Afghanistan: Mission of Consultancy : Security Assessment in Afghanistan - 3 months

Background information

GERES (www.geres.eu) is an international solidarity and development NGO, grounded in 1976 in France after the First oil shock. GERES brings expertise in the renewable energy sector through an engineering of development and specific technical expertise. GERES is experienced in addressing energy poverty and livelihoods improvement, since 30 years in Central Asia and 14 years in Afghanistan, implementing projects in partnership with communities and local actors through value chain approaches. GERES has a long experience in scaling up and mainstreaming innovative Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) patterns in Asia, with the dissemination of more than 3 million improved cook stoves on the Cambodian market and the long term cooperation with Afghan institutions and international agencies.

Currently GERES is implementing the Central Highlands Program along with two others NGO in the centre of Afghanistan, Bamyan and Maidan Wardak provinces. The project started in June 2013 and will last up to November 2017.

As per January 2016, GERES Afghanistan signed a new contract with the European Union under the SWITCH Asia network of projects. Project which is planned to last 42 months and will focus on 15 Police Districts out of the 22 of Kabul city.

Context

With the International Military Forces (IMF) combat mission having formally ended in December 2014 after over 13 years of IMF military intervention, a casual observer could be forgiven for concluding that the Afghanistan conflict was drawing to a close. The reality, however, could not be more different and by the end of quarter 4, 2015 had seen a higher level of Armed Opposition Group (AOG) activity (18 958 incidents in all than any other year on record - INSO sources). Striking too was the intensity of the AOG campaign, with fighting not confined to a spring offensive and summer fighting season as has traditionally been the case, but concerted throughout the year.

Looking ahead 2016, the trend presented previously has big chance to keep on the same way. In an effort to embarrass the government, AOG objectives are likely to focus on the capture of territory, including major cities.

In this context, GERES Afghanistan will launch its new SWITCH project with operations taking place in Kabul.

Although since 2010, GERES Afghanistan has been continuously improving and structuring its Security and Risk Management, , both from Headquarters side and in the country locations, it is the first time our organization implements such project in this city (in term of areas’ coverage), known for its complex context regarding security.

Before launching the operational part, GERES in Afghanistan wants to further strengthen its security management assessment of the intervention zone, through a full security management assessment, in order to increase its awareness and be prepared for all unexpected event.

Purpose and Objectives:

The consultant is responsible for:

· Developing a full Context Evaluation where the national situation and actors (particular attention to Kabul context) are analysed

· Identifying Vulnerabilities, Threats and Assessing Risks

· Production of Security Strategies and of Operational Procedures

· Production of a Legal Analysis linked to Employer’s Duty of Care

· Training, Support and Guidance

The consultant should ensure that his/her context evaluation as well as already existing country security strategies are developed, implemented, monitored and reviewed in line with GERES Afghanistan policies, standards and requirements.

The consultant will also play a critical role in ensuring that country teams are sufficiently resourced and skilled for security management appropriated to the context.

Intended users & uses:

· GERES Afghanistan + Head Quarters

· Donors

Roles and Responsabilities:

1. Situational Overview/ Context Analysis

· Identify factors, actors and overall triggers leading to a context change and a threat evolution. Analyse and report on the following points, with a Kabul city in-depth focus:

• Socio Demographic Analysis: Population Size; Ethnicities; Religious ideologies; Social backgrounds; Literacy levels; Cultural codes; etc.

• Economic Situation: Main local economic indicators, drivers and markets

• Local Actors Understanding: Identification; Links between them; Mindsets; Their perception of GERES; Potential alliances and oppositions for/with GERES

• Political Situation and Ideological Factors (including detailed analysis with local political affiliations’ percentages)

• Criminality Profiling: nature of criminal acts; identification of victims (are NGOS a target?); frequency of criminal acts; impact of criminal acts

• Local Infrastructures: Analysis of Local Governance (PD Police Chief; Local MPs; etc.) and Identification of other Foreign NGOs operating locally (core activity, residential presence, number of staff, etc)

• Risk Assessment

· Identify Vulnerabilities and Threats

• Yield as many vulnerabilities and threats as possible in the local environment, along with severity and remediation priority information

· Production of a Risk Assessment

• Identification and ranking of significant risks

• Determine what the level of acceptable risk is, measure the current risk level (through probability and impact), and provide recommendations for aligning these two where mismatches are found

Quantitative and Qualitative models are to be used.

