South Sudan: REACH Assessment Officer South Sudan

I. Background on ACTED

ACTED is a French humanitarian NGO, founded in 1993, which supports vulnerable populations, affected by humanitarian crises worldwide. ACTED provides continued support to vulnerable communities by ensuring the sustainability of post-crisis interventions and engaging long-term challenges facing our target populations, in order to break the poverty cycle, foster development and reduce vulnerability to disasters. Our interventions seek to cover the multiple aspects of humanitarian and development crises through a multidisciplinary approach which is both global and local, and adapted to each context. Our 3,300 staff is committed in to responding to emergencies worldwide, to supporting recovery and rehabilitation, towards sustainable development.

Our teams in the field implement some 340 projects in 34 countries covering the following sectors emergency relief, food security, access to health, education and training, economic development, microfinance, advocacy, institutional support, and regional dialogue, cultural promotion.

Based on considerable experience addressing the needs and situations of vulnerable communities, ACTED contributes to the international agenda towards reaching the Millennium Development Goals, through a wide range of partnerships, innovative initiatives, and campaigns.

II. Country Profile

Capital Office : Juba

National Staff : 136

International Staff : 28

Areas : 10

On-going programmes : 8

Budget : 2.9 M €

In 2012, ACTED has undertaken an expansion of activities in South Sudan. A Juba level coordination office was opened in 2011, and in 2012 the capital office has expanded to provide additional support to our field offices that opened in Bentiu, Unity State, and Malakal, Upper Nile State. The rapidly changing situation in South Sudan over the past months has led ACTED to up-scale its emergency response capacities, while also continuing to provide basic services in the traditional areas of intervention.

Since January 2012, ACTED has been providing refugee and IDP assistance in Unity and Upper Nile states. In Maban County, this assistance has focused on the life-saving assistance to refugees from Blue Nile State, Sudan. ACTED as camp manager for Jamam refugee camp has strived to provide the basic needs for the population including shelter, waste management, livelihoods, and construction of community infrastructures.

Additionally, ACTED has responded to the new refugee influx in May with the provision of shelter and emergency latrines at transit sites while providing transportation assistance to refugees relocating to permanent settlements. In Unity state, ACTED has focused on the provision of livelihoods assistance to refugees in Nyeel and Pariang refugee camps.

ACTED also continues to build on its traditional areas of intervention, focusing on food security and livelihoods in Western Bahr el Ghazal and Warrap, and water, sanitation and hygiene in both states as well. Tonj North in Warrap was also a new area for ACTED where a Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) project is being implemented in the underserved area. All of these interventions continue to provide both basic and live-saving assistance to vulnerable populations throughout South Sudan.

Context

REACH is a joint global initiative by ACTED, IMPACT Initiatives and UNOSAT with the aim to provide better tools for humanitarian and aid actors for the planning, design and follow-up of humanitarian interventions, particularly with regards to those crisis which induce displacement and/or serious damage to homes, infrastructures and livelihoods. REACH’s activities are facilitated by a dedicated team of assessment, database and mapping experts and conducted in close coordination with other humanitarian agencies and often on behalf of aid coordination structures. Overall, REACH promotes three parallel and complementary services: (i) collection; (ii) processing; and (iii) dissemination of data.

REACH has been active in South Sudan since February 2012, working primarily in refugee camps in Upper Nile and Unity states. To date there are more than 170,000 refugees spread over seven camps in Upper Nile and Unity states. REACH assessment teams have been producing maps and creating comprehensive databases in an effort to inform more effective operational set-up and management of the camps.

In 2013, REACH assessments started to expand its focus on the socio-cultural organization and dynamic of the camps, as well as natural resource depletion and energy use among the population. The reports produced as a result of these assessments have been used in targeting interventions and overall camp management. The program will extend partner services as well as beyond the refugee context to include mapping of natural resources, impact evaluation, conflict mapping, etc.

Through upcoming funding from CHF (Common Humanitarian Fund), ACTED is looking for a technical expertise to support the team in implementing Project in support to the Non Food Items / Emergency Shelter (NFI / ES) cluster for vulnerable flood-affected and internally displaced individuals in Western Bahr El Ghazal and Warrap States in South Sudan. The REACH officer will be in charge of:

• Developing assessment strategy for the project
• Improving program quality, monitoring performance and facilitating the transmission of best practices.
• Contributing in ACTED overall M&E capacity, enhancing the overall use of clear program logic, sound data collection and analysis methods

Facilitating assessments that are integrally linked to design of Emergency shelter project and Flood risk mapping related.

