National Occupational Health & Safety Officer with YECRP

Sanaa

Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
Location: Sanaa
Grade: Consultancy - SB-4 (SC8/SC9), Service Contract, Local Contractors Agreement
Occupational Groups:
- Public Health and Health Service
- Human Resources
- Poverty Reduction
- Security and Safety
- Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction
Closing Date: Closed

Background

The ongoing conflict in Yemen has resulted in a catastrophic humanitarian emergency with an increasing toll of civilian deaths and casualties across the country. Over 80 percent of Yemen’s population is estimated to need humanitarian assistance and more than 2.5 million Yemenis have become Internal Displaced People (IDPs). The continuing conflict has destroyed much of the institutional ability of key ministries, governorates and local authorities to deliver essential social services to citizens. Public service restoration is essential for a smooth transition to recovery, as a political agreement is being negotiated. Combining communities’ own efforts with whatever limited state institutional capacity remains are needed to both curtail further humanitarian deterioration and the political ramifications of total state collapse.

In this context, UNDP, in partnership with the World Bank, developed a project to step up current efforts of the international community to deliver critically needed livelihood support and service delivery to a population hit hard by the conflict. The Yemen Emergency Crisis Response Project (YECRP) contributes to improving the resilience of participating households and communities and helps host communities of IDPs to cope with the economic and social pressures on the already scarce resources. It contributes to local area economies by supporting local communities, private sector contractors, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and improving the purchasing power of benefitting communities.

The YECRP is a large national project funded by World Bank and implemented UNDP with a duration of 24 months; and has been in operation since September 2016. Two Responsible Parties, Social Fund for Development (SFD) and the Public Works Project (PWP) have been identified to deliver the following outputs:

1)Short-term income-generation – through labor-intensive Cash-for-Work schemes and small-scale community infrastructure rehabilitation leading to increased income-generation and livelihoods including access to productive assets for households. The end result will be that Yemeni households benefit from short-term income and livelihoods opportunities irrespective of gender, age, and displacement status.

2)Recovery of SMEs – through improvement of access to finance and Micro-Finance Institution (MFI) operations leading to enhanced resilience and recovery of financial service providers and SMEs (including agriculture-based SMEs). The end result will be that financial service providers and SMEs are able to sustain and scale up their business operations creating additional employment.

3)Increasing community assets – through reconstruction and rehabilitation of community infrastructure leading to functional key socio-economic community infrastructure. The end result is that the communities benefit from restored socio-economic community assets through extended basic service delivery.

YECRP is concerned about the human, social and economic costs of environmental hazards, occupational accidents, injuries and diseases have long been caused for concern at all levels from the individual workplace to field interventions. The implementing partners have been supported to upgrade and introduced proper measures and policies prevent, control, reduce or eliminate occupational hazards and risks need to be in place and applied. In High risk contexts, such as Yemen, this is particularly important.

UNDP Yemen now seeks to recruit a National Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Officer to support in monitoring and assuring compliance of the implementing partners to community health, safety and working conditions. This includes the need to respect and promote workers’ rights and that project workers have safe and healthy working conditions to prevent accidents, injuries, and disease.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the guidance of the Team Leader Economic Resilience and Recovery Unit, the YECRP Project Manager, and direct supervision of the International Safeguard Specialist, the National OHS Officer will support in management and ensuring that the UNDP’s corporate Social and Environmental Standards (SES) (www.undp.org/ses) are applied to improve occupational health standards and services for internal and external use, contributing to improved decision making and to facilitate compliance with occupational health and safety (OHS) guidelines. As well as ensure compliance and enforcement of safeguard measure to prevent injuries and accidents and taking of appropriate response measure to address lawfully and rightfully any fatality and injury that may happen. In the context of the YECRP, also ensure consistency with the World Bank’s environmental and social safeguards. The main duties of the Officer are:

