Safety & Security Advisor- Ukraine

Location: Ukraine – Lviv

Duration: 3 months, from May 2022

Conditions: Salaried contract, gross monthly salary €2 300 to €2 800, according to experience, monthly per diem €450, medical coverage of 100% + repatriation insurance + provident fund, accommodation, international and local transportation as part of the mission. More information on www.trianglegh.org, under “Participate”.

Presentation of TGH

“Actor in a sustainable and shared solidarity”

Founded in 1994, TGH is a French international solidarity organization based in Lyon. The association designs and implements emergency, rehabilitation and development programs in the following sectors: water, hygiene and sanitation, civil engineering, food security and rural development, socio-educational and psychosocial. TGH is currently operating in 11 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Context

On February 24, the Russian president announced a special military operation to demilitarize Ukraine. Minutes later, missiles/air raids hit all of Ukraine, including Kiev, shortly followed by a massive ground invasion from several directions, in a major escalation of the 2014 conflict and resulting in the siege of several major strategic Ukrainian cities such as Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kyiv, Mariupol, and Sumy. The Ukrainian president has since enacted martial law resulting in the general mobilization and management of the country by the military.

While the eastern part of the country was attacked from the beginning of the invasion with an assault on the main cities of the country, the Russian troops quickly attacked the capital, Kiev, causing the displacement of the diplomatic bodies of the United Nations and the majority of humanitarian actors to the west, particularly to Lviv, which has become a real humanitarian hub. The populations forced to flee for safety are seeking to reach the west of the country, which is, so far, still relatively unaffected by attacks. The Lviv region is home to a large number of displaced persons and is the main transit point for people seeking to reach Poland or other European border countries. On the 18th of April, OCHA revealed that over 4.9 million people have crossed international borders to seek refuge mainly in Poland.

According to IOM on the 21st of April, the total number of internally displaced since the beginning of the war is over 7.7 million, 17 per cent of the country’s population and women represent at least 60 per cent of those displaced.

According to the humanitarian community, all the people living in Ukraine have been directly or indirectly affected by the conflict. Emergency humanitarian needs are varied and cut across all sectors.

The most pressing needs identified include:

• cash and access to financial support

• psychosocial support for a weakened mental health and limit the risk of irreversible

• medicines and medical supplies

Presentation of the mission

TGH is present in Ukraine since 2015. Established in Kramatorsk (East), TGH’s interventions were sargeting the most vulnerable populations along the contact line employing traditional and innovative modalities as follows:

• Provision of electronic vouchers (e-vouchers for food, hygiene or dual-purpose e-vouchers), an innovative modality with application of mobile phones and web-money-based interface

• Cash for Work (rehabilitation or social work)

• PSS

• Documentation support (restoration or obtaining of official/legal documents)

• Provision of basic humanitarian assistance: food and hygiene kits, in Donestk, NGCA

In 2020, TGH has completed its intervention with an emergency Covid-19 response funded by UNICEF supporting healthcare, educational and social institutions and households of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts (GCA) along the contact line with electronic vouchers for essential hygiene.

Following February 24th, TGH mobilized its teams on the ground and at headquarter to maintain its existing activities and develop an emergency response to meet the most immediate needs of the affected populations. To this end, TGH has quickly started various assistance program to cover the basic needs and respond to the psychological distress of the affected households and individuals. Up to this date, TGH is implementing 6 different projects, while others are under discussion. To implement these activities in the most affected areas of Ukraine, TGH has developed and reinforced the collaboration with local partners that are essential and take a crucial place in the global response.

Initially operational in Ukraine from Kramatorsk, the team has been relocated to Lviv where the main TGH office had been recently opened and from where the activities are remotely managed. Given the enormous needs all around Ukraine and the different grants awarded, TGH is planning to open in the coming weeks sub-office in the other main cities of Ukraine in order to be closer to the beneficiaries and ensure a proper implementation and follow up.

TGH is a member of the following Clusters and Working groups: Protection, Age and Disability Working Group (ADWG), Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Working Group (MHPSS WG), Food Security and Livelihoods Cluster (FSLC), Agriculture Working Group, Cash-based transfers Working Group (CBTWG) and WASH cluster.

General objectives of the mission

Under the supervision of the Country Director, the main responsibilities of the Safety and Security Advisor (SSA) are:

§ Primary focus will be the set-up of operational mechanisms of organizational safety and security policies and ensuring processes are up-to-date, communicated and effectively socialized within the team.

§ This role also includes the planning and support for TGH program partners and team to safely and effectively implement program activities.

§ The Safety & Security Advisor will support the Country Director in managing the broader scope of risks which TGH faces in the Ukraine. To fulfill this role, the SSA must maintain an acute awareness of the context and all threats as they relate to TGH operations. The SSA is expected to understand all TGH Ukraine program activities across all operational areas.

