Humanitarian Affairs Officer (Inter-Cluster Coordination) – Mogadisho 44 views

This position is open to Somali Nationals ONLY

BACKGROUND

The humanitarian situation in Somalia continues to deteriorate. The current extreme, widespread, and persistent multi-season drought is unprecedented. Following the historic failure of four consecutive rainy seasons, Somalia is facing a climatic event not seen in at least 40 years. The current drought has surpassed the 2010/2011 and 2016/2017 droughts in terms of duration and severity, and a fifth failed rainy season is projected in the coming months.

Humanitarian needs continue to grow. The number of people affected by drought has more than doubled since the beginning of the year. Currently 8.2 million people, nearly half of Somalia’s estimated population, have been affected. Displacement has increased threefold since the beginning of 2022, with more than 1.3 million people displaced due to drought.

The lives and livelihoods of the most vulnerable and marginalized people have been irreversibly harmed and last resort coping mechanisms have been exhausted. The drought has devastated the agriculture sector, which accounts for up to 60 per cent of Somalia’s gross domestic product, 80 per cent of its employment, and 90 per cent of its exports. One-third of all livestock in the worst-affected areas have died since mid-2021. Conditions for crop and livestock production are expected to remain extremely poor until at least the start of the next rainy season in April 2023, if not longer, leading to further loss of livelihoods.

Position Purpose:

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Head of the Inter-Cluster Coordination Unit, the Humanitarian Affairs Officer provides support to the ICCU, ensuring high quality of work in the unit, and will play a key role in ensuring the primary objectives of OCHA Somalia are met.

The Humanitarian Affairs Officer works in close collaboration with the Operations, Programme and projects staff in the CO, other UN agencies and partners to ensure consistent service delivery. The Humanitarian Affairs Officers will be responsible for the following:

Summary of Key Functions:

• Analyze humanitarian situation
• Development of coordination and cooperation mechanisms among stakeholders at the national and sub-national levels in Somalia.
• Information collection and sharing of information in support of the humanitarian response.
• Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing in OCHA Somalia.
• Performs other related duties, as required

1.) Analyze the humanitarian situation focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Analyze incoming clusters and field reports, prepare summaries of field activities and flag important humanitarian issues to the Inter-Cluster Coordinator;
• Assists the Inter-Cluster Coordinator in analysing political, security, social and economic developments and their impacts on humanitarian and protection needs, as well as the operating environment through field travel and data collection from OCHA sub-offices and partners. This will result in identifying humanitarian needs and strengthening common situational analysis among the aid community;
• Work closely with the Inter-Cluster Coordinator, clusters, IMWG, and actively participate in the Humanitarian Program Cycle process (HNO, HRP, PRMR, and End-year review processes) including the Project Module;
• Contributes to the planning and facilitation of processes leading to the development and finalization of the humanitarian needs overview and humanitarian response;
• Facilitates inputs from clusters to calls for proposals such as CERF, and SHF among others;
• Gather and verify information on issues affecting the humanitarian situation, emphasizing opportunities for response.
• Establish relationships with key stakeholders, including clusters, working groups, humanitarian actors and other stakeholders at national and sub-national levels to ensure the humanitarian information flow from OCHA to partners and vice versa and ensure their participation in humanitarian operations;
• Support in the Organization of ICCG presentations and briefings to facilitate discussion and coordinate joint action in response to the drought, flood, eviction and other humanitarian crisis;
• Supports the Inter-Cluster Coordinator in the preparation of policy position papers, HCT updates and reports including internal OCHA and donor reports;
• Assist the Inter-Cluster Coordinator on follow-up work, including inter-cluster/interagency technical review meetings to support policy development work and decision-making on important issues; and ensures the implementation of recommendations emanating from relevant studies; Provide or contribute to humanitarian analysis for the HCT.

