trauma and now require specialized psychosocial support to recover[2]. Palestinian non-governmental organizations recently released data showing that 51 per cent of children in Gaza suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a result of the 2014 conflict[3].
In the education sector, UNRWA provides basic education services to over 250,000 grade 1-9 students in 257 schools, taught by 8,700 teachers. During the July – August 2014 hostilities, 90 UNRWA school buildings were operating as designated emergency shelters to give shelter to almost 300,000 internally displaced persons who had fled from their homes, seeking safety.
Conflicts, poverty and isolation, as well as funding constraints, population growth, and difficulty securing suitable plots of land in the densely populated enclave, have had a profound impact on Palestine refugee children’s access to education in Gaza. UNRWA is mandated to provide education to Palestine refugee children; every year 10 000 new students are enrolled in UNRWA schools in the Gaza Strip. This is equivalent to a need for nearly ten additional schools each year, in addition to existing schools in need of routine maintenance or reconstruction due to destruction from violent conflicts. For 2014-2015, 11 UNRWA schools were constructed and 27 were under construction and expected to be completed by end of 2016.
Project Rationale
Ensuring universal access to basic education for Palestine refugees is one of UNRWA’s key priorities, and the Agency continues to work to remove barriers to access and create equal opportunities for learning and participation[4]. UNRWA schools in Palestine teach the Palestinian Authority curriculum, supplemented by additional classes to enrich children’s learning and ensure they are equipped with the knowledge and skills to enjoy and exercise their rights, uphold international human rights values, and contribute positively to their society and the global community.
Besides the educational need, UNRWA schools are integral to emergency response in Gaza, as a consequence of recurrent conflict. UNRWA schools serve as focal sites for sheltering those displaced by conflict, both during active hostilities (as Designated Emergency Shelters), and immediately post-conflict for those who cannot yet return home (as Collective Centres). School design must be developed with a view to the crucial dual role these structures play. New schools will also need to be designed to more rapidly shift between these two functions – emergency shelters and schools – so the people of Gaza can quickly access safe and suitable shelter in times of conflict, and so students can rapidly return to school, and thus a sense of normality and stability, after any conflict.
Due to space constraints and high student numbers, most schools are operating on double or triple-shift basis and classrooms are housing on average more than 39 students per class. With severe space constraints, Palestine refugee children in Gaza are learning in often hot and congested environments, and have limited opportunity to engage in recreational or creative pursuits, including outdoor play beyond school hours, leaving children with very little access to safe areas for play and extracurricular activities.
In order to respond to the problems and challenges addressed above, there is a great need to look at a comprehensive new school design moving forward. This design would address UNRWA moving towards its goals in Education Reform, involving greater ‘active learning’, prioritising an inclusive, pupil-centred response to children’s educational needs, engaging communities and increasing participation in learning. This approach focuses on identifying and supporting children with diverse requirements, different abilities and varied socio-economic backgrounds.
Moreover, the increasing number of students with disabilities and the need toward facilitating more inclusive education is to be a key design element of the new schools. Most UNRWA schools have an assigned psychosocial counsellor, able to provide children with family and group sessions, and the Agency’s community mental health programme (CMHP) facilitates access to psychosocial support to all Palestine refugee children attending UNRWA schools throughout the Gaza Strip.
Gaza is facing a severe threat to its very viability as a liveable place, given high population growth rates, restricted living area, heavy urbanisation, blockade, and a very fragile infrastructure around energy, water, and sanitation that are struggling to meet the needs of a growing population. Design considerations include the diminishing land sizes available for new schools or the need to divide the plots of existing schools to accommodate more students. Low and unstable supply of electricity in Gaza requires consideration of renewable energy. Damaged aquifers require design to maximise opportunity for environmental repair, such as enhancing water infiltration, which should be taken into account when considering a new school design. This is a major issue in Gaza, requiring a need to learn from spatial design innovations in other high-density environments.
UNRWA seeks a new school design for Gaza, but one that could also be used or inform new school construction in the other Fields, especially with consideration of other Fields where post-conflict reconstruction of installations may be vital.
Although UNRWA maintains an on-going consultation and assessment process to fine-tune existing school designs following each successful construction, no comprehensive review of core designs has been undertaken in recent years. This project is for the development of new, cost-effective, replicable, school design (with applicability to multiple site usage and for expansion of existing schools). It will also involve the construction of two schools, based on this new design set.
Description of Duties and Responsibilities
The consultant reports to the Deputy Chief Infrastructure and Camp Improvement - Design and Urban Planning.
