Consultant – Regional Security Advisor, Asia – Global – ReliefWeb

Background:

Mercy Corps works in some of the most demanding and difficult countries and regions of the world. Ethical and effective safety and security management are vital to continue providing programing support to the most vulnerable.

The global security team at Mercy Corps is a key part of the agency’s overall risk management mechanism and an integral part of field program operations. Mercy Corps’ security approach involves acceptance-based strategies, quality information analysis, cross-departmental communications, planning and tactical skills, and adherence to our global security policies.

Purpose / Project Description:
The Regional Security Advisor Asia Consultant will cover Mercy Corps’ Asia region which includes the following countries: Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Timor-Leste, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

The consultant will work with the country and regional teams to reduce the risk exposure of Mercy Corps’ staff, so that they can fulfill their program objectives. The consultant will guide and support the country risk management team and incident management teams in preparation and risk mitigation activities. The Regional Security Advisor Asia Consultant is available to help the team respond to an incident and can act as a liaison to global security in the event of a critical incident or crisis to ensure timely and appropriate communication.

Globally the Consultant advances best practices through security management training, technical advice and support for improved assessment, analysis, and planning.

The Regional Security Advisor Asia Consultant does not hold the authority to suspend operations, impose procedures or evacuate staff. The Regional Security Advisor Asia Consultant does not manage country Security Focal Points, but they have accountability to them in terms of quality and standards.

Consultant Objectives:
Security Management and Planning: The responsibility to implement security management plans lies with each country and the Country Director or Representative working with the Security Focal Point alongside the country risk management team. The Regional Security Advisor Consultant supports their implementation and provides technical support and quality control of this process. The Regional Security Advisor – Asia will support the development and maintenance of current security plans in a consistent format (using Mercy Corps’ template). Additional support may be required to other countries as assigned.

The Consultant will also ensure that each country office is actively working towards meeting Mercy Corps’ Global Minimum Standards of Safety and Security and that the associated checklist has been submitted to global security. S/he will ensure that local risk assessments and contingency planning are ready to be operationalized. The Regional Security Advisor Asia Consultant is required to support incident management of all critical incidents and crisis situations. Their support may be, from time to time, required to support the global portfolio.

Training and Orientation: The Regional Security Advisor Asia Consultant will work with the offices to ensure that all new staff hired at a regional, national or expatriate level, as well as official visitors to the region, receive a consistent and thorough security orientation upon hire/arrival in the region. This is the responsibility of Security Focal Points and in-country planning, but the Regional Security Advisor Asia Consultant will offer technical support, coaching, quality control and checks to ensure this critical task is done. Additional effort will be made to ensure that those deployed in safety or security risk areas receive enhanced training on personal security, first aid and the specific threats in those areas.

Information Management: Responsibility for monitoring the security environment in each country falls to the respective Country Directors and their in-country security focal points. The Regional Security Advisor Asia Consultant will ensure that field offices have access to good security information sources. While the Regional Security Advisor Asia Consultant is expected to remain conversant in the particular security challenges of each country, it remains the responsibility of the Security Focal Point to track and report security developments in each country. The Regional Security Advisor Asia Consultant should ensure that a system of incident reporting and after-incident review is in place reflecting Mercy Corps global policy and protocol. It is the Regional Security Advisor responsibility to report up critical incidents to the Senior Director of Global Security.

Technical support: The Regional Security Advisor – Asia should be readily available at all times to the Country Directors and field staff to advise on security developments. The Consultant is expected to be available during times of critical incidents and will be a part of any Crisis Management Team.

Activities:

• Support effective security management
• Advise, plan and participate (remotely as well as in person) in security training activities
• Work with country risk management teams to assess and respond to safety and security threats
• Provide quality control and technical support for security planning and management
• Ensure that field offices have access to good security information
• Support the system of incident reporting and after-incident review that is currently in place, and implement improvements, if needed.
• Report up critical incidents as needed
• Serve on the crisis management team, if needed

Deliverables:

• Each country in the Asia region has current Security Management plan posted to the Mercy Corps digital library
• Each country in the Asia region has completed their Global Minimum Standards for Safety and Security checklist and identified areas for improvement.
• Countries in the Asia region continue to receive appropriate training and orientation for their context
• Incident reporting is consistent and documented throughout the region with critical incidents reported up.

Timeframe / Schedule: As soon as possible.

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Senior Director of Global Security

Works Closely With: Regional Directors, Country Directors, Security Focal Points, Humanitarian Leadership and Response team, Senior Program Office, Global Security.

Required Knowledge and Experience:

• Graduate degree in a relevant field preferred
• Paramedic or EMT certification; specific focus on trauma (trauma tech) required.
• Minimum of 10 years’ field experience related to safety, security and humanitarian response
• Prior experience with adult learning, mentoring, coaching, organizational development and training
• Minimum 7 years previous experience in NGO security management
• Strong program and project management skills required.
• Prior experience and deep understanding of Mercy Corps safety and security tools, templates, training materials, processes and standards. Specifically, experience supporting country security focal points utilizing Mercy Corps’ security management plan templates in order to update their country security plans.
• Experience applying global minimum standards for safety and security in a country context, and suggesting updates based on feedback from country security staff.
• Experience implementing the security checklist review process with country security focal points
• Working knowledge of the majority of countries in the Mercy Corps Asia region
• Experience with cross border programming and refugee movements

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our stakeholders and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.