Antecedentes

The situation in Somalia remains fragile with continued political instability, climatic variability, and lack of basic social services. OCHA’s role is to coordinate effective and principled inter-agency humanitarian response and ensure that relief assistance reaches the people who need it in a timely manner.

In line with OCHA’s global mission, OCHA Somalia continues to:

• Advocate for access to basic services, especially water, sanitation, education and health for vulnerable communities, including the collection, analysis and dissemination of information to humanitarian partners, and negotiation of access;
• Support the government efforts and humanitarian organizations in relocation of internally displaced and return;
• Coordinate the implementation of humanitarian response in Somalia with UN agencies and programmes, national and international NGOs and local authorities/communities as appropriate, with focus on strengthening the cluster approach;
• Enhance a protective environment that respects the human rights of all, including IDPs, returnees and minority clans.

Under the overall guidance of the Head of Coordination Unit/Inter Cluster Coordinator, the Humanitarian Affairs Officer will play a key role in ensuring the primary objectives of OCHA Somalia are met.

Deberes y responsabilidades

Summary of Key Functions: 

• Analysis of the humanitarian situation;
• Development of coordination and cooperation mechanisms among stakeholders;
• Information collection in support of humanitarian response;
• Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing in OCHA Somalia.

 Provides analysis of the humanitarian situation, focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Analyze incoming field reports, prepare summaries of field activities and flag important issues to senior management;
• Analyze political, security, social and economic developments and their impacts on humanitarian and protection needs, as well as the operating environment through field travel and data collection from OCHA sub-offices and partners. This will result in identifying humanitarian needs and strengthening common situational analysis among the aid community;
• Work closely with the Head of Field Coordination and actively participate in the Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP), both at the CAP Mid-Year Review and End-year review processes;
• Gather and verify information on issues affecting the humanitarian situation, emphasizing opportunities for response;
• Establish relationships with key stakeholders, including non-traditional humanitarian actors, in areas of operation to ensure humanitarian information flow from OCHA to partners and vice versa and ensure their participation in operations;
• Support regional analysis and interface with the AIM working group to extract key action points that need follow up from assessments undertaken and the humanitarian Dashboard.

Ensures development and maintenance of coordination and cooperation mechanisms among stakeholders:

• Support existing coordination mechanisms and assist in the establishment of new field coordination mechanisms whenever required;
• Liaise closely with UNDSS, UN agencies, NGO’s and other partners to ensure a safe and effective operating environment;
•  Facilitate and support the coordination of humanitarian interventions through developing routine information and idea exchange with local and international aid actors, facilitate joint field assessments, evaluations and routine monitoring mechanisms;
• In collaboration with UN agencies, support NGOs and other local partners, in the development and monitoring of the implementation of the Strategic Response Plan in the relevant area of operation;
• Backstop the cluster coordination focal point when required.

Ensures information collection in support of humanitarian responses, focusing on the achievement of the following results:   

• Support the collection of field information to improve coordination activities and information dissemination;
• Ensure timely and qualitative reporting including weekly and monthly field reports;
• Establish relationships with key stakeholders in areas of operation to ensure humanitarian information flow from OCHA to partners and vice versa and ensure their participation in operations;
• Provide regular briefings and updates to partners on humanitarian situation;
• Provide analysis of the operating environment, with the aim of assisting in the establishment of accepted frameworks for engagement and disengagement in areas of conflict.

Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing in OCHA focusing on achievement of the following:

• Promotes knowledge management in UNOCHA and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example;
• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Functions / Key Results Expected

Play a strategic role in identifying humanitarian needs, response and gaps, access issues and other matters to be addressed within the region of responsibility.   Timely delivery of outputs, in accordance with overall objectives and policies.  Form strong partnerships with relevant parties to help meet OCHA’s objectives with respect to the coordination of humanitarian and emergency assistance.

Competencias

Functional Competencies:

Building Strategic Partnerships:

• Maintaining a network of contacts;
• Analyzes and selects materials for strengthening strategic alliances with partners and stakeholders.

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing:

• Generates new ideas and approaches, researches best practices and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things;
• Documents and analyses innovative strategies and new approaches.

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise:

• Understands and applies fundamental concepts and principles of a professional discipline or technical specialty relating to the position;
• Possesses basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks;
• Analyzes the requirements and synthesizes proposals;
• Strives to keep job knowledge up-to-date through self-directed study and other means of learning;
• Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments.

Promoting Organizational Change and Development:

• Researches and documents ‘best practices’ in organizational change and development within and outside the UN system.

Design and Implementation of Management Systems:

• Maintains information/databases on system design features;
• Develops simple system components.

Client Orientation:

• Researches potential solutions to internal and external client needs and reports back in a timely, succinct and appropriate fashion;
• Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines;
• Establishes, builds and sustains effective relationships within the work unit and with internal and external clients;
• Actively supports the interests of the client by making choices and setting priorities to meet their needs.

Promoting Accountability and Results-Based Management:

• Monitors the implementation of corporate accountability and results-based management systems and makes recommendations to enhance performance of business units.

Core Competencies:

• Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity;
• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;
• Self-development, initiative-taking;
• Acting as a team player and facilitating team work;
• Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively;
• Creating synergies through self-control;
• Managing conflict;
• Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others;
• Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member;
• Informed and transparent decision making.

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

Education:

• Master’s Degree or equivalent in political science, sociology, law or international relations or related fields.

Experience:

• Relevant professional experience, preferably in complex emergency and inter-agency contexts, dealing with relief and transitional issues;
• Basic knowledge of social science, development, humanitarian relief issues, law or journalism is desirable;
• Computer proficiency, including working knowledge of e-mail and MS Office products (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).

Language:

• Fluency in oral and written English.
• Knowledge of Somali is an asset;