Humanity & Inclusion recruits 01 Field coordinator

Place: MYANMAR (Myitkyina)

Length: 12 month

Starting date: 15.01.2021

Closing date for applications: 08.12.2020

 

“Outraged by the injustice faced by people with disabilities and vulnerable populations,
we aspire to a world of solidarity and inclusion, enriched by our differences,
where everyone can live in dignity”

Handicap International is changing his name and becomes « Humanity & Inclusion ». HI, Humanity & Inclusion is an independent and impartial aid and development organisation with no religious or political affiliations operating in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. We work alongside people with disabilities and vulnerable people to help meet their essential needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights.

Since the organisation was first founded in 1982, we have set up development programmes in 62 countries and responded to many emergencies. Today we have a budget of around 150 million euros, with 3500 employees worldwide.

HI is engaged in an employment policy in favour of disabled workers.

For further information about the association: www.hi.org.

 

JOB CONTEXT :

Myanmar is a very diverse country where, according to the census run in 2014, at least 135 ethnicities coexist, speak different languages and practice different religions. After the independence from Great Britain, gained in 1948, Myanmar went through almost 60 years of dictatorship, unrest and isolation. It was only in the early 2000s that the military junta sought to achieve a transition towards a more democratic governance. A national ceasefire agreement was signed in 2012. In November 2015 the country hosted its first democratic elections, that ushered in the victory of the NLD (National League for Democracy) headed by Aung San Su Kyi. After almost 2 year of rules of the new government, despite undeniable improvement in the life of citizens, the high expectations of the population and of the international community have been partially disappointed: while the country is still experiencing unrest and internal power struggles, the peace process has slowed down and recently old laws against freedom of press have been enforced. The harsh reaction of the authority to the attack from ARSA taking place in Rakhine since August 2017, has already brought the displacement of more than 600.000 persons to Bangladesh, and is increasing the concern of the international community. While both governments are moving towards an agreement on repatriation, there are concerns on the voluntary and informed nature of this process. Meanwhile, wide areas in the North East (Kachin and Shan state) remain in turmoil and are widely inaccessible. All shows that the way towards stable peace and democracy is still long.

 

Kachin State, in the northern part of Myanmar, between China and India, has been affected by a conflict between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Myanmar Army (MMA) since early 1960s, in the aftermath of Myanmar’s independence. A 17-year ceasefire ended in 2011 with revived disputes and hostilities, triggering a massive internal displacement of 97,514 civilians to 136 camps across Kachin since 2011 (UNCHR figures as of the 30th of April 2019 – small scale displacements still occur regularly) – including 36% in NGCA. The authorities are currently encouraging returns and relocations of displaced populations but most previously conflict-affected areas remain unsafe with Kachin being the most landmine contaminated area in the country (in 2017, 44% of all reported incidents and casualties occurred in Kachin). The local economy mainly relies on the exploitation of natural resources – precious stones and minerals (jade, amber, gold), logging of tick and banana plantations, which nurtures the war economy. Despite several rounds of peace negotiations resulting in the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) with eight armed groups, and the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference in August 2016, there has been continued armed conflict in Kachin and Northern Shan States. The peace process is stalling as both KIA and Tatmadaw stick to the respective pre-conditions to discuss peace. The conflict finds its roots in political and economic issues: on one hand, the independence claimed by the Kachin people since the independence of Myanmar, asking for recognition of their culture, language and political autonomy, and, on the other hand, the presence of important economic resources, mineral deposits such as gemstones, as well as income from illicit activities including drugs and human trafficking.

 

The situation in Kachin is affecting dramatically the lives of local civilian population causing causalities, detainment, entrapments and new displacement. The 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan targets 168,000 vulnerable people in need of humanitarian assistance including the over 97,000 internally displaced people. The main issues are landmine contamination, grave child rights violations, important psychosocial distress due to recent and protracted displacement, limited access to assistance and protection services, human trafficking, increased drug abuse and violence, lack of livelihood opportunities. In addition, humanitarian access constraints undermine the quantity, quality and sustainability of assistance and services provided to displaced people further exhausting their coping mechanisms after 7 years of displacement.

 

The MyTh (Myanmar Thailand) program involves all HI activities developed in Myanmar and Thailand and was created in 2016 with the merge of 2 already existing missions. HI started working in Thailand in 1984 and first focused its actions on the delivery of mobility and assistive devices to Thai and Burmese landmine/ERW victims. HI currently implements activities in nine camps of Burmese refugees on the Thailand/Myanmar border. Since the democratic transition in Myanmar started, the possibility of a progressive closure of the camps has become more tangible although for the time being figures are quite slow. It is expected that funding will be affected by this dynamic in the next future. HI’s first activities in Myanmar were in the frame of the Cyclone Nargis’s response, from October 2008 to December 2009. Following the ratification of the CRPD by the Myanmar authorities, HI decided to reopen a mission in Myanmar in 2014 and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Social Welfare in September 2015. In 2017, also a MOU with the Ministry of Health and Sport was signed.

