Emergency Specialist (Prepardness) P3, WCARO Dakar, Senegal#117284

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a trustable hand.

How can you make a difference?

Purpose of the Job

As emergencies become more frequent, the expectations of UNICEF to deliver on the Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action (CCCs) in a timely and effective manner will continue to increase. Emergency preparedness significantly enhances UNICEF’s ability to meet these expectations and save time and resources in the response. Our research with WFP and DFID indicates that every $1 spent on preparedness is worth more than $2 in the emergency response, and that preparedness interventions accelerate response activities by more than one week.

UNICEF’s Preparedness for Emergency Response Procedure and Guidance Note were issued on 31 December 2016.The Procedure explains what all UNICEF Offices must do to prepare to respond in the event of a humanitarian crisis, including a set of Minimum Preparedness Actions and Standards (MPS). Every year, all UNICEF Country Offices worldwide, as well as Regional Offices (RO) and HQ undertake their preparedness planning process through four steps: 1) Risk Analysis, 2) Scenario Definition, 3) UNICEF Response Activities, 4) UNICEF Preparedness Actions and Minimum Preparedness Standards.

The Emergency Preparedness Platform (EPP) was developed in 2017, and revised in 2020, as the corporate tool to support all Regional and Country Offices (COs) in planning and monitoring preparedness. All Country Offices in WCAR completed an onboarding process and development/updating of their EPPs in 2020-2021.

Key End-Results

Effective emergency preparedness requires continuous investment and support from the RO to COs. Under the new Regional Office Management Plan 2022-2025, the RO has therefore decided to create a position dedicated that will:

• Ensure COs’ compliance with the EPP, including regular updates of risk analysis and preparedness planning
• Ensure that EPPs are of high quality, based on RO quality assurance including testing/simulation exercises of risks identified by COs in EPPs
• Strengthen CO’s operational preparedness and response readiness to specific threats identified, e.g. conflict spillover from neighboring countries, transmission of outbreaks and communicable diseases, etc.
• Strengthen the integration of preparedness actions into Country Office planning, including annual and rolling work plans.

Key Accountabilities, Duties, and Tasks 

Within the delegated authority and under the given organizational set-up, the incumbent may be assigned the primary, shared, or contributory accountabilities for all or part of the following areas of major duties and key end-results.

The staff member will work closely with the WCARO Emergency team to strengthen preparedness of 24 Country Offices in the region and of the Regional Office, in line with the following tasks:

1. Technical Assistance and quality control of County Office Preparedness

• Provide tailored in-country and/or remote technical assistance to COs to step up preparedness and response readiness for specific risks (including floods, elections, treat of conflict or outbreak spillover from neighboring countries, etc.)
• Provide in-country and/or remote technical assistance to COs for their annual preparedness planning process and ensure COs comply with UNICEF preparedness procedure.
• Support COs to undertake the 4-step preparedness planning process: Risk Analysis, Scenario Definitions, Response Planning and Preparedness Actions using the Emergency Preparedness Platform (EPP).
• Provide quality control for the preparedness plans and preparedness products that COs produce.
• Monitor preparedness levels in COs by closely following the implementation of short-term preparedness activities for all MPS.
• Support COs to include preparedness actions in work planning tools.
• Support COs to participate in Inter-Agency preparedness planning.
• Support COs to apply for and manage preparedness funds, including UNICEF internal preparedness funds.

2. Support Regional Office Preparedness

• Coordinate the preparedness work of the WCARO Emergency Technical Team (ETT).
• Ensure the ETT provides technical quality control of CO preparedness plans.
• Coordinate the preparedness planning of the RO including Emergency Technical Team inputs into the EPP.
• Support analysis of risks in the WCAR region and contribute to preparing documents and briefings on UNICEF preparedness.
• Enhance the contribution of preparedness to the resilience and humanitarian/development nexus agenda.

3. Engage in the UNICEF Preparedness Reference Group & learning

• Participate in the global UNICEF Preparedness Reference Group.
• Review and provide inputs for the development of preparedness products and tools including revisions to the Procedure and Guidance Note and improvements to the EPP platform.
• Plan and support the facilitation of preparedness learning/training activities in the region.
• Contribute to the development of learning materials.
• Document good practices and case studies on UNICEF preparedness and response readiness activities.

4. Support the WCARO Emergency Section

• Contribute to emergency products produced by UNICEF COs and RO (SitReps, donor reports, briefing notes, etc.)
• Participate in Regional Emergency meetings and support preparation of key documents (minutes, talking points, etc.)
• Support the organization of the Emergency Section SharePoint document library.
• Contribute to reporting and proposal writing as needed.

Job Grade Factors: P3

• • Typically, as a functional specialist, provides technical leadership, guidance and support for sectoral/inter- sectoral programme development, design, planning, implementation, and administration of specific emergency project activities within a country programme in a small to medium size country office structure.
  • As a seasoned professional technical specialist, the incumbent is held accountable for timely and effective technical contribution to the Emergency Preparedness and Response Management besides technical contribution to the preparation of situation analysis, programme documents, as well as programme strategy, planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting.
  • Holds primary responsibility for the implementation of Emergency programme goals and objectives consistent with the established strategy.
  • Holds contributory responsibility for strategic recommendations and decisions on the components of situation analysis and programme/project strategy development.
  • Assumes primary responsibility for effective management of the assigned cluster, including oversight/supervision of project staff, financial accountability of funds and human resources management and development.
  • The job requires excellent communication, negotiation, and other human relations skills, as well as effective strong leadership and decision-making competency in the complex working environment dealing with other UN agencies, governmental officials, NGO counterparts, donors and other important partners. 

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Education

Advanced University degree (Master’s degree or equivalent: University degree with an additional two years of work experience will be accepted in lieu of a Master’s degree)

Work Experience

• • Five years of progressively responsible professional work experience mainly in humanitarian action. Complementary experience in international development is also an advantage.
  • Experience working at country level in an emergency context, is an advantage.
  • Specialized training/experience in emergency preparedness/response highly desirable.

Language Proficiency 

Oral and written fluency in both English and French is required. Knowledge of Spanish or Portuguese would be an asset.

The position is based at the West and Central Africa Regional Office (WCARO) in Dakar, Senegal with extensive travel (up to 50% of the time) across the region.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

UNICEF values and competency Required:

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
• Works Collaboratively with others (1)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
• Drive to achieve impactful results (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

Technical Knowledge

• UNICEF policies and strategy to address on national and international emergency preparedness and response issues relating to conflicts, natural disasters, and recovery.
• Knowledge of global humanitarian issues, specifically relating to children and women, and the current UNCEF position and approaches. 
• Knowledge of humanitarian principles, international humanitarian law, and humanitarian coordination.
• Knowledge of the principle of gender parity and equality.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.