Stretch Assignment: Emergency Specialist P3, Bamako, Mali 5 months

Contract

This is a P-3 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 5 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 115,781 USD and 151,606 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

Stretch Assignment: Emergency Specialist P3, Bamako, Mali

Title: Emergency Specialist Level: P3 – we encourage staff from all levels with the relevant experience to apply Reports to: Chief Field Operations and Emergency Duration: 5 months Section: Field Operations and Emergency Location: Bamako, Mali Dates/Duration: Stretch assignment from 15 July 2024. Eligibility: All Fixed-Term, Permanent or continuing appointment UNICEF staff members currently working in UNICEF worldwide.

Background

Purpose of the Position

The Emergency Specialist is under the direction and guidance of the Chief of Field Operations and Emergency. Responsible for the development, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the emergency interventions to ensure the survival and well-being of children and mothers and affected communities in emergency. Provides coordination and support for policy and programme planning and management in UNICEF supported emergency programme. Contributes to the implementation of UNICEF’ s localized based access strategy.

Duration This stretch assignment will be for a period of six (5) months.

Key expected results

1. Emergency Preparedness

• Adopts adequate emergency preparedness measures through the development and updating of country contingency plans and establishment of early warning mechanisms, to ensure effective preparedness and response to specific emergencies.
• Participates in the formulation and development of plans of action in preparation and response to emergencies, monitors compliance of all sectors with emergency plans of action, including financial resources. Ensures coordination of the management of emergency preparedness and response.
• Provides technical advice related to emergency preparedness and response, including on programme management related issues. Provides advice to the country office in the implementation of emergency preparedness measures in the field to strengthen preparedness and response mechanisms in the country faced with impending emergencies.
• Develops and maintains databases on country/regional information and ensure the flow of information and communication crucial for the planning and implementation of emergency preparedness and response management. Identifies availability of resources in emergency prone areas and establish logistics plans to be implemented during an emergency operation, to ensure a timely and effective emergency response.
• Plans, organizes and conducts training for the office’s staff capacity building in emergencies preparedness and response. Assists in developing and conducting emergency training courses. Provides training and/or briefing, as required. Participates in other emergency training workshops in the region and builds up the emergency preparedness and response capability of UNICEF staff as well as implementing partners.

2. Emergency Response

• In the event of an emergency, takes prompt action as a member of the Emergency Response Team which is deployed immediately to establish UNICEF's presence and implement the initial operational tasks relating to emergency assistance. Immediately verifies the nature and extend of the emergency with staff, government officials, other UN agencies or local organizations and media. Ensures that the office is provided with effective telecommunications facility and staff security assistance in an emergency, as necessary. In coordination with the programme and operations groups, establishes contact with all UNICEF staff, their dependants and visitors to ensure their safety and whereabouts, and informs OPSCEN and the Regional Director of their status.
• Participates and assists with assessment of local emergency and security situation affecting children and mothers in the locality, in conjunction with the Regional Office, the HQ Divisions, and field staff. Visits the location to conduct an initial rough assessment of the magnitude of the crisis and its implications for children and its impact on the community. Assesses the validity of the office preparedness plan and ability of the office vis-à-vis the current crisis as well as immediate and additional needs. Determines corporate priorities and an appropriate intervention (supply procurement, fund-raising and staff development) by UNICEF. Coordinates with other partners to make a rapid assessment covering priority areas as defined by the Core Commitment for Children in Emergencies. Establishes contact with community groups, government, UN agencies, media and other partners to keep abreast of emergency situations.
• Applies the emergency preparedness and response plan as necessary and identifies urgent staffing requirements and redeploys country office staff as required. Executes the timely delivery of assistance and procurement of supplies, monitors the appropriate and effective use of UNICEF resources/inputs. Iidentifies problems and constraints in order to ensure effective project delivery. Certifies the disbursement of funds, monitors expenditures and submits financial status reports. Sets up a reporting system and sends daily situation reports to concerned parties.

3. Emergency Project

1. Participates in the implementation of plans of action and workplans for emergency projects. Implements and manages project activities. Undertakes field visits to emergency project areas, to assess local conditions and monitor project progress. Makes technical decisions on project administration (e.g., activates, requests or reprogrammes allocation of emergency funds). Prepares inputs for appeals and updates related to emergencies. Works with program sections and senior management to mobilize donor response and recovery/rehabilitation-related funding, including annual or multi-annual humanitarian appeals and documents (e.g., pitch documents). Communicates and advocates on the situation and needs of children through local and international media, as appropriate.
2. Identifies longer-term requirements of the emergency operation/interventions. Proposes a more regular operational and staffing structure to take over from the Emergency Response Team.
3. Maintains continuous, effective and strategic coordination, communication, consultation and liaison with Government, UN agencies, NGOs, donors and allies to appeal for aid for children and women with special needs resulting from the emergency situation requiring an effective emergency response in all sectors. Identifies implementing/operational partners and establishes implementing arrangements. Ensures that the UNICEF support is effectively provided to the government with respect to sectoral coordination within the framework of the cluster approach and based on the Core Commitment for Children.
4. Participates in all humanitarian and recovery related forum and keeps management informed of all humanitarian developments in the country in terms of policies, strategy, situation developments, potential threats and opportunities/issues in partnership.
5. Promotes that disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness and response strategies are mainstreamed in the country office's workplans. Prepares sectoral input for the country programme documents, plan of action, annual work plans, and all related documents of the office’s Emergency Preparedness and Response. Contributes towards the preparation of the Situation Analysis and the Country Programme Document.

4. Humanitarian access strategy: Provide inhouse technical assistance, strategic and operational support on Humanitarian Access, localization, including supporting internal planning, coordination and capacity building

• Contribute to the identification of humanitarian organizations – national and local ONGs – and private operators - with which UNICEF can collaborate or leverage to access children in need with respect with humanitarian principles and standards.
• Contribute to the development of training documents and management tools to the strategy implementation and engage training sessions of staff (CO and FO level) and key stakeholders.
• In close coordination with national and local NGO, support the field offices to undertake various micro assessments at local level, including stakeholders’ analysis and engagement, humanitarian access and needs assessment, various mappings (local organizations, private operators, functioning essential services, …), due diligence for local actors’ risk profiling,
• Work with the Field Offices for the establishment of alliances and partnerships with local organizations (youth, women, …) and leaders, the development and execution of local access initiatives and microplans around humanitarian access.
• Support the delivery of capacity building initiatives on humanitarian access, including but not limited to country-specific webinars, Country Office tailored humanitarian access & CMCoord trainings.

Regularly support UNICEF local partners in field needs assessments, in support of Field Offices and in coordination with inter-agency coordination mechanisms.

Minimum Qualifications and Competencies

• An advanced university degree (master’s or higher) in one of the following fields: social sciences, public administration, law, public health, nutrition, international relations, business administration or other related disciplines. Preferably a combination of management, administration, and relevant technical fields.
  • *A first level University Degree (Bachelors') in the relevant field with two (2) additional years of relevant experience (7 in total) may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree

Funding arrangement This is a temporary development opportunity and there will be no changes to the staff member’s status (position number, level, etc.).

The Office will cover the ticket for economy class travel and 50% DSA for the duration of the assignment.

Interested UNICEF staff should discuss this opportunity with their supervisor and seek the approval of their management before applying.

Candidates considered potentially well-matched for the stretch assignment will be contacted for an informal interview. Supervisors may also be contacted for references.