Security and Access Assistant – Northeast

JOB PURPOSE:

The purpose of the Security and Access Assistant position is to provide regular security-related update to Oxfam management and staff including field staff and drivers, and the security and Access assistant responsibility is to ensure that minimum operating security standards and procedures are implemented in the field office. the security Assistant will be reporting to the Security Officer & Area Manager.

Facilitating the movement of Oxfam employees within Kirkuk province, coordinating with security forces and local governments, issuing Access Letters to facilitate the necessary task.

 

REPORTING LINES:

Post holder reports to:

• Area Manager North – East
• Security and Access Officer North – East
• Country Security and Access Manager.

Staff reporting to this post: None.

BUDGET RESPONSIBILITY: None

BACKGROUND:

Oxfam’s programme has been established in 2014 in response to the ISI

conflict in Iraq. Oxfam implemented activities during the past few years were built around the delivery of 3 main areas: A) Lifesaving humanitarian assistance b) Recovery assistance, and C) Promotion of Women’s Rights.

• Lifesaving humanitarian assistance: to newly displaced populations residing in camps or host communities. The bulk of this work was done around the Mosul Operation with activities implemented in the governorates of Erbil, Salah Al Din and Ninewa. Activities included: Establishment/rehabilitation of safe water (boreholes, repair of infrastructure); Emergency water supply (distribution of water through trucking and bottled water); Setting up water tanks and networks in camps; Distribution of hygiene items; construction of latrines; Cash for Work opportunities inside the camps to allow construction work and solid waste management; and Distribution of emergency winterisation kits.
• Recovery assistance: to returnees, local host communities and IDPs to recover from the post-conflict and to cope with protracted displacement. The main activities implemented under these areas of work include Rehabilitation of water infrastructure; Supporting local authorities to rehabilitate essential public services (schools and hospitals); Grants to returnees to recover damaged businesses; Provision of livestock to support farmers; Cash for Work opportunities contributing to income for vulnerable families and supporting rehabilitation of infrastructure of public interest (irrigation canals, main roads).
• Promotion of Women Rights: through contributing to the implementation of the National Plan for 1325 UN Resolution, and economic empowerment of women through provision of training and grants to establish/rehabilitate businesses. In order to serve these three objectives, Oxfam work aimed to integrate the following key sectors together for every intervention in a given location:
• Water Sanitation and Hygiene
• Emergency Food Security and Vulnerable Livelihoods
• Non-food-Items and Shelter
• Protection of lives and rights of civilians
• Gender Justice
• Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning
• Advocacy and Media work

Oxfam strives to minimise and manage safety risks for staff at all times. The Security Officer position will be key in ensuring that the team in the KRG is working in line with Oxfam’s Safety Management Plan. The post will be responsible for gathering relevant information regarding the safety situation within KR-I and the immediate region, to ensure programmatic decisions can be based on a solid risk and context analysis. This position will assist management team in managing the safety system, which is in place to coordinate the movements, and maximise the safety, of all staff.

DIMENSIONS:

• Support the Country Security and Access Manager (CSAM) and Security and Access Officer Northwest (SAO) with the security management in the Kirkuk.
• Develop an understanding of local and regional safety context.
• Analysis and internal communication of the locally relevant context to inform appropriate planning.
• Makes safety advice accessible and useable by non-specialist staff.
• Liaise with and maintain relationships with key internal and external stakeholders within the humanitarian sector, and in programme areas.
• Some negotiation and representation with local authorities and other concerned stakeholders at different levels.
• Required to make sound judgements regularly within agreed processes, using a good understanding of the situation.
• Problem- solving activities related to a defined area, such as a limited geographical area or limited programme sectional area using professional or technical knowledge.
• Communication largely with internal staff and external contacts / partners to support in safety management.
• Provides advice to senior managers on safety issues in project implementation area.
• Influence and advise the programme design around the operational implementation of safety strategy.
• Report and investigate incidents in the area.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Safety System

