Construction Practices Specialist at Habitat for Humanity

Background

For the past two years, Habitat for Humanity International in Kenya has been engaging stakeholders in the affordable housing market system, to facilitate efforts to drive housing quality up and housing costs down, taking into account the social and community aspects of housing in Kenya. The aim is to stimulate inclusive housing markets while generating expanded benefits to low income households in a sustainable manner. A market systems development[1] approach that focuses on systemic change with the key objective of stimulating the low-cost housing market system to innovate and replicate promising practices on a sustainable basis is the main thrust of interventions. This approach ensures partnering with key actors to identify impediments and opportunities in the subsystems of the low-cost housing market; and facilitating initiatives that strengthen competitiveness of private and public sector actors through market-based initiatives. By adopting the market systems development approach focus is maintained on low cost housing services and products with the potential to be developed in an equitable and inclusive manner through the market leverage. The approach further ensures that efforts are driven with and through the private sector and other market-based actors where anchor/lead firms/catalytic companies are evident and strengthened to lead systems change even beyond the programme intervention.

The Construction Practices Specialist

Construction practices are key to the attainment of affordable housing for low income households. Key to this context are practices that foster effectiveness, efficiency, durability, quality and ultimately cost saving for low income households. Towards this end, the TCIS programme seeks to contract a construction Practices specialist on consultancy services for 12 months effective 2nd December 2019.

The specialist will support efforts, understanding, practices and learning on construction practices. This will include but not limited to value engineering: optimizing value by increasing efficiency while reducing cost of production ( the latter day "lean manufacturing"), building capacity of developers and owner driven contractors, document understanding of existing and emerging construction practices that contribute to affordable housing in real economic terms for low income households, inter alia. The specialist will among other working methods engage with professionals in the construction industry for early shaping and uptake of building practices using industry standards. This will also include fostering of an understanding of social norms, practices and attitudes that underpin construction practices in Kenya.

Scope of work

• Conduct initial sector specific assessments and make expert technical recommendations for appropriate activities related to/and or contributing to comprehensive housing practices operations in Kenya,
• Conduct or support studies to examine market conditions for building materials (new innovations in housing construction, alternative building materials),
• Serve as the interface between Market Systems and Housing and Human Settlements (HHS) programme teams in determining and contextualizing the essence of affordable housing for low income households in Kenya,
• Work with the HHS and market development teams to determine principles of resilient housing for the Kenyan context,
• Support the development of a Housing Quality Standard guide to support incremental housing practices in Kenya,
• Support the development and implementation of a Housing Quality Assessment to identify and prioritize the top three to five quality deficiencies in selected target populations,
• Serve as the market systems and HHS sector liaison person, and display expert technical and leadership skills commensurate with the role,
• Provide technical review of submitted proposals and/or concepts notes to ensure that proposed activities and programs align with markets systems and HHS principles and practices for construction practices,
• Support firms in identification, testing and application of innovative technologies especially economical building materials to serve for low-income households in an affordable manner,
• Working with the results and measurement team, to develop and monitor a system for data collection, analysis, follow-up, and feedback to relevant internal and external stakeholders support the knowledge and application of housing construction practices,
• Provide technical advice to internal teams on involvement in new shelter interventions and shelter capacity for implementation,
• Maintain an overview of the Construction Practices programme in country and of the regional context with a view to strategically developing relevant interventions in Kenya,
• Provide technical support in the development of need assessments and analysis, evaluation and impact analysis of current projects, and the writing of donor proposals and reports within required time frames.
• Accompany technical teams and other stakeholders on field trips as requested and ensure program details are transmitted in a timely and professional manner.

Essential Experience

• Experience in project planning and execution,
• Knowledge of contracting, negotiating and closing
• Skill in examining and re-engineering operations and procedures as related to construction practices,
• Experience in implementing new strategies and procedures,
• Ability to develop financial plans and manage resources, including ability to analyze and interpret financial data,
• Knowledge in communication including public relations principles, practices, and ability to develop and deliver presentations,
• Demonstrated fluency in professional written and verbal communication in English and Kiswahili,
• demonstrated ability to communicate and interact with officials at all levels of government and to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.
• Ability to motivate teams and simultaneously manage several projects.
• Willingness to work in a flexible schedule and to travel even to remote destinations
• Private sector experience is a plus

Professional experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in civil engineering, Construction Management or architecture
• Minimum five (5) years’ experience in contracts management and post Diploma in Project Management, Construction Management,
• PMP (Project Management Professional) certification is highly desirable.
• Work requires willingness to travel even remotely in Kenya and the region