Solidarités International is a French humanitarian organization which provides aid and assistance to victims of war or natural disaster. For over 30 years the association has focused on meeting three vital needs - water, food and shelter - by carrying out emergency programmes followed by longer-term reconstruction projects. Whilst fully respecting the assisted populations’ customs and culture, Solidarités International’s programmes are implemented through the joint expertise of around 180 expatriates and 1500 local managerial staff and employees. Solidarités International is currently present in Africa (Central African Republic, Southern Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, Liberia, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, Zimbabwe), in Asia (Afghanistan, Thailand, Bangladesh, Myanmar) and in Haiti.
CONTEXT OF INTERVENTION
The Republic of South Sudan became an independent nation on 9 July 2011, seeing the popular will of its citizens fulfilled as per the referendum vote in January 2011. With the government and citizens now looking forward to the development of the nation, South Sudan is still plagued by a number of conflict- and natural disaster-related emergencies creating significant humanitarian crises in the severely underdeveloped rural areas.
The emergence of multiple rebel militia groups in the lead-up to Independence and the acute armed conflict in Southern Kordofan between northern and southern troops created widespread population displacements in the northern states of South Sudan. These emergencies have been compounded by massive influxes of returnees from North to South Sudan, numbering over 300,000 since October 2010 with another 300,000 expected to arrive before the end of 2011.
Solidarités International (SI) implements rural and semi-urban water and sanitation activities in three states: Jonglei, Upper Nile and Unity. SI targets counties prone to receiving IDPs and/or returnees and prone to natural disaster (namely flooding). Upper Nile and Jonglei programmes are operated out of Malakal, the Upper Nile State capital. Intermittent emergency response programmes are also implemented in and around Malakal Town, on receiving influxes of returnees/IDPs. Unity State programmes are administrated from an office in Bentiu, the Unity State capital.
In April 2010, the Humanitarian Country Team Juba Satellite adopted the cluster system to strengthen and improve humanitarian coordination mechanisms, ensuring that coordination structures are up to the challenge of addressing the complex and pressing humanitarian situation in Southern Sudan.
In line with the Humanitarian Reform, NGOs, international organizations and UN agencies operating in the WASH sector comes together under the leadership of UNICEF and Medair to identify gaps, plan and prioritize response, and to implement and monitor activities in a spirit of partnership. The overall purpose is to alleviate human suffering and protect the lives, livelihoods and dignity of populations in need.
The Government of the Republic of South Sudan is primarily responsible for the initiation, organization, coordination, and implementation of humanitarian assistance within its territory. Whenever possible, the WASH cluster operates in support of and in coordination with local authorities.
The Unity State WASH Cluster State Focal Point will be based in Bentiu /Rubkona. Covering all areas of Unity State as related to WASH Cluster coordination activities, WASH emergency response coordination, and interagency assessment missions. There are a couple of agencies working in WASH in Unity State, however many with limited capacity or no capacity for emergency response. CARE International, World Vision, International Committee of the Red Cross, Winrock- the Sudan Bridge South Sudan Red Cross Society, and Solidarités International all work in WASH – but most agencies have capacity only in specific counties of the state.
OBJECTIVES
• Ensure appropriate state level coordination between all WASH humanitarian partners such as State line Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Rural Water Authority, UNICEF, and INGOs including local partners; • Organize and ensure the co-chairing system of the cluster with the representative of the line Ministry and UNICEF representative in Bentiu • Ensure the establishment/maintenance of appropriate sector coordination mechanisms including working groups at the state level; • Ensure effective links with other clusters (with OCHA support), especially Protection, Health, Nutrition, and NFIs; • Act as the state level focal point for inquiries on the cluster’s response plans and operations within the state. • Represent the cluster at Humanitarian Coordination Fora in the state • Facilitate the coordination of all state WASH agencies for coordination meetings, information dissemination, assessment planning and implementation and state-wide activity mapping.
TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Coordination : - Maintain state level cluster contact list (3W matrix) and ensure knowledge of who is doing what and where within the sector in the given state. - Initiate and facilitate monthly state level cluster meetings (Co-chaired by state level ministry and/or Unicef) via dissemination of meeting announcement, providing NGO updates for absent agencies, and sharing meeting minutes at the central ( South Sudan WASH forum) and state level. - Facilitate or coordinate, in partnership with cluster members and/or with inter-sector team needs assessments, and other programmatic issues as need be. - Advice and support development of sector baselines, benchmarks and measureable indicators. - To help partners to make their technical designs and approaches consistent with each other - Support cluster co-leads with planning issues including humanitarian work plan, risk analysis, preparedness/contingency planning and identifying gaps - To pursue and reinforce early warning system on emergency and support advocacy to donors for them to fund NGOs in case of emergency in the area - Coordinate with UNICEF and maintain state level cluster emergency WASH stock levels and ensure knowledge of who has what and where. - Support the partners in participating to the Common Appeal Process for 2012 for the WaSH part of their interventions - Represent the cluster at Humanitarian Coordination Forums in the state. - Brief new cluster members on the sector specific issues. Provide initial contact lists; facilitate contacts with key partners, local and national authorities.
Reporting :
Externally - Report on scheduled tasks to humanitarian coordination and local authorities - Provide systematic and ad-hoc reports to the WASH Cluster Lead and Co-lead in Juba - Respond to all coordination and information requests made by the WASH Cluster Lead and/or Co-lead
Internally - Draft weekly internal reports on activities related to the Cluster to the Solidarites International Programme Coordinator/Field Coordinator - Draft monthly donor reports for submission to UNICEF
CANDIDATE PROFILE
Experience: - University degree in a relevant field such as international development, public policy, economics, statistics, program evaluation, etc.; and/ or 2 years of project management experience in cross-cultural relief and development projects - Field experience in conflict/post-conflict contexts - Experience with monitoring and evaluation systems and methodologies - Experience in emergency humanitarian programmes - Significant experience in WASH Cluster participation - Thorough working knowledge of the Humanitarian Reform and Cluster Approach - Ability to network and build beneficial professional relationships with donor and partner organisations - Previous experience with Solidarités International is an advantage
Technical skills: - Implementing/monitoring humanitarian programs - Expertise in initial assessment tools in acute emergency situations - Knowledge of emergency/post-emergency humanitarian strategies - Knowledge of the role of NGOs/UN agencies/peace-keeping missions and their specific mandates - Computer literacy with command MS Office Suite; Knowledge of GIS software is desirable - Excellent oral and written communication skills
Language: Fluent writing and spoken English (reports written in English), Knowledge of Arabic is an asset
Other criteria: - Calm and diplomatic (security management; relationships with local, administrative and military authorities and the humanitarian community). - Self-starter with strong research, analysis, and critical thinking skills - Able to work in autonomy (activity very independent from the rest of Solidarites’ intervention in the country) - Keen interest in geopolitical and humanitarian strategy analysis - Very motivated by challenges - Adherence to restrictive security and behavioural regulations - Responsive and dynamic
CONDITIONS
Salaried post: from 1400 euros gross per month, according to experience, plus 10% annual leave allowance paid monthly, and a monthly Per Diem of 500 USD.
Solidarités International will cover accommodation and travel expenses from the expatriate’s home country to the site of the assignment.
Social and medical cover: Expatriates benefit from an insurance package which reimburses all healthcare expenses (including medical and surgical expenses, dental care and ophthalmological expenses, repatriation) and a welfare system including war risks. Essential vaccination and antimalarial treatment costs are refunded.
Vacation: During the assignment, a system of alternation between work and time off is implemented at the rate of one break every three months. For a one-year assignment, the expatriate will have a break during the 3rd and the 9th month (with 500 euros allocated by Solidarités). He or she will also be entitled to go back to his or her home country for a 15-day period after six months spent on the mission (Solidarités will cover travel costs).
DURATION : 12 months, beginning as soon as possible.
HOW TO APPLY
Please send us a CV and cover letter, either through our website or via the following link: https://emea2.recruitmentplatform.com/syndicated/private/syd_apply.cfm?I....
No comments: