Special Assistant to the Head of Office

Details

Mission and objectives

UNOCHA is part of the United Nations Secretariat responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies. OCHA also ensures there is a framework within which each actor can contribute to the overall response efforts. OCHA’s mission is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partner-ship with national and international actors in order to alleviate human suffering in disasters and emergencies; advocate the rights of people in need; promote preparedness and prevention and facilitate sustainable solutions. UNOCHA’s core functions are coordination, information management, policy, advocacy, and humanitarian financing.
OCHA has been operational in Ethiopia for several years and its current humanitarian operations are focused on addressing the lifesaving needs of people affected by 3 main crises: the conflict in the North, the drought in the East and South, as well as those displaced by violence in the center and South.
UNOCHA operates out of the main office in Addis Ababa and sub offices in several regions in Ethiopia, close to the affected people. This position will be based in the Planning and Coordination Unit to support all parts of the humanitarian programme cycle.

Context

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) was established in December 1991 by the General Assembly to strengthen the international response to complex emergencies and natural disasters. OCHA mobilizes and coordinates principled international humanitarian response to address the needs of affected people in partnership with government, United Nations and NGO partners. In Ethiopia, OCHA established in 2004 and it is currently operating out of the main office in Addis Ababa along with 10 sub offices with over 122 staff members. The IUNV will be a core part of the OCHA front office in support of the management team (Head of Office and Deputy Head of Office) in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Head of office, OCHA Ethiopia, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:
• Assists the HoO/DHoO in all activities related to OCHA, including coordination, operations and advocacy, information management, humanitarian finance and policy development.
• Assists in the preparation of communication material, drafts presentations, talking points, collects data for the HoO/DHoO, including briefings on the humanitarian situation in coordination with
relevant units;
• Prepares various written outputs, e.g. briefing notes, analysis and reports related to the humanitarian situation and response in the country;
• Provides substantive and technical support to the organization of field missions e.g. for the Humanitarian Country Team, including proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of
documents and presentations in consultation with the various units and the field offices;
• Coordinates and periodically participates in field missions, including preparing the senior leadership’s agenda, drafting mission summaries, etc.;
• Monitors, analyses and reports on key humanitarian developments in collaboration with the field offices and liaise with key units at capital level for support and strengthening the coordination and
coordination on key humanitarian issues and ongoing response;
• Assists in the production of appeals for international assistance; ensures the proper use and spending of donor contributions channelled through OCHA.
• Establishes and maintains contacts with government officials, other UN agencies, nongovernmental organizations, diplomatic missions, media, etc.;
• Organizes and participates in work groups, meetings, conferences, consultations with other agencies and partners on humanitarian and emergency relief-related matters.
• Performing any other duties as requested by the Head of Office/Deputy Head of Office