PRESENTATION OF HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL
Handicap International is an independent and impartial international aid organisation working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. Working alongside persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, our action and testimony are focused on responding to their essential needs, improving their living conditions and promoting respect for their dignity and their fundamental rights.
Handicap International is a not-for-profit organisation with no religious or political affiliation. It operates as a federation made up of a network of associations that provide it with human and financial resources, manage its projects and implement its actions and social mission.
For more details on the association: http://www.handicap-international.org
MISSION CONTEXT
According to the latest World Health Organization update on March 19th, 2015, a total of 24,666 confirmed, probable, and suspected cases of Ebola and 10,119 deaths had been reported from the three West African countries (Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone) where transmission has been widespread and intense. Total case counts include all suspected, probable, and confirmed cases, which are defined similarly by each country. The highest reported confirmed case counts were from Sierra Leone and Liberia, followed by Guinea.
In the week to 15 March, ‘Sierra Leone reported 55 new confirmed cases: the country’s lowest weekly total since late June 2014’. In this country, ‘in the week to 8 March over two-thirds (67%) of confirmed cases came from registered contacts. […] However, there are still areas where most new cases arise from unknown chains of transmission.’ According to WHO, ‘though transmission is currently confined to a relatively narrow geographic corridor, the population is highly mobile, with a great deal of movement throughout surrounding districts and countries. Limiting the movements of cases and contacts is challenging but essential to prevent the seeding of new outbreaks’.
(Source: WHO, Ebola Situation Report - 18 March 2015 – Corrected on 19 March 2015,http://apps.who.int/ebola/current-situation/ebola-situation-report-18-ma...)
Last January 2015, a multi-agency (United Nations-World Bank-European Union-African Development Back) Ebola Recovery Assessment mission was conducted in Sierra Leone. In parallel, the Government of Sierra Leone, under the leadership of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MoFED), has drafted the first iteration of the Sierra Leone Post-Ebola Recovery Strategy. Developments are ongoing on this aspect. (Source: UNDP,https://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_job.cfm?cur_job_id=53644)
HI RESPONSE
The Handicap International "Mano River" programme that covers Liberia and Sierra Leone (based in SL) was implementing the following projects until the outbreak of the epidemic in these two countries early in the summer of 2014:
- Inclusive Education projects (1 in Liberia and 1 in Sierra Leone);
- Mother and Child Health Project (SL),
- Civil society support project (disability movement) in Liberia. These projects have been stopped and their human resources devoted to the Ebola response.
The HI response to Ebola focuses in Sierra Leone on:
- Ebola Ambulance fleet management in Western Area (Freetown and rural area): transportation of affected persons and home decontamination.
- Ebola awareness raising of vulnerable groups (persons with disabilities, sex workers, HIV/AID affected, etc...), either through direct awareness actions with these groups or through sensitization of stakeholders in the field (authorities, NGOs in order to include the specificities of those groups in their awareness campaigns. Awareness campaigns realized during the first phase towards people with disabilities were accompanied by a distribution of hygiene products.
- Consortium with several INGOs, to support the identification and response to protection issues, particularly alerts related to Ebola context and to realise protection mainstreaming – the so-called “Protection project”.
Today, in Sierra Leone, HI is leader of the “special needs” sub-committee of the cluster “Social Mobilisation” (lead by UNICEF).
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
The “Protection project” is implemented by a Consortium of 7 INGOs – IRC, Concern Worldwide, Save the Children, ACF, GOAL, Plan International, and Handicap International.
The objective of this Protection project is to propose a coordinated protection response in Sierra Leone linked with the Ebola crisis and in support of the ‘Protection desks’ already present in some areas of the country. The protection response will be based on identification of vulnerable persons facing protection concerns linked with the Ebola crisis, referral to existing protection services if possible, follow-up of referrals and support to existing services.
The Consortium is implementing operational activities in 7 districts of the country. It also aims at mainstreaming the understanding of ‘Protection’ nationwide.
Within this Protection Consortium, Handicap International is in charge of:
§ Implementing the Identification/Assessment/Referrals/Follow-up mechanism as regards protection services in the district of Western Area/Urban – Freetown,
§ Providing a technical support to the 7 INGOs of the Consortium on inclusive access to services for persons with disabilities and elderly persons in the 7 districts where the project is operating. Such access to services will involve mainly a support to already existing services and supportive networks/structures,
§ Mainstreaming an inclusive access to services for Consortium INGOs and partners all along the project.
Even though project areas of activities are still concerned by the current Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, this Protection project does not deal directly with Ebola supposed or confirmed cases. It aims at responding to the consequences of this Ebola crisis in link with protection and vulnerability concerns.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS OF THE ‘Operations Manager’
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:
Within this Protection project and under the direct supervision of the Project Manager, you will be responsible of:
- Supporting the implementation of the Identification/Assessment/Referrals/Follow-up mechanism as regards protection services in the district of Western Area/Urban (Freetown),
- Training the Operational and Referral Officers on activities implementation and follow-up as well as on managing teams for them be able to work without constant supervision,
- Ensuring an efficient Monitoring/Evaluation/Reporting/Learning of activities and objectives
Implementation of the Identification/Assessment/Referrals/Follow-up mechanism:
- With support of the Project Manager, defining the strategy for the implementation of the Identification/Assessment/Referrals/Follow-up mechanism and the organisation of the work of field teams,
- Participating to the recruitment of operational staff for the project,
- Following and monitoring field teams work on Identifications, Assessments and Referrals,
- Ensuring a smooth coordination between field teams/technical teams/Referral Officer/Database Assistant,
§ Using appropriate HI tools and/or participating to the development of new technical tools upon needs of your activities (assessments and follow-up forms, reporting tools for field teams, etc.).
Training the Operational and Referral Officers:
- Supporting and training the Operational Officer on supervision of activities implementation, monitor them and manage field teams,
- Supporting and training the Referral Officer on referrals and follow up of cases,
- Supporting Operational Officer, Referral Officer and Database Assistant on coordination within the project,
- Ensuring a smooth coordination within operational teams and between operational and technical teams,
- At the end of your mission, providing the Project Manager and Officers with objectives and recommendations for the following months of the project.
Monitoring/Evaluation/Reporting/Learning:
- Setting up and ensuring the continuous monitoring of the above activities under your management, including qualitative and quantitative monitoring,
- Providing and facilitating regular reporting on the activities under your responsibility to the Project Manager upon his/her solicitation (project monitoring, Individual Action Plans for Officers, etc.),
- Reporting on lessons learned from the above activities and objectives.
The Handicap International Operations Manager will be based in Handicap International Freetown office. He/She will manage 1 Operational Officer, 1 Referrals Officer and 1 Database Assistant. This will involve defining and following each one through Individual Action Plans/objectives and appraisals.
PROFILE REQUIRED
§ A Degree in Project management or another field related with humanitarian assistance
§ At least 2 years of professional experience in humanitarian context, preferably in emergency
§ Previous professional experience with Handicap International is a strong asset
§ Proven skills and experience in team management; ability to delegate and supervise, and ability to improve team work in a team
§ Strong communication skills
§ Strong interpersonal and intercultural skills
§ Ability to work under high pressure and without constant supervision
§ Patience and flexibility
§ English mandatory (oral and written), French would be an asset
JOB CONDITIONS
- Status: salaried or volunteer contract depending on experience
- Starts: 1st of April 2015
- Duration: 2 months on the field
- Living conditions: guesthouse shared with other expatriates (no charges)
- Social insurance: 100% covered
HOW TO APPLY:
To apply, please send your CV and cover letter through the following link:http://hi.profilsearch.com/recrute/fr/fo_annonce_voir.php?id=865&idparte...
