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Humanitarian Access and Security Coordinator
Closing date1 Feb 2025OrganisationInternational Rescue Committee (IRC)LocationBaghdad, IraqExternal URL DescriptionThe International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world’s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you’re a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.
The IRC is seeking a Humanitarian Access & Security Coordinator (HASC) for its Iraq program based in Baghdad with frequent travel to program locations. A member of the Senior Management Team (SMT), the HASC will work with country leadership to ensure that organizational security policies and procedures are responsive to the context, are contextually appropriate and known to staff, and will advise on humanitarian access processes and approaches in close coordination with program teams.
Reporting to both the Country Director and Regional Safety and Security Director, the HASC will implement, update and revise IRC’s Security Management plans and procedures, will analyze security trends and advise SMT and staff on access and field security. The HASC will streamline humanitarian access approaches in line with humanitarian principles, humanitarian needs, duty of care and the IRC’s strategy action plans for Iraq.
The HASC will conduct onsite training for staff, facilitate the development and implementation of appropriate plans, standard operating procedures and contingency plans. S/he will provide expert humanitarian security and access advice to all levels of IRC staff across the country program including building relationships, negotiating and mediating humanitarian access, contextual understanding, and conflict analysis, advisories, and incident management. This position will manage the Humanitarian Access Manager and Senior Officer in Iraq and any other staff that might be recruited in the future.
Responsibilities
Safety and Security Management Planning
• Ensure overall implementation and compliance with Security Management Plans across the areas of intervention, management of the security team and coordination with all levels of program and operation staff as necessary.
• Provide technical support to the CD on all policies, procedures, guidelines and planning for staff safety, operational security and program continuity.
• Evaluate, review and update security management plans on a regular basis. Reference and ensure compliance to the IRC Security Management Framework within the SMP and all annexes.
• Work with key stakeholders to develop, consolidate and implement operating procedures and contingency plans.
• Evaluate, review and update the hibernation, relocation and evacuation plans for all IRC offices and residences in Iraq and ensure that practical preparations are in place and known to all relevant staff.
• Conduct risk assessments of contracted and prospective offices and residences. Follow up on actions to be taken to ensure compliance with safety and security standards.
• Undertake continual assessments of equipment, and the protocols by which that equipment is used, to ensure that minimal conditions for security are being met.
• Provide and implement best possible solutions for use of communication, transport and other equipment and explore safe alternative.
• Develop and maintain a network of IRC Security Focal Points at each field office and program sites enhancing gender balance.
• Follow up on actions to be taken to ensure compliance with safety and security standards
• Ensure safety and security protocols, reporting mechanisms, and capacity building initiatives account for gender-specific risks, staff profiles and background, and are sensitive to local contexts.
Humanitarian Access Management
• Develop and implement humanitarian access strategies and approaches tailored to local contexts in field sites in Iraq in a logic of acceptance, understanding of the context, quick reaction to significant changes and communication with relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure humanitarian access approaches are responsive to local context and include overarching community engagement components.
• Develop ongoing relationships with local authorities and other power brokers within Iraq.
• Work to ensure that IRC, its mission and work in all areas of operation is known and accepted.
• Work to encourage stakeholders to collaborate with IRC in ensuring that staff and programs are safe and given permission to continue humanitarian activities in Iraq
• Provide technical input and advice on assessments to consider IRC programming in new geographic locations.
• Liaise with relevant security actors e.g., NGO Security Focal Points, NGO security coordinators, NCCI, INSO, NES NGO Forum, local community stakeholders, Governors, Civil Councils.
Networking and Liaison
• Maintain a network of IRC security focal points across Iraq as well as external professional contacts and counterparts.
• Provide timely feedback on questions and technical assistance requests from country program team members, MENA regional staff and HQ.
• Monitor and provide support and reporting on NGO field security initiatives, as required.
• Identify, create and maintain a network with NGO/UN and other humanitarian access and security specialists appropriate to this region.
• Facilitate regional NGO security coordination through networking, collaboration and coordination with humanitarian actors.
Training and Capacity Building
• Update and implement staff capacity development plans in line with the regional Humanitarian Access & Security Learning and Development Strategy.
• Work closely with the Regional Security L&D Coordinator to identify learning and development needs across the country program.
• Provide regular trainings for IRC staff on humanitarian principles and safety and security preparedness. Training(s) may include Standard Operational Procedures; Humanitarian Negotiations; Contextual Understanding; Safety and Security Risk Management; Incident Management & Reporting; etc.
• Liaise with partners to assess capacity building needs and provide advice and support where feasible and necessary.
• Work with relevant internal focal points to develop and review information and on-boarding package for new hires and visitors.
• Contribute to the design & elaboration of the safety and security raining’s offer for IRC local partners
Context Understanding and Reporting
• Monitor the country and regional context through observation, information gathering (both first-hand information through networks and secondary information through dedicated service providers) and circulation of timely advisory notes to IRC country and regional office. Identify raising threats, assess IRC vulnerabilities and recommend possible actions.
• Compile and submit regular reports that track incidents and trends in humanitarian access and local security contexts within IRC’s areas of operation.
• Submit daily contextual updates as needed to relevant field and program management staff.
• Work closely with IRC field management teams to ensure all incidents and accidents are followed up with an official written report, which is then shared with relevant stakeholders and filed appropriately. Ensure that final incident reports are provided when IRC is closing the
