Iraq: Humanitarian Advisor - Iraq

Job Title: Humanitarian Access Advisor

Sector: IPD

Employment Category: Limited

Location: Iraq/Irbil

Job Description

The Humanitarian Access Coordinator (HAC) is a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT), reporting to the Country Director (CD).

The HAC will work closely with the SMT, the Senior Safety, Security and Humanitarian Access Coordinator and field and program leadership in collaboration with key programs and operations colleagues in Iraq to develop overarching and localized access strategies, through regular context analysis, input into program design, and utilization of adaptive programming practices. She or he will develop and oversee the implementation of humanitarian access systems and protocols in line with humanitarian principles, International Humanitarian Law (IHL), duty of care principles, and IRC's strategy action plan (SAP).

She or he will identify changes and trends in the humanitarian access context in Iraq, develop and oversee the implementation of both proactive and responsive plans, and facilitate training and capacity building of both management and field staff.

She or he will provide expert humanitarian access and context analysis advice to all levels of IRC staff in the country office on building relationships with stakeholders, negotiating and mediating humanitarian access, contextual understanding and using access and analysis work to inform and ensure adaptive programming.

Working closely with the Deputy Director of Programs and Program Coordinators, she or he will help maximize the effectiveness of IRC's activities in Iraq by contributing to the design and ongoing adaptation of programming to ensure it is contextually appropriate and is supported by access strategies based on extensive actor mapping. Where applicable, she or he will also provide guidance and support to partner organizations and ensure the capacity building of IRC staff, incentive workers, and partners with active hands-on collaboration.

Major Responsibilities

Humanitarian Access Management

• Develop and implement humanitarian access strategies and approaches tailored to local contexts in field sites throughout Iraq and include overarching community engagement components Ensure that IRC field teams conduct principled and sustainable negotiations with relevant actors in Iraq in line with humanitarian principles, humanitarian needs, duty of care principles, and the IRC's Strategy Action Plan
• Work to ensure that IRC, its mission and work in the areas of operations is known and accepted
• Provide technical input and advice in assessments to consider new IRC programs in new geographic areas, and regular assessment reviews for existing locations
• Contribute in developing and implementing guidelines for humanitarian access and engagement with non-state actors articulating and contributing to standard IRC policy and guidance
• Oversee and advise on the implementation and review of tailored acceptance strategies
• Enhance IRC image and acceptance within the community and amongst stakeholders by providing guidance on inclusive visibility strategies
• Work with appropriate IRC units, including HR, to ensure timely and appropriate follow-up to violations of IRC's Code of Conduct, in addition to operational breaches of humanitarian principles
• Maintain a network of IRC Access Focal Points at each field office and program site

Networking and Liaison:

• Identify, consolidate and maintain a network of contacts from other INGOs, INSO, ICRC and Red Cross/Crescent movement, UN agencies (including coordination mechanisms, OCHA, etc), think-tanks, analytical networks inside and outside Iraq, as well as Iraqi analysts and community-based organizations
• Work closely with NGO Coordination Committee for Iraq and any access initiatives set up by them to ensure complementarity
• Contribute to operational coordination through networking, collaboration and coordination with humanitarian actors around access, risk analysis and security

Context Understanding and Analysis

• Coordinate with the Iraq Advocacy Advisor to ensure analysis is informed by and supportive of ongoing policy and context analysis, and generates evidence useful for guiding principles-based decision making and messaging
• Research, prepare and deliver a forward-looking report at an agreed upon regular interval to provide actionable analysis of the likely implications for IRC, and on the humanitarian space more broadly, resulting from key developments in Iraq.
• Ensure that these and other relevant deliverables can be used to meet demands of multiple internal clients, particularly senior leadership, program teams, access, security, advocacy and communications
• Work closely with IRC field management teams to ensure all access incidents and issues are reported, addressed, shared with relevant stakeholders and filed appropriately.
• Monitor and assess prevailing trends in the conflict and socio-economic situation in Iraq, identify and evaluate implications for IRC's programs and operational posture in Iraq (and elsewhere in the region, particularly northeast Syria), as well as humanitarian access and risk management strategies.
• Contribute to local-level conflict sensitivity analysis and macro- level analysis of trends within the Iraq context with the support of the Regional Humanitarian Analysis Advisor
• Provide credible information and contextual understanding of localized and country-wide security situations and incidents along with appropriate advice to IRC field and program management staff
• Track and analyze instances of program contraction, relocation, withdrawal, or expansion, depending on external access factors, and identify trends and anticipate triggers of follow-on events.
• Maintain a high level of preparedness vis-a-vis predicted contextual fluctuations operationally and programmatically

Training and Capacity Building

• Provide a capacity development plan with precise implementation plans in line with the regional Humanitarian Access & Security Capacity Development Strategy
• Work closely with the Regional Security Capacity Building Coordinator to identify learning and development needs in the country program
• Provide regular trainings for IRC staff on humanitarian principles, context analysis, conflict sensitive and adaptive programming.

• Liaise with partners to assess capacity building needs and provide advice and support where feasible and necessary

  Program Development:

• Participate in program design in close cooperation with the Deputy Director of Programs and Program Coordinators

• Support Program Coordinators and field management staff in developing conflict-sensitive and contextually-appropriate approaches for Iraq

• Participate in program review meetings and contribute to implementation plans to ensure the timely, safe, and secure delivery of IRC service to beneficiaries based on regular review of context and needs

• Advise program and field management teams on context-specific risks pertaining to humanitarian access, safety, and security, and contribute to the development and implementation of mitigation measures and plans in collaboration with the Safety and Security team

Emergency Preparedness and Response:

· Contribute to the development of country emergency preparedness plans

· Train and mentor the Country Emergency Team on access and analysis skills

· As required, support and advise the SMT during humanitarian or security/safety emergencies, in collaboration with the Safety and Security Team

· Contribute to the development of operational and programmatic contingency plans that respond to different emergency scenarios

· Support the development of program continuity plans for identified/most likely scenarios

Staff Collaboration:

• Maintain open and professional relations with colleagues, promoting a strong team spirit and providing advice and capacity building to enable staff to successfully embed access and analysis skill sets in their positions
• In partnership with relevant managers, create a measurable development plan including on-the-job learning with the aim of strengthening technical capacity in areas of access and context analysis
• In collaboration with management, monitor and support staff care and well-being. Model healthy work-life balance practices. Support SMT on appropriate interventions in response to identified staff care needs of both national and international staff
• Adhere to and act in accordance with the IRC Global HR Policies and Procedures, and communicates through word and example a high standard of compliance with all applicable policies and regulations

Key Working Relationships

Position Reports to: Country Director

Indirect/Technical Reporting: Senior Safety, Security and Humanitarian Access Coordinator

Position directly Supervises: N/A

Key Internal Contacts:

§ Country Program: Deputy Director of Programs, Deputy Director of Operations, Advocacy Advisor, Field Coordinators, Program Coordinators/Managers

§ Region/Global: Regional Safety and Security Director, Regional Humanitarian Analysis Advisor, Emergency Unit's Humanitarian Access Lead, Regional Public Affairs team, Regional Partnerships Director

Key External Contacts:

· INGO humanitarian access, analyst advocacy and security focal points

· Relevant UN agencies: UNOCHA, UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, WHO, etc.

· Relevant coordination forums, working groups, and clusters for Iraq

· Information sharing and analysis bodies: INSO, etc.

· Community leaders and local powerbrokers

Job Requirements

Education: University degree in International Relations, Political Science, or related field preferred. Technical degree or certification in related field with significant applicable experience.

Work Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of non-profit or NGO work experience within international humanitarian assistance programs with demonstrated capabilities in planning, organizing and executing humanitarian access functions in the field

• In-depth understanding of humanitarian principles, codes of conduct and specific intricacies of delivery essential of services to people in need linked to NGO field and operations contexts; experience in Iraq or region highly preferred

• Understanding of local context, dynamics, and access limitations related to conflict, gender, disability, religion, tradition, and local norms

• Experience as a trainer: ability to develop, implement, facilitate and impart learning to a wide range of audiences

• Experience of gaining a precise and impartial understanding of local, regional and international policies, operational positions and interactions, providing clear dynamic briefings and analysis of given and unfolding security and political situations when they occur

Demonstrated Technical Skills:

• Proven experience as a professional and reliable manager (including management of people and projects)
• Highly skilled in organizing large-scale, fast-paced, responsive strategies for access, in support of operational agility
• Strong situational awareness and opportunity awareness
• Solid ability to provide team-building, coaching, and development for staff as well as encourage cross-functional collaboration and cooperation
• Exceptional organizational and coordination skills
• Proven experience in negotiating with a wide range of actors in dynamic and fluid contexts

Demonstrated Managerial/Leadership Competencies:

• Excellent relationship-building, interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively represent IRC at forums and with external stakeholders
• Strong negotiation and mediation skills essential with experience in conflict resolution
• Superior oral and written communication skills, with ability to express ideas and concepts clearly and persuasively with senior internal and external stakeholders
• Experience of working successfully with local stakeholders such as local and international NGOs, government, etc. with sensitivity and diplomacy
• Proven ability to design and lead training engagements with staff and partners to enhance skills and adapt to changing program demands

Languages Required/Preferred:

• Fluency in spoken and written English is required
• Fluency in spoken Arabic strongly preferred

Computer/Other Requirements:

• Full professional competency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word, Excel, PowerPoint

Ability to Travel: Up to 50% travel within country

Standards of Professional Conduct The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way - Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, Combating Trafficking in Persons and several others.

Gender Equality IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.

Attention Returning National Candidates IRC strives to attract, motivate and retain qualified national staff in our programs. We strongly encourage national or returning national candidates to apply for this position. If you are a national of the country in which this position is based and are currently located outside of your home country and possess over two years of international work experience, the Middle East Region has introduced an attractive remuneration package. The package includes competitive compensation, return flight to post, shipping allowance, temporary housing and a relocation allowance. Certain restrictions may apply.

Working Environment: The position will be based in Erbil with frequent travel to South Central Iraq and other field sites. The situation in Erbil is relatively calm though the situation is subject to change on short notice. The operating environment in Iraq is generally tense with the exception of the relatively calm Kurdistan region where IRC's country office resides. IRC has programming across the country and implements robust security management plans enabling movements and operations. The IRC country office is in Erbil located in a modern professional building.

Accommodation is in group housing, which includes basic modern amenities including internet, water and electricity. Access to health care is readily available.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Please follow this link to apply: http://www.aplitrak.com/?adid=YXN0cmlkLm1hdGhldy42MjM0Ni4zODMwQGlyY2NkLmFwbGl0cmFrLmNvbQ