1. Develop technical guidelines and fully coordinated school/construction design packaged to enable the construction of child-friendly schools that also suit re-purposing in emergencies and immediate post-emergency situations into emergency shelters. Designs need to be easily adapted to multiple sites and also be replicable and standardised to ensure cost effectiveness. The design package must take affordability for continued future use, including in times of funding constraint, as a key consideration;
School designs must consider the spatial means to best further UNRWA’s Education Reform and be solidly grounded in child-friendly school standards (for inclusive education, flexible learning space, child protection, WASH and toilet facilities, safe water, teachers’ space, counsellor space for psychosocial activity, and play grounds) and where possible, complementary components that will enhance the learning environments for children (library, labs, special purpose rooms, sports facilities, admin offices). Emergency use considerations include ability to shelter maximum numbers of internally displaced people with dignity and protection (with consideration for cooking, washing, and daily needs of sheltering families, sustainable power supply, independent water supply, safety standards, and the differing emergency needs of women in a shelter environment) and the ability to change use from emergency to school, rapidly. To include the opportunity for the school to function as shelter and school when the number of IDPs diminish;
2. Develop school design set that can further inclusive education, in consultation with key actors on accessible learning for children with disabilities;
3. Ensure gender-sensitive school design – both in terms of the educational needs of girls and boys within the particular culture of Gaza (e.g. playground and sports space where girls can exercise without public view), and the differing needs of women and men in times of emergency. Ensure environmentally friendly school design so as to maximize environmental benefit in the school design, learning also from lessons in UNRWA’s Green Schools project. School design must ensure flexibility with a view to the changing material access restrictions in Gaza;
4. Lead School furniture re-design, in coordination with education teams in Gaza and Headquarters, to maximize flexible use of classroom space, durability for heavy use, and in consideration of changing material import restrictions on Gaza;
5. Develop key education-construction programme documents, share good practices, lessons learned and ensure knowledge/information exchange. Refer to global and national policies and standards;
6. Lead and facilitate consultations with all key stakeholders in developing the school design package, including students, teachers, principals, parents, community members and groups, UNRWA’s education team in Gaza and Headquarters, Community Mental Health team, Gender Unit, Operational Support Unit, Safety and Security Division, and relevant NGOs;
7. Work with the design and construction team in UNRWA’s Camp Improvement and Infrastructure team in on the school design project, exposing the team to new methodologies of consultative design. Conduct entire project as an opportunity for practical demonstration to UNRWA staff of new or consultative design approaches and their application in the Gaza context;
8. Develop a scoping study, as needed, to allow wider applicability of the design for use in other UNRWA Fields;
9. Workshops and presentations on the new school design, both within and external to UNRWA Gaza;
10. Project manage the planning, design (concept, developed and technical design elements) and through to tender of the new schools design project, in coordination with UNRWA’s design teams and other key staff in the Infrastructure and Camp Improvement Programme. Lead on donor reporting and compliance in relation to the project. The post reports to the Deputy Chief ICIP – Design and Urban Planning;
11. Other relevant tasks as required.
minimum Qualifications and Experience
· An advanced university degree from an accredited educational institution in Architecture;
· At least 6 years of relevant progressive professional work experience at national and international levels in field programmes relevant to school and emergency design, construction, rehabilitation and maintenance, and contract management;
· Experience working in humanitarian or development contexts, with the UN or other international humanitarian or development organizations. Background in design in emergency conflict settings;
· Advanced technical knowledge of the theories, principles and methods in one of the following areas: architectural engineering, emergency shelter design, child-friendly and eco-friendly approaches to construction;
· Knowledge of latest developments in construction materials and systems is essential;
· Recent experience of programme/project management in architecture and/or construction, including:-
o Building the capacity of team members;
o Rights-based programming;
o Application of Government regulations and laws, development plans and policies in the locality;
o Monitoring and evaluation.
· Fluency in spoken and written English.
COMPETENCIES
· Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with colleagues and other staff, outside collaborators including NGOs, private sector and government departments;
· Professionalism: Knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to school design. Ability to identify issues, analyse and participate in the resolution of issues/problems. Ability to apply judgment plan own work and manage conflicting prioritization;
· Proven Leadership: Serves as a role model; empowers others to translate vision into results; is pro-active in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women, men and the disadvantaged in all areas of work;
· Planning & Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently;
· Vision: Identifies strategic issues, opportunities and risks; clearly communicates links between the Organization's strategy and the work unit's goals; generates and communicates broad and compelling organizational direction, inspiring others to pursue that same direction; conveys enthusiasm about future possibilities;
· Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others' ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings;
· Proven skills in critical thinking, assessment and analysis, coordination and communication; strong competency in conceptualizing and design.
dESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
· Experience in construction of school infrastructure, in a humanitarian or development context;
· Previous experience working in Gaza, or the Middle East;