Coordinator for the Access Support Unit (ASU)

The UNOPS Middle East Region (MR) provides strategic leadership, performance oversight, and support to UNOPS operations across Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and the State of Palestine. MR is responsible for positioning UNOPS as a key development partner in the region through high-level engagement with regional bodies, UN coordination mechanisms, development banks, donors, and intergovernmental organisations. By fostering strategic partnerships and promoting operational excellence, the region supports country teams in delivering sustainable solutions to complex development, peace, and humanitarian challenges

UNOPS supports both humanitarian response and early recovery in Gaza. Currently, UNOPS support in Gaza focuses on key humanitarian enablers, including on access, via the Security Council-mandated UN 2720 Mechanism and the Access Support Unit (ASU), humanitarian fuel and energy, and mine action. Operations are envisaged to continue in the coming period with a focus in line with the UNOPS mandate: (i) infrastructure construction and rehabilitation, (ii) procurement and (iii) project management.

The Occupied Palestinian Territory (oPt) is one of the most complex and challenging environments in which the United Nations operates. Access challenges, including movement restrictions, differ greatly across the oPt, primarily due to the range of political, administrative and security measures implemented by Israeli, Egyptian, Jordanian, and Palestinian authorities. Restrictions on access and the movement of people are severe, widespread, costly, and difficult to overcome. These restrictions increase the impoverishment and vulnerability of Palestinians within the oPt, and directly impede humanitarian and development operations.

The ASU is an inter-agency project under the overall leadership of the UN Deputy Special Coordinator/Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator (DSC/RC/HC), working with UNSCO and UNOCHA, and administered by UNOPS. ASU provides services to the international system working in Israel/OPT to expedite movements of personnel from the United Nations, NGOs, diplomats, donors, and other international partners. This includes personnel working across the humanitarian, development, peace and security, and other pillars. ASU achieves these objectives through coordination with national and regional authorities to ease bureaucratic and administrative access impediments to the movement of personnel into and through Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory. ASU strengthens the evidence base and stakeholder awareness on bureaucratic and administrative access impediments through regular production and dissemination of analytical reports and briefings to relevant stakeholders.

ASU’s key functions are:

• Under the overall leadership of the DSC/RC/HC and UNSCO/OCHA, the ASU prepares high-level political advocacy and discussions with the parties that contribute to an easing of restrictions on access and movement in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

• The ASU engages in and supports access negotiations and advocacy in relation to the movement of humanitarian, development, peace and security, and other pillar personnel and coordinates the implementation of mechanisms agreed with the relevant parties. Hands-on advice and support are provided to help navigate access and movement restrictions in the field.

• Particularly, the ASU supports international personnel rotations into and out of Gaza, (re-)entry into the country, supporting applications for crossing in and out of Gaza (both on the Israeli and the Palestinian side) as well as movements of international and local personnel into East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank, and intervening when issues arise at checkpoints, crossings (including in the West Bank) or at international borders.

The Access Support Unit Coordinator will lead the operational management of the Access Support Unit (ASU).

Under the overall guidance of DSC/RC/HC and direct supervision of the Access focal point at UNSCO RCO/CU and the OCHA Head of CMCoord and Access, the ASU Coordinator will be responsible for the operational aspects of the ASU. The performance of the ASU Coordinator will be managed by UNOPS’ Head of Programme with inputs from technical supervisors in UNSCO/OCHA. Performance records will be kept in the UNOPS system.

The core ASU Coordinator responsibilities include supervision of the operations related to the ASU as follows:

1. Liaise with the Israeli Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli Coordination and Liaison Administration to the Gaza Strip (CLA), the Palestinian Prime Minister’s Office, the Palestinian Ministry of Civil Affairs (MoCA), and other stakeholders, as relevant and appropriate, on the facilitation of access and movement of people.

2. Engage with partners, in close coordination with UNSCO and OCHA as well as UN and INGOs, to ensure complementarity of efforts on access, including through the existing coordination mechanisms such as the Humanitarian Access Working Group.

3. Oversee operation of a 24/7 access hotline to conduct real-time interventions with relevant authorities to resolve access and movement impediments and incidents.

4. Provide information (advisories) and support on the movement of personnel (website, emails, and ACU Live mobile app).

5. Provide direct support to the UN, international and Palestinian NGOs across the humanitarian and development spectrum, as well as diplomatic missions, to obtain permits, and special coordination.

6. Support UNSCO and OCHA’s negotiations to improve movements of humanitarian and development partners, including in response to new or ongoing measures that restrict humanitarian access.

7. Facilitate evacuation of dual nationals from Gaza during escalations.

8. In consultation with UNSCO and OCHA, advise the UN Country Team (UNCT) and the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) on common positions with regard to movements of people (UNCT, SMT, HCT, OMT, AIDA, Security Cell, and donor meetings).

9. Work with UNSCO and OCHA to analyze the impact of movement and access restrictions, contribute to relevant public advocacy and information products on access and advise the DSC/RC/HC on appropriate advocacy through established coordination mechanisms.

10. Provide access/movement information and analysis for reporting, internal working documents, policy papers, advocacy documents, and talking points to ASU board members and donors.

11. Preparation of regular progress reporting for the Project Board and other relevant structures and organizing Project Board meetings on time.

12. Under the guidance of OCHA and UNSCO RCO/CU (the Project Executives) and UNOPS Head of Programme, ensure proper planning of ASU activities, delivery and performance monitoring, timely reporting, production of knowledge management tools, team management and performance reviews.

13. Supervise and manage ASU staff and tasks to meet ASU goals.

14. Identification of bottlenecks to implementation of the project which require intervention and propose solutions.
    

The above responsibilities are subject to change depending on evolution of the situation and access/movement picture on the ground

Required

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) preferably in political/social science or international relations, Project Management, Business Administration, Political/Security/Development Studies, Public Administration, Anthropology, Law, Economics or other relevant disciplines.
• Bachelor’s degree in the above-mentioned areas or other relevant disciplines, combined with two additional years of relevant experience, may be accepted in lieu of the master’s degree.

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Required:

• At least 7 years (or more depending on academic credentials) of progressively responsible experience in humanitarian affairs, emergency preparedness, crisis/emergency relief management, rehabilitation, development, or other related areas is required.
• Experience in humanitarian access matters is required, including bureaucratic and administrative impediments, and movement of people.
• Experience in team leadership and management is required.
• Experience in access negotiations is required.

Desired:

• Experience in the UN Common System or other comparable international organizations is desirable.

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• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
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• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
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