Responsibilities
The field legal advisor applies their legal skills to reduce administrative, financial and political blockages to MSF’s day-to-day activities, in areas typically including, among others:
- tax and finance law
- supply and contract law
- employment law
- immigration law
- regulation of medical practice
The field legal advisor uses their organizational and management skills to coordinate implementation of identified strategies and legal tools by field teams.
In collaboration with legal advisors in the headquarters, the field legal advisor may be responsible for any of the following tasks:
Evaluate the applicable legal framework and practices of MSF field teams
- Identify and analyze the legal obligations applicable to MSF under the national legal framework and monitor changes to the framework
- Identify and analyze legal, financial and administrative risks arising from the practices of each MSF section in the field
- Coordinate consultation by local lawyers to obtain specialized advice on local laws and adapt external advice to MSF’s objects and practices
Recommend legal and political solutions and develop implementation tools
- Identify and determine the best legal and political options and strategies to improve the legal and administrative framework of MSF field missions
- Design an action plan for the implementation of recommended strategies
- Develop, and keep updated, internal guidelines and policies to support MSF field teams to implement identified solutions
Coordinate harmonized responses by different MSF sections
- Coordinate unified implementation of defined strategies by all MSF sections, including by leading intersectional meetings
- Provide training to MSF Coordination teams (including staff responsible for logistics and supply, finance and human resources) in relevant areas of law
- Set up intersectional platforms to facilitate effective communication and unified approaches by all sections
Manage compliance with administrative procedures
- Oversee administrative steps to secure MSF’s registration with local authorities and maintain up-to-date registration documentation
- Ensure effective archiving procedures for all documentation
- Monitor compliance with reporting and other obligations under the local regulatory framework and applicable agreements
Carry out networking and negotiations with local authorities
- Identify key political actors and persons of influence and design a networking strategy to enhance MSF’s operational space
- Alongside other MSF representatives, build coalitions and undertake negotiations with key actors to secure MSF’s operational objectives.
