Background

• 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 IDP relocation 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.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Information Collection in support of Humanitarian Analysis and Response;
• Information Sharing;
• Development of coordination and cooperation mechanisms among stakeholders;
• Monitoring and Reporting;
• Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing.

• Reviewing of incoming field reports, preparation of summaries of field activities and flagging of important issues to senior management;
• Active participation in the Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP), and CAP Mid-Year Review and End-year Review processes;
• Gathering and verifying of information on issues affecting the humanitarian situation, emphasizing opportunities for response;
• Contributing to 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.

• Pro-actively share information with OCHA and relevant stakeholders on pertinent issues;
• Identify key pieces of information that will assist with organizational decision-making with a particular focus on improving humanitarian response.
  

• Support existing coordination mechanisms and assist in the establishment of new field coordination wherever required;
• 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.

• Collection of field information to monitor and improve ongoing responses, coordinate activities and information products;
• Preparation of succinct reports on the key humanitarian issues in the districts and workings with district level partners provide analysis on response gaps and advocacy issues.

• Identification of sources of information related to coordination;
• Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learnt directly linked to country policy goals;
• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Competencies

• Identifies and communicates relevant information for a variety of audiences for advocating OCHA’s priorities.

• Researches linkages across programme activities to identify critical points of integration;
• Monitors specific stages of projects/programme implementation.

 Building Strategic Partnerships

• Maintains an established network of contacts for general information sharing and to remain up-to-date on partnership related issues;
• Analyzes and selects materials for strengthening strategic alliances with partners and stakeholders.

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

• Collects, researches and analyzes information on resource mobilization and utilization, drafts reports and documents and maintains information/databases on potential and actual donors and donor funded projects.

• 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.

• Understands and applies fundamental concepts and principles of a professional discipline or technical specialty relating to the position;
• 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;
• Demonstrates in-depth understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments.

• Identifies and communicates relevant information for advocacy for OCHA’s goals for a variety of audiences;
• Maintains a functioning network of contacts in the media and civil society, to promote a better understanding of OCHA’s priorities and to support advocacy efforts.

• 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.

• 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 are the responsibility of each staff member;
• Informed and transparent decision making.

Required Skills and Experience

• Master’s Degree or equivalent in political science, sociology, law or international relations or related field with 2 years’ experience;
• A first level university degree with 4 years’ experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

• Professional experience, preferably in complex emergency and inter-agency contexts, dealing with relief and transitional issues;
• Familiarity with UN policies, rules and procedures, particularly in relation to humanitarian response and coordination, and knowledge of institutional mandates, policies and guidelines pertaining to humanitarian assistance, especially the humanitarian reform agenda;
• Ability to research, analyze, evaluate and synthesize information;
• Ability to express clearly and concisely, ideas and concepts in written and oral form;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and experience in handling of web based management systems.

• Proficiency in both oral and written English;
• Knowledge of Somali is a requirement.