Recrutement  SUDAN (Darfur & Khartoum) - Human Ressources Officer

Darfur
Darfur is located in the west part of Sudan and is facing a situation of conflict since April 2003 when two rebel movements (SLA and JEM) launched an insurgency against the rule of Khartoum. The Sudanese government responded disproportionately to that small rebellion launched by groups of young men, in protest against the marginalization and neglect of their region and the deadly attacks on their indigenous communities throughout the previous decade by militiamen. The government’s army led these same militias, known as the janjaweed, into an indiscriminate counter-insurgency campaign targeted at these same communities. The ensuing humanitarian emergency in Darfur is affecting today more than 3.5 million people, including more than 2 million Internally Displaced persons (IDPs) and approximately 220,000 refugees in eastern Chad and more than 200,000 dead.
The rapid and uncontrolled growth of the movements proved a complicating factor, as their political action is generally weak, and their military command and control diffuse. Rebel fragmentation is already playing out in other ways, challenging the implementation of any peace agreement.
MdM activities in Darfur were located in Nyala (South Darfur) and in Kass (Northern Nyala). In Nyala, MdM was working in Kalma camp by supporting a comprehensive PHCU (Primary Health Care Unit) with special mainstreaming on victims of violence. Besides this PHCU, MdM implemented mobile clinics in the area of Kass (Northern Nyala), in remote areas, and in Djebel Mara to re-activate the offer of health care services for vulnerable population affected by the conflict.
The Board of Médecins du Monde - France, on 20th January 2007, decided the suspension of the activities of the organisation in Darfur for an unspecified duration. This decision was based on the current security conditions which prevented to appropriately respond to the needs of the population and which considerably restricted the access to the most vulnerable people in remote areas. MdM has since officially announced its intention to return to South Darfur and a team has conducted an assessment mission to define the feasibility of a new program with the following characteristics.
Situated on the eastern down slopes of the crater in Jebel Mara, a few isolated valleys connect together numerous villages in the area of Deribat. With a wall of three thousand meter high mountains to the west and difficult ranges of lower mountains to the south it has always been slightly isolated from the rest of Darfur. Its location and mountainous trails has safeguarded it from the direct impact of nomadic tribes during the conflict.
The tribal setup of this area is dramatically simple compared to the rest of south Darfur. With an exception of few, everybody is Fur and they have stayed in these valleys for generations. Migration in and out of these valleys was quite uncommon before the conflict started. This has slightly changed with the conflict having chased many people from the east into these valleys to join their relatives. Their communal approach has survived the conflict as the majority of the population seems to have remained in place. In this communal approach there are ways to provide care to the poorest while road reconstruction or street cleaning are shared by all who live in the villages.
The area has been under SLA control for most of the time during the conflict. Recently, Abdel Wahid, who controls most of the rest of Jebel Mara with his SLA faction, came into the valleys to add them to the area of his control. This takeover seems to have happened in a relatively calm way in which the population was spared of the impact of the limited fights. The population’s support, not to say request, for this takeover seems quite unanimous.
Analysing the security situation in the state up close it clarifies that the current access problems are related to increased fractioning of the rebel movement, increased fighting in several areas and a resulting direct threat to INGO cars and property. With now only one controlling party and only one tribe in and around the valleys of Deribat, further split of into factions or fighting less likely to happen today. Hijacks and robberies are therefore highly unlikely in the area. In a strange way this makes this area one of the safest places to operate at this moment in time in southern Darfur.
With a strong ability to take care of itself when the crops are good the population has been able to stay in their valleys. However, that does not create a full food balance. The medical situation is also quite specific as a number of dedicated medical staff has continued their work in the health district that was set up in 1997 by UNICEF. Having been trained once and in most cases years before the conflict, the capacity of the health staff is due for an update. Being cut-off from any distribution of drugs and having only limited commercial traffic in and out of the valleys, drugs are generally not available or quite expensive in the commercial dispenser stores. Main pathologies seem to be: Diarrhoea, Malnutrition, Maternal and infant-related morbid-mortality, Malaria, Acute jaundice, Pneumonia (Acute Respiratory Infections). It can be concluded that pregnant women, young mothers and their newborn infants’ situation is a medical priority. For immunisation UNICEF had started to provide a cold chain but it has never been structurally integrated in the health care system. The last campaign on measles was in 2004 while outbreaks were still reported last year. Apart from some polio campaigns there seems to be literally non existent immunisation coverage. Having been identified a problem for Darfur in general; the referral options in these valleys are virtually non existent.
The expatriate team is composed by in:
Khartoum: 1 Site Coordinator, 1 Logistician,
Nyala: 1 General Coordinator, 1 Administrative coordinator, 1 Logistian coordinator, 1 Human Resources Officer,
Deribat: 1 Site Coordinator, 1, Medical Coordinator, 1 Medical Doctor, 1 Midwife, 1 Nurse, 1 Logistician
The national team is composed by: Administrator assistant, liaison officer, security officer, logistician assistant, medical team, drivers, guards, cook, cleaners, etc. (Recruitment on process in Darfur); recruitment done in South Sudan and Khartoum.
The post of Human Resources Officer comes under the management responsibility of the Administrative Coordinator and in operational consultation with the National Human Resources Managers at headquarters.
The Human Resources Officer is in charge of evaluating, developing and deploying HR tools and procedures in line with MDM national policies and internal procedures. Make recommendations concerning the future role and responsibilities of a Human Resources position on the field.
The Responsibilities are the following:
- Monitoring of legislation: Draw up and implement a procedure for monitoring changes to the law and statutory requirements
- Recruitment: Devise and implement a standardised recruitment procedure for use at all sites
- Staff pay: Update salary scales, ensuring they comply with legislation, and harmonise pay scales in relation to each site
- Archiving: Design and set up a secure system for archiving HR documents
Departure: ASAP
Duration: 6 months
Status: volunteer
Monthly Allowance: 800 Euros + Daily subsistence

Profile:

* Experience in team management

* Experience in a similar position

* Experience in negotiations and relations with national authorities in a difficult legal, administrative, legal and political context (very important)

* Experience abroad

* Legal experience or knowledge

* Administrative Human Resources management background

* Excellent command of Excel

* Patience, reactivity, anticipation, adaptability, capacity to take initiatives, impartiality

* Organisational skills, rigor

* Ability to synthesise, to classify and to manage priorities, to produce tools and documents

* Listening and diplomacy skills

* Capacity to work and to live in tense conditions

* Excellent knowledge of Office Pack & Windows Environment

* English (Fluency oral and written) + French and Arabic would be assets