Humanitarian access is critical to enable effective response to food security and nutrition crises in complex and conflict affected environments. Due to its mandate, operational presence, and size, WFP is more regularly operating in complex contexts where humanitarian access poses a challenge to operating efficiently. Thus, the demand on WFP to strengthen its corporate and field level capacities to negotiate, maintain and improve access is increasing.

The security situation in Haiti has declined since 2021 as increasingly powerful armed gangs have expanded their territorial control over the capital Port-au-Prince and the surrounding areas. 2022 saw a sharp rise in intra-gang fighting, resulting in a significant surge of violence across the capital, with increasing collateral threats for civilians and kidnaps for ransom. The situation is to date extremely instable and volatile Consequently, the operating environment for humanitarian organizations, including WFP and its cooperating partners (CPs), has become highly challenging with increasing insecurity and shrinking humanitarian space.

The Operational Access Officer (OAO) will lead, under the supervision of the Head of Operations Risk Management, the Country Office efforts with internal and external coordination, integrate multi-dimensional approach to implement access strategies and work plans. This position contributes to a coordinated, coherent, and predictable humanitarian approach to access that enables the implementation of WFP programmes, with the aim of maximising access to humanitarian assistance for the most vulnerable populations in Haiti.

The position will also oversee the analysis of the prevailing humanitarian situation with a view to alerting and anticipating their implications on WFP operations. The Operational Access Officer will be responsible to support WFP’s role in humanitarian access engagement with humanitarian and non-humanitarian actors, and other stakeholders in the country.

While the position is based in Port au Prince, the Operational Access Officer will deploy to support Field Offices across the country. Specifically, the Operational Access Officer will be responsible for the following:

Knowledge management – Humanitarian and Access Context analysis

Undertake contextual analysis and assess access related risks to alert and anticipate their implications on humanitarian operations and propose mitigation measures as well as opportunities to adjust and design WFP’s programmes.
Provide inputs to the CO management (Country Director/DCD) on access issues and positioning for WFP’s field level operations.
Develop and maintain an overview of the state-of-play of conflicts and insecurity, including WFP’s efforts to engage with communities and other actors with a view to supporting operational decision-making. This includes the implementation of Operational Access Map, to understand where and why WFP may be unable to reach beneficiaries.
In collaboration with Security and other functional units, develop and maintain an updated actor mapping across the country.
Document good practices and learning from the operation and ensure that it is systematically disseminated to feed the corporate development of guidance and tools.
Ensure that CO is aware in a timely manner of any new opportunities to enhance engagement on access and engagement issues.

Technical Support

Work with functional Units in the CO to develop long-term institutional arrangements necessary to implement access strategies.
Support and advise technical units in the CO on components, good practices, key actors and concerns to be considered in the formulation of strategies to reach beneficiaries and facilitate their access to essential goods and services.
Provide guidance and assistance on considerations pertaining to engaging humanitarian and non-humanitarian actors, civil and public entities for the development of implementation plans to improve WFP’s access.
Identify programmatic and operational access-related risks and propose mitigation measures, as well as opportunities to adjust and design WFP’s interventions to efficiently deliver WFP programmes in a timely manner.
Oversee the development of context-specific guidance on administrative and legal regulations.
With support from the Regional Bureau and HQ, facilitate the development of country-specific guidelines on engagement with armed gangs, and other civilian entities.
Support strengthening and establishing sustainable multi-functional operational access coordination in the CO.
Initiate and support efforts to build the capacity of WFP staff to undertake operational access and engagement work, namely through trainings and workshops, on the job training or mentoring.

Coordination

Ensure that WFP is actively participating in relevant inter-agency discussions concerning access. This includes forging partnerships with traditional and non-traditional partners and other experts to improve performance in this area.
Support the CO’s effort to advocate for establishing and maintaining principled and sustained humanitarian access.
Strengthen and maintain sustainable coordination and partnerships with stakeholders in the country.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

Education: Aacademic degree in international relations, International Law, development studies, conflict studies, or another relevant discipline is required.

Experience:

Good understanding of the political, social, security context in Haiti.
Minimum five (5) years of professional experience related to humanitarian, development, civil work, community engagement in Haiti or similar contexts.
Demonstrated experience in humanitarian access negotiations is required.

Other relevant experience that will be considered an asset:

Experience in researching, analysing, evaluating, and synthesizing information.
Experience with the UN or a comparable international organization.
Experience in design and completion of conflict analysis
Experience in capacity building (training, accompaniment)

Technical

Skills

& Knowledge

Essential

Demonstrated conflict and security analytical competency.
Strong knowledge of organized violence, in particular working with armed gangs and civilian entities.
Commitment to WFP’s mission and values
Strong written and oral communication skills
Good influencing and networking skills
Ability to work independently under minimal supervision.
Proficiency in Window MS office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook)
Technical training in areas that are relevant to humanitarian access, community engagement and networking is desirable.

Languages:

Fluency (level C) in English and French is required.

Knowledge of Creole or one of the other UN languages is an asset.

Terms and conditions:

Limited Fixed-Term Appointment (LFT) position is a non-mobile staff appointment in the international professional category for a limited period for up to 4 years (initial appointment is for 1 or 2 years) and is open to all nationalities (for HQ and RBs) or candidates must be a national of a country other than the country of assignment (for Country Offices). The position is based in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and the selected candidate will be expected to relocate. Incumbents of LFT positions are not eligible to apply for other mobile positions advertised internally through the Reassignment.

WFP offers an attractive compensation and benefits package in line with ICSC standards (http://icsc.un.org) including basic salary, post adjustment, relocation entitlement, travel and shipment allowances, 30 days’ annual leave, home leave, an education grant for dependent children, a pension plan, and medical insurance.

Working arrangements: (The TORS and deliverables are subject to change as work develops and funds are available.)

Deadline for submissions of applications: 7 november 2023

Apply now

Added 6 months ago - Updated 5 months ago - Source: wfp.org