About the job

The Head of Safety and Humanitarian Access (HSHA) reports to the Country Director and manages the Safety and Humanitarian Access Department for the DRC Somalia country program. He/she is part of the SMT (Senior Management Team). In collaboration with key programs and operations colleagues in Somalia, s/he will strive to safely enable the delivery of essential services to women, men, and children in Somalia. S/he will implement humanitarian access and DRC Safety Risk Management (SRM) system and protocols in line with humanitarian principles, DRC standards and requirements, humanitarian needs, duty of care principles, and DRC’s strategy for targeting im HTR areas, and contribute to ensuring that culture of safety is cultivated and maintained. Technical support will be provided by the Regional Security Coordinator in Nairobi.

Safety

• Monitor and evaluate the SRM process in Somalia, providing regular updates on the quality and progress of SRM implementation
• Develop and supervise the implementation of area safety management policies, protocols and procedures
• Perform Safety Risk Assessments (SRAs) and supervise the implementation of mitigation measures
• Oversee the information management, analysis and reporting process for DRC offices within Somalia
• Maintain relevant safety documentation, data and records for the areas of concern within SharePoint
• Mentor and provide technical supervision to safety staff per DRC location.
• Act as the focal point for contractual and procurement issues related to safety risk management, including the provision of armed security
• Advise Programme and Area Managers on available safety management strategies, including the transfer, avoidance, acceptance and/or control of risks.
• In cooperation with Safety Focal Points , develop and supervise the implementation of area-specific safety plans, including Local Safety Rules (LSR); Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs); Contingency Plans (CPs); Hibernation, Relocation and Evacuation plans (HRE); and Minimum Operating Safety Standards (MOSS).
• In cooperation with Safety Team Leaders and Security Focal Points ,develop, update and supervise the implementation of Safety Improvement Plans (SIP) for all programmes in Somalia as needed
• Monitor and maintain the country information for the EAGL safety database

Context Understanding and Analysis

• Liaise with program staff members to identify and successfully implement appropriate programmatic ‘Safe Entry Points’- Programmatic interventions that are in line with the larger access strategy of the area- to aid efforts to gain access to hard to reach populations
• Compile and submit regular reports that track incidents and trends in humanitarian access within the DRC’s area of operation.
• Provide credible information and contextual understanding of localized and country-wide access situations in non government controlled areas along with appropriate advice and analysis to DRC field and program management staff.
• Provide technical input and advice in assessments to consider new DRC programs in HTR geographic areas, and regular assessment reviews for existing locations.
• Monitor and support the review of the regular Security Risk Assessments (SRA) and share results with SMT with advisory on how to respond to changing context.
• Conduct in-person and remote safety assessments on a regular basis in each field location to assess the level of adherence to relevant plans and procedures designed for each geographical area.
• Monitor negotiations and developments related to access and humanitarian space
• Establish and maintain a list of contacts throughout the region
• Maintain and update the incident tracking database for South Central Somalia, Somaliland, and Puntland, and provide trend/pattern analysis
• Identify potential scenarios, indicators of change and key decision points
• Oversee the implementation of field travel SOPs and planning

Representation

• Focal point for safety co-ordination between relevant actors within the area of operations

• Attend NSP, UNDSS and other relevant external fora

• Establish a network of contacts and represent DRC at security meetings

Capacity Building

• Provide operational safety briefings and orientation to all new and visiting staff, consultants and implementing partners

• Brief new international and non-local staff on specific cultural norms and behaviors

• Train local safety staff in the delivery of establish safety training modules

• Organize and coordinate the delivery of Personal Awareness Safety Training (PAST) on a quarterly basis

Incident and Crisis Management

• Develop the capacity of, and coordinate, the CO Incident Management Team (IMT)

Supervise the establishment of Area IMTs for DRC including a shared IMT protocol

• Coordinate the IMT in the event of a critical incident or crisis

• Develop the area level Critical Incident Management Plan and support area-specific Contingency Plans

• Brief IMT members on their responsibilities and ensure alternate members are available and briefed

• Assist in the management of safety incidents and provide timely and accurate incident reports

• Oversee the regular review and scenario-based TTXs for all IMTs

Quality Assurance

• MOSS audits

• Monitoring of armed guards, watchmen and SPUs

• Assess the implementation of physical and asset protection protocols and regulations

• Ensure that appropriate access controls are in place for all DRC facilities

• Conduct regular site assessments and advise on mitigation measures

Act as the focal point for the procurement and installation of safety-related equipment, facilities and other resources

• In cooperation with Local IT department personnel, act as the focal point for telecommunications systems, including radios and satellite phones

• Liaison with Private Security Providers (PSPs) and monitoring of payments to PSPs

Staff Safety

• Coordinate and directly supervise all field visits outside of the office

• Supervise all travel authorizations for permanent and visiting international staff

• Oversee the B6 armored vehicle during field visits and travel

• Insure that all staff, both international and national have attended the mandatory safety training, and arrange for the training of personnel who have not met this requirement

About you

Required

• At least 3 year of operational experience on international deployments in a hostile environment DRC SLS 4 and above
• At least 5 years of military experience with a rank of Sergeant or above
• A degree or masters relevant to the humanitarian context or additional 5 years to the above requirement in the humanitarian field or military.
• At least 5 years of INGO safety management experience with a proven ability to develop and implement effective and contextualized protocols and systems
• Detailed knowledge of radio and other telecommunications systems
• Experience with critical incident management
• Experience with delivering security-related training
• Proven ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines
• Proven ability to work effectively with minimal supervision
• Stable and robust character, team-player with a good sense of humor
• Excellent communication skills
• Fluent in written and spoken English

Desired

• Experience with the Somali context
• Fluent in written and spoken Somali language
• First aid or first responder qualified
• INGO deployment experience in a hostile environment.

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies:

Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.

Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.

Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.

Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.

Demonstrating integrity: You uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to our values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

We offer

Contract length: 12 months

Band: E

Designation of Duty Station: Non-family Duty Station

Start date: 1 October 2022

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates