HUMANITARIAN ACCESS AND SECURITY FOCAL POINT (HASFP)

THE MENTOR INITIATIVE SEEKS TO RECRUIT A HUMANITARIAN ACCESS AND SECURITY FOCAL POINT (HASFP)

The Mentor Initiative (MI) acts in some of the world’s most austere and vulnerable communities. Regardless of race, creed or nationality, MENTOR aims to deliver disease control to populations at greatest risk of suffering and death. Mentor’s first and last considerations are the needs of the people it serves.

The MENTOR Initiative saves lives in emergencies through tropical disease control and then stays to help people recover from crisis with dignity, working side by side with communities, health workers and health authorities to leave a lasting impact.

In Cameroon, MI has arrived at the end of 2018 to assess the humanitarian needs in the South West region and is planning to start an emergency public health intervention in Kumba and Mamfe health districts, focusing on health, water and sanitation. For this purpose, MI will open an office in Buea in May 2019. The recruitment of international and national staff has started in the meantime.

Job Location: BUEA

Beginning of contract: 1st of july 2019

Contract duration: 7 months with possibility of extension

Probation period: 2 months

What we offer: Salary + Social benefits (medical coverage, paid leaves)

Deadline date for submission: 24/06/2019

Job Description

MISSION

Goal/purpose: The Humanitarian Access and Security focal point work with the field team to ensure that organizational security policies and procedures are responsive to the context, adequate and known to staff, and advise on humanitarian access processes and approaches in close coordination with the MENTOR field coordinator. Under the supervision of the latter, the HASFP will analyse security trends, advise, update, and implement the MENTOR Security Management Plan and SOP. The HASFP will streamline humanitarian access approaches in line with humanitarian principles, humanitarian needs, and MENTOR’s program strategy. He/she will conduct onsite training for staff, facilitate the development and implementation of appropriate plans, standard operating procedures and contingency plans. S/he will provide expert humanitarian security and access advice to all levels of MENTOR staff in the Southwest Region, including access negotiations and mediation, context and conflict analysis, advisories, and incident management.

Main responsibilities: In close cooperation with Field Coordinator:

• Develop, maintain and ensure compliance with Security and Safety Management Plans, including contingency plans and relevant SOPs
• Conduct safety reviews of all prospective premises and ensure compliance with minimum safety and security standards in coordination with field Security Focal Points
• Conduct comprehensive security assessments in potential program/field sites, as necessary
• Implement and ensure effective monitoring of a vehicle tracking system in each site
• Conduct regular safety drills for all staff and management in all sites
• Build and maintain a network of Security Focal Points at each field office and program site
• Contribute to Evaluate, review and update the security management plans on a regular basis. Reference and ensure compliance to MENTOR’s Security Management Framework within
• Work with Field Coordinator and Program managers to develop, consolidate and implement operating procedures and contingency plans
• Contribute to Evaluate, review and update the hibernation and evacuation plans for MENTOR office(s)/residence (s) in the South West Region and ensure that the practical preparations are in place and known to all staff involved
• Undertake continual assessments of equipment, and the protocols by which that equipment is used, to ensure that minimal conditions for security are being met.
• Advise on best possible solutions for use of equipment to facilitate communication between staff, including here proposing safe alternative means of communication and equipment

Humanitarian Access Management

• Work to ensure that MENTOR, its mission and work in the areas of operations is known and accepted
• Work to encourage stakeholders to work with MENTOR in ensuring that staff and programs are safe and allowed to continue humanitarian activities in Kumba and Mamfe districts
• Provide technical input and advice in assessments to consider new or alternative MENTOR programs in other health areas in the target districts.
• Develop and update list of contacts (formal/ informal) and create a stakeholder’s map per district/ sub-district
• Contribute to the daily analysis of accessibility in and within the areas of operations in order to facilitate useful information for the planning of programming
• Identify barriers to access and support the program teams develop strategies to address them
• Support the program teams to develop and implement community engagement strategies that promote acceptance and access

Monitoring, Analysis and Supervision

• In coordination with field coordinator, ensure all incidents are followed up with an official written report, which is then shared with relevant stakeholders and filed appropriately
• Monitor the operating environment, identify new threats, assess MENTOR’s vulnerabilities and recommend risk mitigation strategies
• Compile and submit weekly/monthly security reporting that track incidents and trends within MENTOR’s area of operation. Provide daily contextual updates as needed to the field coordinator.

ORG CHART POSITION (reporting and functional relationships)

• Line manager: Field Coordinator
• Hierarchical authority over:  Field Coordinator

Requirements

Profile/requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in political science, international relations, humanitarian affairs, or security management. Alternatively, a technical degree or certification in a related field with considerable field experience.
• Experience within international humanitarian assistance programs with demonstrated capabilities in planning, organizing and executing humanitarian security operations in the field. Previous similar experience in Southwest Region is a strong advantage.
• Proven experience as a professional and reliable manager (including management of people and projects)
• Experience working successfully with local stakeholders such as local and international NGOs, etc. with sensitivity and diplomacy.
• Understanding of humanitarian principles, codes of conduct and specific sub-sector work linked to NGO field and operations contexts.
• Good knowledge in communications technology, including, satellite communications, cell phone mediums, etc.
• Previous NGO security management an asset.
• Fluency in English;

APPLICANT FILES:

Please submit your application (CV, cover letter, references and work certificates) per email: with the subject “HASFP application form”

Important: the position you want to apply for has to be specified in the subject of your e-mail, otherwise the application will not be considered as valid.

The Mentor Initiative reserves the right to select a candidate and finalize the recruitment before the final date.

ONLY the selected candidate will be contacted.