Humanitarian Access and Safety Officer Ethiopia Dollo Ado

Roles and Responsibilities

The Humanitarian Access and Safety (HAS) Officer provides a range of support in humanitarian access, safety, and security within the area. Under the supervision of the Area Manager, the HAS Officer supports the implementation and monitoring of the NRC's HAS Policy, plans, procedures, trackers, and processes in the Area Office and related Field Offices (as applicable).  This role requires frequent presence in the field supporting the safe and principled delivery of programmes and the Duty of Care for NRC staff. Generic Responsibilities

• Support the implementation of the NRC Global HAS Management System at area level, prepare reports as required, and execute area/field office-focused elements of the HAS Operational Plan. 
• Contribute to a culture of enabling a safe and principled humanitarian response and support the implementation of Safe and Inclusive Programming Minimum Standards. 
• Support the development of area/field-level HAS documents, including contingency plans, access strategies and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), in line with organisational standards.
• Provide day-to-day supervision and to HAS Assistants in the relevant area and field offices (where available), advise and provide performance feedback, and contribute to high-quality recruitment, induction, guidance, support, mentoring, capacity building, and the development of these roles as needed.
• Maintain an understanding of the Area’s humanitarian context and regularly brief area management on key security developments, NRC exposure, access challenges, and emerging threats to inform decision-making.
• Assist the HAS Manager/Coordinator with Security Risk Assessments (SRAs) and access assessments, including Rapid SRAs for new operational locations, collaborating with management to identify and implement relevant mitigation measures and support safe programming.
• Conduct drills and train staff in access, safety, and security topics and provide regular briefings.
• In coordination with the HAS Manager and the line manager, liaise with UN agencies, NGOs, local authorities, and other external actors to share and obtain security information to inform operations and security management as well as increase humanitarian access and protect humanitarian space at the area level.
• Ensure adherence to NRC policies, guidance, and procedures, and a specific responsibility for HAS policies and procedures. Specific Responsibilities
  • Prepare and facilitate HAS induction sessions for new area/field office staff, as well as briefings and debriefings with colleagues or visitors sharing relevant information about activity locations, emphasising practical safety and security risks prevention and mitigation measures and reporting mechanisms.
  • Keep up to date all necessary information for HAS documents including Safe Mission Planning (SMP), Standard Operational Procedures (SOPs), Hibernation, Relocation, and Evacuation Plan (HRE), and Medical Evacuation Plan (MEDEVAC).
  • Conduct site assessments for all new rental premises and provide any safety and security measures to be addressed prior to use. Follow up on the implementation of identified measures for these infrastructures. 
  • Ensure vehicle and staff movements are monitored according to procedures and that necessary safety and security equipment within each vehicle is available and in good condition.
  • Accompany colleagues and/or visitors regularly to the field to identify, plan and implement HAS procedures, enrich security risk assessments, and support in obtaining and maintaining humanitarian access.
  • Request or generate user creation for new area personnel in the online travel authorisation request system. Verify and approve travel requests for activities and visits within the area.
  • Keep the area personnel communication tree updated and conduct test activations.
  • Ensure necessary training for the correct use of alternative communication system devices, in coordination with Support teams.

    Generic Professional Competencies

    • Minimum two years of relevant experience in humanitarian or development operations.
    • Foundational understanding of Humanitarian Principles and their application in programmatic and advocacy responses, NGO safety and risk management, and humanitarian access. 
    • Previous experience working in complex contexts.
    • Proficient in MS Office applications including Word and Excel.
    • Working proficiency in relevant language English  both written and verbal.

      Context related skills, knowledge and experience

      • Experience in liaising with communities and authorities as well as with NGOs.
      • Working proficiency in English, both written and verbal.

        Behavioural competencies

        • Handling insecure environment
        • Planning and delivering results
        • Working with People
        • Analysing
        • Communicating with impact and respect
        • Coping with change The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is a global humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee.
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          The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) Geneva leads NRC’s representation with the IASC and UN agencies, and coordinates donor engagement with the UN and Swiss donors. NRC strives to assist and protect vulnerable and displaced people during crises, especially in situations of conflict. Established in 1946, NRC is an independent, humanitarian, non-profit, non-governmental organisation working in around 31 countries with approximately 14’000 staff. NRC employs a rights based approach, challenging those with responsibility to uphold the rights of displaced people set out within national and International Laws. NRC endeavors to secure the acceptance of local stakeholders for activities and is committed to the principles of humanity, neutrality, independence and impartiality.

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