Country: South Sudan
Closing date: 25 Apr 2014
ORGANIZATIONAL SETTING AND REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS: This position is located in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Juba, South Sudan. The Humanitarian Affairs Officer (Protection/Civil-Military Coordination) will report to the Head of Office, OCHA Sudan, through the Senior Humanitarian Officer/Deputy Head of Office.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Under the leadership and guidance of the Head of Office, OCHA South Sudan, and within delegated authority, the HAO will be responsible for the following duties:
- Support Humanitarian Coordination:
Support the Humanitarian Coordinator and the OCHA Country Office by:
Protection:
Assume protection focal point responsibilities for OCHA to advise management on protection issues, serve as resource person for staff and primary interlocutor for the Protection Cluster and related fora. Provide support to the Protection Cluster, including to facilitate linkages across clusters and with the HCT, and engagement with UNMISS and other actors as appropriate. Develop/implement strategies/recommendations on how OCHA can help to address identified protection gaps.
UN-CMCoord:
Advise on appropriate civil-military coordination mechanisms to interface with the military and civilian components of UNMISS and other security forces as required. Promote understanding and advocate for respect for the humanitarian principles with UNMISS and other armed forces. Advise both humanitarian actors and military representatives on the appropriateness of the use of military assets and activities to support humanitarian activities. Support Cluster Coordinators or humanitarian organizations in requesting military support for humanitarian activities, ensuring the requests are appropriate and in line with applicable civil-military coordination guidelines. Monitor activities by military forces to support humanitarian organizations.
- Networking and Liaison with Stakeholders, including militaries:
Maintain dialogue and coordination with stakeholders in order to ensure mutual exchange of information about ongoing humanitarian activities and issues.
Establish and maintain a contact network with NGO, UN Agencies and UNMISS based personnel working on protection and civil-military relations, including to continuously contribute to OCHA’s overall understanding of these issues.
Use established information exchange mechanisms to meet with stakeholders, such as Government officials, UN agencies, NGOs, diplomatic missions and interested parties.
Coordinate and/or participate in working groups, meetings and consultations with other UN agencies and humanitarian partners; organize topical meetings with appropriate participation.
Facilitate the establishment and maintenance of communication with the military forces in the AOR and establish mechanisms to resolve operational issues and ensure appropriate mutual exchange of information regarding ongoing relevant activities.
Advise and educate the military and/or police forces in the AOR on the structures and dynamics of coordination with and within the international humanitarian community and the practicalities of implementation.
Monitor the military presence in the AOR by communicating with international military forces, governmental forces and other armed forces if required.
Promote and ensure adherence to the humanitarian principles and facilitate advocacy meetings with relevant stakeholders when necessary.
- Monitoring, analysis and reporting:
Monitor, analyze and report on the humanitarian and emergency situation, including relevant political, social and military developments. As an active member of the Protection Cluster, participate in assessments, monitoring and analysis of protection threats across conflict-affected areas, and contribute to the development of common strategies on how humanitarian actors and duty-bearers (including conflict parties, UNMISS and UN Member States) can address identified protection gaps. Work with the Protection Cluster to ensure protection is well integrated into OCHA information products. Assess and report on the implementation civil-military coordination activities as well as identify difficulties and challenges in the interaction between the humanitarian and military communities. Provide regular inputs into OCHA’s situation reports on ongoing civil-military coordination activities.
- Assessment, facilitation and advocacy:
Provide substantial inputs and advice to the OCHA Head of Office or Head of Sub-Office on protection and UN-CMCoord issues. Provide input on protection issues in relation to advocacy and communication initiatives of the HC and OCHA Head of Office. Draft reports, policy/position papers, talking points and background notes on protection issues as necessary. Advise humanitarian agencies on policy or specific civil-military coordination issues; undertake monitoring of Military support to Humanitarian organizations performed by humanitarians actors and UNMISS; Conduct assessment missions of civil-military coordination as required by the OCHA Head of Office;
- Preparedness:
Participate in humanitarian contingency planning and cluster/intercluster meetings and strategies to ensure that protection is taken into account and that the use of Military and Civil Defence Assets (MCDA) is properly considered. Establish and maintain close coordination with actors involved in protection operations and military exercises or pre-deployment training and advise on which events should be monitored and/or supported. Support lessons learned workshops/seminars and training events, as appropriate.
- Strategy:
Help support the Protection Cluster in the development of a strategy for its members. Work with the South Sudan Protection Cluster to determine priorities and strategies for engagement with UNMISS on protection issues. Liaise with UNMISS on the revision of its protection of civilians strategy and ensure that it is well coordinated with the strategy of the Protection Cluster.
- Dissemination and development of Guidelines:
Ensure that applicable civil-military coordination guidelines, country-specific guidance or generic guidelines are properly disseminated and understood by both, humanitarian actors and the military and/or police forces present as well as by local actors, as appropriate. Promote and advocate for adherence to the humanitarian principles and applicable Guidelines within the entire humanitarian community and advise on potential consequences if the guidelines are compromised. In collaboration with the HCT identify UN-CMCoord training needs of both humanitarian actors and military forces in the AOR and recommend/design a training strategy and materials to support identified requirements. Arrange and conduct such training events as required and agreed with the OCHA Head of Office.
COMPETENCIES
PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of a range of humanitarian assistance, emergency relief and related human rights issues, including approaches and techniques to address difficult problems. Analytical capacity and in particular the ability to analyze and articulate the humanitarian dimension of issues which require a coordinated UN response. Ability to identify issues and judgment in applying technical expertise to resolve a wide range of problems. Ability to conduct research, including ability to evaluate and integrate information from a variety of sources and assess impact on the humanitarian rights situation in assigned country/area. Ability to work under pressure, on occasion in a highly stressful environment (e.g. civil strife, natural disasters and human misery); ability to provide guidance to new/junior staff. Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges.
COMMUNICATION: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
TEAMWORK: 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.
QUALIFICATIONS
Experience:Minimum of seven (7) years of relevant professional experience, including three (3) years of field experience is required. Previous experience with OCHA and/or in a related way in civil-military coordination is desirable. Previous experience in the military with relevant experience in major humanitarian operations is desirable.
Education:Advanced University degree (Master’s Degree) in political science, international relations, or other field related to civil-military coordination or a Bachelor's degree accompanied by extensive level of field experience. Extensive experience in working with or in military forces and/or with or in humanitarian organizations with good working knowledge of the other.
Languages:English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For this position, fluency of English is required. Knowledge of Arabic, and/or French is desirable.
How to apply:
The position is intended to fill functions of short-term duration This temporary position is for an initial period of six (6) months with a possibility of extension. All posts are subject to availability of funds.
Please state your full name and the temporary job opening notice number OCHA/G/42/2014 as the subject in your e-mail application and send one email application for every temporary job opening announcement. Documents should be saved as pdf file, with the title formatted as follows: FAMILY NAMEgiven name Doc-t type.pdf. For example: GREY_Joe _PHP.pdf.
All applicants are requested to submit a completed personal history profile (PHP) to Vijai Pratap Singh: singh139@un.org with a copy to ochavacancies@un.orgPlease indicate the temporary job opening number OCHA/G/42/2014 in the Subject of your e-mail.
Note that applications to United Nations Secretariat positions can be generated in the new Inspira recruitment system. We encourage you to create an electronic personal history profile and to apply to these and other positions for which you are interested and qualified at http://inspira.un.org
Note that applicants’ eligibility cannot be fully assessed if the personal history profile is not properly completed. Applications received after the deadline will not be accepted.
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