 

Since 2014, HI has expanded its activities promoting inclusion and responding to the needs of persons with disabilities, including landmines victims, in Ayayaerwaddy, Mandalay, Yangon, East Bago Regions as well as in Kayin and Kachin States. HI has four offices, the main one in Yangon and bases in Hpa’an covering the South East, Myitkyina for Kachin and one in MaeSot. HI’s programme strategy is built around 3 pillars:

1/ Armed Violence Reduction (AVR) including Victim Assistance and community-based Risk Education,

2/ Inclusion with projects covering: support to Disabled People Organisations and promotion of Rights; inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction, Child Development; Hospital Emergency Preparedness; livelihoods

3/ Health and Rehabilitation with project covering psychosocial and physical rehabilitation

 

HI started intervening in Kachin in November 2017 with activities targeting people with disabilities living in IDPs camps fleeing the conflict areas. HI has a double objective of promoting disability inclusion in humanitarian assistance while also providing direct assistance to persons with disabilities in Myitkyina and Waingmaw townships. A situational analysis was carried out between February and April 2018 to identify the specific needs of displaced persons with disabilities and ensure the project design met these needs. HI is currently implementing activities in 10 IDP camps and 4 host communities, in partnership with three local organisations. HI aims at strengthening and extending its existing activities as well as continuing to provide technical support to local and international humanitarian actors to ensure persons with disabilities are included in their responses. HI is also considering new sectors of intervention such as livelihoods and/or victim assistance.

 

YOUR MISSION:

This position will be under the line management of the Country Director. The Senior Management Team is composed of the Country Director, the Thailand Country Manager, the Operations Coordinator (OC), the Regional Support Service Coordinator (SSC), the Technical Unit Manager (TUM) and the Field Coordinators. Communication among the SMT is frequent via TEAMS and email.

At the time being (Nov 2020), the HI Kachin team is composed of 3 Project Managers, 2 Physiotherapists (project team), 4 Project Officers as well as 1 Site Administrative Officer, 1 Site Admin Officer, 1 MEAL, 2 drivers, 4 guards and 1 cleaner. The team is still relatively new and needs strong day to day management, capacity building and coaching. Security, context and needs analysis, strategical development of HI position, management of 3 partnerships contract and monitoring of remote activities implemented by partner are also key stakes to be addressed by the Field Coordinator.

General mission: Coordination of the area and supervision of teams to ensure the quality and the sustainability of the projects implemented in Kachin.

 

Responsibility 1: To develop, coordinate and support the implementation of HI projects

Sub-responsibilities:

Coordinate and centralise the collection of information and analyse the intervention context, humanitarian needs and their evolution in the intervention area and share it with the Programme Director, the OC and TUM ;

Advise on HI’s positioning in the region;

Ensure that the operations implemented are in accordance with the local culture and the mandate and values of HI, using a conflict sensitivity approach; and that they are discussed before, during and after with local authorities at all levels and with the target populations;

Support project managers in the planning, implementation and monitoring of projects, with the support and guidance of the Operations Coordinator in the capital;

Support project managers in the timely submission of qualitative narrative reports;

Coordinate the development of new project proposals in the area or provide support to the TUM in case of new sectors of intervention or multi-area proposals ;

Ensure the relevance, impact, coherence, efficiency, and as far as possible, the sustainability of all of the activities implemented in the area by looking for synergies and, if necessary, reorienting the implementation of activities, in consultation with the coordination team in the capital and in compliance with donor regulations;

Conduct regular project monitoring visits, and define and monitor the implementation of recommendations and resulting needs for capacity-building;

Ensure smooth and effective coordination between project team and support services as well as between the Kachin- and Yangon-based teams when needed;

Negotiate, develop and ensure the implementation of partnership agreements in the area of intervention, in collaboration with the coordination team in the capital;

Supervise the remote monitoring of activities of partners, strengthen remote monitoring mechanisms if necessary and analyse context evolution, security situation and opportunities to access remote areas of intervention for national employees, in collaboration with the coordination team in the capital.

Responsibility 2: To ensure the coordination and application of HI processes/supporting documents

Sub-responsibilities:

Implement MyTH program procedures and policies within the area of intervention and support the site administrative officer in the implementation of specific procedures;

Help the site administrative officer to plan, coordinate, monitor and evaluate support services with a view to strengthening their capacity and improving practices on an ongoing basis;

Supervise the area’s day-to-day management and site administrator in managing particularly heavy workloads in order to meet certain deadlines;

Ensure regular reporting to the coordination team on the activities of all the services in the area and participate in coordination meetings, either in person or on Skype.

