- Job number: SRH05754
- Status: Employee
- Area of expertise: Regional Coordination / Country Director
- Position: Missions
- Country: Afghanistan
- Contract Type: Short term contract
About us
Desired start date: 20/04/2024
Duration of the mission: 6 months
Location: Nimroz, Afghanistan
SOLIDARITES INTERNATIONAL (SI) is an international humanitarian aid association which, since more than 40 years, has been providing assistance to populations affected by armed conflicts and natural disasters by meeting their basic needs for food, water and shelter. Particularly committed to the fight against diseases linked to unsafe water, the leading cause of death in the world, SI’s interventions provide expertise in the field of access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene promotion, but also in the essential area of food security and livelihoods. Present in some twenty countries, the SI teams – 3000 people in total, made up of expatriates, national staff, permanent staff at HQ, and a few volunteers – intervene with professionalism and commitment while respecting cultural norms.
About the mission
SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL has resumed its programs in Afghanistan in December 2021 and has initially established a presence in Bamyan, Kapisa, Wardak and Kabul provinces. Following exploratory missions in the South West, a new base was opened in Nimroz province early 2023, covering operations in both Nimroz and Farah provinces.
Following a scale up over the course of 2023, the team is now made of 125 employees (9 international employees) with an annual budget of 3,4M EUR. SI currently implements integrated FSL and WASH programs and aims at scaling them up in 2024. The focus is on anticipating and responding to shocks, including natural disasters and epidemics outbreaks (Cholera). SI also aims at building community resilience, reinforcing access to WASH services and infrastructure, while developing livelihoods in rural areas.
In 2024, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL intends to maintain its operations in Bamyan, Nimroz, Farah and Kabul provinces, aiming at addressing the most vulnerable and shock-affected households in remote districts, shifting to longer term programming, linking basic needs and resilience strengthening. With the recent influx of Afghans returnees from Pakistan, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL will be delivering support at destination point, mainly in Kabul province. SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL will also continue to provide comprehensive solutions for WASH, FSL and winter assistance, working on covering immediate needs while strengthening the communities’ resilience.
About the job
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
The Field Coordinator is the representative of the organization at provincial level, covering both Nimroz province and Farah province. He/she proposes a strategy for his/her area, according to the geopolitical and humanitarian context, and ensures its implementation once validated. He/she checks and ensures that projects are carried out in accordance with the Solidarités International charter, respecting all internal and contractual procedures. He/she mobilizes the material and financial resources necessary for programs to run smoothly and supervises resource management. He/she coordinates the teams in place and is responsible for their security in his/her assigned zone. He/she represents the organization towards the local authorities, upholding humanitarian principles and ensures smooth communication with country office on any challenge that he/she may face.
ISSUES AND SPECIFIC CHALLENGES
Following its opening early 2023, the base of Nimroz was left without a field co for over 6 months. This caused the team to take some bad habits that are difficult to stop. In addition, most staff were recuited during this field co gap leading to a lack of understanding of roles, responsibilities and communication channels in all the team.
In Farah, authorities are more conservative than other provinces where SI has operations leading to much more complicated relations with them.
There is a great lack of knowledge and data regarding he situation in both Nimroz and Farah which led to writing projects that may not respond appropriately to the needs of the population. The program team need to understand the importance of starting from the needs of the people to elaborate activities and not from a budget to implement without question. In addition, staff refer to authorities to know where to intervene and how taking their suggestions sometimes without questioning or conducting a completely independant assessment.
PRIORITIES ON THE 2-3 FIRST MONTHS
A clear RACI needs to be done with the teams to explain to everyone the roles and responsibilities of their positions as well as other positions.
Ensure enforcement of newly finalised security pack.
Supervise the opening of a sub-base in Farah.
Ensure programs launch an extensive assessment in Nimroz and Farah to understand needs of the population and reality of the field.
Clarify with coordination what are the red lines in terms of humanitarian principles (working with women and to reach women, independance of activities, confidentiality of data…) and ensure they are completely understood by the team.
Manage relationships with local authorities at province level. Build up a network of contact with Afghan authorities in the province and at District level.
Initiate a network with other organizations based in the area.
