JOB DETAILS
LOCATION: UK preferred; however other locations may be considered, subject to Oxfam’s ability to employ in that location, the affordability of doing so and right to work requirements being met.
Due to legislation constraints, it is not currently possible for this role to be based in some locations. These include Brazil, France, and Italy.
Please indicate your preferred location and whether you have the right to work there on your application.
CONTRACT TYPE: Open-ended
JOB FAMILY: Programme Technical
ONE OXFAM GRADE: B ZONE: 2
DEPARTMENT:
GLOBAL HUMANITARIAN TEAM
TEAM: Performance and Innovation Team
SALARY: Competitive salary and benefits packages will be offered in line with local cost of living and national pay structures. Exact details to be confirmed by employing Affiliate.
HOURS: Full time – According to contracting affiliate and location
FLEXIBLE WORKING
We believe flexible working is key to building the Oxfam of the future, so we’re open to talking through the type of flexible arrangements which might work for you.
COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organization.
JOB PURPOSE
The Field Support Team (FST) is a surge support mechanism for National Cluster Coordination Platforms (NCP) and non-cluster coordination mechanisms in locations with humanitarian WASH crises. The FST operates under the strategic aegis of the Global WASH Cluster (GWC) and to facilitate GWC member participation is implemented as a consortium, currently led by Action Contre la Faim (ACF), with membership from Oxfam, iMMAP and IMPACT. The purpose of the FST is to provide reliable and predictable support to NCP for effective and efficient coordination of the WASH response. The FST is composed of a surge team of cluster coordinators and information managers and an assessment specialist. Support is delivered through physical or virtual deployments, in which the FST staff are dedicated to an NCP for a given period, or via remote support that is delivered bilaterally to a specified NCP on a specified task or via a support service delivered to multiple NCP through online events, guidance, tools and capacity strengthening.
The WASH Cluster Coordinator – Strategy, Preparedness and Transition Coordinator position’s purpose is to provide surge support for NCPs as necessary and in line with NCP requests. In remote support, the position will take a lead role for the FST in supporting “Collective Outcomes”, Emergency Preparedness and Planning, Anticipatory Action and Transition planning for NCPS, including the development of appropriate guidance and tools. Collective Outcomes refers to the specific area of the Humanitarian Development Peace Nexus as outlined in the 2020 IASC Light Guidance on Collective Outcomes and Transition planning refers to the specific preparation for transitioning for Humanitarian WASH Coordination to national WASH coordination platforms.
JOB REPORTS TO:
PHE Advisor, PIT (Oxfam line manager)
This role will also report directly to the ACF FST Project Manager with technical supervision from the GWC Deputy WASH Cluster Coordinator.
JOBS REPORTING TO THIS JOB
N/A
BUDGET RESPONSIBILITY
N/A
GEOGRAPHICAL SCOPE
Global
IMPACT
The role is focused on supporting NCPs as necessary and in line with NCP requests. The position will take a lead role for the FST in supporting “Collective Outcomes”, Emergency Preparedness and Planning, Anticipatory Action and Transition planning for NCPS, including the development of appropriate guidance and tools.
KEY STAKEHOLDERS
Internal –GHT PHE and PHP leads and advisors.
External – Global WaSH Cluster Coordinator, Deputy Coordinator(s), NCPs, FST consortium lead (ACF), FST consortium members (ACF, iMMAP, IMPACT), WASH Cluster members.
DIMENSIONS of the Role
- Direct Surge Support for NCPs
- Remote Surge Support for NCPs
- NCP Strategy, Emergency Preparedness and Transition Support for NCPs
- Duties applicable to all FST staff
SPECIFIC DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES
Direct Surge Support for NCPs
The FST postholder will provide surge support to NCP under the direction of GWC and FST Manager through deployment and/or remote support. During a deployment the FST may assume a national or sub-national, leadership or supporting, role for the NCP, a specific Terms of Reference will be developed for the deployment including in-country line management. Key FST surge support responsibilities are in line with GWC guidance relating to the IASC Reference Modules (2015) for Cluster Coordination and the Humanitarian Program Cycle, these include but are not limited to:
- Ensure, establish and/or maintain a coordination mechanism that facilitates the effective achievement of the cluster functions, and where possible builds on pre-existing coordination structures and furthers the development of current or future national and subnational coordination capacity.
- Supervise the NCP coordination team and ensure alignment and effective communication and information sharing between national and subnational hubs.
