Safe and Accountable Programming (SAP) Advisor – Macfadden – USAID

Macfadden, an Amentum company, is seeking a Safe and Accountable Programming (SAP) Advisor to support the Office of Technical and Program Quality (TPQ) in USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA). BHA leads and coordinates the U.S. Government’s humanitarian assistance efforts overseas in response to natural disasters and complex emergencies. The Bureau also supports early recovery efforts that restore and protect basic systems and services and invests in risk reduction programs that prevent or reduce risks associated with chronic and recurrent hazards.

The Safe and Accountable Programming Advisor will enhance BHA’s ability to ensure all of the Bureau’s humanitarian programming is inherently safe and protective, does not amplify or create risks, and inform Safe Programming/Protection Mainstreaming, Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) and Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) efforts. The SAP Advisor will provide broad analytical and advisory support on SAP issues, focusing on the development, and coordination of select SAP Team information products, guidance notes, technical standards, and data analysis. The SAP Advisor is a member of the Safe and Accountable Programming Team—part of TPQ’s Protection and Community Capacities (PCC) Division. The SAP Advisor’s day-to-day work assignments and oversight will be provided by the SAP Team Lead, with formal supervisory and evaluation functions performed by a Macfadden contract supervisor.

The SAP Advisor will:

• Work as part of TPQ’s PCC Division under the direction of the SAP Team Lead and PCC Division Chief.
• Serve as an expert source of information on and analysis of safe and accountable programming (SAP) issues for BHA particularly on issues relating to safe programming/protection mainstreaming, accountability to affected populations, community engagement, and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse.
• Support the development of select SAP Team information products, guidance notes, technical standards, and data analysis.
• Conduct assessments of humanitarian conditions and programming for affected populations and make context specific recommendations on ways to improve response strategy and programming to support and promote beneficiary safety and dignity, avoid unintended negative effects, improve accountability to affected populations and community engagement and protect against sexual exploitation in responses.
• Build technical relationships and communications plans with key BHA Geographic Offices, Response Teams, technical sector teams, and key stakeholder points of contact on SAP, and inform their safe programming/protection mainstreaming, AAP and PSEA efforts.
• Work with regional teams to develop and implement appropriate and comprehensive SAP strategies, including programming and advocacy recommendations, tailored to their regional context and protection needs in coordination with geographic teams in DC and the field, relevant USAID Offices and Missions, relevant USG agencies and US Embassies, relevant donors and/or relevant host country ministry officials.
• Provide administration and oversight support on the SAP global award portfolio.
• Provide technical feedback on the SAP aspects of funding applications grant proposals submitted to BHA particularly on the quality, relevance, and effectiveness of their programs as they relate to beneficiary safety and accountability.
• Anticipate and draft documents and briefing memos for TPQ and Bureau leadership on SAP for important meetings and events.
• Travel to the field, sometimes at short notice and for extended periods of time, to advise regional teams on safe and accountable programming issues. It is expected that this position will require travel up to 25 percent of the time, providing support on safe programming, beneficiary safety, and community engagement interventions during disaster responses.
• Coordinate with other teams and other relevant offices within BHA and USAID on the development and implementation of clear and concise policy inputs, responses to Congressional inquiries, internal briefing documents, and public communications materials related to safe and accountable programming issues for BHA and USAID in general.
• Help plan organizational strategies and responses to SAP issues. Assist with decisions and guidance that significantly affect BHA and USAID safe programing/protection mainstreaming, PSEA, and AAP policies.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Education and Qualifications:

• Masters degree and 6 years of experience, Bachelor’s degree and 8 years of experience, or 10 years of experience, with significant focus on social work, international studies/political science, community engagement or development, social justice, and international humanitarian law or other related fields.
• At least two years of progressively responsible experience in humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, international development, or similar field. Experience in the field, with direct engagement with persons of concern, is preferred.

Required Skills:

• Experience working directly on safe programming/protection mainstreaming, related issues and/or broader protection issues, preferably in a UN, NGO or, government environment. Examples of relevant experience include, but are not limited to, demonstrated expertise in: protection/community-based protection interventions that promote and monitor safe programming and community engagement/meaningful participation.
• Demonstrated fluency in critical concepts of safe programming/protection mainstreaming, protection from SEA, and AAP and community-led processes in humanitarian contexts, and ability to develop program strategies or guidance to reflect those standards.
• Detailed knowledge of SAP issues and relevant concerns in a humanitarian emergency context – at country and at global level – is required.
• Requires a thorough understanding of the international humanitarian environment with respect to SAP issues, operations, related policies, regulations, and inter-relationships among the USG, donor and other international organizations.
• Strong written and oral communications skills, including the ability to write technical documents and speak about PSEA, AAP, and safe programming issues faced by vulnerable groups in emergencies to colleagues within and outside of USAID.
• Strong applied knowledge of the MS Office Suite (Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint) and Google applications are required.
• Strong interpersonal skills and experience working effectively independently and as a member of a team.

REQUIREMENTS

Must be able to obtain and maintain a minimum of a USG-issued Facility Access Clearance (FAC) or Secret Security Clearance for the duration of your employment on this contract.