Humanitarian Access & Security Advisor (F/M)

For more than 40 years, Médecins du Monde, a campaigning medical organisation committed to international solidarity, has been caring for the most vulnerable populations here and abroad. It has continued to bear witness to obstacles that exist in accessing healthcare and has secured sustainable improvements in health-for-all policies.

Those working for this independent organisation do not solely dispense care and treatment but condemn violations of human dignity and rights and fight to improve matters for populations living in precarious situations.

MdM France currently works in 30 countries across all continents to facilitate access to healthcare through 6 political battles:

• Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights
• Migration, Exile, Human Rights and Health
• Harm Reduction
• Environment and Health
• Humanitarian Space
• Healthcare systems and rights

MdM has been operating in Myanmar since 1994. Its main programme delivers comprehensive Harm Reduction and HIV/AIDS prevention and care, focusing on the high-risk groups of Drug Users (Kachin State), Female Sex Workers and Men having Sex with Men (Yangon area).

The project is implemented with a comprehensive approach, including a wide range of activities for prevention (drop-in centres, outreach activities including harm reduction, methadone substitution therapy) and care (STI diagnosis and treatment, HIV diagnosis and treatment, including ARV).

In Kachin, the project is implemented in 3 main sites. Activities include health education in outreach, needles and syringe exchange programme, methadone substitution programme, counselling and HIV testing, and medical care for PLHIV (STI, OI, TB and ARV).

In Yangon, the project is implemented in one main site, with broad outreach activities. Current and future strategy focuses on supporting local civil society and health system in scaling up and provision of health services.

Job description

Under the supervision of the general coordinator, you are responsible for the development and implementation of the Security Pack and the monitoring and implementation of the safety and security of people, goods, data, premises and MdM programs. You are the guarantor of the good practice of the MdM policy on the subject.

You improve regular and frequent contextual analysis, build a network, support operational management, strengthen the security capacities of the programs in Kachin and advise and support the Field Coordinator. General Coordinator remains the primary person responsible for security in the country.

More specifically, your main responsibilities are:

Context analysis

• Conduct comprehensive assessments and analysis of security risks in the project areas of Kachin
• Develop and update the risk analysis for all activity locations, develop risk mitigation strategies and anticipate risks and threats

Security management

• Develop the implementation of the full security pack based on MdM’s standards and templates
• Ensure that the elements of the Contingency Plan are regularly revised and ready to be used
• Support the general coordinator on crisis management and decision-making process
• Supports the Logistics Department in monitoring movements
• Analyze the status of security and provide suggestions on daily program implementation such as activity restriction
• Participate in the management of a security incident
• Liaise and coordinate timely and efficiently with the General Coordinator and the HQ Security Advisor regarding security incidents, threats or deficiencies which potential could affect operations
• Plan the resources and lead in procuring materials for safety and security procedures
• Ensure that all project staff and community workers are aware of and comply with security protocols and guidelines
• Provide support to the program team in developing programme contingency plan in line with security protocols

Team management and capacity building

• Ensure full safety and security briefing and debriefing
• Organize regular and refresher security awareness sessions and orientation on security SOPs
• Identify safety and security training needs for the team members, conduct trainings and capacity building actions
• Organise and follow up annual training as fire training, first aid training for Kachin and Yangon team

Reporting and representation

• Proactively participate in program review and workshop to provide suggestions in terms of security
• Develop, maintain and establish an effective communication and good relationship with authorities and security peers of other INGO, UN agencies
• Support visits of MdM staff with authorities, and obtaining access authorization for current and potential intervention areas in coordination with the field team in Kachin
• Participate in humanitarian security meetings
• Develop and lead an information gathering network  
• Ensure ad hoc smooth communication with key coordination members
• Represent the program internally and externally, according to Field Coordinator delegation

Mapping and assessment

• Carry out a thorough analysis of the security situation in the potential areas of intervention
• Create detailed maps of the intervention areas with security specifications
• Map the different actors, stakeholders, groups and security incidents and trend

Telecommunication/ visibility means

• Work with the Logistics department on defining the needs, installation and maintenance of telecommunication equipment
• Supervise the presence and the correct functioning and use by all MdM staff of all the telecommunications means related to security management
• Support the communication plan for each field office location to ensure the communication flow related to security works well from the entire communication chain
• Ensure training on GPS trackers and mobile applications for MdM staff
• Monitor the use of MDM visibility on the field and at the office