Associate Programme Officer

 The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) serves as the United Nations focal point for mine action and supports its vision of “a world free of the threat of landmines and unexploded ordnance, where individuals and communities live in a safe environment conducive to development, and where mine survivors are fully integrated into their societies.” UNMAS coordinates and collaborates with fourteen UN departments, agencies, programmes and funds to ensure an effective, proactive and coordinated response to the problems of landmines and explosive remnants of war, including cluster munitions. UNMAS establishes, manages, and provides strategic direction to mine-action coordination centres in countries and territories as part of peacekeeping operations and humanitarian emergencies or crises. In these situations, UNMAS may plan and carry out mine-action projects, support and coordinate the work of local and international mine-action service providers, and set priorities for mine clearance, mine-risk education and all other aspects of mine action.

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) Peace and Security Cluster (PSC) is a principal service provider in the field of mine action. The Cluster is responsible to administer, provide support and oversight of the day-to-day management of UNMAS Field Programmes.

The conflict in northeast Nigeria is in its 16th year and continues to cause suffering for millions of Nigerians particularly women and children. As a result of the conflict, over two million internally displaced persons (IDPs) sought refuge in IDP camps or camp-like settings and host communities across the northeastern states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY).

Aiming to end protracted displacement, the Borno State Government developed its strategy for a durable solution to internal displacement which included the decongestion of IDP camps and establishing pathways for returns, relocation or resettlement. However, available data indicates that out of the 15 local government areas (LGAs) of return or relocation, 12 LGAs are where most explosive ordnance incidents occurred in 2024, accounting for 85 percent of civilian casualties. The Landmine Monitor for 2024 ranks Nigeria as number six in terms of countries with the most recorded casualties from mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) in 2023. Thus, the closure and decommissioning of the IDP camps will lead to movement of up to 300,000 IDPs to LGAs of return or relocation. UNMAS Nigeria currently mitigates the risk from explosive ordnance through the delivery of explosive ordnance risk education, mine action coordination, non-technical survey, victim assistance and capacity building for the Nigerian authorities.

1. Support stakeholder coordination, representation, and inter-agency collaboration, es-pecially on durable solutions for internal displacement.
2. Support in the development and follow up of resource mobilization opportunities
3. Programme management support
4. Support knowledge management and document management

1. Support stakeholder coordination, representation and inter-agency collaboration:
• Support in establishing and building relationships with relevant stakeholders (UN, international organizations, donors, governments, and mine action stakeholders, most notably regarding du-rable solutions for internal displacement.
• Participate in, contribute to and report on the relevant stakeholder meetings in consultation with relevant programme technical experts.
• Support the management team with UN common planning and programming processes, such as strategic country analysis, the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), humanitarian response plans, durable solutions for internal displace-ment
• In collaboration with the UNMAS Geneva office, contribute and participate in, area of respon-sibility, including the formulation of the mine action components for the Humanitarian Needs Overview and Response Plan
• Support the applications of policies, practices and procedures associated with the overall im-plementation of the Humanitarian Programme Cycle
• Support gathering, design, coordination, drafting and dissemination of public information products and communication activities
• Support preparations and talking points for official meetings, events, briefings, and field visits, and prepare talking points, briefing notes, presentations and speeches

2. Support Resource mobilization
• Support the monitoring of humanitarian and development trends and needs to identify poten-tial areas of intervention within UN mandates and existing capacity.
• Stay abreast of policies on mine action, UN policies, and cross-cutting priorities, such as gen-der, diversity, conflict sensitivity, sustainability, and environment, to be included in programme design.
• Support the management team to translate the Country Programme Strategy (CPS) into imple-mentation/results work plans and associated monitoring mechanisms and draft project docu-ments
• Support the identification, design, and formulation of new activities
• Provide information and support in the drafting and preparation of programme documents, in-cluding concept notes, proposals, and associated budgets.
• Support the draft and/or review of funding agreements and other project documents required for the signature and implementation of new projects

3. Programme management support
• Analyze funding agreements and support the development of compliance plans, the monitoring frameworks to guide key departments and the management of teams to meet requirements of funding agreements, in coordination with HQ.
• Support the monitoring mechanisms to measure delivery
• Track programme results, alert relevant management if delivery is not on track, compile data and draft reports to internal and external stakeholders and support the manage-ment team to prepare for internal reviews.
• Coordinate information flow between implementation teams, donors, and headquarters,
• Coordinate budget and activity revisions to funding agreements.
• Prepare, and editing for, summary and analytical reports
• Prepare written summaries of meetings/visits and ensure relevant team members im-plement follow-up actions, as appropriate; research and prepare analytical, and some-times sensitive, documents for the management team.
• Participate in communicating with HQ on supporting compliance to programme docu-ments and funding agreements, and the implementation of policies, processes and methods

4. Knowledge management and document management and innovation
• Maintain records of programme files and documents
• Contribute to the implementation of the relevant standards, tools and templates
• Contribute to, record and share the ongoing development and implementation of best practice, lessons identified, and innovative approaches
• Contribute to the management and upkeep of risk management and issue manage-ment logs and processes.