Head of People Safeguarding and Inclusion At Médecins Sans Frontières

Médecins Sans Frontières, an international medical humanitarian association founded in 1971, provides medical assistance to populations whose lives are threatened: mainly in cases of armed conflict, but also epidemics, pandemics, natural disasters, or exclusion from care.

MSF WACA (West and Central Africa) was created in 2019 and aims to bring a change in the dynamics of the MSF movement. WACA is driven by doctors and humanitarians of MSF from West and Central Africa who wish to be heard, to contribute and above all to proactively assume responsibility for the humanitarian mission of the organization. WACA reflects an identity of humanitarians, an aspiration for MSF, a truly inclusive movement of people who share the values of empathy for others. Its strength is based on associative fiber is amplified by concrete operational objectives.

We Are Looking for: Head of People Safeguarding and Inclusion

Purpose of the position

MSF WaCA seeks to develop a new model of operations whereby staff, associates, patients, civil society organisations and community members work together to better health outcomes of those affected by humanitarian crisis and the most vulnerable, including children. Under the leadership of the General Director the Head of People Safeguarding and Inclusion ensures that throughout its work all those associated to MSF WaCA are as safe and as included as possible.

Location and travelling requirements of the position

Based in Abidjan, with frequent travels to field project locations and some international travels (up to 10% of total workdays).

Objectives

The Head of People Safeguarding and Inclusion key objective is to ensure that staff, patients, communities, and all those associated in the delivery of MSF WaCA work are as safe and as included as possible in the implementation of its social mission, in close collaboration with the Director of Operations, the Director of Association and the Director of Human Resources. In particular, the Head of People Safeguarding and Inclusion:

Is accountable for mainstreaming and maintaining good people safeguarding and inclusion practices across all areas of work of MSF WaCA and ensuring that they are compliant with relevant norms and laws.
Is accountable for promoting and maintaining a positive safeguarding and inclusive culture across MSF WaCA
Supports the Director of Operations in designing strategies for ensuring the voice of patients and their communities informs the design and implementation of projects and that the most vulnerable patients are benefiting from MSF WaCA medical operations.
Oversees the monitoring, investigation and analysis of abuse, misbehaviour, other safeguarding violations, and medical errors.
Is accountable for the availability and quality of health and psycho-social support to all staff.
Is responsible for monitoring and tracking MSF WaCA safeguarding and inclusion risks and ensuring appropriate mitigation and control strategies are implemented

Main Responsibilities

Mainstreaming good people safeguarding practices across MSF WaCA’s work :

In collaboration with relevant departmental directors, defines safeguarding milestones and key objectives for annual planning, including those mainstreamed in departmental and field project plans, including (but not exhaustive) safeguarding in emergency response, safe recruitment strategies, safer programming and establishing appropriate Safeguarding Focal Points
Maintains a watching brief on movement wide safeguarding proposals, risks and opportunities and participates in relevant safeguarding fora and initiatives
Ensures that people’s data protection measures designed and in place in all departments are fit for purpose
Ensures safeguarding training needs are established, monitored and trainings is designed, planned and delivered according to strategy
Ensures that MSF WaCA policy on medical data protection is designed and is fit for purpose-

Supporting the design of strategies for ensuring the voice of patients and their communities informs programming and the inclusion of the most vulnerable patients :

Act as a main liaison between MSF WaCA and the rest of the movement on inclusive programme design and delivery and patient and community centred initiatives and research
Ensures socio-anthropological and other related studies are systematically conducted when relevant and inform project design
In collaboration with relevant department directors, ensures that appropriate reporting and feedback mechanisms are established for staff and communities both within MSF WacA project operations and at HQ
Proposes key strategic orientations related to the above to the General Direction and Directorate of Operations.

Overseeing the monitoring, investigation and analysis of abuse, misbehaviour and medical errors :

Ensures medical errors are investigated and documented and inform continuous learning and the development of good practices.
Ensures that policies and protocols related to abuse, inappropriate behaviour (on and by, staff) whistle blowing, investigation policies and policies for inclusion, are created, implemented and accessible to all, including patients and communities
Maintains regular reporting systems to key management forums including to the MSF WaCA Board, to track progress and performance on safeguarding in inclusion strategies
Oversees the constitution of investigations on staff abuse and ensures proper closure of cases and that recommendations and lessons learned are implemented
Responsible for ensuring MSF WaCA meets all safeguarding (and other) reporting requirements to donors, partner sections and other relevant bodies
Ensures MSF WaCA is fully connected with and shapes the priorities of the IPOB

Overseeing the provision of health and psycho-social support to staff :

Ensures medical and psycho-social support to staff is made available to all staff, and association members when relevant, at the appropriate level of quality and commensurate to their risk exposure and oversees the function, in collaboration with the Director of Human Resources
Oversees the organisation of medical evacuation in collaboration with the Director of Operations
Lead the development of movement wide regional related initiatives on behalf of MSF WaCA

Conducting general leadership and managerial responsibilities :

Provide input and analysis to Leadership Team and Managers on strategic directions and implementation
Responsible for proposing and overseeing execution of own budget
Participate to field exploratory and evaluation missions as required
Leads and manages staff including monitoring and evaluation of performance, career and individual development
Holds regular team and cross departmental meeting to plan, monitor and review activities as per key responsibilities.

Qualifications and requirements

Essential :

Minimum five years field experience with humanitarian organisation and genuine interest and commitment to MSF’s Social Mission
Safeguarding experience
Experience in humanitarian project design and evaluation
Demonstrated experience in change management and continuous improvement of practices
Good communication skills, in particular the ability to explain complex information to a wide range of audiences
Over 3 years of people management experience
Excellent interpersonal skills combined with coaching and supervision skills.
Good time management and planning skills, especially with a view to reporting to deadlines.
Business level in French and English languages.

Desirable: