Sudan – Field Coordinator in Gedaref

Location : Gedaref, Sudan

Starting Date : ASAP

Duration of Mission : 6 months

Première Urgence Internationale (PUI) is a non-governmental, non-profit, non-political and non-religious international aid organization. Our teams are committed to supporting civilians’ victims of marginalization and exclusion, or hit by natural disasters, wars and economic collapses, by answering their fundamental needs. Our aim is to provide emergency relief to uprooted people in order to help them recover their dignity and regain self-sufficiency. The association leads in average 200 projects by year in the following sectors of intervention: food security, health, nutrition, construction and rehabilitation of infrastructures, water, sanitation, hygiene and economic recovery. PUI is providing assistance to around 7 million people in 21 countries – in Africa, Asia, Middle East, Eastern Europe and France.

Find out about our history and values.

Humanitarian situation and needs

Over the past thirty years, Sudan has been theatre of a number of humanitarian crises, internal conflicts, including the separation of South Sudan in 2011, epidemics, economic downturns and natural disasters. The revolution of 2019 and the fall of Omar al-Bashir, brought in a sense of hope and reconciliation, setting the scene for a comprehensive peace process which could end years of violence and conflict affecting several parts of the vast country. The lifting of Sudan from the list of states sponsoring terrorisms, political reforms and willingness from the transitional government to open to the international community are all signs of hope. These significant developments have also led the Government to allow humanitarian actors to access to South Kordofan, both in areas controlled by the central government and in areas controlled by SPLM-N forces, although access to the latter remains restricted.

Despite all these positive signs, Sudan continues to face complex humanitarian crisis, political instability, a spiralling inflation, as well as fuel and food shortages. This context is coupled with climate change-related shocks, including heavy flooding and severe drought, endemics, and an influx of refugees from neighbouring countries. These factors have contributed to heightened poverty, rising malnutrition levels and food insecurity. According to UNOCHA, 9.3 million people need humanitarian assistance in 2020. More and more people are unable to meet their own needs, and this problem impacts first and foremost the most vulnerable, including refugees, internally displaced people and hard-to-reach communities. According to ACAPS, 9.6 million people are food insecure, 65% increase from the same period last year, and the highest number ever recorded. In the face of spiralling inflation, households are now spending more on basic necessities, neglecting other items considered of secondary importance such as health, education and safe-drinking water.

In addition to an already volatile and precarious situation, the ongoing crisis in the Ethiopia, pushed over 60.000 refugees from the Tigray Region to flee into Eastern Sudan. Even prior to the Refugees influx, Gedaref was categorized as one of the most vulnerable states in the country, prone to natural disaster such as floods. Al Mafaza has been identified as the most vulnerable district of the state. The 2020 Sudan HNO estimated that 50% of people in those areas are at risk of floods and other natural hazards and need humanitarian support. The WASH infrastructures and health care system have been struggling to provide for the most basic and life-saving services, today, those infrastructures are not in the position to cope with the additional work-load, represented by new arrivals from the Tigray region.

Our action on the field

Première Urgence Internationale is an NGO resulting from the merger of Aide Médicale Internationale (AMI) and Première Urgence (PU) in 2011. AMI began operating in Darfur in 2004, supporting primary health centres and deploying mobile clinics, in close coordination with the ministry of health. In 2009, AMI had to close the mission. However, whether through PU or AMI before 2011, PUI has since been present in the region in Chad, the Central African Republic, South Sudan until 2019 and Libya, conducting Health, Nutrition, Food Security and WASH

activities.

In February 2020, PUI carried out assessments in South Kordofan, identifying high needs in health and nutrition in newly accessible areas, following the fall of the 30 year old Bashir regime and ongoing peace talks. In September 2020, PUI set up a coordination office in Khartoum, and a field office in Al Abbassiya, South Kordofan. In 2021, PUI aims to improve and expand the coverage of population’s basic needs, reducing mortality and morbidity of vulnerable populations, through an integrated approach, creating synergies with other partners to maximise humanitarian efforts. The project aims to ensure access to the basic package of health, including sexual and reproductive health, Gender-Based Violence and nutrition activities, supporting health facilities in remote and hard-to-reach areas, while strengthening referral systems and community health involvement. In partnership with TGH, this intervention will also include education, wash, hygiene and sanitation activities to benefit the same targeted communities.

