MOBILE SUPPORT TECHNICIAN DEI (DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION)

GENERAL CONTEXT

Médecins Sans Frontières is an international independent medical-humanitarian organization, which offers assistance to populations in distress, to victims of natural or man-made disasters and to victims of armed conflict, without discrimination and irrespective of race, religion, creed or political affiliation.

MSF is a civil society initiative that brings together individuals committed to the assistance of other human beings in crisis. As such MSF is by choice an association. Each individual working with MSF does it out of conviction and is ready to uphold the values and principles of MSF.

The MSF movement is built around six operational directorates supported by MSF’s 21 sections, 24 associations and other offices together worldwide. MSF OCBA is one of those directorates. The operations are implemented by project teams and coordination teams; together with the organizational units based in Barcelona, Nairobi, Dakar and Amman. The field operations are guided and supported by regional cells, the Emergency Unit and other departments supporting operations.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE OF THE POSITION

In line with OCBA Strategic Orientations, we are looking for a DEI Mobile Support Technician for the SAHEL and C. Africa region, in close collaboration with the Dakar HQ office, hierarchically accountable to the DEI lead and in collaboration with DEI HR & Culture Manager. S/he interacts with other HR key actors, primarily the HRM unit and the HRCOs in the field. While in the field, he/she works under the regular hierarchical and functional structures of the assignments, that is, under the line management of the HOM and in collaboration with the HRCO.

In terms of processes, the scope of MST’s work includes support to the assignments to implement processes based on the 8 Pillars of OCBA DEI Plan, as such: People Centered Approach, Medical programming, Institutional Cultural Change, Respect and understanding of different contexts, integration of DEI lenses at logistics procedures and work, internal communications, etc. For gender balance/inclusion, the DEI MST will be articulated to the work being done by the HR department.

The main objective of the position is to contribute to the promotion and understanding of DEI values and principles by conducting awareness sessions, developing new knowledge and learning activities, and supporting missions analyzing, identifying and tackling obstacles regarding diversity, equity and inclusion in the field, developing action plans to promote changes and proposing specific measures.

The MST by nature of this work is a moving position, from country to country in the West and Central African regions, based home with regular stays in Dakar before/after field visits.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS

1. Field Support

The MST gives support to missions during field visits of typically between 2- and 6-weeks duration. For each visit, the exact support needed from the assignment will be discussed between the Head of Dakar Unit and the Head of the DEI Unit, Cell HR Advisor, DEI HR & Culture Responsible, HR Responsible in the mission, and the MST him/herself, and will be agreed based on a “Terms of Reference” (ToR) document.

In terms of types of support, the scope of his/her work includes:

• Analyze existing sensitivity, knowledge and awareness of diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Build understanding and capacities on DEI among field staff rolling out training/briefing sessions for both locally hired and international mobile staff.
• Identify elements to improve DEI on recruitment and gender balance, propose measures and support recruitment missions’ teams on its implementation collaborating with the HR department, especially with the recruitment officer and the L&D manager.
• Integrate DEI perspective in staff development and career development of the staff (talent).
• Identify barriers for women local hired staff and propose measures to be implemented, in collaboration with HRCO and L&D Manager, and with Sahel Regional development Coordinator.
• Support the roll out of work-life balance strategy in each mission, in close collaboration with the DEI HR & Culture Responsible.
• Identify issues for female IMS related to the gender imbalance and propose action plans.
• Contact and visit local women and other minority group associations when suitable, in articulation with the PCA teams.
• Support Coordination teams in creating a field DEI action plan and advising regarding the way forward for implementation of the plan.
• To promote awareness sessions also to patients and caretakers after evaluating the strategy of the field assignment on how they relate to MSF (including PCA strategies) and MOH staff (in collaboration with the MOH) regarding gender staffing, DEI and access for communities we serve. This will be done in collaboration with PCA/CE teams.

2. Institutional Cultural Change

• To establish awareness sessions on topics (anti-racism, structural racism, affirmative action, disaggregated data, unconscious bias, intersectionality, colonialism, whiteness) relating to DEI where needed, adapted to the context and audiences, considering the inner knowledge of the countries and regions.
• To capitalize on the information sharing with the field staff evaluating and proposing new learning elements together with the DEI unit, so that it is best disseminated.
• Directly support implementing DEI initiatives focused on gender equality, institutional discrimination, and respect towards the LBGTQIAP+ communities (among other priorities that can be defined together with the field, and respecting the field priorities), in close collaboration with the HR departments in the assignments, and under the DEI Unit leadership.

3. Knowledge and Information

• To support the DEI Unit in disseminating information and evaluation tools in the field locations.
• To analyze existing knowledge, barriers and awareness in relation to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in each country and to adapt the awareness sessions to the different contexts and audiences (with guidance from the DEI Unit).
• To liaise with the DEI Lead and DEI HR and Culture Manager to update on findings and progresses in the field, and with other representatives from MSF in the field (Ops line management, PCA and Abuse prevention).
• To produce visit reports and other reports based on specific tasks, respecting the visit demands, including assessment of the context related to barriers, weaknesses and strengths of the mission, main topics of discussion and problems encountered, sessions and trainings done, reporting and communication systems that are in place or in need to be stablished/ to change.
• Mapping of initiatives on DEI taken by other actors in Sahel Region, and share best practices and lessons learnt.

SELECTION CRITERIA

• Education background in Anthropology, Education or any other social sciences.
• Individuals with excellent references in terms of behavior and DEI sensitivity.
• Experience and/or interest in DEI principles & values and anti-discrimination are important assets.
• Fluency or advanced knowledge in English and/or French, knowledge of any other local languages spoken in West or Central Africa is an asset.

CONDITIONS

• Homebased with regular stays in Dakar before/after visits. Frequent field visits (minimum 5 field visits per year).
• Full-time work.
• Commitment: minimum 1 year (with possible extension).
• Annual gross salary: IRP2 level 5 (divided in monthly payments) + secondary benefits based on MSF OCBA Reward policy. Subjected to local conditions Starting date: ASAP.
• Practical working conditions are as per the MSF-OCBA guideline.
• Starting date: ASAP.