Safeguarding and Responsible Behavior Advisor (m/f/x)

CONTEXT

As of 2024, MSF operates 8 projects in different provinces of Afghanistan (Kabul, Kunduz, Khost, Helmand, Kandahar, Herat, Bamyan, Balkh). These projects have around 130 international mobile staff, more than 3.500 locally hired staff and about 500 incentive staff working in them.

The Afghanistan mission has, on a regular basis, been confronted with significant reports about inappropriate behaviors. Given the volatile context, the evolving security situation in the country and the cultural sensitivity, this can create risk and cause harm – to MSF staff, patients and their caretakers, and community members involved in MSF activities, as well as to MSF as an organization. In order to be able to identify and mitigate these risks, reduce harm, and promote a safer and more conducive working environment for all stakeholders, the mission and all desks have decided to prioritize awareness-raising about responsible behavior and prevention of misconducts in all projects.

As MSF Intersectional Safeguarding and Responsible Behavior Advisor, you will be under the hierarchical supervision of one of the Heads of Program (HoP), and under the functional supervision of the Intersectional Platform on Behavior (IPOB). Also given the specialized and focused approach of this position, you will closely collaborate with the Human Resources Coordinator (HRCo) and the Project Coordinators (PCs). Additionally, you will mentor field management teams in preventing and detecting all forms of misconduct in the country. Finally, you will coordinate and monitor the work plan of the team under your responsibility if any (Behavior Focal Point and/or Behavior Officers).

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

This position is new to MSF and is being created to ensure adequate support to prevent abuse and inappropriate behavior in an expansive and sensitive context. Hence, the following functions and responsibilities are not to be implemented all at once, but in a phased manner over a multi-year time span.

1.Contextualization/adaptation of the overall Behavioral Abuse Prevention strategy

• Conduct safeguarding risk assessments and conducting necessary discussions with all stakeholders in the mission to identify potential safeguarding risks and mitigating measures that could be put in place
• Ensure context and activities analysis to understand the types of abuse or misbehavior that have previously occurred in the operations over the past 2 years, identifying type of situations that have led to the occurrence of abuse
• Conduct context analysis, (updating it as needed) related to barriers, fears and risks surrounding reporting abuse in the mission for staff, patients and community members
• Improve the efficiency of the complaint mechanisms for staff, based on staff feedback
• In the second phase, initiate and coordinate the establishment of community feedback and complaints mechanisms that are safe, confidential, appropriate, and accessible for patients and caretakers, by engaging with senior staff, patients & caretakers, community members

2.Advise on the adaptation and implementation of procedures and processes related to behavior

• Engage with the HRCo to ensure that the MSF Behavioral Commitments (BCs) and related policies at both project and coordination level are not only signed, but also explained and integrated into the contractual framework right from the time of recruitment
• Ensure that briefings, induction, onboarding, are provided to all staff (newly recruited locally hired and international mobile staff for the whole mission) including partners when possible
• Assess the level of implementation of the BCs
• Engage with the HRCo to understand how safe recruitment steps could be realistically, safely, and appropriately integrated into their existing recruitment procedures

3.Increase Awareness on Safeguarding and Responsible Behavior

• Raise awareness of senior mission management about their role in creating and maintaining a safe working environment and safe care environment for all staff, patients, partners, and community members
• Raise awareness about how to welcome a complainant in a sensitive and culturally appropriate manner, adapted to the context, for complaints about inappropriate behavior, including where to refer complainants (complaint and adapted psycho-social and medical support mechanisms, and gender-based violence referral pathways should they exist when needed)
• Design awareness raising activities at field level for all field staff and targeted third parties, including Ministry of Health (MoH) staff, about abuse/inappropriate behavior prevention, detection, and the existing complaint procedures
• Advise about prevention tools and complaints procedures developed by the Behavior Unit and their adaptation to the local context, which includes online training (MSF Tembo platform), videos, leaflets, posters etc
• Advise on and tailor training to maintain awareness and meet training needs about specific abuse topics, e.g. sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH), abuse prevention in an emergency setting, child safeguarding
• Design and (co)facilitate training of trainer (ToT) sessions on inappropriate behavior and abuse prevention for Behavior Focal Points and/or Behavior Officers at project level, if any
• Define with PCs and HRCo a sustainable adapted strategy for each project to maintain refresher sessions and discussions on behavior for all international mobile and locally hired staff at least once a year (it could be monthly workshops covering all staff in one year and repeating a cycle every year)

4.Reporting and information on Case Management and prevention

5.Internal and External collaboration

REQUIREMENTS

Education & Experience

• Bachelor level degree or equivalent level in a field relevant to this position (e.g. law, social or organizational sciences, gender, social work, anti-discrimination, whistleblowing, etc.)
• Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in the field of safeguarding/abuse prevention in an international organization
• At least 2 years of humanitarian field experience
• Experience in facilitation, adult pedagogy and coordination of training and workshops to a wide range of audiences (desirable)
• Understanding of how to engage communities and patients and staff in a sensitive, culturally appropriate manner (mandatory).

Competencies and skills

• Cross-cultural Awareness
• Analytical Thinking
• Planning and Organizing
• Ability to integrate into a team, teamwork and collaboration
• Ability to handle highly sensitive situations and confidential information diplomatically and discreetly, and securely
• Excellent listening and organizational skills
• Adaptability, flexibility, stress management
• Excellent verbal communication skills, including the ability to deliver trainings

Languages

• Fluency in English, both verbal and written, mandatory
• Arabic, Dari or Pashtun or other local languages is an asset

CONDITIONS

• Expected starting date: As soon as possible
• Location: in rotation between Kabul (Afghanistan) and Dushanbe (Tajikistan)
• Mobility required with frequent projects visits
• Contract type: fixed term contract
• Length of contract: 12 months (extension possible)
• The contractual terms, conditions and salary will be established according to the official residence of the selected candidate and in compliance with the standard MSF function and salary grids
• No family position
• Adhere to the MSF principles and to our managerial values: Respect, Transparency, Integrity, Accountability, Trust and Empowerment
• Adhere to the MSF Behavioral Commitments