Subsequent to the Ethiopian refugee crisis, PUI conducted three needs assessments in Gedaref State. In Partnership with Solidarité Internationale, PUI is planning to respond to the Ethiopian Refugee Crisis in Gedaref State, supporting existing health facilities through health, WASH and nutrition activities, strengthening the referral system for both refugees, as well as host-communities, aiming to promote social cohesion and peaceful coexistence. The support will be extended to two health facilities in the vicinity of the Refugee camp of El Tenetba, and the nearest Stabilization Centre of Al Mafaza for Severe Cases of Malnutrition needing hospitalization. PUI will be conducting Health and Nutrition activities, while SI will be covering for the Water Sanitation and Hygiene needs.

In this context PUI is looking for a positive, dynamic and flexible Field Coordinator, able to motivate the team and ensure excellent teamwork and outcomes.

Click here for more information about our response to the crisis.

As part of our actions in Sudan, we are looking for a Field Coordinator in Gedaref.

Overall Objective

The Field Coordinator (FC) is responsible for the proper functioning of the Gedaref base, and effective and qualitative implementation of all programmes activities in the areas of intervention.

Tasks and ResponsIbilities

• Safety and Security: In collaboration with the head of mission and with the support of both the logistics coordinator and the Admin/Fin coordinator, s/he is responsible for the safety of the staff and mission assets, and also monitors humanitarian access constraints.
• Programmes: S/he is accountable for an adequate definition and efficient implementation of the projects. S/he ensures the coordination between the support teams (administration, information management and log), the implementation teams and the coordinators in order to timely and qualitatively guarantee that the objectives and results of the projects are reached. S/He preventively identifies issues, gaps and delays that may impede the correct implementation of the projects and proposes mitigation plan to the HoM.
• Human Resources: S/he supervises all the teams in the base, composed of national and international staff. S/he is responsible to coordinate and develop a capacity building plan to promote the development of the staff.
• Logistical, administrative and financial support: S/he oversees the logistical, administrative and financial components of the base for the purpose of programme implementation, and ensures compliance with the relevant procedures, with substantive support from logistics coordinator, and the administrative coordinator of the mission.
• Representation: S/he represents PUI towards the stakeholders of the area (such as donors, authorities, international/local NGOs).
• Coordination: S/he centralises and disseminates information from/to the base, and consolidates the internal and external reporting activities implemented in the intervention areas before submitting them to the head of mission.
• Assessment/ Strategy/development: S/he participates in strategy development and proposes new interventions in function of needs identified in the intervention areas. S/he actively contributes to seek funding opportunities and leads the proposal development process at base level, in close cooperation with coordination.
• Audit: S/he is responsible for the compliance with internal procedures of PUI, external donors’ rules, as well as the national law.

Specific Objectives and Activities

ENSURE THE SAFETY OF PROPERTY AND PEOPLE

• S/he ensures that the safety plan for the base is up-to-date, and that everyone knows and understands it (both expatriates and locals).
• S/he ensures data collection relative to the safety on the projects implementation areas, provides analyses, and disseminates them to his/her immediate supervisor regularly or on an ad-hoc basis if urgent.
• S/he verifies that the material and human resource means at his/her disposal are adequate to ensure the optimal safety of teams, materials and beneficiaries.
• S/he alerts his/her immediate supervisor immediately in case of impending danger of teams or beneficiaries.
• In the event of a security incident, (regardless of whether it took place or was avoided), he/she ensures that the information is transmitted to his/her immediate supervisor immediately, and reported upon in accordance with PUI.

ENSURE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMMES AND PROPOSES NEW INTERVENTIONS:

A_ Project Implementation

• S/he monitors the humanitarian access by and to the populations in need in the area.
• S/he ensures the smooth running of ongoing programmes on the site (meeting of objectives, respecting deadlines, budgetary monitoring, contractual reporting…) and reports to his/her immediate supervisor.
• S/he sets up a formal coordination system with the base programmes managers, follows it up (meetings, written reports…), and reports to his/her immediate supervisor.
• S/he ensures proper filing of all documents produced in the context of the project(s), and ensures the availability of the verification sources mentioned in the proposals.
• S/he establishes a reporting plan to meet the donor deadlines. Additionally, s/he in direct communication with the Technical Coordinators to develop a balanced and efficient communication.

B_ Strategy and project development

• S/he produces analysis of the humanitarian intervention based on gaps analysis, monitoring of the needs and launching needs based assessment
• S/he proposes new interventions and discusses them with his/her immediate supervisor.
• S/he is involved in identifying needs based on agreed TOR (Terms of Reference) and with endorsement from his/her immediate supervisor.
• When defining new operational activities, s/he coordinates the work of the relevant technical departments and of the administrative and logistical support teams, with a view to preparing project proposals that are complete, and in line with the donors’ formats and internal rules of PUI.
• S/he participates in the strategy development exercise of the mission.

