Intercultural Mediator Supervisor - People On The Move project - Agrigento

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) translates to Doctors without Borders, was founded in 1971 in Paris by a group of journalists and doctors.

We provide medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare. Our teams are made up of tens of thousands of health professionals, logistic and administrative staff - bound together by our charter.  Our actions are guided by medical ethics and the principles of impartiality, independence and neutrality. We are a non-profit, self-governed, member-based organisation.

In 2020 MSF OCB has handed over the responsibility for the implementation of their Operations in Italy to MSF Italy, with the mandate to focus on Migration issues.

People On the Move project is based in Agrigento and focuses on providing first medical line service at landings and PHC through mobile clinic. Our target population are mainly transit people. Together with these interventions, the project has the objective to monitor/assess medical needs above all Italian territory with the objective to identify situation on needs, providing timely medical intervention.

The MSF team in Agrigento intervenes with the mobile clinic in the province's CASs and communities for unaccompanied minors, to provide Primary Healh Care and Mental Health activities. The project will also operate in the same way at the landings in Porto Empedocle and in informal settlements with seasonal workers. Following the formalisation of an MOU with the Ministry of Health, the team will also be operational in a joint MSF-MOH MH ambulatory.

Scope, reporting lines

The Intercultural Mediator Supervisor reports directly and functionally into the Mobile Health Activity Manager/Project Medical Referent.

Contributing to the provision of quality intercultural mediation services in the project (by MSF and other actors) by supervising a team of intercultural mediators according to MSF values, standards and procedures in order to foster the removal of linguistic and cultural barriers and improve the quality of and access to quality health care and socio/legal services.

Main tasks and responsibilities

• Actively supporting the intercultural mediators (ICM) team and ensuring the day-to-day implementation of intercultural mediation activities at project level, including (but not limited to) managing dynamics in the trialogue communication between mediator, patient and care provider; preventing and managing possible misunderstandings, communication blockages and tension; interpreting; PSS (Psychological Social Support) after critical accidents; information and orientation (e.g. sociolegal); collecting testimonies and providing emotional support
• Supervising the intercultural mediators in terms of planning and organizing, data collection and reporting barriers impairing fairness and equality in access to services
• Ensuring that MSF procedures and protocols are being followed to guarantee the operational quality of the project 
• Planning and supervising the HR processes (recruitment, performance evaluation, tasks definition and internal and external communication) of the staff under his/her responsibility in order to ensure both the size and the required level of training of the team 
• Implementing relevant training courses for the intercultural mediators in collaboration with the relevant referent/activity managers (PMR, MHAM, HAO) to ensure the required level of knowledge in the team 
• Ensuring proper collaboration, communication and information sharing between the intercultural mediators and the different activities/departments
• Performing intercultural mediation activities when required 

Context Specific Accountabilities

• Assist in the identification of cases in need of “case management” and, in collaboration with MAM/PMR and HAO, keep track of the pathway
• Report to HAO and MAM/PMR the need to liaise with other actors for case management
• Support MAM/PMR in establishing the weekly schedule by sharing case management priorities
• In collaboration with MD, propose health promotion group sessions and guide the intercultural mediators in this activity
• In cooperation with the logistics department, ensure that the materials necessary for the proper conduction of intercultural mediation activities are available to the team 
• Monitor the contextual changes in order to propose new activities and adaptations of project strategy

Profile and qualifications

Education

• Essential secondary education.
• Desirable degree in social sciences, social communication or teaching
• Education and training in interpretation or intercultural mediation is an asset

Experience 

• Minimum two years’ experience in related position and in migration/refugees programs of which at least one year with MSF
• Previous experience in migration/refugee contexts is an asset
  

Languages

B2 in MSF language English and/or French and minimum of C1 in Italian is essential.

Mother tongue/C2 for at least one or more of the following specific languages is essential:

• Bangla
• Somali
• Arabic
• Tigrinya
• Amharic
• Twi
• Gonja
• Mandinka
• Jola
• Fula
• Wolof
• Pular
• Soussou
• Bambara
• Dioula
• Malinke
• Mossi
• Bissa

Knowledge and Competencies

• Knowledge of migration dynamics and of the affected population
• Desired knowledge of the culture and organisation (e.g. health care system) of the host society/country
• Strong communication, and social skills (attentive listening, open attitude, empathy, sensitivity)
• Capacity to work in a multidisciplinary team
• Initiative, creativity and flexibility
• Capacity to adjustment to change
• Strong interest in helping vulnerable population
• Flexibility

Conditions

Contract: Fixed term contract of 13 months (renewable), Full-time. Level III of Italian CCNL of Commerce. Candidates should hold a work permit to work in Italy.

Gross Annual Salary:  Euro 28,955.71 – 34,747.00 depending on the MSF experience of the selected candidate.

Duty Station: Project is based in Agrigento, it is essential to be flexible to move in different locations accordingly to the project needs.

Compensation and benefits:

• Health Insurance: health insurance will be granted through the Italian National Health Care System plus an extra medical insurance (Sanimpresa) for contracts with a duration of 90 days or greater, which covers medical costs, illness and hospitalization, permanent invalidity and death (100k).
• The staff will be entitled to a luncheon voucher worth €5 for each day worked for at least 4 hours for the entire period of his/her contract.
• Accommodation for relocated staff only: MSF provides accommodation in the form of collective housing (shared accommodation with a contribution based on the duty station)
• Transport: MSF will cover a round trip ticket at the beginning and at the end of the contract and an additional round trip ticket will be paid by MSF between the place of domicile and assignment location every 12 months of contract for non-Italian residents.

Deadline for application: 24/11/2024

Desired starting date: 02/12/2024

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

MSF Italy is an inclusive employer that fosters diversity and engages systematically to ensure that equal employment opportunities are provided without regard to age, race, creed, religion, sex, disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin or any other legally recognized status entitled to protection under applicable laws.