United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian (UNOCHA), is the part of the United Nations Secretariat responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies. OCHA also ensures there is a framework within which each actor can contribute to the overall response effort.

Position: Humanitarian Affairs Officer (HAO)

Type of Contract: Service Contract
Post Level: SB-4
Duration of Initial Contract: Initial duration of 6 months with a possibility of an extension

Background

• Given the current crisis in Northeastern Nigeria, OCHA has to scale up its support to the Humanitarian Coordinator in mobilizing and coordinating an effective and principled humanitarian response. OCHA is particularly concerned about vulnerable communities and those at risk due to current conflict. Under the leadership of the Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, OCHA maintains an office in Abuja and is about to establish field presence in Borno, Adamawa, Yobe and Gombe states; the primary objectives of OCHA Nigeria include the following:
  • Advocate for access to basic services, especially water, sanitation, education and health for vulnerable communities, including collection, analysis and dissemination of information and negotiation of access.
  • Coordinate the implementation of humanitarian response in Nigeria 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 clan.
• The humanitarian response to crisis in northeastern Nigeria does not only involve traditional national and international humanitarian agencies such as the United Nations and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), but also private individuals and companies who contribute to meeting the needs of the Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and their host communities.
• In this regard, OCHA and the humanitarian community in Nigeria acknowledge the need to forge deeper and more effective partnerships with businesses in the private sector in an effort to align our work and maximize the use of limited resources and to improve the overall quality of the humanitarian response.
• The HAO is expected to have comprehensive knowledge of the private sector and its engagement in humanitarian action, with particular focus on the current crisis in northeastern Nigeria.
• The HAO is also expected to have either experience or solid knowledge of humanitarian operations conducted by UN agencies and NGOs and operations of the Government. As such the HAO provides the elements of institutional memory and local networking essential to the credibility and authority of the statements and documents provided by OCHA and the Humanitarian Coordinator.
• They work with little supervision in the field, and are expected to prepare concise reports and analysis and are an integral part of the OCHA Team in Nigeria.

Duties and Responsibilities
Summary of key functions:

• Information Collection in support of Humanitarian Analysis and Response,
• Information Sharing
• Development of coordination and cooperation mechanisms among stakeholders
• Monitoring and Reporting

Ensure accurate Information Collection in support of Humanitarian Analysis and response, focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Formulate and develop an OCHA strategy for engagement with the private sector in Nigeria,
• Gather and verify information on issues from the private sector affecting the humanitarian situation, emphasizing opportunities for response and collaboration,
• Develop a clear and concise business guide for the private sector on the humanitarian system,

Ensure facilitation of information sharing among partners focusing on achievement of the following:

• Pro-actively share information with OCHA and private sector stakeholders on pertinent issues and vice versa to the humanitarian community,
• Arrange sessions to provide briefings to private Sector on humanitarian operations,
• Identify key pieces of information that will assist with organizational decision-making with a particular focus on improving humanitarian response,

Ensure the development of coordination and cooperation mechanisms among stakeholders focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Establish and strengthen relationships with private sector business platforms (i.e. Chambers of Commerce, private foundations and other business platforms in Nigeria) to ensure humanitarian information flow from OCHA to private sector partners and vice versa and facilitate their participation in operations,
• Map out of Nigeria business networks and establishing relationships, produce and maintain a 3xW database,
• Dissemination of Information Management (IM) products to new audiences,

Ensure proper monitoring and reporting focusing on achievement of the following:

• Support the collection of information from the private sector and prepare weekly/monthly reports as appropriate for internal and external purposes,

Impact of Results:
The key results have an impact on the overall coordination of humanitarian and emergency assistance and facilitate operational agencies/organizations in succeeding in their core objectives, building of strong partnerships with relevant parties and the achievement of OCHA’s objectives. Specifically, the impact of this position is:

• Improved basis for private sector stakeholders to take informed decisions on their support to humanitarian action,
• Humanitarian response is becoming more coordinated and organized based on clear identified needs and priorities thereby increasing cost-effectiveness and value for money,
• Greater adherence to the humanitarian principles in humanitarian response,

Competencies
Preparing information for advocacy:

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

Building Strategic Partnerships:

• Maintaining a network of contacts
  • 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

Resource Mobilization:

• Providing inputs to resource mobilization strategy
  • 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

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing

• Basic research and analysis
  • 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

• Fundamental knowledge of own discipline
  • 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

Global Leadership and Advocacy for OCHA’s Goals:

• Preparing information for global advocacy
  • 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

Client Orientation:

• Establishing effective client relationships
  • 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

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

Required Skills and Experience
Education:

• Master’s Degree or equivalent in Political Science, Business Administration & Economics, Law, International Relations or other related fields with up to 3 years of relevant experience at the national or international level.

Experience:

• 5 years of relevant professional experience, preferably gained from working in the private sector/industry.
• 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.

Language Requirements:

• Proficiency in both oral and written English.
• Knowledge of local language is an advantage.