Humanitarian Access Safety and Security Manager

2023-04-25

International Rescue Committee

Nigeria

Full Time

Description

Requisition ID: req41510

Job Title: Humanitarian Access Safety and Security Manager

Sector: Safety & Security

Employment Category: Regular

Employment Type: Full-Time

Open to Expatriates: No

Location: Nigeria

Job Description

Background:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

IRC has been present in Nigeria since 2012 when the organization responded to flooding in Kogi state. In early 2014, IRC opened a field office in Mubi town of Adamawa state in NE Nigeria followed by offices in Yola (Adamawa state) in November 2014 and Maiduguri (Borno state) in October 2015. IRC has ECHO, OFDA, and Gates funds to respond to humanitarian, nutrition, GBV, and WASH activities. In late 2014 and early 2015, IRC received additional funds from SV, SIDA, USAID, and UNICEF to carry out education, child protection, general protection, emergency food distributions, shelter support, and NFI distributions to newly displaced IDPs. In late 2015 into early 2016, IRC received Swiss and UNHCR funds for additional emergency response humanitarian-focused programming in Northeast Nigeria. In July 2016, a nutritional and food security crisis emerged in Borno state and IRC began a rapid scale up of its program intervention in that area including startup of programming outside the state capital, Maiduguri. As IRC receives the BHA funding, it requires additional security monitoring and management to ensure that its teams remain safe as they expand operations to Northwest Nigeria.

Scope of work

Under the direct supervision of the Senior Area (SAM) and technical support of Senior Humanitarian Access Safety and Security Coordinator (SHASSC), the Humanitarian Access Safety & Security Manager (HASSM) should maintain, improve and expand principled humanitarian access to and by conflict-affected populations in area of responsibility through development and overseeing the implementation of humanitarian access and security management plans in compliance with IRC’s strategy and in line with humanitarian principles, humanitarian needs, Duty of Care and Gender Equality principles.

The post holder will provide professional advice to all IRC entities based in Katsina and Zamfara, to identify changes and trends in the humanitarian access and security environment in the areas of operations and will ensure that adequate and up-to-date policies and procedures are in place and ensure people have the information they need to manage operations, to identify issues, and to recommend and implement measures to reduce them.

The Humanitarian Access Safety & Security Manager Position, under the direct supervision of the Humanitarian Access Safety and Security Coordinator of supports the teams in Katsina and Zamfara in identifying, analyzing, and mitigating risk to facilitate access for humanitarian programming, operates within acceptable Safety &Security risk levels.

The role will work independently but where necessary, with technical support from the existing IRC security structure to ensure that the project staff deployed to the field are supported and oriented on the required protocols. To achieve this, the HASSM will be based in Katsina and regularly supports the team in Katsina.

The role will further entail advising the management team and other project staff on various security matters; contribute to implementing the security policies and facilitate the rollout of security SOPs, and regular reporting on compliance.

The HASS Manager will liaise with the HASS Coordinator, Senior HASS Coordinator and externally liaises with relevant stake holders like the military, police DSS, government officials and traditional authorities for collaboration, acceptance, and ease of access. The HASS Manager will organize regular security training and refresher training to enable staff have a constant understanding of the context and existing security plans.

Specific Duties:

Humanitarian Access Management

Develop and implement humanitarian access strategies and approaches tailored to local contexts in field sites throughout northwest.
Ensure humanitarian access approaches are responsive to local context and include overarching community engagement components.
Ensure that the IRC field safety, security, and access teams conduct principled and sustainable negotiations with relevant actors in Nigeria in line with humanitarian principles, humanitarian needs, duty of care principles, and the IRC’s strategy.
Work to ensure that IRC, its mission and work in the areas of operations is known and accepted.
Work to encourage stakeholders to work with the IRC in ensuring that staff and programs are safe and allowed to continue humanitarian activities in northwest.
Provide technical input and advice in assessments to consider new IRC programs in new geographic areas, and regular assessment reviews for existing locations within northwest.
Assist in the continued development of humanitarian access teams and activities across northwest.
Contribute to developing and implementing guidelines for humanitarian access and engagement with non-state actors articulating standard IRC policy and guidance.
Oversee and advise on the implementation and review of tailored acceptance strategies.
Maintain a high level of preparedness vis-a-vis predicted contextual fluctuations operationally and programmatically.
Enhance IRC image and acceptance within the community and amongst stakeholders by providing guidance on inclusive visibility strategies.
Work with appropriate IRC units, including HR, to ensure timely and appropriate follow-up to violations of IRC’s Code of Conduct, in addition to operational breaches to humanitarian principles.

