Behind the doors of an NGO’s local offices

To date, HAMAP-Humanitaire has only set up local offices for its mine action projects. There are many reasons for this; here are some explanations.

This field of work requires day-to-day closeness to the ground, both in developing and in managing projects:

– analysing needs and prioritising mine action activities: mine action projects have a sensitive dimension because of their territorial and security implications. For that reason, the needs analysis that precedes any project has to be thought through from the field, by the field.

– close links with the authorities: because mine action falls within the prerogatives of each state party to the Ottawa Convention, any project inevitably involves close links with the national authorities, largely the national mine action agencies. The very existence of a mine action project must be accepted and discussed with the competent authorities in order to align with the state's clearance priorities. Each mine action agency
is also responsible for ensuring compliance with the national mine action standards in its country, which obliges it to check that NGOs respect those standards and to authorise their work through an established system of task orders. This supervisory relationship makes it essential for HAMAP-Humanitaire to be represented in the country in order to maintain clear and regular communication.

– logistical needs: setting up mine action projects very often involves substantial logistical requirements. Managing those purchases from head office would greatly complicate project management, both in terms of delivery and of export authorisation from France. Such purchases include vehicles, ambulances, detectors, protective clothing and small clearance equipment.

How is a local office organised?

Each of the posts that make up the mission can be filled by different types of worker. A worker may come from a country other than the country of operation (an expatriate) or be hired directly to work in their own country (a local worker).

Teams are very often split into two categories:

Posts directly linked to activities, which carry the specific skills needed to deliver the mission: operational and technical skills, or coordination and project management skills. At HAMAP-Humanitaire these are the people in charge of clearance operations (EOD experts and operations managers), or those in a project management role (base coordinator or project officer); and so-called support posts, responsible for the smooth running of the mission, such as logistics, administration and human resources. They work both on tasks sometimes directly linked to delivering a project or a specific activity, and on the overall management of the local office.

Naturally, every local office also includes support functions not linked to a project but which maintain a suitable working environment: driver, cleaning staff, cook.

Finally, every local office is laid out so that it can serve a double purpose: a workplace for all HAMAP-Humanitaire staff in the country, and a living space for international (expatriate) staff.