SUPERVISE TEAMS OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL STAFF AT THE BASE

• S/he supervises all national and international teams on base.
• S/he constructs the organisational chart of the base, and has it endorsed by his/her immediate supervisor and the human administrative and financial coordinator.

• S/he guides the work of the expatriates at the base, tracks the realisation of their objectives, and leads the mid-term and final evaluation exercises.

• S/he participates in the hiring process, as well as in any decision related to the termination of employment contracts of local personnel on the base.

• S/he ensures compliance with the HR internal regulations and code of conduct of PUI teams in the base.

• S/he is in manages the HR and administrative team management of local personnel, in particular, payroll operations, monitoring absences, constructing, updating and archiving administrative files of personnel. This task is done in coordination with the HR officer of the base.

• In coordination with the Finance Coordinator, S/he makes sure that all local employees are subject to a written evaluation at least once per contract period and per year.

• S/he assumes or delegates responsibility for the integration of any new employee on the base, and ensures, in particular, that the context of programme implementation, safety and security rules, logistical, administrative, HR and financial procedures, as well as procedures for the use of communication and transportation are explained and understood.

• S/he completes training programmes for expatriate and local staff (organisational support, methodology, technical support as the case may be organisation of training sessions…).

• S/he prepares the job profiles of local staff under his/her immediate supervision, endorses job profiles of local staff drafted by the technical managers at his/her site, and forwards them for endorsement to the human resources coordinator, and to any other potentially relevant party, (depending on the position).

• S/he handles the management of interpersonal conflicts that arise on his/her site, and refers the matter to his/her immediate supervisor in the event that he/she is not able to resolve dispute.

• S/he is the guardian of the image of PUI in his/her area of operation, and in that capacity ensures that the entire staff under his/her authority displays behaviour consistent with the values upheld by the organisation, and with full respect for the local culture.

ENSURE THE REPRESENTATION OF PUI IN THE JURISDICTION COVERED BY HIS/HER SITE

• S/he represents the association with local actors, whether they are official or not, and ensures that good relations are maintained with each of them in compliance with PUI’s principles of neutrality and independence.
• S/he attends clusters and coordination meetings when are organised, and participates actively.
• S/he participates in the organisation and led the donor’s visits to the areas of the intervention.

ENSURE REPORTING AND DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION

• S/he is responsible to coordinate the writing donor reports for programmes implemented on the intervention areas; reports which are partly or fully drafted by him/her (involving consolidation of technical sections drafted by the technical managers and/or resource persons on his/her site).
• S/he is in charge to share the internal and external reports to his/her immediate supervisor while meeting the internal deadlines for endorsement (situation report, incident report) and external contractual deadlines (project reports).
• S/he organises the two-way dissemination of information: from the base to the field coordination and from the field coordination to the base (regular and ad-hoc situation reporting).
• S/he attends internal coordination meetings and participates actively.

Profile

Training

• MA or equivalent in social science, programme management, or international development preferred.
• Experience in Safety and Security Management appreciated.

Experiences

• At least 1 year experience in a similar Field Co Position
• At least 1 year experience in humanitarian context involving populations displacement
• Experience working with a variety of donors;
• Experience with qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methodologies required.

Knoweldges

• Project Management skills
• Team Management
• Ability to represent PUI as per the recommendations of the HoM and ensure an efficient and proactive coordination with other actors.

Skills and Personal Characteristics

• Ability to work independently while taking initiatives and showing a sense of responsibility;
• Ability to withstand pressure and frustration;
• Sense of diplomacy;
• Organizational and Analytical skills;
• Demonstrated flexibility and adaptability;
• Team player and ability to coach and motivate the team;
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills;
• Attention to detail, rigor and ability to meet deadlines;

Languages

• English mandatory
• French and Arabic desirable.

Proposed Terms

• Employed with a Fixed-Term Contract
• Monthly gross income: from 2 200 up to 2 530 Euros depending on the experience in International Solidarity + 50 Euros per semester seniority with PUI
• Cost covered: Round-trip transportation to and from home / mission, visas, vaccines…
• Insurance: including medical coverage and complementary healthcare, 24/24 assistance and repatriation
• Housing:** in collective accommodation
• Daily living Expenses: (« Per diem »)
• Break Policy: 5 working days at 3 and 9 months + break allowance
• Paid Leaves Policy: 5 weeks of paid leaves per year + return ticket every 6 months