Safety and Security Risk Management and Systems

Share Daily Security Report/updates with all the project staff.
Share Daily Situation Report/updates with SMT, HASST team and other relevant senior staff.
Maintain updated security incident and ensure timely reporting of security incidents and dissemination of security information to all staff.
Ensures that incident report forms are properly compiled by staff and distributed to the Management team.
Conduct security briefing and orientation to all newly hired staff, staff on mission or international visitors using the standard briefing format. He/She will ensure that an updated briefing tracking sheet is maintained.
With the support of relevant staff, conduct security risk assessment of the program locations in Katsina and Zamfara using the standard SRA & Security Level tool, and to monitor the contextual trends prior to and continuously after deployment of staff.
Work closely with Base Manager/officer, HASS Coordinator and Senior HASS Coordinator to ensure that Safety and Security Standards in Katsina and Zamfara offices are maintained and implemented in line with the recommendations from assessment repots.
Assist Base Manager/officer and HASSC to Collate, analyze, and disseminate security information as approved or advised by the SHASS Coordinator to the project staff and ensuring the information remains accurate and neutral.
Contribute to the development and review of Project field offices FSMP, CPs, security plans, Contingency plans, and standards operating procedures.
Enforce Security SOPs within the area of jurisdiction and advise staff accordingly. Constantly and immediately notify the SHASS Coordinator of any breach to the procedures in the SOPs.
Conducting regular checks on IRC premises in Katsina and Zamfara, provide recommendation on their improvement and follow up on their implementation. Any areas of improvement to be reported to SHASS Coordinator, HASS Coordinator and Senior Area Managers for immediate action.
Initiate security alerts as appropriate in line with the ever-evolving security context across two states through the existing Warden System, Bulk SMS, and Early Warning Group.
Ensure that staff movement are well tracked and communication using Sat Phone is maintained.
Guide Field teams on how to undertake security risk assessments during field missions to program areas and potential program areas, report on findings and design necessary improvements.
Work on identification and mitigation of potential security risks to staff, assets and operational/program security and validates mitigation measure within security risk assessments.
Monitor events, review incidents, and coordinate analysis, follow-up actions and recommendations in close coordination with the HASS Coordinator and the Base Manager/officer.
Provide security update, which includes situational analysis, actions taken, and actions recommended to the Field Management Team on a regular and as per request basis.

Documentation

Ensure all S&S documentation for northwest as per Global S&S policy and Standards are update and systematically filed.
Ensure that a centralized filing system of security-related documents is maintained in Nigeria.
Conduct ongoing threat assessments and compile reports on security assessments of offices, staff guest houses, field sites and project areas.
Systematically map all incidents on a dedicated map and provide timely analysis to identify emerging trends. Ensure field offices adhere to the same process and share information with the post holder.

Briefing, Training and Capacity Building

Ensure Security briefings (arrival and complete) are of adequate quality and done in timely manner.
Work with national and international staff to build a shared understanding of security analysis and risk mitigation.
Provide an annual training/ development plan for IRC staff in northwest regarding safety, security, and access.
With the support of the SHASSC & HASSC, develop a standardized security training method and provide security training for all staff in safety and security related subjects ensuring that policy and guidelines are understood and are being adopted and implemented across the program.
Act as a team facilitator during the development of Field office Security Management Plans.
Build capacity of Humanitarian Access Safety and Security Officer and other IRC staff in northwest.
Guide and train all staff to ensure the Country’s Minimum Standards in Safety and Security are followed and respected.

Coordination and Networking

Coordinate and liaise on program safety and security matters with all relevant actors in northwest such as national and international NGOs, UN, government authorities and other stakeholders within the population.
Proactively share information with staff in the field ensuring high security awareness levels, close situation monitoring and effective two-way communication on security-related issues.
Under guidance of the SHASSC, serve as a key resource to IRC and its operational partners in times of emergencies, such as natural or manmade disasters.

Program Development:

Participate in program design in close cooperation with the Senior Area Manager, respective sector leads.
Participate in program review meetings and contribute to implementation plans to ensure the timely, safe, and secure delivery of IRC service to beneficiaries.
Advise program and field management teams on context-specific risks pertaining humanitarian access, safety, and security, and contribute to the development and implementation of mitigation measures and plans.

Qualifications

Minimum of bachelor’s degree, preferably in a field related to Humanitarian Work or Risk Management.

Job Requirements/Experience Required:

ESSENTIAL:

A formal security qualification or advanced security management qualification.
Substantial practical field experience in security management in a leadership role (e.g. direct INGO security management).
Fluent in written and spoken English and local language.
3 - 5 year work experience in insecure/hostile environments with I/NGO.
Ability to work within a multi-cultural, multiethnic team.
Experience and knowledge of personnel and organizational security issues, threat/risk assessment, security management and security awareness in an insecure environment.
Experience of incident reporting, incident mapping, intelligence collation and analysis functions, set up and execution of an incident warning system (warden system), compilation of security reports and assessments.
Experience in training and coaching national and international staff in safety and security.
Technical competency and training experience in field-based communications systems such as HF Codan, Motorola VHF, Thuraya, satellite systems and internet systems.
Ability to adapt to needs and balance demands of beneficiary and security actors while maintaining appropriate contextual NGO security advice and coordination.
Sound knowledge of humanitarian principles of impartiality and neutrality as outlined in the Humanitarian Charter and the International Red Cross Code of Conduct.
Strong report writing, analytical and interpersonal skills.

DESIRABLE:

Knowledge of Nigeria’s context
Previous experience with IRC/INGOs
Knowledge of GIS

Standards for Professional Conduct:

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation