Kenya: Deputy Field Coordinator

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is a humanitarian medical organization providing emergency medical aid to populations in need.

Job Title :Deputy Field Coordinator

Location : Dagahaley

Start date : ASAP

Length of contract : 1 year with possibility of extension

Employment type**: Full time**

The selected candidate will be reporting to the Field Coordinator and he/she will provide operational support to the project.

MSF Background

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is a private, international association that provide assistance to populations in distress, to victims of natural or man-made disasters and to victims of armed conflict. MSF observes neutrality and impartiality in the name of universal medical ethics and the right to humanitarian assistance

Since August 2009 MSF is providing full package of medical care through 4 primary health care units and one hospital to reduce the morbidity and mortality of the Dagahaley refugee population and host community through provision of quality primary and secondary health care.

The operational section of Geneva of MSF is looking to recruit a successful experienced person in the field of humanitarian aid, in the position of Deputy Field Coordinator for Dagahaley project in Kenya.

Main Tasks include, but not limited to:

1. Local representation of MSF, Humanitarian positioning and Communication

• Guarantees that MSF's charter, policies and image are respected with regards to national employees, populations, authorities and partners.

• Is responsible for monitoring the political and humanitarian situation in the project’s region

• Develops contacts with national partners on a local level (civil society, civil and military authorities, local NGOs, Ministry of Health representatives, etc.) in order to obtain all the information and agreements necessary for the integration of MSF’s programmes in the local context.

• Passes regular information to local partners concerning MSF’s medical activities and the principles of the organisation’s charter (impartiality, international medical ethics).

• Regularly exchanges information with other humanitarian organisations present in the field.

• Represents MSF Switzerland with local and regional authorities and journalists visiting the region in close consultation with the Head of Mission.

2. Coordination of the medical Project

2.1. Evaluation of the context and needs

• Identifies the population’s health needs, in close collaboration with his (her) field teams.

• Analyses the context (environment, people/bodies involved, and negotiations for access) and the humanitarian issues at stake.

• Evaluates the risks and constraints, adapts the action plan in the event of new, unforeseen elements after consultation with direct supervisor.

• Proposes exploratory missions and organises them following the supervisor’s approval.

• Stes up data collection and epidemiological surveillance system (in agreement with the medical coordinator) and checks the team’s reactivity in the event of newly identified needs.

2.2. Drawing up and planning the project

Draws up the project’s priorities and objectives, the action plan, the chronogram and the partnerships and submits them to the capital team. Participates in drawing up the project and annual Action Plan.Evaluate the human resources and material required to implement the project.Participates in drawing up the project’s budget with the capital team.

2.3. Project monitoring

Steers the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the programmes in collaboration with the team, by collecting information and comparing it with the objectives fixed. For this, is familiar with any pays regular visits to the field activities and follow the indicator selected for the project.Informs the capital team of the programmes development and writes up the project situation report (Sitrep).

· Passes information required for the supervision of the Project on to the capital team and consult the supervisor before taking all important decisions.

· Organises the Project’s institutional memory and keeps written records (and files them) on its development.

3. Managing and guiding teams

3.1. Welcoming and coaching teams

· He/she is responsible for the welcome and briefing of new arrivals.

· Provide individual follow up for each team member. Management and guidance, coaching, support, advice and evaluation.

· Identifies the training required by his (her) teams.

· Carries out the end of mission evaluations of members of his (her) teams.

· Intervenes in the prevention and resolution of conflicts within his (her) team.

· Provides regular reminders of the main ethics of MSF. Vouches for the conduct of MSF personnel with regard to the populations and respect for local customs and laws and international personal regulation.

· Check that constraints linked to security and health are understood by everyone, informs the Medical Coordination of risky conduct (and respects the confidential nature of the information when it involves health issues) and the general coordination of serious situations linked to the conduct of team members.

· Checks that personnel are properly integrated into the team and participate in the dynamic of the organisation.

3.2. Organising the work

· Organize the work, plans activities and divides up tasks and work load between the teams whilst checking their understanding of the issues linked to the project and the mission.

· Plans and leads working meetings: project progress, security, team meetings, (national and expatriate personnel).

