Associate Humanitarian Affairs Officer - AAP/PSEA

About OCHA Pacific
The Pacific is one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world. Small, vulnerable island states are isolated by vast expanses of ocean. They experience frequent and intense disasters with disproportionately high economic, social and environmental consequences.
In 1999, OCHA established an office for the Pacific (OP) to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors.
Emergency Preparedness & Response
The first responders in any emergency are disaster-affected people and their governments. OCHA’s key objective is to support national efforts to protect the lives, livelihoods and dignity of people in need. International assistance can only be mobilized when a request is made by the affected government.
OCHA maintains a surge support capacity that allows the international humanitarian system to establish quick links with affected countries. It does this through the response capacity of its staff in the Pacific, the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) system, OCHA global staff, standby partners, and through the coordination of Pacific Humanitarian Team clusters and member organizations. This flexible approach allows OCHA to find different and appropriate solutions for assistance requests across the Pacific.
OCHA OP personnel can provide support in information management, reporting, mapping, media and communications, assessments, humanitarian financing and inter-cluster coordination. OCHA can deploy UNDAC teams at short notice to assist in the coordination of incoming international relief at the earliest stages of an emergency.

This position is integral to UN OCHA's global mandate to ensure that all humanitarian responses are accountable to affected populations and are free from sexual exploitation and abuse. The UNV will contribute directly to implementing the IASC Collective AAP (Accountability to Affected Populations) Framework, ensuring that the voices of the most vulnerable are heard and acted upon in the Pacific Region. This role is two-pronged: to develop the AAP/PSEA (Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse) portfolio for OoP as well as that of the PHT. The PHT coordination structure currently includes 10 clusters and 1 working group (WG) – the Pacific Regional Humanitarian Working Group (PRCWG) and two informal ones – the Information Management WG and the El-Nino WG. This role will strategically integrate the AAP/PSEA portfolio within the Office of the Pacific (OoP) and the existing Pacific Humanitarian Team (PHT) coordination structure. The UNV will analyze and identify optimal entry points within the current coordination mechanisms, including the Pacific Regional Humanitarian Working Group (PRCWG) and the informal Information Management and El-Niño working groups, to ensure that AAP/PSEA principles are systematically embedded and operationalized across all relevant parts of the coordination structure.

Under the direct supervision of the head of operations (this is either the deputy head of office, head of office, or a designated Unit Lead), the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

1. Establish a mechanism for AAP/PSEA within the Pacific Humanitarian Coordina-tion Structure.
• Undertake an assessment of existing AAP/PSEA capacities within the humanitarian space in the Pacific to understand how this can be reflected in the coordination struc-ture. Based on this determine the best format for the establishment of an inter-agency network focussed on AAP/PSEA in the region.
• Establish an AAP/PSEA working group (WG) including the identification of focal points, the creation of a Terms of Reference (ToR), and its linkages to the other existing de-velopment mechanisms e.g. for Gender-Based Violence
• Organize and facilitate the AAP/PSEA WG meetings, ensuring effective leadership of co-chairs and inter-agency participation.
• Collaborate with the WG to organize and facilitate AAP.PSEA training for the humani-tarian community in the Pacific as and when needed.
• Support the operationalization of the IASC AAP Framework in the Pacific, including coordination of collective feedback mechanisms, facilitating community engagement sessions, and ensuring feedback loops are closed with affected populations.

2. On PSEA specific tasks:
• Promote the development of PSEA awareness material that is contextually and cultur-ally sensitive; share relevant guidelines, information, etc. with actors.
• Participate and represent the PSEA Network in meetings of relevant working groups and clusters; in particular, ensure close coordination with the protection sub-clusters Gender-Based Violence and Child Protection.
• Liaise with global PSEA bodies (e.g. the IASC AAP/PSEA Task Team), share regular updates on PSEA implementation; also liaise with other PSEA Coordinators in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Advocate and provide recommendations to implement SEA prevention, risk mitigation, and response measures during planning, policy, and project development.
• Provide inputs in the development of inter-agency strategic documents, to include PSEA activities in projects and programs.
• Collect and analyze inputs of PSEA Focal Points, identify issues and trends, and share recommendations with coordinators and senior leadership to enhance strategic and operational decision-making related to PSEA.
• Regularly report to the PHT Coordinators Group on progress achieved and relevant issues.
• Assist in the establishment and strengthening of PSEA networks within the humanitar-ian response, ensuring compliance with IASC's PSEA Minimum Operating Standards

3. On AAP specific tasks:
• Support the creation of an inter-agency Community Feedback and Complaint Mecha-nism (CFCM).
• Map existing Community Feedback and Complaint Mechanisms (CFCMs) in high-risk countries, including community-based complaint mechanisms (CBCMs), and provide recommendations to strengthen them; share best practices for secure, confidential, and survivor-centred feedback mechanisms.
• Contribute to the drafting of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the inter-agency CFCM, including guidelines for data sharing, safe and confidential reporting of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) incidents, tailored to the local context.
• Guide PSEA focal points in implementing the inter-agency CBCM and conducting awareness-raising activities within communities.
• Assists in holding awareness-raising sessions and training on PSEA for humanitarian and development actors, including UN personnel, implementing partners, victim assis-tance providers, relevant working group leads, and, as appropriate, community mem-bers. Training should cover their rights, international PSEA standards, roles and re-sponsibilities, and how to submit and handle complaints.
• Contribute to the implementation of an inter-agency referral protocol to ensure all ac-tors undertake necessary actions to refer survivors to appropriate response services, including specialized services for children.
• Analyze trends in anonymized SEA data and provide recommendations for proactive responses to identified trends.
• Regularly report to the PHT Coordinators Group on progress achieved and relevant issues.
• Receive and follow up on SEA complaints directed to the PSEA focal point, ensuring appropriate and timely action is taken.
• Undertake additional tasks as required to address the evolving needs of the context.

As an active AAP/PSEA Coordinator, the volunteer is expected to support the provision of efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly, and high-quality assistance to the PHT and its beneficiaries. This includes ensuring that:
• The AAP/PSEA Network has finalized its Terms of Reference (TORs), meets regu-larly, and is actively engaged.
• An interagency CFCM and referral protocol are established.
• PSEA risk assessments are carried out.
• Existing PSEA focal points are trained and supported.
• Field missions are conducted as necessary.
• The Age, Gender, and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, inte-grated, and documented in all activities throughout the assignment.