Country Director – Honduras At Handicap International – Humanity & Inclusion

Contextualization

Honduras is a country characterized by a high level of crime. According to a study by the National Police: in 2022, 3,397 homicides were recorded, which represents a homicide rate of 35.8 per 100,000 inhabitants, a figure that is still high for a country that is not experiencing an internal war. The global average homicide rate tolerated by the United Nations is 8.8 per 100,000 inhabitants. Two of its cities (Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula) are on the list of the 50 most dangerous cities in the world. In general, the deaths are attributed to a greater extent to organized crime and gangs known as “maras”, which dispute territories for the sale of drugs and extortion. Indeed, maras and gangs exercise strong control in the neighborhoods of the main cities of Honduras through threats and persecution. The most recognized gangs are the Salvatrucha (MS13) and the 18 gang, but there are other smaller gang groups such as Talangeños, Olanchos, Tercereños, Copetín, Chirizos, West Side, Mara 61, among others.

Young people between 18 and 30 years old continue to be the main victims of homicide with 38% of the total victims. Firearms continue to be the main weapon used in homicides in Honduras, reaching 77.3% and 68.7% in men and women respectively (undp.org, 2022). Ten municipalities accounted for 39% of the total homicides: Central District, San Pedro Sula, Choloma, Catacamas, La Ceiba, Juticalpa, Danlí, Tocoa, Olanchito and Comayagua.

One of the most worrying crimes in the country is feminicide, which has the highest rate in Latin America with 4.6 cases per 100,000 women. Between January and October 2022, 252 violent deaths of women were recorded. Likewise, the LGTBIQ community in Honduras is also a recurring victim, since 46 people belonging to this community were murdered in 2022.

On the other hand, another frequent crime in the country is extortion. In 2022, extortion in Honduras increased by 153% compared to 2021, reaching the second highest record of the decade with 1,824 complaints. Sixty-two percent of extortion complaints are concentrated in two municipalities: the Central District and San Pedro Sula.

Nine percent of extortions are recorded in urban areas and 60% of the victims are people between 31 and 50 years old (Undersecretary of Security in Police Affairs; 2022). While in the cities the maras and gangs exercise control, in rural areas, the groups that exercise control are the drug cartels. In areas with drug cartels, there are generally no maras or gangs. In fact, Honduras has historically been a transit country for cocaine leaving South America. Specifically, the Mosquitia jungle region has been ideal for international cocaine trafficking. This area has been the main gateway, by sea, air and land, for the last two decades.

The location is strategic: its border with Nicaragua is porous, it has a wide coastline on the Caribbean Sea and dense jungles that are difficult to access. From here the main drug corridors feed into Guatemala, Mexico and the United States. Furthermore, Mosquitia offers an attraction for criminal networks: the almost total absence of the State and the complicity of some representatives of its weak institutions.

Based on the HI assessment carried out in May 2023, the main risks in Honduras are: Urban area = assaults, robberies, sexual violence, road seizures/blockades, extortion. Rural area = traffic accidents due to poor road conditions (landslides), floods/hurricanes, crossfire, road seizures.

PRESENTATION

Humanity & Inclusion (HI) is the new name of Handicap International. HI is an independent and impartial aid and development organization, without religious or political affiliations, that operates in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflicts and disasters. We work alongside people with disabilities and vulnerable people to help meet their essential needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights. Outraged by the injustice faced by people with disabilities and vulnerable populations, we aspire to a world of solidarity and inclusion, enriched by our differences, where everyone can live with dignity. HI has missions in 60 countries, 7 of them in Latin America.

On the continent, HI is present in Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Haiti, Peru and Venezuela, implementing projects at the national and regional level. As part of our strategy we are also analyzing operations in Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama). The projects implemented by HI or through its partners in Latin America are organized around three axes: (i) health (mental health and psychosocial support, rehabilitation, sexual and reproductive health and rights, protection against gender violence), ( ii) protection (protection from violence, inclusive risk management, humanitarian demining and integrated mine action, mine risk education, victim assistance, conflict transformation); iii) inclusive education and sustainable livelihoods (inclusive education, economic and financial inclusion).

For more information about the organization: http://www.hi.org ; http://www.hi-lac.org

Mission context

HI implemented several contracts in Honduras between 1999 and 2010, in the areas of community-based rehabilitation (CBR), inclusive education, early detection, inclusion of people with disabilities in inclusive disaster risk management. Honduras was then part of a regional program for Central America, with operations also in Nicaragua and El Salvador. In 2021, after a needs analysis, HI decided to reopen its operations in this country. HI operations in the country could focus on: emergency response, supporting vulnerable people and protecting their fundamental rights in contexts of disasters, violence and poverty; Response to the migration situation, including access to livelihoods, health, SMAPS and protection services; Inclusive disaster risk management, based on HI’s previous experience in LAC; Support to civil society and local authorities on inclusive policies and data; and Economic Inclusion for vulnerable people with disabilities.

