NORDEM roster is seeking Norwegian Citizen for Human Dimension Officer - Special Monitoring Mission Ukraine - OSCE - Expert Deployment/ NORCAP

NORCAP is the Norwegian Refugee Council’s expert deployment capacity. It consists of several, world-leading standby rosters, one of which is NORDEM, the Norwegian resource bank for democracy and human rights. NORCAP strengthens international and national partners’ capacity to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from crisis. We do this by delivering the right expertise, building strategic partnerships and advocating for more effective action. Our NORDEM experts specialise in human rights and support for democracy. 

The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) was deployed on 21 March 2014, following a request to the OSCE by Ukraine's government and a consensus decision by all 57 OSCE participating States. The SMM is a civilian mission, present on the ground in all regions of Ukraine. Its main tasks are to monitor and report in an impartial and objective way on the situation in Ukraine; and to facilitate dialogue among all parties to the crisis.

The Mission is mandated to contribute to reducing tensions and to help foster peace, stability and security, and to support the implementation of all OSCE principles and commitments. The Mission engages with authorities at all levels, as well as civil society, ethnic and religious groups and local communities to facilitate dialogue on the ground. The Mission gathers information and reports on the security situation, establishes and report facts in response to specific incidents, including those concerning alleged violations of fundamental OSCE principles.

Tasks and Responsibilities

Initial duration of appointment/assignment for this post is until 31 March 2018, subject to a subsequent OSCE Permanent Council Decision to extend the mandate of the Mission.

If applicable, deployment is subject to attendance to and successful completion of pre-deployment training and assessment. As part of the recruitment process applicants must be determined as fit to work for the SMM prior to appointment/assignment, by completing a medical examination form and/or medical questionnaire, which will be assessed by a duly qualified medical practitioner appointed by the SMM.

Applicants are hereby notified that the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) is designated by the OSCE as a nonfamily duty station. This designation is based on the fluid and dynamic working environment in the SMM and with due consideration to recommendations of the UN International Civil Service Commission. The currently prevailing working conditions in the duty station may include working in a hazardous location with extended hours of service, and possibly curtailed freedom of movement. Successful candidates who are appointed to locations deemed by the OSCE as hazardous will receive hazard pay. In addition, all successful candidates will be required to participate in the OSCE accident and life insurance scheme in accordance with the OSCE Staff Regulations and Staff Rules.

 Under the general direction of the Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) and the immediate supervision of the Head of Human Dimension, the Human Dimension Officer will be tasked with:

 

1. Collecting, researching, documenting and analysing information pertaining to assigned human dimension issues;

2. Providing input and advice on human dimension issues as relevant to the Mission's work in the country;

3. Preparing briefing, talking points, analytical documents and contributing to the draft of various documents and reports;

4. Participating in the development of operational guidance and data collection tools to support the appropriate implementation of human rights monitoring throughout the country;

5. Co-ordinating with other relevant Mission components, both at the Head Quarter and field Monitoring Team level to ensure appropriate integration of human dimension monitoring activities into planning and operational processes;

6. Organizing and developing internal capacity building activities on human rights monitoring, particularly on assigned thematic priorities;

7. Contributing to the integration of gender mainstreaming into all monitoring and reporting activities;

8. Keeping abreast of developments in the assigned thematic responsibilities;

9. Establishing and maintaining contacts with and between national authorities, NGOs, universities and research institutions as well as with international organizations and other field operations on human rights-related issues;

10. Assisting to develop cross-dimensional human rights approach for the Mission to address human rights and fundamental freedom issues and conducting human rights mainstreaming into its activities;

11. Establishing and maintaining contacts with and between national authorities, NGOs, universities and research institutions as well as with international organizations and other field operations on human rights-related issues;

12. Performing other related duties as required.

General Minimum Requirements

The general minimum requirements for working with the OSCE are:

- Excellent physical condition

- Possession of a valid automobile driving license and ability to drive using manual transmission

- Ability to cope with physical hardship and willingness to work extra hours and in an environment with limited infrastructure

 

Field of Expertise Requirements

The general minimum requirements for working in this field of expertise are:

- University education in political sciences, international relations, public policy, law, international human rights law or other human rights related fields

- Experience working with human rights, minority or gender issues

- Demonstrable organizational, analytical, communication and interpersonal skills

- Experience in drafting reports

 

Level of Professional Competence Requirements

Furthermore, this level of responsibility requires the following:

Education: Advanced degree in a relevant field

Experience: Minimum 6 years of relevant professional experience

 

Mission Specific Requirements

Additionally, this particular post has specific requirements:

Mandatory:

- First-level university degree in law, political science, international relations or human rights related field;

- Previous work experience in the field of human rights and rule of law, including monitoring, analysing and reporting on the relevant legislation and issues of human rights and fundamental freedoms;

- Excellent drafting, analytical and communication skills, including the capacity to convey complex concepts and recommendations in a clear and concise fashion for different audiences;

- Experience in liaising with representatives of governmental and non-governmental structures;

- Knowledge of international human rights standards and OSCE human dimension commitments, as well as mechanisms of implementation;

- Ability to identify and analyse emerging human rights problems and propose solutions;

- Flexibility and ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines and under minimum supervision;

- Professional fluency in the English language, both oral and written, and the ability to report clearly and concisely;

- Excellent communication and drafting skills;

- Tact and diplomacy in dealing with senior officials, government representatives, non-governmental organizations as well as the local population;

- Ability to cope with physical hardship and willingness to work extra hours and in an environment with limited infrastructure; proven resilience to high stress environment;

- Demonstrated ability and willingness to work as a member of a team, with people of different cultural and religious backgrounds, different gender, and diverse political views, while maintaining impartiality and objectivity;

- Ability to operate windows applications, including word processing and e-mail.

Desirable:

- Experience in working in international organizations, operational missions or governments;

- Experience in organizing capacity building activities/delivering training and briefings;

- Working knowledge of the Russian and/or Ukrainian language(s).

For more detailed information on the structure and work of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, please see http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm