Humanitarian Access and Safety Officer at Danish Refugee Council (DRC)

Introduction

• The Danish Refugee Council assists refugees and internally displaced persons across the globe: we provide emergency aid, fight for their rights, and strengthen their opportunity for a brighter future. We work in conflict-affected areas, along the displacement routes, and in the countries where refugees settle. In cooperation with local communities, we strive for responsible and sustainable solutions. We work toward successful integration and – whenever possible – for the fulfillment of the wish to return home.
• The Danish Refugee Council was founded in Denmark in 1956 and has since grown to become an international humanitarian organization with more than 7,000 staff and 8,000 volunteers. Based in Copenhagen (Denmark) and present in forty countries, the Danish Refugee Council is a non-profit-making, politically independent, non-governmental and non-denominational relief organization.
• Our vision is a dignified life for all displaced. All our efforts are based on our value compass: humanity, respect, independence and neutrality, participation, and honesty and transparency.

Background

• Danish Refugee Council (DRC), and its safety unit, has had an operational presence in Nigeria since 2015.
• DRC Nigeria is the largest DRC country mission in the West Africa region and one of the largest DRC country missions globally. Currently, DRC delivers life-saving assistance and protection to vulnerable, conflict-affected populations including internally displaced persons, returnees and host communities in the areas of armed violence reduction, humanitarian mine action, livelihoods, nutrition and food security, protection, shelter and non-food items (NFI) and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in 30+ Local Government Areas (LGAs) across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states in northeast Nigeria.

Purpose

• The role of the Humanitarian Access and Safety Officer will be responsible for supporting the day to day oversight of DRC staff movements and ensuring that key information relevant to staff safety and security is disseminated. Advisories, Alerts and Reports to disseminate to all staff.
• Administrative and Safety operational tasks that support the day to day running of the Safety Unit’s Operations.
• The Humanitarian Access and Safety Officer will maintain a high level of contextual awareness and strong coordination with Program and Program support teams at the field level.
• The Humanitarian Access and Safety Officer will report directly to the Humanitarian Access and Safety Team Leader and will be an integral part of DRC’s Safety Unit.

Duties and Responsibilities
Humanitarian Access:

• Implement the DRC Nigeria Missions humanitarian access strategy and set approaches tailored to local contexts in field sites within Borno State.
• Ensure humanitarian access approaches are responsive to the local context and include overarching community engagement components during all phases of the operation.
• Ensure that the DRC Nigeria, Borno State field teams conduct principled and sustainable negotiations with relevant actors in all areas of intervention and in line with the humanitarian principles, humanitarian needs, and duty of care principles.
• Work to ensure that the DRC Nigeria Mission, its mandate and work in the areas of operations is known and accepted within Borno State.
• Provide technical input and advice in assessments to consider new DRC Nigeria programs in new geographic areas Borno State, and regular assessment reviews for existing locations as directed by the Humanitarian Access and Safety Coordinator.
• Provide technical advice to the Area Manager and field teams on the implementation of program activity and review of tailored acceptance strategies as directed by the Humanitarian Access and Safety Advisor.
• Maintain a high level of preparedness vis-a-vis predicted contextual fluctuations operationally and programmatically.
• Work with the Borno Area Manager, to ensure timely and appropriate follow-up to violations of DRC Code of Conduct, in addition to operational breaches to humanitarian principles.

Staff Movement, Communications and Equipment Issue, Oversight and Support:

• Review, and action respective Field Travel Authorisation requests, ensuring all information is complete, correct and a rapid security risk assessment is conducted, followed by the issuing of clear safety related advice and guidance to field teams deploying within his/her areas of responsibility prior to forwarding to the respective supervisor for final review and operational approval.
• Ensuring the issue of serviceable safety equipment is completed to support all field deployments and program staff; Delivering equipment familiarisation with program staff to ensure correct usage is maintained while in the field; Equipment maintenance completed to ensure serviceable safety equipment is available to support all program activities.
• Coordinate with the respective DRC Nigeria Operations Room watch keepers, logistics and fleet staff when directed to support field level movement oversight and support
• Ensure all movements are conducted and in-line with the DRC Nigeria Mission Field Travel Safety and Security SOPs at all times and all movements are coordinated through the DRC Country Operations Rooms.

Staff Briefings and New Staff Orientation:

• Deliver new staff safety orientation briefings to all new DRC Nigeria Mission staff, visitors and consultants (both national and international) as and when required to ensure the area, state and country level safety policies, plans, procedures and protocols is fully acknowledged, understood and adhered to at all times.
• Deliver pre-departure and post safety briefings to all field staff prior and post field deployments to ensure the staff are familiar with and fully understand the DRC Nigeria Mission safety policies, plans, standard operating procedures and protocols.

Static Security and Asset Management:

• Ensure the physical protection system (access control, perimeter protection, building protection) at each DRC facility at area level is operational at all times; Ensure all static security guards maintain a high level of professionalism, and readiness at all times through the delivery of training, capacity building and regular emergency drills and rehearsals at all DRC facilities at area level; ensure all static security SOP’s, compound safety plans and both daily and emergency protocols are fully understood.
• Maintain the Safety departments current asset register at area level and oversight on all assets that are both utilized and stored (Thuraya and iridium satellite phones, push-to-talk devices and UHF radio’s, etc).  Coordinate with the DRC Logistics and Procurement department to ensure that the overall DRC asset register reflects the Safety Unit’s current asset register.

Security Risk Assessments and Safety Improvement Planning:

• Conduct regular security risk assessments at area level, of building and compound infrastructure and area specific locations, ensuring a safety improvement plan is drafted, reviewed and approved prior to the implementation of mitigation measures and strategies.

Assessment, Planning and Information Management:

• Draft and disseminate as required SMS alert advisories for DRC staff in the Safety WhatsApp group when relevant and significant security incidents occur, or elevated threat levels are reported.
• Conduct regular security risk assessments at area level, of building and compound infrastructure and area specific locations, ensuring a safety improvement plan is drafted, reviewed and approved prior to the implementation of mitigation measures and strategies.
• Maintain a live risk register of all safety and security incidents and near misses.
• Ensure compliance is maintained with the safety incident reporting SOP and all safety and security incidents are reported, managed and followed up with in a timely manner.

Networking and Liaison:

• Organize and ensure DRC Nigeria field offices located within Borno State keep and maintain a network of key informants and interlocutors at field level to ensure timely and accrete information sharing.
• Identify, create and maintain a network with INGO/UN and other humanitarian access and safety/security professional operating within Borno State.

Context Understanding and Reporting:

• Work closely with DRC Nigeria field teams operating within Borno State to ensure all incidents are followed up with an official Safety Incident Report (SIR).
• Monitor the operating environment within Borno State, identify new threats, assess the level of vulnerabilities and recommend mitigation.
• Contribute to local-level conflict sensitivity analysis and macro-level analysis of trends within the Nigerian security context.
• Provide credible information and contextual understanding of localized and country-wide security situations and incidents along with appropriate advice to DRC field and program staff.
• The responsibilities listed in the JD are not exhaustive and may be readjusted according to operational needs but will remain in line with the overall purpose of the role.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in a field related to Humanitarian Work, Security Management, Criminology, Political Science, Communication or related field
• Two (2) years’ experience working with INGOs/UN, other international agencies
• Proven ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines
• Stable, moral and robust character and a good team-player
• Excellent communication skills, calm and a good sense of humour
• Proven commitment to accountability practices
• Strong information technology skills.

Desirable:

• Competent and literate in English, verbal and written, fluent in Hausa with a sound knowledge of technical expressions.
• Demonstrative experience in INGO/NGO or UN field (operations) with experience of safety and security.
• Previous services with any of the Nigerian Disciplined forces (Police, Army, Navy, Air force, DSS NSCDC etc) will be a desired advantage.
• General Regulations
• The employee shall follow DRC instructions on safety, confidentiality and ethical guidelines, including the Code of Conduct and the Humanitarian Accountability Framework.
• Employee should not engage in any other paid activity during the DRC contract period without prior authorization.
• Employee should not engage in any activity that could harm DRC or the implementation of any project during the DRC contract period.
• Employee should not give interviews to the media or publish project-related photos or other material without prior authorization.
• Employee shall return all borrowed equipment for the project to DRC after the end of the contract period or upon request.