Responsibility 3: To manage the base’s project and support teams

Sub-responsibilities:

Identify HR needs, prepare job descriptions, recruit staff, define individual objectives, carry out assessments and appraisal interviews for reportees, and take appropriate disciplinary measures, etc., in collaboration with the coordination team in the capital;

Support the operational, logistical and administrative teams in the planning, implementation and monitoring of their responsibilities and in the integration of recommendations;

Oversee, facilitate and coordinate the different services (implementation of and compliance with procedures and deadlines to ensure optimal synergy and a good team spirit);

Ensure good communication with and among teams, notably by setting up regular meetings with all the services, and with each department separately;

Support teams in developing the skills and tools necessary to achieve the objectives set, and provide the link with the Operations Coordinator and Technical Unit;

Identify training needs in your team and organise relevant training in accordance with the mission’s training policy. Directly organise certain training courses (content preparation, follow-up, etc.);

Ensure strict application and compliance with the rules of procedure, HI institutional policies and the terms and conditions of employment on the part of the teams;

Manage any conflicts that may occur within the team and with partners, in collaboration with the coordination team in the capital;

Ensure that employees, stakeholders and partners comply with the organisation’s institutional policies (Protection from Sexual Exploitation and abuse or PSEA, child protection, Fraud, bribery & corruption).

Develop, depending on funding capacities, capacity building plan, organize recruitment and implement capacity building plan and coaching to hand over the position to national employee.

Responsibility 4: Manage the security of HI personnel in the area under your responsibility

Act as the security focal point for your area;

Monitor the security context in the area of intervention;

Produce the necessary security documents for your area in compliance with the frames of reference established by the organisation, and update them as necessary;

Coordinate the application of emergency security procedures (evacuation, lock-down, etc.) and maintain contact with the coordination team in every case;

Forward all security-related information and recommendations and security alerts to your line-manager;

In liaison with the Regional Programme Director, take charge of any incidents and/or situations that might develop into a security crisis;

Participate in inter-agency security coordination meetings and report to the Regional Programme Director;

Ensure every member of staff is aware of his/her role and responsibilities with regard to security;

Oversee the rollout of the crisis management system;

Provide security training for the programme’s staff;

Develop an external network of key people/institutions which facilitates security management;

Participate in the programme’s security risk analysis and ensuring that all team members follow safety rules;

Share with the Regional Programme Director all information relating to the context and the programme that will facilitate team security management during operations.

Responsibility 5: To represent HI at the local level

Represent HI with partners, NGOs, international organisations and local authorities in the area;

Take part in the main humanitarian coordination meetings;

Boost the area’s development through relationships with institutional donors, monitoring their strategic positioning (areas of intervention, funding policies and modalities) and identifying potential consortia with other NGOs.

 

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE POSITION :

 

The security situation in Myitkyina is stable and there are no major threats for foreigners living there, but Kachin has been under continued armed conflict since 2011 with regular clashes between KIA (Kachin Independence Army) and Tatmadaw in Government Controlled Areas (GCA) and Non-Government Controlled Areas (NGCA). Series of intensified armed clashes have erupted again in Kachin State between February and June 2018 especially in Hpakant, Tanai, Mansi, Sumprabum, and Waingmaw Townships. A unilateral ceasefire has been in place since January 2019, it currently ends in June 2019 but with prospects of a further extension. The security situation remains volatile and intensification of fighting can involve armed clashes, heavy weapons, shelling and airstrikes. In some areas, fighting reportedly occurred in close proximity to civilian areas, including villages and IDPs camps, with reports of civilian casualties and displacements. Access to IDPs camps in Myitkyina Township requires local travel permissions, and since 2015, no agency or INGO has been able to get permission to travel to NGCA. Access is therefore a strategic issue.

There is high level of drug addiction in Kachin State and in Myitkyina, and petty crime can happen. Foreigners need to remain vigilant when walking in the streets and avoid some areas after dark.

 

Expatriates are not authorized to travel outside of Myitkyina and are not allowed to cross the bridge to Waingmaw Township. There are several daily flights from Yangon to Myitkyina. Direct flights Yangon-Myitkyina take approximately 1h10 and flights through Mandalay can take up to 3 hours. In Myitkyina, foreigners can circulate with taxis (only private ones, to be hired on demand), bicycles or by foot. HI motorbikes are used by national employees and HI has a vehicle with a driver during work hours. There is a small foreigner community in Myitkyina and many restaurants with variety of food (Chinese, Myanmar, Indian, etc.) and shops covering basic needs.

Expériences / Formation

• You hold an advanced degree in relevant field (project management, development, humanitarian, disability or related)
• You have a minimum of 3 years’ experience in coordination position within international development and/or emergency and post crisis environments, in managerial positions
• You have preferably an experience in managing in complex environments, and in protracted crisis
• You demonstrate managerial or organisational skills
• You have excellent communication capacities, with a broad range of stakeholders
• You have experience in managing work with civil society organizations, partners
• You are positive, solution-oriented and with a high level of professional maturity

Salaire

• Starting date : 15.01.2020
• Length of the contract: 12 month
• Salary from 2 750€ gross/month regarding the experience of the candidate
• Perdiem : 519€ net/month
• Hardship allowance : 250€ net/month
• Insurances : medical hearth coverage, retirement planning, repatriation
• Paid holiday : 25 days per year
• R&R : 5 days every 3 months
• Status : position open to couples
• Housing : Individual housing taken in charge by HI

Comment postuler

 

TO APPLY:

Only online by joining a CV and cover letter via the following link:

 

http://www.jobs.net/j/JlZApXSx?idpartenaire=130