Research consultant - Impact Counterterrorism & Countering Violent Extremism on Humanitarian Action - NRC Geneva

NRC and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) commissioned a study on the Impact of Counterterrorism Measures on Principled Humanitarian Action which was published in 2013. The study found a number of areas of impact and risk for humanitarian actors from donor counterterrorism measures and proposed recommendations to mitigate these impacts. NRC subsequently released a Risk Management Toolkit in Relations to Counterterrorism Measures in 2015. Through its role as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Reference Group on Principled Humanitarian Action, NRC has led a variety of activities related to the impact of Counterterrorism (CT) measures on humanitarian operations. In response to the growing interest in Preventing/Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) and its intersection with humanitarian assistance, NRC published a Position Paper on CVE related to humanitarian action in 2017.
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) seeks a qualified professional to support NRC’s research into the impact of CT and Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) measures on principled humanitarian action. This work is financed by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NMFA).

RATIONALE
Although the CT/humanitarian environment is linked to the CVE/humanitarian environment, they are two distinct subjects which must be treated as such. NRC intends to conduct research which explores both topics, but which treats them separately in the final report.

NRC does not challenge the importance of CT, but ask that CT measures do not delay, alter or prevent humanitarian assistance. Despite growing research, and increased lobbying by non-profit organisations to donors and states to mitigate the impact on CT measures on humanitarian action, CT measures persist (e.g. most often through donor/UN grant requirements). There have been repeated calls from donors for humanitarian actors to demonstrate more recent impact of CT measures on humanitarian operations. A fresh review of the impact of CT measures will serve multiple purposes:
 Provide a baseline to launch a revision of the Risk Management Toolkit.
 Support ongoing inter-agency policy (e.g. IASC) and advocacy work on CT and humanitarian action.
 Complement NRC ongoing work on the Grand Bargain which is focused on donor conditionalities.

Simultaneously, the humanitarian community has observed the growing importance of CVE as it pertains to humanitarian action. As of 2017, there has been limited exploration of this intersection. Through its own operational and policy experience, NRC estimates that a focused, evidence-based research is now needed to identify its potential impact on principled humanitarian action. This exploration aims at mapping the intersection of CVE measures on principled humanitarian action and substantiating ongoing policy and advocacy work (e.g. NRC, IASC) with evidence-based recommendations.