• Provide regular security related update to Oxfam management and staff including field staff and drivers.
• Support the Security and Access Officer to conduct regular security and risk assessments to identify safety and security needs.
• Support Security Unit to provide regular briefings and updates as necessary.
• Liaise with UN agencies, NGOs, and other external actors to share security information as appropriate.
• Ensure vehicle and staff movements are monitored according to procedures.
• Ensure availability, monitoring and tracking of necessary and functional safety and security equipment.
• Regularly travel to the field with programme team, gather security information and provide updated security related information to the field staff.
• Proactively contact members of this information network to collect information on security in order to provide advice to the Area Manager and Security and Access Officer on day-to-day security issues.
• Immediately report all breaches of safety and security procedures and all threats to OXFAM staff, beneficiaries, activities, or assets.
• Alert CSAM (Country Security Access Manager) to important events, from monitoring local and international news and social media in English and local languages, as well as via security alert systems.
• Maintain a close vigilance on the local political and military situation in the region and provide updates to Area Manager / Security and Access Officer on regular basis.
• Facilitating the movement of Oxfam employees within Anbar province, coordinating with security forces and local governments, issuing Access Letters to facilitate the necessary task.
• Send weekly incidents report to the area Manager and Country security and access manager include criminal, terrorism and political events occur in Kirkuk.

Analysis

• Together with management, support the development and maintenance of a comprehensive context analysis and risk assessments. Maintain contacts with all relevant stakeholders to develop a network and build relationships with key actors to ensure the gathering of reliable safety information.
• Attend relevant safety management meetings (if CSA or SO is not available); namely the Security coordination Meetings forum (if held in Kirkuk but also any other information sharing sessions within the humanitarian and UN network.
• Undertake regular and ad hoc safety assessment missions as tasked by the CSAM, in order to gather information and to analyse the overall safety situation in existing and potential areas of intervention.
• On own initiative identify and communicate possible gaps and or shortcomings in current protocols with management.

Awareness

• Support country management staff in identifying the safety learning and development needs of staff.
• Ensure that all staff and visitors receive appropriate safety briefing on arrival.
• Immediately follow up any safety incident (‘lessons learned session’) and provide safety update during team meetings.
• Ensure that the Welcome Pack and Safety management plan are updated regularly and contain relevant safety information.
• Ensure all staff well understand and correctly use the safety clearance request system and SMS movements update system.

Logistics

• Support CSAM and SAO in Journey Management planning and control, using up to date safety information.
• Tracking of Movements by staff.
• Assist CSAM and SAO in requesting and maintain security related equipment.

 

Humanitarian Access

• Collaborate closely with program, security, and support teams to formulate and execute humanitarian access strategies and methodologies tailored to specific local conditions at various field sites across Iraq.
• Guarantee the adaptability of humanitarian access approaches to the local environment and incorporate comprehensive community engagement elements.
• Engage in consultations with the area program team, AM, and CSAM to establish enduring connections with local authorities and influential figures within your assigned regions.
• Foster awareness and acceptance of Oxfam’s mission and activities among all stakeholders within your designated areas of responsibility.
• Work hand in hand with support departments at the area level to facilitate the acquisition of necessary entry visas and movement documentation for program teams.
• Offer expert insights and recommendations during assessments for potential Oxfam initiatives in new geographical locations within the area.
• Maintain open communication with pertinent departments to interact with security entities at the area level.
• Sustain a state of readiness to effectively manage anticipated contextual fluctuations both operationally and programmatically.

Qualifications & Preferred Skills

Essential

• Practical experience of safety assessment, planning and implementation of procedures in the context of UN or NGO humanitarian operations,
• Ability to speak and write English and Arabic.
• Proven influencing and negotiating skills with internal and external audiences including in complex and stressful circumstances.
• Ability to advise and support field staff in a consultative manner.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, together with the capacity to remain calm under pressure and not lose sight of strategic priorities.
• Must be organised and efficient.
• Successfully manages conflicting priorities.
• Sensitivity to cultural differences and the ability to work in a wide variety of cultural contexts.
• Willingness to travel at short notice, and often in difficult circumstances.
• Committed to Oxfam principles.
• Takes responsibility for own work and delegated project/processes (including some leadership).
• Anticipates problems and regularly provides solutions.
• An understanding of the importance of gender in humanitarian work.
• Training and briefing skills

Desirable

• Good contacts with other actors in the security field (other NGOs, local Governments, Security Forces, etc).
• Computer literate and familiar with MS Office products