Currently, it does not have permanent staff, but technical assistance activities are carried out through missions. HI is providing technical support on disability inclusion to a consortium in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. A consulting firm is also supporting the organization in positioning HI in Central America, supporting the presentation of proposals to institutional donors and supporting the implementation of technical assistance activities. The reactivation of the local HI registry is expected to be achieved in the first half of 2024 in order to strengthen the deployment of activities in the country.

HI has submitted two project proposals to ECHO (HIP 2024) for Honduras, one on inclusive protection case management and the other on the development of a care pathway for people with disabilities. If approved, personnel and operations should be deployed to Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula for 12 months.

POSITION OBJECTIVES

Reporting to the Regional Director for Latin America, the Honduras Country Manager contributes to the implementation of the Humanity and Inclusion mandate and strategy within their geographic scope, which may include the identification, planning and supervision of interventions in other Central American countries. . He ensures the optimal quality and impact of the projects implemented in his country through a delegation system with appropriate control mechanisms. With all HI directors and through paradigm shifts, he shares responsibility for the good management and effective functioning of the global organization.

FUNCTIONS DESCRIPTION

General mission:

The Country Manager is the legal representative in the country for all HI, both internally and externally, and promotes the excellent reputation and positive image of HI.

• It is responsible for developing and implementing the project portion of the Regional Division’s operational strategy for the country in which it is based.
• Contributes to organizational transformation in line with the Simplification, Shared Services and ROOTS projects. In the event of an emergency, assumes responsibility in accordance with the defined response framework.
• Under the direction of the Technical Unit, the Program Unit, the HAS Unit and the directors of the Support Services, and deploying all appropriate instruments, it guarantees the supervision of operations in the country, as well as financial control, compliance with HI policies and frameworks and respecting contractual commitments to donors.
• Actively monitors and analyzes the evolution of the situation in the context of its geographical area to identify risks and opportunities and proposes measures to the Regional Director. If agreed, also in the identification, planning, implementation in other Central American countries.

Responsibilities:

Responsibility 1: Management

1. He is the manager (direct report) of an operational team made up of the country’s project managers.

• Promotes team spirit and teamwork to ensure necessary synergies and exchange of good practices between project managers, regional managers and headquarters colleagues.
• Based on the program’s human resources strategy (in the StratOp), it measures and plans the human resources needs for the projects in the country.
• Recruits and contributes to the professional development, autonomy and well-being at work of project managers in the country: in collaboration with the corresponding professional channels and the regional Human Resources manager, establishes formalized individual objectives, guarantees coherence between needs of HI and the competencies and motivation of its teams, develops and supervises a competency development plan, evaluates individual performance, contributes to the professional and career development of its supervisees.
• Recognizes individual and collective efforts and performance.
• It embodies and transmits HI’s values, ensures respect for its code of conduct and institutional policies, monitors individual and collective behavior and applies disciplinary measures when necessary.
• Coordinates daily work interactions between project managers and support teams (technical and shared services, functional liaisons), to facilitate the implementation of the project in the country.
• Conduct periodic project reviews with project managers and the regional technical unit, program unit and support services.
• Attends the Division Senior Management Team (SMT) meeting facilitated by the Regional Director and any other defined space with your supervisor.

2. Directs organizational transformation, through change in management and labor practices and continuous improvement of work processes.

• Sizes and plans the necessary resources, hires project managers (guarantees skills adapted to the challenges and ambitions of the projects), develops and supervises its skills development plan, in collaboration with the corresponding professional channels and the regional Resources manager Humans.
• Contributes to the fundraising strategy defined in the program’s operational strategy:

  – Within the operational framework defined in StratOp, identify and transform financing opportunities in the country, carry out the design and writing of new projects (country scope) and contribute to the design, writing and fundraising of large multi-country projects ( under the responsibility of the PUM).

  – Establishes regular contacts with donors in the field and liaises with PUM to ensure consistency with overall programming and fundraising strategy. – In coordination with the TUM, identifies and develops local associations and/or consortia with NGOs, institutions and companies on technical priorities or important issues in the country/region.

• Optimizes resource allocation at the country level and plans accordingly (including support missions) in coordination with the Regional Director

3. Ensures implementation and compliance with global frameworks, institutional policies and HI standards.

These include the mandatory frameworks (HI Mission and Values, HI Theory of Change: Access to services, etc.), all HI institutional policies (Security / Code of Conduct and Protection / Prevention of Bribery / PME and Framework of Project Quality / AgeGender-Disability), all institutional directives and processes; delegation thresholds; security levels.

4. Ensures financial control and monitoring of the projects under its responsibility:

Consolidation, control and reporting to the Regional Director on operational and organizational aspects for the country (scorecards, corrective measures, unrestricted consumption of funds, etc.).

• Ensures the application of technical quality standards in projects and oversees the implementation of donor assessments and audit recommendations at the national level.
• Facilitates internal audits (operational, financial and organizational) and guarantees the application of its recommendations.

  5. Regarding potential opportunities and risks, contributes to the monitoring and analysis of the current evolution of the country, in coordination with the Regional Director.

• At the national level and in coordination with the Regional Director, implements the analysis and monitoring of risks and opportunities related to the presence and activities of HI; implements risk mitigation actions decided by the Regional Director; and ensures the implementation of humanitarian surveillance and (when so decided by the Regional Director) of an emergency preparedness plan in the country.
• In coordination with the Regional Director and the regional Security Manager, implements the security plan and contributes to the construction of a security culture at the national level.

Responsibility 3: Legal representative

3.1 Is the legal representative in the country for all HI, both internally and externally, and promotes the excellent reputation and positive image of HI. This includes:

• Employer representation responsibilities and compliance with local labor laws.  Communications on behalf of HI, in coordination with the Regional Director.
• Representation of the HI before local, national, traditional, political, military and diplomatic authorities and organizations.
• Representation of high society before international organizations and coordination mechanisms and systems.
• Negotiation, signing and monitoring of operational partnerships, in collaboration with the Regional Director Others: Delegation level.
• Regarding the protection of beneficiaries, it respects and ensures compliance with institutional policies by employees under its direction.
• Regarding the management of human resources under their responsibility: o Ensures respect for global institutional and HR policies o Ensures respect for local labor legislation. Any other services/tasks related to the program that may be necessary.

  Other functions assigned to you by your immediate boss that are not incompatible with your position and that do not detract from your other functions and working conditions

REQUESTED PROFILE

• Professional or its international equivalent in areas associated with the role: social sciences, politics, international relations, economics, engineering.
• Advanced Studies (Master)
• A minimum of 5 years of work experience in a similar position
• Previous work experience in an international humanitarian NGO or in an international company.
• HI Vision, Mandate, Values ​​and Strategy
• Humanitarian Principles
• The foundations of disability
• Institutional frameworks
• Theory and practice of the implementation of emergency actions, development and reduction of armed violence
• High-lift service sectors, mandatory transversal approaches and technical reference frameworks
• Geopolitical issues within your area of ​​responsibility
• Planning and management
• Risk management (protection of beneficiaries, security, financing, donors, etc.)
• Objectives and contents of the transformation projects (simplification, leading change, Manager 2.0, …)
• Enhanced security management (if the country is classified red/orange).

TRANSVERSAL COMPETENCES

• Written and oral communication in Spanish and French or English
• Manager 2.0: Competencies and expected behaviors:

  – Know how to help team members (Objectives and evaluations; Feedback),

  – Know how to position yourself so that things can move forward (A team; Leadership; Roles and responsibilities;

  – Decision making;

  – Take risks), Know how to simplify and prioritize (Decide not to do it;

  – Adjust the effort; structuring) and “Back to Why?”

  – Management and leadership of multicultural and multisector teams, in-person and remote

• Management practices and continuous improvement
• Leading the change
• Analysis (geopolitics, environment, relationships) and ethical positioning
• Negotiation and representation (internal and external)
• Anticipation capacity

PERSONAL COMPETENCES

• Ethical values ​​and a constructive and critical mindset
• Leadership: inspires confidence, motivates, sets an example, makes and assumes decisions
• Benevolent (shows confidence/recognizes achievements)
• Practices and promotes autonomy (delegates and motivates) Cooperative / collaborative (asks for feedback / listens to the organization)
• Accountable (internally/externally/to governance)
• Diplomacy
• Bold (shows initiative/entrepreneurship)
• Resilience to stress and uncertainty.
• Capable of self-criticism (listens and seeks to improve)
• Pragmatism, ability to adapt with agility

CONDITIONS

Type of contract: labor

Duration: 1 year

No. of vacancies: 1

Location: Honduras – Tegucigalpa (with field visits to project locations).

Start date of work: June 2024

Salary: Confidential in accordance with the salary ranges established for said position.