GENERAL CONTEXT Médecins Sans Frontières is an international, independent medical and humanitarian organisation that provides care to populations in need, to people affected by natural or man-made disasters and to victims of armed conflicts, without discrimination and regardless of their race, religion, belief or political affiliation (MSF Charter).
OCBA stands for Operational Centre Barcelona-Athens, operating in 23 countries through the operational units (i.e. Operational Cells – OCs), an Emergency Unit (EU), Humanitarian Affairs Advisors and other departments and areas supporting Operations and the social mission.
BACKGROUND Due to the International Operational Network Initiative (IONI) OCBA is running a process of decentralization. This decentralizing process applies to governance at the associative level and to operational management and support at headquarters and field levels.
In addition to improving the perspectives, with which it is analysed and decides on operations, decentralizing will redistribute the burden of management, reducing bureaucracy.
OCBA wants to continue increasing our operational output: more operations for more victims of crisis and ever-increasing quality in terms of health options for the patients.
By decentralising operational management and support, OCBA will effectively reset the gauges for efficient use of inputs and overheads.
Therefore, OCBA visualizes a medium term construction with operational units in 2 regions of the world.
- One unit will be based in Eastern Africa (Nairobi) in 2011 after a few months in Barcelona to do the corresponding handover and to consolidate the knowledge about the running of the Operational Centre.
- One unit will be opened in the same time temporarily in Barcelona in 2011, and after, taking into consideration the lessons learned from the first decentralised unit in Eastern Africa, decentralised in Latin America by 2012.
GENERAL OBJECTIVE AND JOB ENVIROMENT The Head of the Operational Cell (RECO) is responsible for overseeing the different phases in the cycle of missions and projects in the field (opening, follow-up, orientation and closing) and ensures that quality standards are duly maintained and MSF’s humanitarian and deontological principles respected in the projects within his/her portfolio (4-6 mission countries), within the framework of Executive Plan, Operational Policy and operations annual orientations plan, in order to perform relevant, high-impact operations.
S/he is hierarchically under the Operational Director.
The Operational Cell is a matrix-like “team set-up” integrating members of the different services or departments of MSF OCBA as the basis for direct support and guidance to the missions within the Cell’s portfolio. Each OC is made up of a person in charge of the Cell (RECO), one Deputy RECO, one Health Advisor (TESACO), one Logistics Advisor (TELOCO), one Finances Advisors (FINOCO) and one Human Resources Advisor (REHUCO).
MAIN RESPONSABILITIES AND TASKS 1. Participate in the organisational strategy Contribute to the reflection on positioning and the role of MSF OCBA regarding humanitarian crises and related dilemmas, protection issues and operational strategies within portfolio and beyond, through organising, promoting and participating in debates, analysis and reflection exercises. Provide operational input to contribute to the definition of the strategies of the rest of the Departments, and take into account their contributions when defining Operations’ plans to strengthen transversal planning and boost integration. Participate in the Operations Coordination Team. Identify and report situations in which the implementation of OCBA policies and procedures is not viable or may hinder the achievement of operational objectives, propose adaptations and exceptions to these in the appropriate forum, and apply the exceptions when necessary as long as they are justified.
Hold Services accountable for the quality of their support, proactive monitoring/analyses of policy implementation/adaptation, and timeliness in raising issues with the operational line and be accountable for the implementation of strategies and policies of MSF OCBA. Participate in the accountability transversal processes at his/her level of responsibility. 2. Contribute to the definition of the operational strategy Contribute to the definition of OCBA operational vision. Contribute to reviewing the MSF OBCA’s Operational Policy and operational annual orientations, based on evaluation of the implementation of this policy and the analysis of evolution of humanitarian challenges in the assigned portfolio. Contribute to the definition of security policies. 3. Define the strategy of missions within portfolio, conducting context analyses Lead the reflection on positioning and the role of MSF OCBA in relation with the Operational Policy with regard to humanitarian crises for the CPP of missions within portfolio. Ensure constant critical review and analysis of context and humanitarian situation of assigned portfolio in order to guarantee that operational response is adapted to meet population’s needs. Ensure the maximisation of the transformation potential of interventions throughout the isolation of causes and/or responsibility when identifying a (critical) situation that can be improved with direct action. Define missions, projects and interventions in portfolio, guaranteeing their pertinence compliance with the Operational Policy. Ensure the promotion and participation in the proposal, planning and follow-up of exploratory missions and all phases of the project cycle (design of project proposal, monitoring and evaluation, project re-orientation, expansion or closure) Ensure the production, and timely updating of Country Policy Papers for the respective missions. Ensure the effective emergency preparedness and response of the missions. 