III. Position Profile

Leading REACH assessment procedures

· Design and carry out community consultation / stakeholders discussion and consultation to assess and update needs and situation in the targeted areas

· Work with all departments to follow up project and programmes databases incl. work on the nomenclature used (official names etc.);

· Ensure that all collected data are geo-referenced (GPS coordinates or geographic layer)

· Set and follow up a data management system for all project related and programmatic data

Data collection

· In coordination with IMPACT Initiatives and ACTED Country Director in South Sudan, design and implement assessment methodology

· Follow up the day-to-day workings of the assessment team

· Coordinate and ensure timely data collection and analysis;

· Ensure the writing of timely and accurate assessment reports

· Ensure that assessment reports are made useful for fundraising and add to the general base of field knowledge in the country for all organisations working in the area;

· Facilitate the project design process with expertise on the log frame approach;

· Store, organize and disseminate assessments, project documents and best practices among ACTED and IPs.

· Keep track of all projects and programmes assessment schedules and work with field staff to design and implement

Other tasks

· Oversee the development and updating of informational materials such as fact sheets, articles, and audio-visual materials to promote the work of REACH program externally and within ACTED;

· Represent the REACH program during donor and other guest visits

· Coordinate timely and accurate reporting to IMPACT headquarters;

· Build national staff capacity through the training provision on record keeping, drafting concise and accurate assessment report, and project monitoring.

· Identify relevant technical authorities and partners, and propose formal partnership and/or contracts.

· Set up technical evaluation exercises during and following implementation.

· Capacity building to staff in regards to technical skills, as and when required

Monitoring and Evaluation

· Collect information and tools employed for project implementation;

· Draft memos detailing lessons learned and best practices identified during the project;

· Share such memos with internal and external partners;

· Communicate such information to the Country Director or Area Coordinator, to Regional Support Offices and to HQ Reporting Department.

IV. Qualifications:

· MA degree in international relations, development, humanitarian issues, field research, etc.

· Having worked in a humanitarian context for at least 2 years with experience in assessments.

· Flexibility and adaptability are essential, as well as the ability to plan, take initiative and organize work independently. In addition Impartiality, objectivity and confidentiality are imperative;

· Good command of GIS software, Excel, Word and Database software such as Access or Foxpro. Familiarity with other information and data sources related to GIS to be recommended to ACTED for better GIS practices would be an asset.

· Prior experience of undertake flood modeling using Remote Sensing Techniques and/or through a participatory mapping approach preferred would be considered as a plus

· Prior experience of using Remote Sensing Software (ERDAS Imagine for example) preferred

· Prior knowledge of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Techniques would be considered as a plus

· Understanding the nature of the work carried out by programs is necessary for ensuring the relevancy and usability of the maps produced. Therefore a proactive and self-motivated attitude towards gaining a good understanding of ACTED programs, innovating GIS activities and developing new GIS components for proposals is essential;

· Willingness to learn and capacity to innovate: The incumbent must be inventive and eager to improve his or her own skills, and be capable to adapt, shape and develop tools best suited for ACTED’s activities

· Ability to travel to the field for data collection, cross-checking the data and provide training to field staff;

· Good organizational and communication skills with international and national staff and rural communities.

· Proven ability in strategic coordination with multiple and multilevel partners and stakeholders across the project areas

· Demonstrated ability to manage complex program in the setting of emergency / relief / rehabilitation area while also dealing with different tribal societies.

· Willingness to work and live in often remote areas under basic conditions

· Fluency in English (written and oral) is 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/or housing allowance (depending on contract length and country of assignment)

· Transportation costs covered, including additional return ticket + luggage allowance

· Provision of medical, life, and repatriation insurance + retirement package

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

Ref : REACH/SSUD/SA

ACTED

Att: Human Resources Department

33, rue Godot de Mauroy

75009 Paris

FRANCE

Fax. + 33 (0) 1 42 65 33 46

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