Meet INSO

What does a day in the life of an INSO Deputy Safety Advisor look like?

My job is to ensure the reliability and credibility of every piece of safety information we receive before it is entered into the database. I also help the assistant safety advisor with the coding of incidents. I interact with my colleagues in the programme and information departments during the weekly meetings I facilitate and in producing bi-monthly reports. I also collaborate with colleagues in Nigeria as the crisis and regional security context evolves in complexity.

What is your professional background?

I have held several positions in the field of security and humanitarian affairs, including at the Institute for Security Studies, CARE International, the Centre Nationale d’Etudes Stratégique et de Sécurité, and more. Immediately before joining INSO I worked in an international NGO as a project coordinator.

How did you hear about the Deputy Safety Advisor role with INSO, and why did you decide to apply?

A colleague who works at INSO informed me that the Deputy Safety Advisor position was vacant. I had harboured the ambition to join INSO since 2018 in Mali, when INSO was not yet operational in Niger. When I was told that the Niger team was looking for someone, I applied immediately.

What makes working for INSO unique?

What makes INSO work unique is the collaborative working environment. I have personally learned a lot from my colleagues who come from different backgrounds with interesting profiles. It is the first role where I feel versatile within a team structure. Today, thanks to close collaboration with my colleagues, I am able to use computing and mapping tools without any difficulties.

In your own words, why is what INSO does important?

Wherever there are crises and conflicts, INSO’s presence is indispensable. Beyond its mission to facilitate and improve humanitarian access, INSO gives confidence to humanitarian actors in their daily activities. Before joining INSO, I worked in the areas where armed groups were active. Each field trip was a real challenge for the team and I. Therefore, I was very interested in INSO’s emails and alerts because they are crucial in the planning and conduct of field activities.

INSO’s service, whether scheduled (like training, reports and meetings) or on demand, is a great comfort to NGOs and their missions which are often exposed to multifaceted and multi-actor threats.

What are the skills or characteristics that would make someone a good fit for INSO?

To work for INSO you need both the relevant professional skills and an ability to adapt easily. A good candidate is someone passionate about security and access issues, as they will be regularly called upon to address urgent issues or respond to partner needs.