PRELIMINARY JOB INFORMATION

Job Title:  LIAISON & SECURITY OFFICER

Country and Base of posting : YEMEN - MOKHA

Contract duration:  6 MONTHS RENEWABLE UPON FUNDING

Reports to    

• FIELD COORDINATOR & 
• (TECHNICAL TO HOM-ASSISTANT)
• (INDIRECTLY TO HEAD OF MISSION)

General Information on the Mission

Context

Première Urgence - Aide Médicale Internationale (PU-AMI) is a non-governmental, non-profit, non-political and non-religious international aid organization. Our teams are committed to supporting civilian victims of marginalization and exclusion, or those hit by natural disasters, wars and economic collapses by answering their fundamental needs. Our aim is to provide emergency relief to uprooted people in order to help them recover their dignity and regain self-sufficiency. The association leads in average 190 projects a year in the following sectors of intervention: Food Security, Health, Nutrition, Construction and Rehabilitation of infrastructures, Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Economic Recovery. PU-AMI is providing assistance to around 5 million people in 20 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and France.

PU-AMI’s strategy/position in the country

PU-AMI has been present in Yemen since 2007. From 2007 to 2011, PU-AMI supported the primary health system in Hodeidah Governorate. After a one-year stand-by in 2011 due to security reasons, the mission re-started in July 2012 with a nutrition project focusing both on emergency response and a longer term community-based approach in Hodeidah and extended its activity in Raymah Governorate.
Since 2017, PU-AMI continues to concentrate its intervention in 6 districts of Hodeida and 3 districts of Raymah, where a high number of IDPs are stressing the capacity of the health system to cope in an already extreme precarious situation. The core field of intervention for PU-AMI in these Governorates is an integrated approach on nutrition including community-based activities (OTP/SFP and community mobilization as a strong component of the program, within health facilities and outreach activities.
In Hodeidah and Raymah governorates, PU-AMI works to contribute to reduce the impact and severity of nutritional challenges and to improve health status of most vulnerable populations, through supplementary nutrition integrated response based upon health, hygiene and nutrition education and capacity building. In Rayma, PU-AMI is supporting a stabilisation centre for severely malnourished children with medical complications
In Mokha PU-AMI works to contribute to the improvement of the health and nutrition status of most vulnerable populations in the area, through an integrated approach including rehabilitation of health facilities, trainings, capacity building, as well hygiene and health promotion activities.

Overall objective
The Liaison & Security Officer (LSO), under the line management of the Field Coordinator (FC) is in charge of assisting the FC in implementing safety and security policy of PU-AMI for Mokha Base. The Liaison & Security Officer should understand the day to day operating environment in Mokha and surrounding areas (Taiz and Southern Hodeida Governorates, whole West Coast, Aden) to inform operations by providing regular updates to the Field Coordinator. The Liaison & Security Officer will also ensure good working relationships are established, liaising with relevant stakeholders to ensure timely implementation of activities.

Expected outcomes 

• Liaison & Coordination
• Safety & Security Management
• Information Management & Reporting
• Others

Specific Goals and Related Activities

LIAISON AND COORDINATION

Under the supervision and validation of the Field Coordinator, the Liaison & Security Officer will

• Establish & maintain good relationships with relevant governorate authorities as well as with district authorities, communities & tribal leaders in order to allow PU-AMI operations to take place smoothly in regard to context and needs of the mission. 
• Create, develop and maintain a liaison network.
• Keep a complete and updated detailed list of all useful contacts in Taiz Governorate and the whole West Coast with names, telephones, addresses and other relevant details.
• Arrange meetings with different authorities in relation with access and administration issues for the Field Coordinator. Provide translation/interpretation during meetings.
• Arrangement and participation to meetings related to program issues for program managers with relevant authorities.
• Ensure clear understanding of policies and procedures related to communications with authorities, and convey any changes immediately to relevant staff after proper validation from Field Coordinator.
• Archives all communications with local authorities and official administrative documents obtained in the name of PU-AMI (registration forms, lodging forms, requests, travel permits, official documents, etc.). making sure that they are accompanied by a translation or summary in English.
• In coordination with the logistics department, ensure preparation of the movement plans for teams and vehicles. He/she should ensure submission on time and with accurate information to the relevant authorities in order to be granted the travel permits (e.g. deconfliction). The Liaison and Security Officer should be proactive in resolving any blocking issue preventing PU-AMI from obtaining any documents needed to ensure operations and movements.
• Participate and represent PU-AMI in security and other coordination meeting in the absence of FC related to access and security. 

SAFETY AND SECURITY

• Ensure adequate follow-up (tracking) of the daily movement of PU-AMI staff in the field.
• Reports immediately to the Field Coordinator, the Logistics and Admin Base Manager and the Head of Mission of any serious security incidents impacting the safety of our programs and staff in Mokha and Taiz governorate and surroundings.
• Coordinate with relevant government authorities, security agencies, communities, tribal leaders, etc. in case of any issue related to security incidents and/or accidents.
• Upon request from Field Coordinator, participate to security assessments of areas where PU-AMI is (or is planning to begin) implementing activities (e.g. new health Facilities, new premises, etc.), in order to ensure the safety of national and expat staff travelling to those areas.
• Provide up to date necessary mappings (conflict maps, no go areas, PU-AMI premises locations, road maps. etc.) upon request from Field Coordinator.
• Upon request from Field Coordinator, prepare/update security tools (context report, road book, constant companion).
• Ensure that PU-AMI security & safety rules (for premises; including office and guesthouse, vehicles and in the field) are followed by all staff during working time and use of PU-AMI premises / facilities; alert the Field Coordinator and other relevant staff to any violations of the rules.
• Under supervision of the Field Coordinator, follow up to ensure that necessary security measures (safe room, fire assembly points, key control, doors, windows, fence, exit gates, etc.) are available in the right condition and place in all PU-AMI premises.
• Ensure security & safety equipment (first aid kits, fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, hibernation items etc.) are available to PU-AMI staff and well-maintained.
• Provide inputs for the update of the security pack, context risk assessment, risk mitigation plan, contingency plan, SOPs and other security documents.
• Participating in the creation and organization of training and briefings on safety and security topics for staff, drivers and guards, and provide guidance and awareness session to them about safety and security on regular basis and when the situation requires. Provide interpretation in Arabic during the training.
• In coordination with the logistics department, supervise the watchmen to ensure they are performing their duties in relation to security properly and report any security incidents, observations and challenges in a timely manner.

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND REPORTING

• Collect information related to security and political context to ensure safety and security of PU-AMI staff and premises in the area/s of intervention.
• Provide weekly updates and ad hoc reports, if needed, to Field Coordinator on security-related context in Mokha (political, security, etc.), with references to the whole West Coast and Aden if relevant and necessary. 
• Update on weekly basis and send to Field Coordinator the Security Events Follow Up (SEFU).
• Coordinate and make ad hoc contacts with other INGOs security counterparts to collect security related information upon needs. Collect information from the other staff on security & safety issues or incidents in the areas of intervention. Create, develop and maintain a liaison network to collect information.
• Draft Incident Report upon demand from Field Coordinator.
• Under supervision of the Field Coordinator, disseminate relevant security advices and information to staffs.
• Responsible for generating daily, weekly and monthly SitReps based on the needs. 

OTHER

• Assists in translation and interpretation when needed and/or requested by the Field Coordinator.
• Participate in weekly base meeting & provides a security briefing upon request.
• Participate in security-related internal and external meetings when requested by the Field Coordinator.
• Any other tasks assigned by the Field Coordinator within the domain of safety, security, liaison and reporting.

DIRECT MANAGEMENT

• None

FUNCTIONAL MANAGEMENT

• Watchmen

REQUIRED PROFILE

Soft skills

• Reliable, sense of details, rigorous 
• Team player with good interpersonal skill
• Able to manage personal stress level
• Able to adapt communication strategies for different situations
• Detailed knowledge of Yemen’s geography, social and political context, including governance structure, processes and customs
• Knowledge of humanitarian sector, project & proposals to reinforce negotiation mechanism with relevant authorities
• Good communication, negotiation and representation skills
• Able to take initiative