Humanitarian Access and Military Interaction Officer

ABOUT WFP

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.organd follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.

WHY JOIN WFP?

WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.

WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.

A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.

We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

BACKGROUND :

DRC is one of the largest hunger crises in the world. Hunger and conflict fuel one another, with armed conflict and widespread displacement prevailing for the past 30 years and multiple other crises compounding DRC's humanitarian challenges.

In recent years, the country has witnessed an increase in insecurity and armed conflicts in the East, resulting in recurrent displacements, and subsequently, worsening levels of food insecurity and threats to durable solutions. Since late 2021, security in the east has also been affected by the M23 offensive in Southern North Kivu, with repercussion across greater North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri Provinces. The security situation is not anticipated to improve significantly in the context of the regionalization of the conflict and MONUSCO’s phased withdrawal.

Armed Forces of neighboring countries are active in eastern DRC under variations of agreements or interests. This is compounded by an explosion in the number of armed groups with shifting allegiances and relationships with the DRC national armed forces.

WFP’s ability to operate in an effective and principled manner depends, to a degree, on the ability to engage with and influence a spectrum of actors ranging from national militaries, non-state armed groups and de facto authorities.
WFP aims at strengthening its capacity to obtain and maintain humanitarian access to beneficiaries in coordination with cooperating partners and other UN agencies. This work would entail developing and implementing engagement and access strategies to increase WFP acceptance, strengthening analysis and networking with local stakeholders and step-up internal coordination mechanisms. This position requires coordinating internally with different units involved in access, including Security, Supply Chain, Programmes, Emergency, Nutrition, Resilience, Cash-based Transfer, Communication and Protection, with a focus on both the operational (daily follow-up of high-risk missions) and strategic levels; as well as externally within the humanitarian community including through platforms such as Humanitarian Access and Civil-Military Coordination.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT:

The Humanitarian Access and Military Interaction Officer will be responsible for supporting WFP operations in lower North Kivu and South Kivu. S/he will oversee a team of national Access Associates in Goma, Bukavu and Uvira to create and maintain principled access in these areas. S/he will collaborate and coordinate with the Humanitarian Access and Military Interaction Officer covering upper North Kivu and Ituri.

JOB PURPOSE:

This position requires someone with in-depth knowledge of the political, ethnic and security context in DRC as well as the Great Lakes Region. S/he should be able to cultivate a network of interlocutors at the national, state, and local levels. The candidate will need to be able to analyze regional, national, and sub-national geopolitics and conflict dynamics, with proven skills and experience in negotiating access for humanitarian operations and advocating for principled and sustained humanitarian access.

ACCOUNTABILITIES / RESPONSIBILITIES :

Reporting to the Eastern DRC Emergency Coordinator, the Humanitarian Access and Military Interaction Officer will actively coordinate across units of the Country Office, providing support and operational guidance on humanitarian access and military interaction with a focus on lower North Kivu and South Kivu.

• Provide leadership, coordination, guidance and support to Humanitarian Access Officers / Associates deployed in WFP Operations in lower North Kivu and South Kivu.
• Map, analyze, build and maintain relationships with actors for access negotiations, including but not limited to, national, state and local authorities, non-state armed actors, political, religious and community leaders and various military actors involved in the Eastern DRC context.
• Develop / update / implement a plan of engagement to gain and maintain principled access for WFP and its Cooperating Partners in coordination with Protection, Communication and Security units.
• Monitor and analyze access constraints and document their impacts on WFP operations and identify alternatives.
• Engage actively with Field Office teams (Programme, Supply Chain, and Security) on monthly distribution planning and delivery.
• In conjunction with the WFP internal Access working group and other platforms, develop access and contribute to programme strategies to ensure consistent, secure and principled access to and for populations in priority areas for WFP.
• Support the Emergency Coordinator in facilitating the WFP internal Access working group at Country Office and Field Office level when required.
• Take the lead in direct engagements, negotiations with key access stakeholders including but not limited to Non-State Armed Groups operating in WFP areas of operations.
• Carry out field missions to develop and maintain access in the areas of operations.
• Support field missions for safe and unhindered access by providing planning support for high-risk distributions and operational level access coordination / troubleshooting.
• Advise, support the Country Office Management and the Field Offices and take the lead when needed in the advocacy efforts, dialogue and interaction with key decision-makers on access and various stakeholders by producing analyzes, maps and developing concrete proposals and suggestions for alternative ways of access.
• Support and enable the work of WFP partners as it pertains to access challenges, including through trainings and providing daily problem solving.
• Develop and disseminate planning and orientation documents including "Access Maps” and social network analyses.
• Facilitate the training of WFP staff and partners on humanitarian access issues.
• Sensitize and / or train key stakeholders on humanitarian access and principles including but not limited non-State armed groups, local leaders and authorities.
• Contribute to strengthening interagency coordination on humanitarian access.
• Support the CO and sub-offices and take the lead when required, in the process of dialogue and negotiation, but also of capacity building at different levels, for the definition and implementation of alternative measures to armed escorts.
• Assist in the development of conflict analysis and internal / external analytical reports. Participate in inter-agency access and civil-military coordination fora.

DELIVERABLES

• Engagement plan developed, kept up to date and executed.
• Engagements and negotiations with key stakeholders including Non-State Armed Groups take place for critical missions to promote safe, full and unhindered access.
• Access constraints are monitored and analyzed, and impact on operations highlighted.
• Access strategies at CO and sub-office levels are drafted, updated and implemented through joint operations planning with internal stakeholders.
• CO management and sub-offices are supported in their access advocacy efforts and negotiations.
• Access related network is expanded and maintained across relevant sub offices.
• High risk field missions and distributions are supported for safe and unhindered access.
• The access engagement tracker is up to date, and access engagement is maintained, to foster access constructive relationship and to enable WFP flexibility.
• Internal and external coordination on WFP humanitarian access is strengthened.
• Cooperating partners are supported and actively involved in efforts to improve humanitarian access.
• The access map project is implemented, in use and functional. Interagency coordination on humanitarian access is strengthened.
• Support is provided to context analysis for internal and external reports.

Education :

Advanced university degree or university degree in Political Science, Law, History, International Relations, Anthropology, or a related field.

Experience :

At least eight (8) years of postgraduate experience, with significant humanitarian programming with demonstrated experience in deep-field locations, engaging with military structures, local communities, state authorities and non-state armed groups.

Knowledge & Skills :

• Familiarity with WFP programming and ways of working, armed conflict and food security in complex operational environments and/or demonstrated ability and willingness to rapidly acquire such in-depth knowledge.
• Demonstrated experience in humanitarian access negotiations at strategic and operational levels, either with NGOs or with the UN.
• Strong knowledge of civil war, inter-communal conflicts and organized violence, including state and non-state armed actors.
• Ability to lead a team and build effective working relationships with persons of many national and cultural backgrounds.
• Ability and willingness to cope with situations which may threaten health or safety and to live in challenging environments.
• General knowledge of humanitarian principles, International Humanitarian Law, UN rules, regulations, and procedures.

Languages :

French and English fluency (Level C), both oral and written. Fluency in or working knowledge of Swahili is a considerable advantage. Knowledge of other major local languages of the DRC is also advantageous.