Humanitarian affairs officer P-4

Vacancy Notice number: OCHA/G/70/2011

United Nations Core Values: Integrity / Professionalism / Respect for Diversity

Background

The United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) was established in Nepal in 2005 to address humanitarian needs as a result of the conflict. In November 2006, a Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed, ending the nearly decade-long conflict. The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) had led a long but low intensity fight against a monarchical state, a conflict which claimed an estimated 16,000 lives and resulted in human rights abuses and reduced delivery of basic services. Since then the country has undergone a political transition process, marred by a lack of agreement on issues related to power-sharing and security sector reform.

To ensure that the UN system responds effectively to the complexity of peace-building and recovery needs while retaining capacity to manage humanitarian situations, the joint UN Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator’s Office (RCHCO), with a presence in four sub-national locations, was established in 2010. The RCHCO is guided by the Transition Support Strategy that ensures coherence, coordination and planning to address peace-building, recovery and humanitarian response approaches. OCHA Nepal functions as a unit within the RCHCO to support the humanitarian components of the Transition Support Strategy in Nepal, in particular to support humanitarian coordination (Cluster strengthening and capacity-building) and emergency disaster preparedness for response approaches, as outlined in the Nepal Risk Reduction Consortium (NRRC).

OCHA’s current strategic plan for 2012-13 identifies five core functions: (1) Coordination of the international humanitarian system’s efforts to prepare for and respond to humanitarian needs; (2) Advocacy with all parties as needed to prepare for and respond to humanitarian needs in a principled fashion; (3) Developing, maintaining and being the custodian of the normative policies/architecture/systems for coordinated international humanitarian preparedness and response; (4) Mobilisation of resources for quick and effective humanitarian response; (5) Provision and management of quality information and analysis to support preparedness and response.

Organizational setting and reporting relationships

The Humanitarian Affairs Officer (HAO) works under the supervision of the Head of the RCHCO in Nepal, with a reporting line to the Humanitarian Coordinator for periods of emergency response. Within UNOCHA, the HAO is supervised by the Deputy Head of the OCHA Regional Office for the Asia Pacific (RO-AP) based in Bangkok. The HAO manages the RCHCO Humanitarian Support Unit that consists of two national humanitarian analysts and is also required to manage the OCHA in Nepal daily contractual and budget related matters through ROAP. A key responsibility of the HAO is to provide timely and appropriate support in the area of emergency response and response preparedness to the RC/HC, the RCHCO, the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) and, the Government of Nepal (GoN) and UNOCHA.

Responsibilities

Coordination

- Provide support to the RC/HC and RCHCO in coordinating humanitarian activities, with a particular focus on the relevant outcomes outlined in the RCHCO Results-Framework;
- Provide support and guidance to the RCHCO Field Coordination Offices humanitarian coordination analysts and other humanitarian stakeholders, including through regular field visits and participating in need assessments;
- Support the RC/HC in ensuring inter-cluster coordination, and strengthening the clusters and the handover approaches, including support to training initiatives as appropriate;
- Assume a key role in supporting RC/HC in emergency response in the aftermath of a major disaster;
- Provide support to the RC/HC, HCT and GoN in strengthening disaster and emergency preparedness for effective response, including establishment and maintenance of effective linkages with the national, regional and local authorities and humanitarian partners and streamlining coordination mechanisms;
- Lead efforts to maintain and update the operational and actionable Inter-agency Contingency Plan in support of the Government of Nepal’s planning processes and linked into key stakeholders planning processes, including civil-military coordination;
- Provide secretariat support function to HCT Principals meetings and chair the HCT Operational meeting on behalf of the Humanitarian Coordinator;
- Liaise on a regular basis with all relevant actors on the implementation and delivery of humanitarian activities in Nepal;
- Maintain support to the Multi Inter-Agency Rapid Assessment format updates and roster system to ensure relevant and suitable;
- Support the RCHCO Transition Support Strategy; Maintain regular contact with OCHA Headquarters in New York and Geneva, and the OCHA Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP);
- Maintain reporting responsibilities and accountability to OCHA ROAP.

Disaster Preparedness for Response

- Lead, monitor and advocate for the implementation of the Nepal Risk Reduction Consortium Flagship II activities on ‘emergency preparedness for response’.
- Support the overall Nepal Risk Reduction initiative;
- Facilitate the process to link disaster preparedness for response activities with disaster risk reduction initiatives outlined in outcome area 6 of the UNDAF 2013-2017;
- Provide support to the Government of Nepal on the Disaster Response Framework (NDRF) and support the district level disaster preparedness and contingency planning activities through the RCHCO Field Coordination Offices;
- Raise awareness within the HCT and the Government of the various UN tools, services and mechanisms available for emergency response and response preparedness;
- Support training needs of the HCT and the Government in the field of emergency response and response preparedness, including facilitating simulation exercises;
- Maintain and support contacts with the relevant national disaster management organizations, in order to assess their emergency preparedness and response capacity and strengthen synergies;
- Support the RC/HC during deployment/reception of IASC / UNDAC missions, if required.

Information Management/Advocacy

- Contribute to providing the Humanitarian Coordinator and RCHCO with timely analysis on the humanitarian situation in Nepal, in close collaboration with the RCHCO Information Management Unit, including through compiled analytical contributions to the humanitarian section of the RCHCO Monthly Bulletin;
- Monitor on-going and new developments regarding natural disasters (and complex emergencies) and draft field situation reports as required;
- Monitor activities under the Nepal Risk Reduction Consortium Flagship II on emergency preparedness for response;
- Facilitate information sharing within the HCT, RCHCO, including to and between the Field Coordination Offices;
- Contribute to internal OCHA notes for ROAP

Resource Mobilization/Appeals

- Assist UN and other partners in resource mobilization, and facilitate flash appeals, CERF applications, etc. as required;
- Advocate for resource mobilisation against activities in the Nepal Risk Reduction Consortium, in particular for Flagship II activities on emergency preparedness for response.

Management of OCHA Presence in Nepal

- Draft work-plans and cost-plans for OCHA in Nepal in conjunction with the RCHCO and ROAP;
- Manage and supervise OCHA in Nepal’s reporting requirements to ROAP and OCHA New York and OCHA Geneva;
- Brief OCHA staff members on their security responsibilities, including compliance with MOSS/MORSS standards;
- Supervise the two locally-recruited staff within the RCHCO Humanitarian Support Unit, as well as any consultants hired for the RCHCO HSU on OCHA contract;
- Manage all aspects of OCHA’s day-to-day running of the unit, human resources, financial and administrative management, recruitment, procurement, and organization of incoming and outgoing missions.

Competences

Professionalism

- Comprehensive knowledge of and exposure to a wide range of humanitarian issues including natural disaster and emergency relief situations;
- Conceptual and strategic analytical capacity including the ability to analyse and articulate the humanitarian dimension of complex issues that require a coordinated UN response;
- Ability to work under pressure, including in stressful environments (e.g. natural disasters and other emergency / humanitarian situations);
- Very good knowledge of institutional mandates, policies and guidelines pertaining to humanitarian affairs;
- Ability to relate humanitarian affairs issues and perspectives, including gender issues, to natural disaster management programmes in the region.

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.

Planning and 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 risks and allows for contingencies when planning;
- Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary - Uses time efficiently.

Managing performance

- Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority;
- Makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member;
- Accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills;
- Monitors progress against milestones and deadlines;
- Regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff;
- Encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative;
- Actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff;
- Appraises performance fairly.

Qualifications & Experience

Education

- Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent)in international relations, public administration, development, law, social science or related field is required;
- A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in combination with qualifying relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of advanced university degree.

Working experience

- A minimum seven years (7) of progressively responsible professional experience in humanitarian affairs, crisis/emergency relief management, rehabilitation, development, peace-keeping, or other related area;
- Of which several years in a field mission is required;
- Experience in producing substantive analytical reports is required;
- Experience with humanitarian reform, including the cluster approach, and in contingency planning is desirable.

Language

For this position fluency in English (both oral and written) is required; Knowledge of another official UN language is an advantage.
How to apply:

***Special notice ***

Please note that applications received after the deadline will not be accepted. All posts are subject to availability of funds.

Applicants will be contacted only if they are under serious consideration. This vacancy announcement may be used to fill similar positions at the same level in other field duty stations.

Upon selection candidates will be subject to satisfactory reference checks to be completed by the recruiting department/office which shall include verification of the highest required academic qualification(s) and record with the last employer.

Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context all staff members are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.

Applications from qualified female candidates and from nationals of non- and under-represented countries are particularly encouraged.