1. Security Strategies and Operational Procedures

Following initial analysis and assessment and in collaboration with GERES teams (both in Afghanistan and at HQ level):

Review:

· Different GERES’ security procedures

· Physical/ Logistic security at GERES’ office in Kabul

Propose and Produce:

(Detailed and comprehensive, supported by tools)

· Appropriate Security Management Strategies, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Immediate Action drills (IA drills) to manage and minimise risks. These should:

• Answer personnel, assets and GERES reputation safeguard

• Perceive new intervention areas, operational deployments of GERES personnel, and selection of new locations or premises if needed (direct, collateral and transfer of risk)

· Work Plan for its implementation and later Evaluation Tools

· Mitigation Measures

· Contingency Planning

· Crisis Management Plan

· Evacuation Procedure/ Exit Strategy

1. Employer’s Duty of Care

· Assess if GERES is in line with all legal requirements concerning its duty of care (as per French Law)

· Propose recommendations addressing identified gaps if existing

1. Training, Support and Guidance

· Advise HQ Security Focal Point and Executive Management on Employer Duty of Care

· Support, guide and mentor the Country Director, Field Coordinator and other key field staff with security management responsibilities in the implementation, evaluation and updating of country-level security documents and procedures

· Advise Afghanistan Security Coordination team in managing security incidents’ response (crisis management)

· Conduct security training for field teams

Reporting requirments:

· Final report and conclusions of the security assessment providing detailed analysis, conclusions and recommendations,

· Final Security Strategies and Operational Procedures providing clear plans, charts, schemes and “user friendly” tools

· Review and update existing relevant GERES security documents in Afghanistan (Security plan, security framework, evacuation plan, annexes, etc.),

· PowerPoint presentation of results,

· Fact Sheet.

Expected Schedule

Mission Expected start date : 1^st July 2016

Mission Expected end date : September 15^th 2016

Submission of draft report : September 30^th 2016

Submission of final report : October 15^th 2016

Profile:

You will be a skilled and experienced security professional with expertise on security context and trends in Central Asia, in particular in Afghanistan.

You will have excellent knowledge in security and risk assessment and at managing security challenges within fragile and conflict afflicted areas.

With proven field based experience, you will have a sound understanding on how to advise and train staff to achieve self-sufficiency in security assessment operations.

Skills

Ideally Dari speaking, you will be sensitive to cultural differences and working in a wide variety of cultural contexts.

· Bachelor's Degree in a field related to humanitarian work or security risk management

· 6 years of proven experience in NGO/UN field (operations) including 3 years working/living in Afghanistan and at least 2 years of field security experience

· Confirmed awareness of Afghanistan’s culture, history and socio-political context

· Experience in developing security related technical tools guidelines and systems

· Strong assessment, evaluation, analytical and strategic planning skills

· Verified ability to work under stressful conditions

· Outstanding time management and organisation skills

· Superior attention to detail and conscientious quality of work product

· Established sound judgment and supervisory ability

· Proven interpersonal skills and established oral and communication skills

· Effective advanced proficiency in English, verbally and written, with a sound knowledge of technical expressions

· Word, Excel and PowerPoint Proficiency and Internet Proficiency

In order to apply, please submit the following:

· An up-to-date resume (max. 2 pages).

· A technical offer, including a detailed action plan and methodology.

· A financial offer, including a detailed budget for daily fees, per diem if any and number of work days.

The above mentioned documentation is to be submitted to recrutement@geres.eu under the reference “Security Management Assessment - GAF”, before June 17^th 2016.