OCHA 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

Contract Duration: Initial duration of one year

Background
Given the current crisis in Nigeria, OCHA has to scale up its support to the Humanitarian Coordinator in mobilization and coordination of 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 a field presence in Borno, Adamawa, Yobe and Gombe states in North East; 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.

Under the general guidance of the Head of Sub-Office in Yola, the HAO is expected to have comprehensive knowledge of North East of Nigeria, UNOCHA operations, humanitarian partners, operations of the government and NGOs. 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

• 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:

• Review incoming field reports, prepare summaries of field activities and flag important issues to senior management;
• Actively participate in the Strategic Response Plan (SRP) process, and SRPMid-Year Review and End-year Review processes;
• Gather and verify information on issues affecting the humanitarian situation, emphasizing opportunities for response;
• Supports 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;

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

• 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;

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

• 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;

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

• Support the collection of field information to monitor and improve ongoing response, coordination activities and information products;
• Prepare succinct reports on the key humanitarian issues in the districts and workings with state level partners provide analysis on response gaps and advocacy issues;

Impact of Results:

• The key results have an impact on the overall coordination of humanitarian and emergency assistance. The root causes of the humanitarian/emergency situations are appreciated, ensuring that strong and effective responses are mounted.
• This facilitates operational agencies in succeeding in their core objectives, building of strong partnerships with relevant parties and the achievement of OCHA’s objectives.

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, Sociology, Law, International Relations or other related fields.

Experience: 

• Up to 2 years of relevant 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;

Language Requirements:

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