§ The SSA is expected to travel across to all offices and have an intimate knowledge of each program, major objectives, activities and primary constraints.

Key responsibilities

§ Ensure that the minimum standards in safety and security are met. This includes SOPs in premises, journey management, orientations, documentation, reporting, communications and other. Establish staffing, training and budgeting goals appropriate for the country.

§ Ensure that all security management processes are set up, up-to-date and socialized, promoting the use of streamline documentation + promote user-friendly information sharing.

§ Undertake regular field visits to meet with team members and gain an independent assessment of the situation and our security capacity.

§ Work closely with the operational team to schedule and prioritize support requests, the achievement of basic minimum standards and other needs.

§ Maintain technical management & support of all security leads/staff for TGH Ukraine so that performance and priorities are clear and shared goals.

§ Accountable for ensuring adequate budgeting for security costs across all offices and sub-offices.

§ Responsible for providing critical recommendations to the management of all Ukraine programs including the designation of Go/No-Go areas, location risk ratings and TGH posture, acceptable levels of operational security risk and risk mitigation measures.

§ Support the Country Director and provide leadership on security aspects during crisis management situations. Work closely and collaboratively with other department leads and crisis management focal points.

OPERATIONAL SAFETY & SECURITY

§ The SSA is responsible for leading the development and update of all security procedures including standard operating procedures (SOPs) contingency plans (CPs), guidelines, planning for staff safety and operational security for all Ukraine offices.

§ Work across teams to ensure the achievement of TGH minimum standards of Safety and Security. Ensure that security policies, guidelines, SOPs and plans are documented.

§ Ensure that security risk assessments are carried out for all new and existing TGH Ukraine operating areas. This includes from macro to micro assessments and assessments prior to any program activities in new areas of intervention.

§ Quality assurance and program focus: ensure the security management systems are specific to the needs of each program but also productively consistent across the Country Program.

§ Evaluate, review and update the security management plans, SOPs, Contingency Plans on a regular basis. Support and where needed lead the security risk assessment process for programs.

SECURITY DOCUMENTATION

§ The relevant security documentation is accessible to the team and clear.

§ Accountable for ensuring all security incidents are reported from each office, communicated to the mission leadership.

§ During serious or critical incident management serve as an active member on the TGH Ukraine incident management team.

HUMANITARIAN ACCESS & ANALYSIS

§ Coordinate closely with operational team. Enhance the network.

§ Integrate access, analysis and conflict trends into the planning, forecasting and programmatic thinking.

§ Provide regular updates and briefings to program and operational leads.

§ Ensure access issues, incidents and constraints are reported internally and through the externally reporting system.

CAPACITY BUILDING

§ Responsible for identifying training needs and developing adapted training plans on security topics (defensive driving, security SOPs, HEAT, etc.) for team members, drivers, guardians, and as appropriate other partners.

§ Recruit and build capacities of the Security Officer.

§ Conduct regular capacity building of security focal points, area managers, teams working in remote or high-risk areas, drivers, and guards. Ensure these core skills are delivered to all incoming team members.

COMMUNICATION AND COORDINATION

§ Clear and routine communication of context updates, briefings or other reports to the country team.

§ Represents TGH with attendance at interagency security coordination meetings on behalf of TGH.

§ Engage in inter-agency coordination in security; ensure ongoing TGH field-level coordination in the NGO community, including INSO.

§ Effectively represent, promote and protect TGH mandate for independence, impartiality and neutrality.

Security, working and living conditions

Despite the fluctuating security situation in Ukraine, the environment in Lviv is relatively calm and travel on foot or by taxi is permitted in the city centre. It is possible to go out in bars, restaurants… but there is a curfew in place from 11pm to 6am according to the martial law in force in the country. TGH team works in spacious and well-equipped offices in the city centre, close to the youth hostel where the expatriate and national teams are accommodated. Access to good internet connection in the offices and the youth hostel.

Profile

§ Deep conceptual understanding of security risk management and risk assessment processes.

§ Experience working in high-risk areas, including disasters and fragile and conflict affected states (at least 3 years field-based experience).

§ Fluent in English; Ukrainian, Russian languages are an asset.

§ Experience teaching or training security courses and workshops, especially with technical or specialized material.

§ Experience building and implementing an entire, or significant portion of, a large-scale security program.

§ Experience directly managing complex security incidents or crises.

§ Experience working in an international NGO.

§ Able to build networks and relationships under challenging conditions.

§ Communicate clearly and effectively.

§ Able to work with standard IT equipment and software suites.

§ Proven written and analytical skills.

§ Proven ability to use technology and digital tools to streamline management of security processes (policies, SOPs, etc.) and information sharing.

§ Highly developed interpersonal, collaboration and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and mentoring.

§ Willingness to work and travel frequently in often difficult and insecure environments.

§ Formal training qualifications are a plus (HEAT, K&R, Personal Security, First Aid etc).