2. Development of coordination and cooperation mechanisms among stakeholders at the national and sub-national levels in Somalia focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Support existing coordination mechanisms, including the ICCG HCT, SICCG and other coordination fora as required; and assist in the establishment of new field coordination mechanisms whenever required;
• Support the Inter-Cluster Coordinator in the management and planning of inter-cluster coordination group (ICCG) meetings and implementation of action points and ensures effective dialogue between the ICCG and the humanitarian country team (HCT);
• Support in preparations for Joint HCT-ICCG Meeting and other humanitarian fora or missions; Supports mainstreaming of Protection related work streams in Cluster work plans;
• Liaise closely with UNDSS, UN agencies, NGOs and other partners to ensure a safe and effective operating environment, especially when planning for ICCG field visits/missions; Support the organization and facilitation of joint field assessments, evaluations and routine field visits to assess the humanitarian situation in areas of concern;
• Assist in the development of appropriate strategies to improve the application of humanitarian principles and develop ground rules for humanitarian interventions;
• Organizes and participates in working groups meetings (such as CWG, IMWG, CEA Task Force, etc.), conferences, and consultations with other agencies and partner’s humanitarian and emergency relief-related matters;
• Represents OCHA in national cluster meetings and brief the Inter-Clusters on key issues that require the attention of the ICC and OCHA;
• In collaboration with clusters, Information Management Working Group (IMWG), support the ICCG, the SICCG, partners and other stakeholders, in the development and monitoring of the implementation of the Humanitarian Response Plan in the relevant area of operation;
• Closely work with Clusters, IMWG, CEA Task Force, the Senior Advisors and other Stakeholders to ensure the Integration of gender, age, disability and diversity characteristics of the affected populations into the response across clusters, including through the use of sex and age- disaggregated data (SAAD)

3. Information collection and sharing of information in support of humanitarian response:

• Identification of sources of information related to coordination. Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learnt directly linked to country policy goals;
• Support the collection of field information to improve coordination activities and information dissemination, including undertaking and supporting assessments;
• Ensure timely and qualitative reporting including weekly and monthly ICCG reports; Establish relationships with key stakeholders in areas of operation to ensure the humanitarian information flow from OCHA to partners and vice versa and ensure their participation in operations;
• Provide and support the provision of regular briefings and updates to the clusters and others on the humanitarian situation;
• Support efforts in disaster risk management, emergency response preparedness/readiness, resilience and durable solutions;
• Provide analysis of the operating environment, with the aim of assisting in the establishment of accepted frameworks for engagement and disengagement in areas of conflict.

4. Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and management:

• Identification of sources of information related to coordination. Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learnt directly linked to country policy goals;
• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice; Organization of training to UN staff on coordination issues when required;
• Promotes knowledge management in UNOCHA and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example;

5. Performs other related duties, as required

COMPETENCIES

Core Competencies:

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
• Learn Continuously LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
• Adapt with Agility LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
• Act with Determination LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
• Engage and Partner Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion- LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Communication-Business Management

• Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels

Partnerships Management-Business Management

• Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies

Monitoring-Business Management

• Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results

Customer Satisfaction/Client Management-Business Management

• Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers’ needs. Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy.
• Look for ways to add value beyond clients’ immediate requests.
• Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns

Partnership management-Relationship management

• Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding

General (across the functions)  Public relations

• Ability to build and maintain an overall positive public image for the organisation, its mandate and its brand, while ensuring that individual campaigns and other communications and advocacy initiatives are supported in reaching the public

Communications-Advocacy strategy and implementation

• Ability to create and implement advocacy strategies which lead to impactful change

Qualifications

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in political science, Computer Science, social science, public administration, international studies, economics, engineering, earth science/or a related field.
• A first-level university degree may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree with four years of relevant work experience preferably in the humanitarian context and response.

Experience:

• A minimum of two (2) years experience with a master’s degree or four (4) years experience with a bachelor’s degree of progressively responsible experience in complex emergency and inter-agency contexts dealing with relief and transitional issues is required;
• Familiarity with UN policies, rules and procedures, particularly in relation to humanitarian response and coordination, and knowledge of institutional mandates, policies and guidelines pertaining to humanitarian assistance, especially the humanitarian reform agenda;
• Ability to research analyze, evaluate and synthesize information;
• Ability to express clearly and concisely, ideas and concepts in written and oral form;
• Knowledge/working experience in UNOCHA is desirable;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Access, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Word) is required.
• Work experience within the UN system or an International Organization is desirable.

Other Required Skills

• Knowledge of humanitarian response
• Knowledge of complex emergency  and field coordination mechanisms

Language requirements (Required / Desired)

• Fluency in written and spoken English Language is required.
• Fluency in written and spoken Local language – is required

Applicant information about UNOCHA rosters

Note: UNOCHA reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNOCHA at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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