Organization Setting and Reporting Relationships
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is the part of the United Nations Secretariat responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies.
OCHA’s mission is to:
- Mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors to alleviate human suffering in disasters and emergencies.
- Advocate for the rights of people in need.
- Promote preparedness and prevention.
- Facilitate sustainable solutions.
OCHA provides support to the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) and the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) in Sudan. Working with the entire humanitarian community, OCHA looks to foster a conducive operating environment that facilitates the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance.
OCHA also promotes compliance with humanitarian principles in the humanitarian response. This is an essential element of effective humanitarian coordination and is central to establishing and maintaining access to affected people, particularly in conflict-affected areas of Sudan.
• Monitors, analyses, and reports on humanitarian developments, disaster relief/management or emergency situations.
• Reviews and provides advice on humanitarian access, safeguarding humanitarian principles and ensuring effective delivery of humanitarian assistance; organizes and supports follow-up work, including inter-agency technical review meetings to support access work and decision-making on important issues.
• Drafts and prepares regular access papers/reports highlighting relevant policy and operational factors affecting access, the humanitarian situation, and response efforts.
• Supports the maintenance of an access database, including access monitoring, reporting and analysis, providing timely analysis and updates to various coordination key stakeholders.
• Organizes and prepares studies on humanitarian, emergency relief and related issues; organizes follow-up work, including inter-agency technical review meetings to support policy development work and decision-making on important issues.
• Partners with other humanitarian agencies to plan and evaluate humanitarian and emergency assistance programmes and help ensure that latest findings, lessons learned, policy guidelines, etc. are incorporated into these activities, including gender-related considerations.
• Provides substantial support to sector/cluster working groups as required and facilitate exchange on humanitarian access.
• Supports negotiations with relevant stakeholders to establish/maintain humanitarian access and resolves any arising constraints, while working to promote a principled, coordinated approach to access, and shares best practice with partners to ensure effective and coordinated humanitarian access strategies across the country.
• Undertakes and provides support to technical assistance and field missions, e.g., participates in field trips to undertake in-depth reviews of specific humanitarian access issues. Organizes and participates in working groups, meetings, conferences, consultations with other agencies and partners on humanitarian access-related matters.
• Prepares or contributes to the preparation of various written reports, documents and communications, e.g., drafts sections of studies, background papers, policy guidelines, parliamentary documents, briefings, case studies, presentations, correspondence, etc.
• Establishes and maintains contacts with government officials, other UN agencies, non- governmental organizations, diplomatic missions, media, etc. Supports access advocacy initiatives on issues impacting humanitarian needs and response efforts through the collection of information, liaison with humanitarian partners, government officials, etc.
• Establishes and maintains contacts with government officials, other UN agencies, non- governmental organizations.
• Supports field offices and provides advice and technical assistance on engagement with government bodies.
• Participates in formulating and communicating OCHA positions on government-related matters on humanitarian issues, providing suggestions for briefing notes, talking points and issues papers for relevant discussions with the Government.
• Responds to queries from government Officials, NGOs, individuals, etc. and provides the information required or appropriately refers the queries elsewhere.
• Supports OCHA Sudan staff in meetings with government officials and facilitate conversations for smooth representation of OCHA.
• Participates in any relevant meetings and conferences organized by authorities.
- Performs other duties as required.
Results Expected
Support humanitarian access operations in Sudan through access analysis, stakeholder engagement, coordination, reporting, and advocacy. Monitor humanitarian developments, maintain access information systems, support negotiations and engagement with government authorities and partners, prepare reports and briefing materials, provide technical support to field offices, and contribute to coordinated humanitarian response efforts to ensure effective and principled delivery of assistance.
Competencies
Minimum Education requirements
Master’s Degree preferably in Political or Social Science, Law, international studies, Public Administration, or another relevant Field
OR
Bachelor’s degree with two additional qualifying years in above fields may be accepted in lieu of the Masters.
Minimum years of relevant work experience
A minimum of 5 years (with a master’s degree) or 7 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of relevant progressively responsible experience in humanitarian affairs, emergency preparedness, crisis/emergency relief management or other related areas, preferably with at least two years with a UN organization or an NGO.
Required skills
- Humanitarian experience in the field (actual setting where a mission and/or project is being implemented) in emergencies (complex emergency or natural disaster) is required.
- At least 3 years of humanitarian access and government liaison work in a UN or INGO are required.
- Experience in McCord, including understanding principles, mechanisms, and engagement with military and security bodies, is required.
- Excellent knowledge of government structures and dynamics, including the cultural, political, and economic dimensions, is required.
Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section
- Ability to relate humanitarian affairs issues and perspectives to political, economic, social and human rights is desired.
- Strong negotiation and diplomatic skills are desired.
- Ability to work under pressure, on occasion in a highly stressful environment is desired.
- Excellent knowledge of institutional mandates, policies and guidelines about humanitarian affairs – particularly on humanitarian access, bureaucratic and administrative procedures, regulatory environment, and government policies is desired.
- Excellent knowledge of the institutions of the UN system and inter-agency coordination is desired.
- Excellent knowledge of humanitarian access issues is desired.
Excellent writing skills are required.
Required Language (s)
- Fluency in English and Arabic is required
- Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.
Equal opportunity
- As an equal opportunity employer, UNOCHA values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.
- UNOCHA is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.
Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority
- UNOCHA does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.
Right to select multiple candidates
- UNOCHA reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNOCHA at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Equal opportunity
- As an equal opportunity employer, UNOCHA values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.
- UNOCHA is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.
Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority
- UNOCHA does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.
Right to select multiple candidates
- UNOCHA reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNOCHA at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Scam alert
- UNOCHA does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.