Project officer Safety and Security – We Lead program

Job context

We Lead is an inspiring, innovative and far-reaching program aiming to improve the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRH-R) of young women from four specific groups: who live with HIV, that have a disability, who identify as lesbian, bisexual, trans or intersex, and who are affected by displacement. The program truly puts these young women rights holders in the driving seat, while supporting them to impactful and sustainably advocate for their SRH-R.

The program is being implemented in nine countries in Africa, the Middle East and Central America. The We Lead consortium consists of six civil society organizations (Positive Vibes, Restless Development, Marsa, FEMNET, the Central American Womenâs Fund, Hivos). The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also part of the partnership. Hivos is the lead party.

The program supports young womenâsâ groups and organizations. We connect these rightsholders with one another in local Communities of Action (CoAs) and support and coach them, so that they are better able to advocate for, claim, protect, and promote their SRH-R. For a start, they will localize the overarching We Lead Theory of Change. A local CoA-facilitator will guide the CoAs. We Lead supports with funding (through an innovative participatory grantmaking mechanism) and capacity strengthening and coaching initiatives.

The program started in January 2021 and is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under the SRHR Partnership Fund, which is part of the Strengthening Civil Society subsidy framework.

Main goal of the position

The project officer, Safety and Security, supports the program in the following key areas:

1. Strengthening the capacity of Communities of Action to establish safety and security structures such as early warning systems, crisis response guidelines, and security plans.
2. Working closely with the country security focal points and the S&S support partner, coordinate training for Communities of Action on monitoring and documentation of human rights violations in a database, which will be used for evidence-based advocacy.
3. Working closely with the communication and advocacy colleagues, coordinate awareness raising campaigns in-country, aimed at countering disinformation spread by the opposition.
4. Linking the program
5. right holders, COAS and other partners to the National Human Rights Defenders Coalitions in their respective country and at the regional level for support and coordination.

The PO Safety and security is responsible for upholding We Lead values and principles and translating them into practice. The PO coordinates the delivery of sound country level safety and security plans, protocols and tools needed by the COAS, strategic partners and other stakeholders in the program. The PO will also be charged with the responsibility of convening and guiding the safety and security working group, supporting in country security initiative and ensuring timely response to emerging safety and security issues. In doing so, s/he/they will closely work with the Hivos Program officers, the DMEL officers, L&A officer, Capacity strengthening officer, communications officer, country-based security focal points well as with the CoA facilitators.

The PO safety and security will be the main point of contact for the safety and security, wellness and wellbeing partner. They will manage the contract with this partner and support their activities in We lead countries.

Responsibilities Program Design

• Supports the CoAs in developing their safety and security strategies, workplans and protocols and ensure their implementation,
• Supports the COAS and country teams in conducting country level safety and security analysis and developing mitigation plans
• Manage the Program risk analysis matrix and ensure all actions are taken to prevent and respond to risks
• Spearhead the planning and reporting of safety and security components in the program

Implementation of Work Plans

• Ensure all countries have safety and security plans and are implemented
• Identify capacity gaps in the safety and security teams and organize training and capacity strengthening on the areas identified
• Receive all the reported the safety and security incidents and ensure follow up and conclusion of the same
• Ensures Hivosâ own safety and security activities are implemented according to plan.

Monitoring & Control

• Monitors progress towards established safety and security goals in CoAs, and in the organizational level or joint project plans, and flags in the Hivos overarching management team when problems arise.
• Relates progress to the overarching We Lead plans.

Coordination and Collaboration

• Throughout the process of project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, the PO plays a proactive role in coordinating with the CoA facilitator, with the organizations that participate in the CoA, with the host organization, with consortium members and with the regional and global Hivos team.
• Actively contributes to and supports activities at the national and regional level, ensuring a safety and security lens is applied in all the activities.
• Coordinate the Safe and Security working group where all the focal points of the We Lead countries participate.

Sharing, Learning and Quality Improvement

• Identifies, analyses and highlights success and good practices, as well as potential risks and problems.
• Proposes solutions for identified problems and follows-up on those.
• Contributes to identifying and sharing positive stories.
• Contributes to reflection and learning on both the national and regional level, as well as on the wider programmatic level.

Requirements

This is a medior position that will be based in any of the We Lead countries:

• Relevant degree or equivalent work experience, and academic level of working and thinking.
• Minimum of three years of relevant working experience.
• Work experience in working with civil society, in project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and working in international teams.
• Expertise in working on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRH-R) or with one or several of the rightsholder groups.
• Expertise in integrating safety and security in programs is MANDATORY
• Work experience in an international environment.
• Flexible attitude, creative, supports Hivosâ and We Leads values, has a progressive and positive view on SRH-R and the leadership of rightsholders.
• Full professional proficiency in English, French and / or Portuguese is a preference.
• Job skills: communication, project management, safety and security management independence, creativity, collaboration
• Level skills: conceptual skills, persuasiveness, decisiveness

We particularly welcome applications from women, trans and/or intersex people (in the broadest sense of each of these terms). We offer a contract based on Hivos local labor conditions, with a remuneration commensurate with the experience and expertise requested.