HI recruits 01 Regional Humanitarian Advisor

“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:

The position of Regional Humanitarian advisor has been occupied during one year based in Dhaka under the supervision of the Bangladesh program. Given the current development of the Myanmar activities, it has been decided to base the position in Myanmar to support the positioning and advocacy activities in Myanmar while continuing implementing HI’s advocacy and positioning strategy in Bangladesh. The position is based in Yangon with regular travel to Sittwe and eventually to Bangladesh.

The MyTh (Myanmar Thailand) program was created in 2016 with the merge of 2 already existing missions. Setting up cross border initiatives and integrate the coming return of refugees from Thailand to Myanmar is at the heart of the regional strategy. In Thailand, HI started working 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 9 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, which is currently under renewal. In 2017, HI also signed a MOU with the Ministry of Health and Sport was signed.

The 3 pillars of the HI MyTh Programme 2018-2019 are:

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 has been working in Bangladesh since 1997, with a focus on creating sustainable changes in terms of ensuring rights and inclusion of people with disabilities in society.

In Cox Bazar’s district, HI has a strong knowledge and experience in chronic emergency response. In addition to projects implemented before the crisis, HI is now providing services in rehabilitation, protection and PSS, with an inclusive mainstreaming approach to refugees and host population. HI works does not only with people with disabilities but also with their families, their communities, and the society, in order to provide sustainability in its action.

Emergency context and needs in Cox’s Bazar

A high proportion of the Undocumented Myanmar Nationals (UNM) refugees in Cox’s Bazar remain in a chronic emergency situation due to long-term challenges to find a durable solution to their status in Myanmar and Bangladesh and therefore require continuous humanitarian assistance. The new influx, with more than 600,000 arrivals from August 2017, has created even more pressure on resources and increasing humanitarian needs. The host Bangladeshi communities are also affected by the presence of a large refugee population living in the region. The two sub-districts of Ukhiya and Teknaf, where the refugees are mostly residing, are vulnerable due to increased rates of poverty and lack of public and private services, scarce job opportunities and limited natural resources, among other key causes. In addition, this coastal region is continuously dealing with the impacts of natural disasters, mostly cyclones and floods, during which meagre assets of the local population are also damaged or destroyed. The humanitarian needs resulting from the Mora’s devastating impact and the new arrivals of refugees have not been fully met yet, and the cyclone season is expected to start soon.

YOUR MISSION:

Under direct line management of the Myanmar Program Director and in close link with Bangladesh Program Director, Advocacy & Institutional Relations department and the HI Institute:

• Ensure adequate positioning of HI promoting principled humanitarian action while addressing the needs resulting from the crisis in Rakhine State
• Contributing to the design, implementation and follow-up of HI advocacy and testimony strategies regarding the Rohingya crisis and its impacts at national, regional and international levels;
• Liaising with relevant stakeholders and networks involved in advocacy actions at national/regional level

Your main responsibilities are:

 Humanitarian environment analysis

• To monitor current Humanitarian context and challenges met at Bangladesh, Myanmar, UN and international organizations levels concerning the situation of Rohingya people in Bangladesh and Myanmar.

• Follow up on humanitarian access and identified positioning challenges to support the Program Directors and Area Managers on decisions making (upon requests for both Myanmar and Bangladesh) on issues regarding the Rohingya crisis
• Lead the definition of HI’s humanitarian policy for the Rohingya crisis, with the elaboration and implementation of specific positioning papers on sensitive subjects (e.g. respect of humanitarian principles, engagement with parties to the conflict, forced migration issues, etc.), in close coordination with the Bangladesh and Myanmar’s program directors and HI’s Institute

Advocacy & testimony strategies development

• Implement and update if needed the Rohingyas advocacy strategy in relation to the positioning issues. The strategy should include the definition of main messages, type of advocacy (public, private), possible targets for advocacy
• Update the Rohingyas advocacy strategy for the Myanmar side

• Define HI testimony strategy in link with AIR team, the HI Institute and the communication Direction. If the activity is confirmed, to follow up the person in charge.
• Supervise and participate in the production of written materials for publications, such as policy papers, articles, press releases, testimonies and reports, in collaboration with HI’s Advocacy Unit, HI Institute and HI’s Communication Unit.
• Supervise and participate in the production of talking points, key messages and/or draft speeches for oral presentations / discussions.
• Ensure that all advocacy and communication messages, documents and strategies respect HI’s guidelines on public communication, are evidence-based, drawn from field experience, direct witnessing, and reliable quantitative and qualitative data.
• Support fundraising for advocacy and positioning activities
• Define clear action plans and ensure the achievement of advocacy targets and indicators

Networking & Representation

• Represent HI at advocacy working group level and, upon request, in other relevant fora where positioning and advocacy issues are discussed (HCT, INGO Forum) to raise HI’s voice jointly in regard to the respect of the nature of NGOs and of the principled response HI is meant to implement
• Regularly collaborate with projects and communication teams in order to consider their objectives in HI’s positionings and advocacy strategy and identify potential support to be provided.

Sensitization, training & support on Principled Humanitarian Action

• Ensure the respect of HI’s policies, ethical lines and positioning within Bangladesh and Myanmar’s mission
• Provide briefings, coaching and/or trainings on HI’s policies, ethical lines and positioning to the mission teams, when relevant (especially during the opening of HI’s operations in Rakhine State)
• Handle Humanitarian Principles refresher and sensitization sessions of remaining HI staff, including expatriates.
• Handle humanitarian principles trainings to HI local/national partners
• Work with the team on sensitive data collection methods in collaboration with HI protection and MEAL teams.

YOUR PROFILE :

• You hold a degree in International Law (IHL and IHRL) and you have 5-years’ experience in the humanitarian sector (in the field), experience in advocacy and human rights
• You have also experience in presenting complex information clearly and in a synthetic for a lay audience (coordination and training)
• You have Excellent oral, written (English), editorial and presentation skills
• You have a good understanding of human rights-based approaches & Knowledge of the ‘do no harm’ and ‘conflict sensitivity’ approaches.

CONDITIONS:

• 12 months International Contract Starting from 1^st of December 2019 or sooner if possible
• Salary from 2750€ gross/month regarding the experience of the candidate
• Position open to families
• Housing : individual taken in charge by HI
• Perdiem : 441 net/month
• Insurances : medical hearth coverage, retirement planning, repatriation
• Paid holiday : 25 days per year; R&R : 1 day per month