In order to facilitate and to maximise the impact of the humanitarian operations financed by the European Union in the Great lakes region, the two selected candidates will be appointed to the post of Country Technical Assistants (TA) in Goma, Republic, Democratic of Congo (RDC) by the European Commission’s Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations – ECHO.

The experts will carry out regular missions to identify and assess humanitarian needs, evaluate proposed programmes and actions and monitor projects in the country and the Burundi context. He/she will work closely with Thematic Experts of DG ECHO’s Regional Offices, to ensure coherence of the actions with DG ECHO’s policies and practices, and work in close coordination with other relevant stakeholders, including the EU Delegations and partners. The expert may also be called upon to carry out missions to other countries or to Brussels, and should be prepared to react to a current or evolving crisis in any other region in the world as requested by headquarters.

The experts’ tasks can be grouped under three categories: 1) analysis of the humanitarian situation in view of advising DG ECHO on its operational strategy; 2) management of the project portfolio at all stages of the project cycle, 3) humanitarian advocacy and dialogue with key stakeholders including development partners.

Reinforcing linkages with other stakeholders in the region is an integral part of the portfolio and need to be continued in view of developing further strategic and operational cooperation, including with development actors, as specific attention is given to further develop and implement the humanitarian-development-peace nexus approach. The security situation remains tense.

Goma, being a DG ECHO category 2 office, the duration of posting is maximum 3 years.

DG ECHO’s Multi-Country Office for the Great Lakes region is based in Kinshasa/DRC (Head office) and is supported by a sub-office in Goma (North Kivu) and an antenna in Bukavu (South Kivu). The office covers Burundi, DRC, RoC, Rwanda and Tanzania. The team in Kinshasa is composed of the Head of office, another Technical Assistant and a Programme Officer (PO) in addition to admin staff, as well as a thematic expert for health and nutrition and a regional security coordinator for central and southern Africa.

The sub-office in Goma consists of two expatriates staff (the two technical Assistants -**subject of this publication** and five national staff (one Programme Officer, one aviation programme assistant, one administrative assistant and two drivers). One of the two TA positions was previously based in Bukavu. The ECHO sub-office in Bukavu has been transformed into an antenna, composed of two national staff; one Programme Officer and one driver. At least one of the two TAs in Goma will supervise and work very closely with Bukavu and will be expected to travel regularly to Bukavu (approximately 1 week per month). The Goma sub-office also covers the Burundi crisis, which will also be entrusted to one of the two TAs including regular missions.

Several provinces (mainly in eastern DRC) are considered high-risk areas by ECHO, requiring security clearances before travel.

In the DRC the European Commission’s Humanitarian Implementation Plan for the Great Lakes focusses on the eastern provinces that face the most precarious humanitarian situations, including conflict and violence (including GBV), large-scale internal displacement, very high food insecurity, natural disasters and regular recurrence of epidemics (in case of a recurrence of Ebola, candidates should be aware that current ECHO guidelines imply vaccination in order to allow travel to EVD-affected areas).

The DRC hosts the UN mission MONUSCO and vital civil-military coordination is followed from Goma. Humanitarian access is often difficult in the DRC and Goma is an operating hub for Humanitarian Aid Flight. Given the contextual complexity and emergence of new crises every year, ECHO supports a rapid response mechanism approach, mainly followed by the Goma office.

Regarding the Burundi regional crisis context, which is also followed from the Goma office, the focus is on the Burundian refugees in the DRC, Rwanda and Tanzania, as well as the continuing voluntary repatriation process. In addition, disaster preparedness actions are supported by ECHO in Burundi and the DRC and followed by the Goma office.