Programme Policy Officer – Humanitarian Access CST II

Position description

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE DEPLOYMENT:

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. These recent developments have further increased challenges for humanitarian access, particularly in the eastern provinces of the country. These include ongoing hostilities and violence against humanitarian personnel, assets and facilities; interferences in the implementation of humanitarian activities; compounding constraints related to the physical environment and lack of infrastructure. In addition to these multiplying external access constraints, the corporate scale-up of 2023 has revealed many auto-generated internal access constraints, thus reinforcing the need for creating and maintaining an access culture and a cross-cutting approach to access within WFP.

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 access strategies to increase WFP acceptance, strengthening analysis and networking with local stakeholders and step-up internal coordination mechanisms. This position requires coordinating with different units involved in access, including Security, Humanitarian and military coordination, 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. Access is now perceived as a critical support function to enable WFP operations in a safe manner, this is why the team is expending: the Access officer is managing a deputy, and 3 dedicated access staff who are currently under recruitment to be able to create and maintain access across the 3 provinces. This position requires someone with in-depth knowledge of the political, ethnic and security context in the country and an existing 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 pre-existing skills and experience in negotiating access for humanitarian operations and advocate for principled and sustained humanitarian access in line with the International Humanitarian Law.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

Reporting to the East DRC Emergency Coordinator, the Head of the Humanitarian Access Unit will actively coordinate across units of the Country Office, providing support and operational guidance on humanitarian access with a focus on North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri:

• Monitor and analyze access constraints and document their impacts on WFP operations and identify alternatives.
• Engage actively with suboffice teams (Programme, Supply Chain, HMI and Security) on monthly distribution planning and delivery.
• In conjunction with the WFP internal Access working group and other platforms, develop access and programme strategies to ensure consistent, secure and principled access to and for populations in priority areas for WFP.
• Facilitate the animation of the WFP internal Access working group at CO and sub-offices level when required
• 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.
• 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/trouble-shooting.
• Advise, support the CO Management and the sub-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.
• Ensure the lead of the implementation of the “Access Map” and maps production.
• Train 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 human itarian 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.

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE MISSION:

• Access constraints are monitored and analysed, 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.
• Engagements and negotiations with key stakeholders including Non-State Armed Groups take place for critical missions to promote safe, full and unhindered access.
• 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.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

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

Experience:

• At least 8 years of postgraduate experience, with significant humanitarian programming with demonstrated experience in deep-field locations, experience in Democratic Republic of Congo would be considered an advantage.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Familiarity with WFP programming and ways of working, armed conflict and food security, preferably in Eastern DRC or a similar contexts 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 and organized violence, including state and non-state armed actors, preferably in preferably in Eastern DRC or a similar contexts.
• 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 Democratic Republic of the Congo is also advantageous.

Application instructions

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