Your profile
DIPLOMAS
Master Degree in humanitarian/development studies, social sciences, management or other related discipline.
EXPERIMENT
- 5 years or more in the humanitarian sector
- 5 years or more on a similar position
TECHNICAL SKILLS
- Minimum 2 years of experience in a similar position.
- Experience on security management in complex environment.
- Experience in humanitarian / context analysis.
- Experience in HR management.
- Proven experience in external representation in sensitive environment.
- Negotiation and diplomatic skills.
- Mastering of project cycle management.
- Training and capacity building skills.
TRANSVERSAL SKILLS
- Proven management ability, including ability to motivate and develop skills of team’s members. Must be able to make sound management decisions in difficult situations and also be able to work in a participatory manner with colleagues.
- Excellent communication, networking skills, organizational and prioritization skills, ability to multi-task
- Capacity to adapt and show organizational flexibility
- Cross cultural sensitivity and great team player
- Proven ability to develop adapted humanitarian vision and strategy
- Capacity to engage and manage technical staff and curiosity towards their expertise
- Experience working with SI (or a similar organization) is an asset
- Prior experience in Afghanistan would be considered as an asset
LANGUAGES
- English compulsory, knowledge of a local language would be an asset (Dari or Pashto).
SI will offer you
A salaried position:
According to experience, starting from EUR 2860 gross per month (2600 base salary + 10% annual leave allowance paid monthly) and a monthly Per Diem of USD 600.
SI also covers accommodation costs and travel expenses between the expatriate’s country of origin and the place of assignment.
Breaks: During the assignment, a system of alternation between work and time off is implemented at the rate of 7 working days every two months (with a USD 850 break allowance, allocated by Sl). To these breaks periods, SI grants one (1) additional rest day per month worked.
Insurance package: Expatriates benefit from an insurance package which refunds all healthcare expenses (including medical and surgical expenses, dental care and ophthalmological expenses, repatriation) and a welfare system including war risks. Essential vaccination and antimalarial treatment costs are refunded.
LIVING CONDITIONS:
Living conditions are quite reasonable in Kabul, with possible access to all essential goods and services. It should be remembered that the consumption of alcohol is forbidden in Afghanistan. The security situation can be tense, and travel is sometimes restricted, but it is possible to have a social life.
The field coordintor is based in Zaranj (capital of Nimroz province) with harsh living conditions including regular interent cuts, extreme temperatures (up to 50°C) and sandstorms, but also social isolation as no other NGO has any expat based in Zaranj at this time. The closest big city is Herat (8h drive away) where there is a significant expat presence.
During the winter, outings to the dunes can be possible (based on security situation) but in the summer the weather does not usually permit much outdoor activity.
The security environment in Afghanistan remains tense, dynamic and volatile. While the risks associated with the conflict between the government and the armed opposition have disappeared with the victory of the opposition, third party armed groups (notably ISKP) continue to operate in certain provinces including Kabul and the possibility of the emergence of a new opposition cannot be ignored. On the other hand, the country has always witnessed a certain level of criminality, and among other threads, kidnapping, targeting nationals and expatriates have been regularly reported in the last decades.
Therefore, Security management, will represent a significant part of the work / responsibilities of the FC, especially in this mission opening phase where only the main secuirty documents have been prepared but many annexe policies (communication and movement, contact lists…) need to be elaborated. The volatility of the situation both internally but also with neighbouring countries (Pakistan and Iran) also increases the time to be spent on security management.
Application process
Do you recognize yourself in this description? If yes, please send us your CV and cover letter!
Please note that CV-only applications will not be considered, and that the vacancy may close before the deadline.
Thank you for your understanding.
To learn more about Sl: www.solidarites.org
Solidarités International (SI) is determined to prevent and fight all type of abuse – all act of exploitation, abuse and/or sexual harassment (SEAH) against members of beneficiary communities or collaborators, fraud, corruption, violation of persons and/or property, funding of activities harmful to human rights – that could be perpetrated in the frame of its interventions. SI implements a zero-tolerance policy regarding acts of abuse, notably acts of SEAH.
Solidarités International is an equitable employer committed to find all forms of discrimination. SI will ever ask for any remuneration to take part in a recruitment process.