Advisor to the RIOD at Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)

POSITION BACKGROUND

The Advisor works with and reports to the International Operations and Humanitarian Representation Coordinator (IOHRC) in the coordination of the RIOD platform;

The IOHRC and the Advisor collaborate to ensure that the RIOD platform fulfills its role and responsibilities. The Advisor will be in charge of drafting the RIOD’s agenda and outcomes, will follow up on the implementation of common decisions and action points, will draft and monitor the RIOD’s workplan and will advise on content for the RIOD led strategic dossiers. In absence of the IOHRC, the Advisor facilitates the RIOD meetings (ad-hoc and planned) and other specific/thematic meetings organized by or on behalf of the RIOD.

OBJECTIVES OF THE POSITION

The Advisor contributes to build on the RIOD’s strategic ambitions and orientations, as specified in the platform’s TOR. Key objectives include:

• Identifying where common frameworks need to be applied (eg. ISA, HCA) and ensuring adequate resources for their implementation.
• Ensuring coherence between field and global representation towards external actors, geographic complementarity of projects, communication strategies and security approaches.
• Initiating information-sharing at the onset of a crisis to identify complementarities, potential inconsistencies and ensure mutual support.
• Ensuring constructive collaboration between desks through support of the Interdesk Forums and informing the RIOD of major divergences or decisions that need to be made upstream.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic support to the RIOD’s platform functioning and RIOD-led initiatives.

• Acts as the main entry point to the RIOD, providing strategic support to the platform’s performance and implementation of RIOD-led projects.
• Ensures efficiency and accountability of the platform through planning and structuring meetings, organizing agendas, writing the outcomes, recording decisions, and following-up on action points.
• Manages and organizes information on the RIOD files and is responsible of the RIOD SharePoint.
• Collaborates closely with the Intersection Security Agreement (ISA) program manager to monitor the implementation of the RIOD’s action points (HR restrictions, Duty of care, ISA review, etc) ensuring alignment and follow up.
• Prepares and presents findings on specific intersection reviews (e.g, Interdesk Review, Operations’ Footprint, Emergency Response Review, case studies on engagement during crises), or RIOD-led dossiers (CAT2 plan discrimination, Operations Footprint, EMT’s briefing note), providing recommendations and suggestions for ways forward.

Monitoring and advise to ensure the appropriate interaction between RIOD and other relevant platforms in the movement.

• Ensures necessary connections amongst the RIOD’s work and the initiatives and dossiers followed up by other platforms in the movement:
• Works with the different platform’s officers and coordinators, to support connected projects and initiatives, ensuring proactive exchange, alignment, and synergy. In particular, with the initiatives developed by the EXCOM, MEDOPs and DIRCOMMS and, when relevant, if related to the social mission, with other platforms.
• Puts forward RIOD concerns and needs on initiatives or projects affecting field operations.
• Represents the RIOD in the RSA4 Advisory Group.

Facilitating the adequate interaction between the RIOD priorities and the HRT’s work.

• Acts as liaison between the RIOD/HRT and other stakeholders in the movement mainly on operational, transversal, and intersectional files.
• Ensures, in collaboration with the IOHRC, that interdesk work facilitated by HRT focal points is aligned to RIOD’s work and priorities.
• Provides short-term support to HOMs in periods of acute crises which require scaling up engagement efforts.
• Ensures, in collaboration with the IOHRC, that the RIOD priorities/stakes are reflected in the HRT work.

Job requirements

• Degree in political sciences, humanitarian studies, international law or other related field.
• Minimum 10 years of work experience in the humanitarian sector.
• At least 7 years of senior field experience in operations or advocacy with MSF.

Specific requirements

• Strong MSF operational experience and in-depth understanding of complex medico-operational topics.
• In-depth experience in MSF intersection work and dynamics.
• Experience with HRT would be advisable.
• Strong team player, empathic and practiced listener.
• Able to cope with pressure and handle changing priorities.
• Autonomous, self-organized, possessing a spirit of initiative and foresight.
• Capable of organizing and structuring complex information, analysing it and reporting findings accurately.
• Attention to detail.
• Strong writing skills.
• Fluent in both, oral and written English.