Region: East Africa
Office: Nairobi, Kenya
Hours: Fulltime
Application deadline: January 31, 2024
We are looking for a Program Officer for the Free to be Me program who understands why safety and security and wellbeing are critical aspects of activism on LGBTIQ+ rights. This is a global role working within the Free to be Me team as well as with alliance and national level partners.
About Free to be Me
Free to Be Me is an ambitious, daring and innovative program that will help build and maintain a vibrant LGBTIQ+ movement that is confident and capable to lobby and advocate for their human and economic rights. The program is led by an alliance of three consortium members – Hivos (the lead party), ILGA World and Positive Vibes. Together the alliance will coach, accompany, fund and train LGBTIQ+ persons and organizations to influence norms and attitudes, generate (public) support, and promote laws, policies and regulations that recognize, respect and protect LGBTIQ+ people’s human and economic rights.
The program is being implemented in 12 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. The program started in April 2021 and is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under the Power of Voices program, which is part of the Strengthening Civil Society subsidy framework. The five-year program has a budget of EUR 37 million.
Job context
The Safety and Security Program Officer needs to have an understanding of global trends impacting on the Free to be Me program. The job holder provides technical guidance and support to Free to be Me on matters of safety and security, risk analysis and support, and guides all stakeholders on monitoring opposition to LGBTIQ+ movement rights.
The job holder trains, supports and guides local Communities of Action (CoAs) and particularly the Safety and Security focal points. By doing so, the organizations and groups involved in the CoAs have the tools, knowledge and networks to stay as safe and secure as possible.
This includes preventive measures, as well as (locally embedded) urgent response mechanisms in case of a crisis. Safety and security is considered holistically, and includes legal, digital, physical and psychological aspects. This role works closely with the Digital Defenders Partnership (DDP) in the management of the Bessy Ferrera Fund.
Responsibilities
Program design, guidance and support on safety and security
- Develop an overarching safety and security policy and guidelines that provide a reference in addressing all security aspects throughout the Free to be Me
- Supports the Community of Action members (CoA)s in developing their safety and security strategies, work plans and protocols and ensure their implementation.
- Supports country teams in conducting country level safety and security analysis and developing mitigation plans.
- Connect the safety and security focal points with one another, and with the digital defenders’ program (DDP) network, for mutual exchange and learning.
- Provide strategic guidance to the Program Manager to inform operational planning and decision making.
Program implementation
- Ensure all countries have safety and security plans and are implemented.
- Identify capacity gaps in the safety and security teams and organize training and capacity strengthening on the areas identified
- Receive and act on all the reported safety and security incidents and ensure follow up and conclusion of the same.
- Ensures Hivos’ own safety and security activities are implemented according to plan.
Situation analysis, monitoring and reporting
- Gather and analyze security information in program implementing countries, assess and monitor security situation (i.e., threats, security trends) in liaison with the SSFPs.
- Monitors progress towards established safety and security goals in CoAs, and in the organizational level, and flags in the Hivos overarching management team when problems arise.
- Build and maintain a reliable network for safety & security information within the program and with other actors including established national HRDs networks at the regional and global level and link them to the CoAs.
- In case a crisis occurs, the Safety and Security Program Officer plays a central role in the emergency response including facilitating/ reference to access support and emergency funds / link to local emergency mechanisms.
- Support grant making efforts through the Bessy Ferrera Fund, depending on funds availability.
- Testing/checking IT infrastructure, protection policy needs for the program in partnership with Hivos IT and DDP.
- Staying up-to-date on contextual and tech changes and available resources, in close collaboration with the Hivos’ DDP team.
Coordination and collaboration
- Throughout the process of project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, the PO plays a proactive role in coordinating with all the SSFPs, the CoA facilitators, members of the COA, the host organization, alliance members and with the regional and global Hivos team.
- Actively contributes to and supports activities at the national and regional level, ensuring a safety and security lens is applied in all the activities.
- Coordinate the Safety and Security working group where all the focal points of the Free to be Me countries participate.
Sharing, learning, and quality improvement
- Identifies, analyses and highlights success and good practices, as well as potential risks and problems.
- Proposes solutions for identified problems and follows-up on those.
- Contributes to identifying and sharing positive stories.
- Contributes to reflection and learning on both the national and regional level, as well as on the wider programmatic level.
Requirements
- Minimum of three years of relevant working experience.
- Experience of working on safety and security from a holistic perspective, with emphasis on safety and security of rightsholders, taking a feminist and intersectional approach
- An understanding of LGBTIQ+ issues and the safety and security needs of the community.
- Experience in performing safety and security needs assessments and developing holistic safety and security plans.
- Experience in providing safety and security training, support and guidance to local organizations, including rightsholder led organizations and activists.
- Program management including expertise in integrating safety and security in programs, working with budgets/actuals, timelines, design and implementation of plans, safety and security procedures, and reporting towards targets.
- Experience with the use of encryption, and secure communication channels
- She/he/they believes in / embodies what both Hivos and Free to be Me stand for, and is inspired by and willing to be accountable to the program values and principles.
- Work experience in a global setting.
- Diverse and complex problem solving related to safety and security issues, requiring professional knowledge, field experience and an understanding of development
- Is fluent in English, and preferably also fluent in one or two other relevant languages (Spanish, Portuguese, French, Arabic).
- Has the ability and willingness to travel.
How to apply
We particularly welcome applications from the right holders of the LGBTIQ+ community in the broadest of sense. We offer a contract based on Hivos East Africa’s local labor conditions, with remuneration commensurate with the experience and expertise requested.
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