· Represents the field teams with the Capital team and accounts for the Project’s activities. Participates in meetings organised by the Capital team and provides feedback to the field teams.

· Re-transmits information and directives given by the capital team to his (her) field team. Is responsible for the circulation of written and oral information and its confidentiality whilst adhering to rules conserving medical ethics.

· Is responsible for the project’s library and checking that the guidelines are used by the teams.

· Vouches for the full transmission of information during handovers.

3.3. Human resources management

· Writes up for updates job descriptions for the team before sending them to the capital team. Plans and anticipates personnel replacement for his (her) projects.

· Makes propositions to the capital team concerning the organization chart and the opening or the closure of projects posts.

· Identifies the people who could be orientated towards posts of responsibilities and informs the capital team about their development within the organisations.

· Check that national personnel management (recruitment, contracts, internal regulations, salaries) is managed in accordance with MSF Switzerland’s standards.

3.4. Managing material and financial resources

· Voucher for the correct use of the resources put at MSF’s dispositions for carrying out the project (assistance reaches the beneficiaries, local purchasing. stock management, use of vehicles).

· Supervise all the orders (medical and logistical) and the project’s purchases.

· Provides monthly monitoring of the project’s expenditure and undertakes and analyses the financial indicators with the support of the mission’s Administrator.

Checks that MSF Switzerland’s standards are applied in the administrative management of the projects.

4. Team Security

· He/she is the person responsible for the Project’s security.

· Evaluates the risks and threats linked to the implementation of MSF’s activities. For this, maintains an information network which allows him to follow security developments. Provides continuous analysis of the situation in the field whilst encouraging the participation of the national and international team under his (her) management in this task. In particular checks that the team knows the risks it is running.

· Centralises information whilst checking its coherence and makes a summary of it for feeding into the General Coordination’s reflections and facilitating their decision making.

· Regularly defines and updates the projects’ security policy and the measures that already set up (in consultation with the teams) and submits it to the supervisor for approval.

· Checks adherence to security rules particular to the Project, and ensures that they are known and applied.

· Informs the supervisor of any individual or collective conduct that contradicts security rules.

· Alerts the project team without delay of all security incidents or threats which could have an impact on personnel security and /or MSF’s affairs, and writes up and incident report to this effect.

5. Responsibilities towards MSF

· Is familiar with MSF Switzerland and other MSF sections in the Mission country.

Takes an interest in MSF’s associative issues and an active part in the decisions concerning MSF’s general direction and future.

6. Knowledge of the Mission

Gathers information on the Mission’s history, its origins and the consequences of strategic decisions by referring to operational reports, end of mission reports and other internal documents.

7. Knowledge of the context

Develops his (her) knowledge of the country’s history, and more specifically the regions in which MSF carries out its activities, and of political, economic and major social events.

8. Requirements:

At least 5 years of working experience in similar position.Preferably a medical or paramedical qualification or university-level studiesA capacity to analyse the context and understand medical issues and MSF's intervention strategies; a capacity to lead and motivate teams, organise the roles and delegation of tasks within the Project’s team, set up a network and write up minutes; demonstrates management qualitiesAutonomous; sense of responsibility; dynamic; skilled at representation: a capacity to take the initiative and make decisions; a capacity to listen in a multicultural context; good stress management skills; ease of communication; apt at resolving problems and negotiating.Due to the nature of the work, person with the right to work in Kenya and with ability to speak Somali will be highly advantagedFluent in English, Somali and Swahili, with abilities to do frequent oral and written translations in Somali language.

Conditions:

Salary defined by the MSFCH Kenya mission salary grid;

100 % based on Dagahaley.

If you meet the above requirements, please send your CV, motivation letter outlining HOW you fulfill each of the requirements in bullet points, copies of certificates/diplomas and current registration documents on or before 29th November, 2014, to msfchkenya@gmail.com or by mentioning on the envelope ‘ Deputy Field Coordinator’ for to:

Deliver the application to:

MSF-Switzerland, Kenya Mission or Deputy Field Coordinator

P.O. Box 25091 – 00603 MSF Office - Dagahaley Refugee Camp

Lavington, Nairobi