JOB DESCRIPTION

Access to people in need remains one of the greatest challenges in order to reach the most vulnerable people. Deteriorating security and limited physical access have left many of those most in need with limited or no assistance. Given the global conditions of highly dynamic security, political and conflict situations, humanitarians are preparing for increasing complexity in reaching the most vulnerable populations in hard to reach areas. NRC aims to expand its access into new areas in East Africa and Yemen Region, to address unmet needs and respond to new emergencies. The goal is to ensure that NRC is present and able to provide assistance in areas with the highest needs. In cases where the Country Office does not intend to expand into a new area, access goals shift toward the quality improvement of existing operations.
The Regional Access Advisor is responsible for contributing to the development and assessment of the thematic area as an emerging part of programme development and delivery at NRC. The Regional Access Adviser will provide specialist advice and guidance to the Country Director and/or Head of Programme, and any Thematic Specialists at Country level where the thematic area is a programme priority, ensuring that optimal programme strategies, structures, systems, policy, tools and practices are in place.  The Regional Access Adviser will also contribute to funding bids from the thematic perspective and assist the Country Office (CO) to ensure that donor opportunities are identified, and donor obligations and requirements are met. 
The Regional Access Adviser will provide a range of advisory support, technical oversight and capacity building to CO staff in relation to their own specialist area of expertise. 

General Responsibilities:
Policy and strategy and programme development;

Responsible for ensuring compliance and adherence to NRC policies, guidance and procedures in relation to the thematic area while contributing to the development of policies, strategies, tools and new approaches with a focus on innovation and piloting.
Responsible of supporting the development of country/regional access strategies and implementation plans.

Technical development, support and capacity building;

Responsible for providing strategic advice, technical support and capacity building support to the Country Offices in the region on thematic area or cross-cutting issues, across Country Offices in the region and the Regional Office.
Ensure that access-based programming approaches contributes to integrated programming and analysis and that these interventions are measured

Quality standards, data analysis and M&E;

Responsible for ensuring that best practices within access are identified, documented and disseminated both within the region and beyond.
Work in partnership with the M&E staff to ensure the alignment of the programmatic areas in the M&E and PCM systems in relation to own thematic area. 

Networking, representation and relationships;

Responsible for identification, development and maintenance of relationships with relevant stakeholders (e.g., donors, UN agencies, NGOs, research- and educational institutions, private sector) related to programmes in general and more specifically as related to NRC’s thematic activities. 
Work in partnership with the regional and country office advocacy leads to identify and develop regional advocacy issues related to the thematic area and relevant cross-cutting issues.

Specific Responsibilities: 

Guide NRC’s work to increase humanitarian access in hard to reach areas with high needs and limited humanitarian response in the East Africa and Yemen region.
Advise the NRC Country Office on how to plan for and deliver programmes in high risk and/or hard to reach areas, with an aim to maximize assistance, protection, programme quality and duty of care and support the practical implementation of this advice. 
Support the NRC Country Offices and Management Groups in making strategic, informed decisions related to humanitarian access and the practical application of humanitarian principles. 
Ensure capacity building of staff in areas related to humanitarian access (i.e., humanitarian principles, negotiation, etc). 
Expand and maintain NRC’s network of relevant contacts through direct liaison as well as strategic support to stakeholder engagement. 
Oversee the development of the region Access Strategy in coordination with key staff. 

Professional Competencies: 

In-depth knowledge and expertise of humanitarian access 
Several years of documented experience working within the Access field
Extensive experience in programming in complex and volatile contexts
Experience of strategic approaches to programme development
Experience of developing practical tools and resources
Experience of programme quality assessments, programme development and delivery
Understanding of and commitment to organisational learning, and the role and contribution of M&E to quality management and development
Understanding and experience of the specific demands of humanitarian access within the East Africa and Yemen contexts
Understanding of and commitment to integrated programming approaches