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Humanitarian Access Specialist - Yemen

Sanaa

  • Organization: NRC - Norwegian Refugee Council
  • Location: Sanaa
  • Grade: Mid/Senior level - Mid/Senior - Internationally recruited position
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Development Cooperation and Sustainable Development Goals
    • Humanitarian Aid and Coordination
    • Emergency Aid and Response
    • Humanitarian Operations
  • Closing Date: Closed


The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is a non-governmental, humanitarian organization with 60 years of experience in helping to create a safer and more dignified life for refugees and internally displaced people. NRC advocates for the rights of displaced populations and offers assistance within the shelter, education, emergency food security, legal assistance, and water,sanitation and hygiene sectors.

The Norwegian Refugee Council has approximately 5000 committed and competent employees involved in projects across four continents. In addition, NRC runs one of the world’s largest standby rosters -NORCAP, with 650 professionals, ready to be deployed on 72 hours notice when a crisis occurs

Access to people in need remains one of the greatest challenges for NGOs working in Yemen. Insecurity, limited freedom of movement and vast reduction in availability of basic services and assistance significantly impact the population’s ability to access assistance. Given the highly dynamic security, political and conflict situation and surge in scale of protection and humanitarian needs, NGOs must invest strategically in ways to reaching the most vulnerable populations.
Principled humanitarian action risks being undermined by lack of understanding, capacity and will of humanitarian actors, donors and local, national and regional government and non-state actors. Coordination is essential for the humanitarian community to establish, maintain and extend access in contexts with increasing risk, protracted conflict and increasing needs . While UNOCHA established a joint UN-NGO Humanitarian Access Working Group (HAWG) in April 2016 and online Access Monitoring and Reporting Format (AMRF), lessons learned from other countries indicate that INGO exclusive mechanisms are most likely to promote effective information sharing and collaboration .

PURPOSE
The Yemen INGO Access Working Group (YIAWG) aims to support the capacity of INGO to promote the need for expanded humanitarian access and space through enhanced coordination, advocacy and dedicated capacity for strategy development and operational support.

Applicants for this position may be considered for similar positions in other countries within the region.

Job description

  • Humanitarian Access Management and Strategy Implementation
  • Design, in a participatory manner with field offices and program unit, NRC humanitarian access strategy for Yemen
  • Develop, in a participatory manner, work plans with field offices
  • Support access innovation initiatives, including development of strategies, tools and guidelines for management of NRC’s access in Yemen
  • Provide area-based access analyses supporting operational implementation or program development, including recommendations on how to address issues as they arise
  • Identify training needs and support training initiatives for field staff in Yemen and efforts to develop training material at NRC Global levels
  • Contribute to NRC regional and global access discussions and development of tools and strategies, share lessons learned and best practices from Yemen CO, act as a platform for knowledge exchange within agencies in Yemen
  • Support NRC Global to refine and further develop and field test strategies, tools and guidance (access strategy and negotiations)
  • Draw up a professional development plan for staff on access negotiations, giving regular advice, guidance and feedback
  • Contribute to documentation and organizational learning on access in NRC
  • As requested, contribute to NRC’s international advocacy efforts in relation to access and represent NRC in international fora related to access

  • Access Coordination
  • Represents NRC in access coordination groups
  • Leads coordination of INGO Access Working Group and, in this role:
  • Conducts outreach and encourages systematic input from all NGOs to the task force;
  • Coordinates field level access meetings through NGO network partners;
  • Upon request of members and INGO Forum, provide advice on identified access concerns;
  • Collaborate closely with REACH, IMMAP, OCHA, ISAO and other data analysis units on key humanitarian issues that require monitoring and analysis;
  • Ensure that linkages between other access initiatives are established and maintained, particularly the OCHA’s Humanitarian Access Working Group (HAWG) and the INGO Forum Advocacy Working Group;
  • Ensure relevant messages from the working group influence key fora, such as the Humanitarian Country Team;
  • Facilitate field-level coordination meetings, particularly in governorate capitals

  • Humanitarian Negotiations and Community Outreach
  • As and when requested by the CD, represent NRC as a humanitarian organization in community outreach meetings and in access negotiation meetings with government and non-government stakeholders
  • As and when requested by the CD, strategically network with interlocutors, in a fully principled and transparent manner
  • Coordinate humanitarian negotiations and community outreach plans with all NRC field offices

Qualifications

  • Masters level education in conflict, international relations, politics etc.
  • Minimum 3 years of relevant experience within the humanitarian field, particularly complex and volatile settings
  • Experience in drafting and encouraging implementation of policy/strategic guidance, and developing practical tools and resources
  • Experience in working independently in a results-oriented multi-tasking and multi-cultural environment
  • Strong interpersonal skills
  • Strong analytic skills

Education field

  • Social sciense

Education level

  • Academy college / University

Personal qualities

  • Handling insecure environments
  • Strategic thinking
  • Empowering and building trust
  • Influencing
  • Initiate action and change
  • Analysing
  • Goal oriented with the ability to remain calm whilst deal with conflicting priorities/work under pressure is essential.
  • The ability to take the initiative, think outside the box and work independently with limited supervision
  • Ability and willingness to work and live under difficult circumstances
  • Flexible, creative and co-operative
  • Excellent negotiation and representation skills with the ability to influence wide range of stakeholders
  • Communicating with impact and respect

Language

  • English

We offer

  • Duty station: Yemen/Sana'a
  • Contract period is 12 months with possibility of extension
  • Travel: 50% in Yemen, 10% international
  • Salary/benefits: According to NRC’s general directions, The candidate will observe NRC’s code of conduct and working hours for the NRC Yemen.

Miscellaneous info

  • Travel: Some travelling must be expected
This vacancy is now closed.