Contribute in strengthening YECRP OHS measures according to UNDP SES and legal standards and foster a culture of attention to environment, social, health and safety while planning and implementation of YECRP activities and interventions.
Contribute in review of existing policies and measures and update according to international standards to ensure application of advanced safeguard policies, frameworks, guidelines and toolkits.
Advise and instruct on various OHS topics
Contribute in development and ensure conducting of OHS risk assessment and enforce preventative and mitigation measures
Review OHS reports of Responsible Parties (RPs), in order to ensure compliance with YECRP Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) and UNDP SES.
Conduct regular field visits to assess subproject sites, meet with the local beneficiaries and partners to make sure that potential adverse occupational health and safety hazards are appropriately avoided and managed; and to identify potential areas of contractors’ non-compliance with the OHS policies of the YECRP at sub-project level and suggest required mitigation measures.
Provide particularly oversight and support for sub-projects that have higher levels of OHS risk .
Monitor OHS compliance during work on progress, construction and operational phases to follow up and monitor the status of implementing mitigation and preventive OHS measures, prepare regular monitoring reports based on OHSF monitoring templates, monitor RPs database for all subprojects which details the project title, contract number, location, start of civil works contract, dates for each field visit, etc. and ensure that actions in the plans are fully respected.
Alert relevant authority to prevent or stop unsafe acts. Accordingly report justifications for the suspension any unsafe acts, processes or sub-project that may have adverse occupational health and safety hazards until proper mitigation measures are in place and corrective actions are taken in accordance with the set safeguard frameworks.
Develop database and update record on of fatalities and injuries and investigate incidents to determine causes and handle compensation claims.
Contribute in preparation of reports on safeguard issues occurrences and provide statistical information to the YECRP PM.
Participate in YECRP planning processes to identify any safeguard concerns and propose mitigative and preventive measures to control and manage adverse safeguards risks and issues.
Review and ensure updating of the incident action plans of the RPs for safety implications, incident recording, response and reporting schemes.
Contribute in the investigation of fatality cases and high impact injuries to ensure all due obligations are taken, compliance measures are respected, and deceased parties are fully aware of their rights and compensation and settlements are concluded rightfully and legitimately without any harm. As well as in drafting the report on the closure of the cases.
Coordinate with relevant RPs on sharing information as warranted by the ESMF and work closely with other safeguards focal points and Officer.
Keep the YECRP PM informed on progresses as well as on emerging challenges on regular basis.
Contribute in development of OHS training plans/materials and execution of the training programs to enhance the capacities of the RPs.
Develop relationships with RPs and key stakeholders, provide on-going liaison to ensure information flows schemes on safeguard issues and concerns are established and maintained, and help reinforce capacity of partners in planning, implementation and enforcement of safeguard measures according to standardized practices;
Provide liaison support with relevant partners and stakeholders to promote information sharing and coordination; and
Perform any other relevant duties as assigned by the supervisor.

The incumbent of the position should avoid any kind of discriminatory behavior including gender discrimination and ensure that

Human rights and gender equality is prioritized as an ethical principle within all actions;
Activities are designed and implemented in accordance with “Social and Environmental Standards of UNDP”;
Any kind of diversities based on ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, disability, religion, class, gender are respected within all implementations including data production;
Differentiated needs of women and men are considered;
Inclusive approach is reflected within all actions and implementations, in that sense an enabling and accessible setup in various senses such as disability gender language barrier is created;
Necessary arrangements to provide gender parity within all committees, meetings, trainings etc. introduced.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
Ability to work with a multi-cultural and diverse team

Level 4: Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise

Functional Competencies:

Pomotes Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing
Makes the case for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches;
Identifies new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms.

Level 4: Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise

Technical Expertise

Practical experience in occupational health and safety and risk management procedures and guidelines.
Demonstrated comprehensive understanding on environmental and social Impact assessments and developing related Environmental, Social and occupational health management plans and frameworks.
Demonstrated experience with monitoring and evaluation.
Understands more advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines;
Keeps abreast of new developments in the area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally;
Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments;
Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments

Level 4: Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise

Teamwork

Excellent interpersonal skills and team spiri. Ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment and respects diversity.
Works collaboratively with colleagues and shares knowledge to achieve organizational objectives.

Level 4: Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

A Master's degree is required with a minimum three years of experience in occupational health or another relevant field.
A Bachelor’s degree with at least five years of professional experience in relevant field may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experience:

Field experience in the field of safeguard programme planning and implementation for community-based initiatives and projects
Excellent knowledge of safeguard legislations and procedures
Excellent knowledge of potentially hazardous materials or practices
Experience with writing policies and procedures for health and safety
Familiarity with conducting data analysis and reporting statistics
Proficient in MS Office
Working knowledge of safety management information system
Completion of trainings or certification in occupational health and safety a distinct advantage
Relevant experience working with an UN agency or other humanitarian agency is desirable;
Experience in the area of emergency preparedness, crisis/emergency relief management, humanitarian/development environment, early recovery field coordination is an asset

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English and Arabic, both written and oral

Disclaimer

Important applicant information

All posts in the SC categories are subject to local recruitment.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Workforce diversity

UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

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This vacancy is now closed.
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