Humanitarian Civil-Military Coordination Associate

Contract

This is a UNV National Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National Specialist contracts.

Given the current crisis in Nigeria, OCHA has to scale up its support to the Humanitarian Coordinator in mobilization and coordination of an effective and principled humanitarian response. OCHA is particularly concerned about vulnerable communities and those at risk due to current conflict. Under the leadership of the Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, OCHA maintains an office in Abuja and a field presence in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states in Northeast; the primary objectives of OCHA Nigeria include the following: Advocate for access to basic services, especially water, sanitation, education, and health for vulnerable communities, including collection, analysis and dissemination of information and negotiation of access. Coordinate the implementation of humanitarian response in Nigeria with UN agencies and programmes, national and international NGOs, and local authorities/communities as appropriate with focus on strengthening the Cluster Approach. Enhance a protective environment that respects the human rights of all, including IDPs, returnees and minority clan. Of note to this position, OCHA is the national and global lead on Civil-Military Coordination and access. This position sits within the Civil-Military Coordination, Access, and Security Unit (CASU) – under the supervision of the CASU Head of Unit.

Within the delegated authority and under the direct supervision of the Head of CMCoord/Access/Security Unit (CASU) or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UN Volunteer will:

• Build and sustain interaction between the Nigerian Armed Forces, UN agencies and INGO Community at the Operational and Field level to strengthen cooperation necessary to facilitate timely delivery of life-saving assistance to vulnerable populations in northeast Nigeria.

• Support military liaison based on referrals from UN agencies and INGO community on various humanitarian operational challenges in the field.

• Support monthly Operational and Field level Civil-Military Coordination platforms and track actions re: specific issues presented at the meeting for troubleshooting.

• Prepare and contribute to various OCHA products as well as draft internal office reports, correspondences, and conduct database maintenance.

• Facilitate and support training sessions for soldiers and officers of the Nigeria Armed forces; as well as for humanitarian staff and government interlocuters.

• Provide meaningful contributions in team meetings including providing analysis particularly on potential impact of NSAG activities on humanitarian activities, constantly seeking ways of improving unit deliverables in support of OCHA mandate.

• Facilitate establishment and maintenance of lines of communication with military units and formations in the northeast through the most appropriate liaison approach

• Meet with humanitarian partners to understand and collect information on challenges to the delivery of principled humanitarian aid

• Any other unit related activities and responsibilities as required by the head of unit etc.

i. Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to IOM; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to IOM procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented; ii. Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and IOM in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority;

iii. Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues;

iv. Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment; Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities;

v. Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups;

vi. Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary;

vii. Genuine commitment: Towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards the IOM’s mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

Programmatic/substantive aspects and operations/logistics with a higher technical diploma, Bachelor’s or Master’s degree or equivalent in Law, Political or Social Studies, Science, International Affairs or a related field from an accredited institution; • Knowledge of a range of humanitarian assistance, emergency relief and related human rights issues, including approaches and techniques to address difficult problems; • Knowledge of humanitarian civil-military coordination, access, international humanitarian law and protection; • Ability to work under pressure, on occasion in a highly stressful environment; • Ability to speak and write clearly and effectively in English language, knowledge of Hausa or other local language is desirable; • Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; • Thorough knowledge of Northeast, Nigeria, including socioeconomic and political context; • Strong overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.), office technology equipment etc.

The Federal Republic of Nigeria is a country on the coast of West Africa, bordered by Benin, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. It has an estimated population of 186,9 million making it Africa's most populous country and an area of 923,768 square kilometres. Capital city is Abuja located in the centre of the nation, while Maiduguri is the capital and the largest city of Borno State in north-eastern Nigeria. Spoken languages are English (official), Hausa, Fulani, and others. The prevailing climate in Maiduguri is known as a local steppe climate with little rainfall during the year. Temperatures are generally between 25 and 38 °C. Driest month is January, and May is warmest one. Security environment in the North East continues to be a cause of concern due to ongoing armed conflict between security forces and insurgents. Despite some recent gains by security forces, Boko Haram insurgent group remains resilient and continues to resort to asymmetrical warfare resulting in collateral damage among civilian population. UN Security Level-3 is currently in place in Maiduguri, and it is non-family duty station. This implies that official and private road travel by staff is limited as per the MOSS and all official missions in this region should not begin before 07:00 and be in a secure location no later than 18:30. Security escort is not required for travel within the city. However, police escorts are required as per MOSS for travel by road for most of the directions outside Maiduguri city. Most of the areas of responsibilities are accessible by UNHAS helicopters. Manual security clearance as well as TRIP system clearance should be obtained from UNDSS for all travels by road/air within North-East of Nigeria. Traveling from Maiduguri to major cities (Abuja, Lagos, Yola, etc.) can be on several UN cleared commercial air carriers, as well as UNHAS.