- Ensure appropriate engagement and participation for WASH stakeholders and represent WASH sector in inter-cluster and intra-cluster fora.
- Lead the planning and implementation of the NCP assessment and analysis processes including the analysis and development of an evidence-based Humanitarian Needs Overview.
- Lead and coordinate strategic planning, response prioritization and the development of the sectoral response plan, ensuring it is aligned with national priorities, policies and plans; considers a range of programme delivery modalities.
- Support the mobilization of resources to ensure coordination and the subsequent handover of medium to long-term capacities. Monitor, analyze and communicate on sector funding situation including advocacy as necessary.
- Monitor, evaluate and report on the coverage, equity, quality and progress of the response against the NCP assessments and response plans, including gap identification and coverage.
- Lead the annual cluster coordination performance monitoring exercise including development of an annual work plan
- Be accountable to the affected population by establishing inclusive and consultative feedback mechanisms, creating meaningful opportunities for the involvement of the affected population in the response and encouraging partners to operate accountably
- Ensure the inclusion of cross cutting issues (age, child protection, disability, gender, gender-based violence (GBV) mitigation and response and HIV & AIDS) in Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group activities throughout the HPC
- Encourage participation of local and national actors in Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group activities and strategic decision-making, removing barriers to access
- Lead the development of a capacity assessment and capacity strengthening strategy for Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group members and oversee implementation and harmonization of initiatives,
- Lead early warning, contingency planning, and emergency preparedness efforts for the Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group, ensuring adequate cluster participation in inter-cluster early warning, contingency planning and emergency preparedness activities.
Remote Surge Support for NCPs
- Assess the capacity of existing NCP WASH coordination structures, advising upon the appropriate approach for support, making maximum use of pre-existing decision-making structures (including government) and national capacities.
- Support NCPs in updating or reinforcing strategies, guidelines, SoPs, training materials and other similar materials
- Capture and document lessons learned, best practices and standards at global level
- Identify requirements, desires for capacity building, trainings, and workshops of the national coordinators
- Attend and propose seminars, workshops and meetings relevant to the position as appropriate.
- Support the implementation of ‘real-time’ reviews and evaluations during and post operations, work to define better how the FST works within a framework of accountability and ensures needs-based programming
- Conduct desk reviews to support strategic decisions, deployment priorities, inter-cluster synergies, emergency preparedness and response needs, transition plan needs etc.
- Capacity Building of WASH Coordination bodies: work closely with the National Humanitarian WASH Coordination initiative of UNICEF National Coordination Platforms (NCPs) to support WASH coordination structures, identify challenges and constraints to enhance capacity at government level for strengthened national ownership and leadership in humanitarian WASH, both via deployment or remote support
NCP Strategy, Emergency Preparedness and Transition Support for NCPs
- Advise GWC on matters relating to NCP implementation of Collective Outcomes (in line with 2020 IASC Light Guidance on Collective Outcomes), Emergency Preparedness and Anticipatory Action and NCP Transitions to sector coordination (CO/EPREP/T).
- The WASH Cluster Coordinator – Strategy, Preparedness and Transition Coordinator will also engage with UNICEF’s Global Cluster Coordination Section (GCCS) and relevant focal points for Collective Action, Emergency Preparedness and Planning and Transitions
- Desk review and mapping of development and humanitarian frameworks
- Survey, monitor and support NCPs on progress for CO/EPREP/T
- Review and make recommendations on implementation of CO/EPREP/T for NCPs and WASH sector
- Develop or improve tools to enable and implement the CO/EPREP/T
- Advise, lead or co-lead on the development of transition plans for NCPs
- Advise, lead or co-lead on the development of Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans (EPRP) for NCPs
- Support and/or advise NCPs on joint analysis frameworks to obtain a shared understanding of need, risk and vulnerability.
- Contribute to the mapping of humanitarian and development interventions, available resources, identifying overlaps and gaps, in order to create bridges between the interventions.
- Articulate Humanitarian-Development-Peace priority areas based on the areas of greatest need, risk and vulnerability, considering as well community-level mechanisms of social cohesion that might influence needs, risks and vulnerabilities.
- Support NCP in the definition of transition needs, priorities, plans and partners engagements, considering alignment of humanitarian and Government development frameworks
- Support the NCP in the definition of EPRP needs, priorities, plans and partners engagement, considering alignment of Humanitarian Response Plans, UN and Government development frameworks
- Contribute to the development of knowledge sharing mechanism to make data, research and information accessible to the stakeholders involved in the implementation of CO/EPREP/T plans, together with the WASH Cluster Coordinator, national research institutions, and building from the WASH Cluster information management
- Support the Global definition of high-risk countries, including hazard risk mapping and country coordination capacity.
- Support NCPs with capacity building initiatives, focused on sustainability of coordination through CO/EPREP/T
- Support capacity building of WASH partners through trainings, seminars, participation in simulations, etc, both via deployment or remote support
- Contribute to the joint advocacy for the mobilization of funds, which is aligned or harmonized around these collective outcomes or priorities.
Duties applicable to all FST staff
- Actively work towards the achievement of the GWC strategic direction, objectives and measurable impact.
- Abide by and work in accordance with Humanitarian Principles, the humanitarian Code of Conduct, the policy for Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and UNICEF essential trainings for staff
- Perform any other work-related duties and responsibilities that may be assigned by GWC and the FST
Reports
- Mission Reports for FST
- Handover reports for National Clusters
- Weekly activity reports
- Training reports
- Ad-hoc reports as requested
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Most importantly, every individual in Oxfam needs to be able to:
- Live our values of INCLUSION, ACCOUNTABILITY, EMPOWERMENT, COURAGE, SOLIDARITY and EQUALITY (read more about these here)
- Ensure you commit to our ORGANIZATIONAL ATTRIBUTES (including adhering to the Code of Conduct):
1. Be committed to our feminist principles, and to applying them in your day-to-day behaviour and your work. Be ready to keep learning, with accountability to those who experience oppression as a result of their identities, such as their gender, race/ethnicity, disability, class, or LGBTQIA identity.”
2. Be committed to undertaking Oxfam’s safeguarding training and adhering to relevant policies, to ensure all people who come into Oxfam are as safe as possible.
EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE & COMPETENCIES
ESSENTIAL
- Self-Awareness
- Enabling
- Mutual accountability
Position Requirements
Education
Required
Preferred
Master degree, or relevant combination of qualifications and experience, in public health in emergencies, water, social sciences, institutional development, water or sanitation engineering or related field.
Postgraduate qualification in humanitarian project management (e.g. Bioforce or similar institutions)
Postgraduate qualification in sustainable development, climate change response and adaptation similar
Working Experience
Minimum eight years field management experience in WASH emergency humanitarian contexts.
Experience in management of WASH and/or DRR projects in development contexts
Strong experience in coordination or occupied a wider leadership role
Experience in developing transition strategies, exit strategies, expertise in phase out/handover of project to National stakeholders such as Government institutions etc.
Experience in developing sustainable multi-stakeholders Emergency and Preparedness Response Plan, in humanitarian settings.
Experience of developing and implementing WASH strategies.
A good understanding of the humanitarian policy environment including current knowledge of the latest WASH policies, research, international standards and developments in the field, Nexus, Transformative Agenda and Localization.
Proven ability to conceptualize, develop, plan monitor and evaluate programs, as well as to teach skills and build team capacity
Experience with natural and complex political emergencies in diverse cultural and climatic settings
Experience of applying humanitarian accountability standards and practices
Experience in liaison with a broad range of stakeholders, ability to build relationships and networks with international donors, UN agencies and INGOs, national authorities, national/local partner agencies and emergency affected communities
Knowledge and Skills
Proactive problem solving and operational decision making
Highest-level technical, analytical, negotiation, communication and advocacy skills
Familiarity with the 6+1 National Humanitarian Coordination Core Functions
Strong skills in presentation and facilitation
Personal and professional integrity
Ability to encourage and contribute to a climate of team-working and collaboration in a multi-cultural environment
Excellent training, coaching and mentoring skills
Consistently achieves high-level results, managing and delivering projects and activities on-time and on-budget
Excellent leadership and supervisory skills; provides others with a clear direction; motivates and empowers others.
Ability to analyze and present diverse and complex quantitative and qualitative data from a wide range of sources.
Quickly builds rapport with individuals and groups and nurtures good relationships across organizational levels and boundaries from government leaders to all stakeholders and the affected population
Computer skills, including internet navigation, and various office applications
Willingness to travel, resilience, stress tolerance and work under difficult conditions
Languages
Fluently spoken and written English
Fluently spoken and written French (highly valued)
Good command of another language (especially Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese)
Knowledge and demonstrated commitment to Oxfam’s values, mission, and work
SAFER RECRUITMENT
Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us. Offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks.