4. Planning and budgeting of missions and contribute to the planning and organisation of the Operations Department Contribute to the review and organisation of the Department of Operations of MSF OCBA. Contribute to the planning of the Department of Operations. Review and define the annual planning and budget of missions within portfolio, and define strategic changes within the portfolio in coordination with the Ops direction. Carry out budget analysis of missions and ensure corrective measures if necessary. Ensure coherence between OCBA annual planning, operational orientations and assigned portfolio’s annual plan. 5. Supervise, analyse and support implementation Ensure the implementation of the CPP and annual operational plan in the projects within portfolio, according to quality standards and to MSF’s humanitarian and deontological principles, with the primary objective to meet population’s needs. Ensure that missions comply with OCBA policies as agreed with the rest of Departments, or raise the issue when not possible. Ensure that MSF role on humanitarian action and “témoignage” is effectively executed by identifying related medical-humanitarian dilemmas, defining lobbying, advocacy and communication strategies, and allocating extra resources accordingly, for missions within portfolio. Ensure support and supervision for all aspects of management of the missions, projects, exploratory missions and interventions in the assigned portfolio, based on the annual operational orientations. Support technically implementation of strategies in relation to context analysis & data gathering, acceptance & positioning, advocacy and communication (inc. supervising the work of HAOs in the field) Ensure the deployment of a pool of Humanitarian Affairs Officers in the field. Ensure adequate security management through supervision for portfolio’s missions, projects and interventions in line with the security policy, rules and guidelines of MSF OCBA. Analyse the fulfilment of operational objectives, and carry out analyses to improve operational response in the assigned portfolio. Ensure that the results of relevance/impact project evaluations feed overall analyses, in order to maintain the relevance of the projects at all times.
Ensure the analysis and evaluation of the implementation of lobbing, advocacy and communication strategies within portfolio. Consult support services for sparring and as content providers when needed. 6. Lead, support, and coach the cell team in their functioning and decision making process, to ensure that objectives be achieved Ensure that cell team members and HOMs assume their respective responsibilities and the timely implementation of their respective tasks. Be responsible of the selection process of the cell team (taking the final decision on selection of candidates) and carry out their follow-up and evaluation, in order to ensure their adjustment, coverage of their training needs and future development. Define the job profiles of cell members, for approval from HR. 7. Promote knowledge management Ensure that knowledge management policies are implemented at his/her level of responsibility. Collaborate with the Training Unit in the definition of the contents of MSF-OCBA courses, facilitating them when needed, to adapt them to the Organisation’s needs. 8. Manage internal communication channels and represent MSF OCBA Ensure adequate information and work flow between cell and services, other cells, and field, for issues that affect assigned portfolio. Represent MSF OCBA towards external actors (international organisations, NGOs, institutions, donor agencies, diasporas, civil society) and the media, for the missions of the assigned portfolio, on humanitarian crises, inter-agency operational coordination, and for fundraising. Represent MSF OCBA at MSF international level for the missions of the assigned portfolio (International desk platform). 9. Others Validate unplanned field positions, to be approved by HR. Ensure all behaviour Issues and conflict resolution are followed up.
This Job Description may undergo some changes in the future depending on the decentralized new setup.
SELECTION CRITERIA Education and experience Degree from University or Higher Institute (in medicine, nursing, bio-medical sciences, social sciences, political sciences, economy, judicial sciences…). Medical or paramedical background is considered as an asset.
Minimum of 3 years experience with MSF in coordination positions. Highly knowledgeable of and interested in the international humanitarian context. Fluent in English, French and Spanish (at least two languages). IT knowledge as advanced user.
Competencies Identification with MSF Cross-cultural awareness and Flexibility Self-control Strategic Vision Results and Quality Orientation Planning and Organising Internal user and/or end beneficiary orientation Leadership People management Teamwork
Others Availability to travel frequently and on short notice. Flexibility with working hours.
POST CONDITIONS The position based in Eastern Africa (Nairobi) will start in Barcelona and stay there between three and six months meanwhile it will be completed the model of the decentralization. Then it will be moved to Nairobi with all cell members. The position based in Latin America will start in Barcelona and stay there between nein and twelve months meanwhile it will be completed the model of the decentralization, decided the place and taking into consideration the lessons learned from the first decentralised unit in Nairobi. Then it will be moved to Latin America with all cell members. All issues regarding the decentralizing process, contract conditions, salary, etc. will be explained and clarified during the selection interview. Full time job Travel to the projects 25-30% of the time. Commitment: 3 years extensible to 6 years Starting date: mid July 2011.
Applicants should send their CV and a covering motivation letter under the reference "RECO_EA" for the position based in Eastern Africa (Nairobi), recruitment-bcn@barcelona.msf.org
Closing date: 24th of June Replies will only be sent to short-listed candidates.
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