IFRC recruits 01 Community Engagement and Accountability Senior Officer

Community Engagement and Accountability Senior Officer

Grade to be confirmed

Closing date (Geneva time zone):26-05-2019

Duty station:Pretoria

Country:SOUTH AFRICA

Duty station status: N/A

Accompanied status: N/A

Duration:6 MONTHS

Category of Staff: National Staff

Grade: To be determined

Vacancy No:IFRC03063

Background

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with 190 member National Societies. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, our work is guided by seven fundamental principles; humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.

Organizational Context

Global overview The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC or “the Federation”) is the World’s largest volunteer-based humanitarian network. The Federation is a membership organization established by and comprised of its member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Along with National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Federation is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The overall aim of the IFRC is” to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” It works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises. The Federation is served by a Secretariat based in Geneva, with regional and country offices throughout the world. The Secretariat is led by the IFRC Secretary General and provides the central capacity of the International Federation to serve, connect, and represent National Societies. The Secretariat’s focus includes providing support to the IFRC governance mechanisms; setting norms and standards; providing guidance; ensuring consistency; coordination and accountability for performance; knowledge sharing; promoting collaboration within and respect for the RCRC Movement; and expanding engagement with partners. The Secretariat’s headquarters is organized in three main business groups: (i) Partnerships, including Movement and Membership; (ii) Programs and Operations; and (iii) Management. The Secretariat has five regional office, as follows: Americas (Panama City); Africa (Nairobi); Asia/Pacific (Kuala Lumpur); Europe (Budapest); Middle East and North Africa (Beirut). The International Federation and Red Crescent Societies of the Red Cross (IFRC) ‘s Southern Africa Country Cluster office is in Pretoria , South Africa and serves ten countries, namely Angola, Botswana, E-Swatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. To strengthen its presence and ensure better integration and effective support to its members, National Societies, Community Engagement and accountability approach is important in the work that we do as the Red Cross Movement. Community engagement and accountability (CEA) is an approach to Red Cross and Red Crescent programming and operations. It is supported by a set of activities that help put communities at the centre of what we do, by integrating communication and participation throughout the programme cycle or operation. CEA is the process of and commitment to providing timely, relevant and actionable life-saving and life-enhancing information to communities.

Job Purpose

The CEA Senior Officer will be responsible for driving the development of CEA across the 10 countries in the southern Africa cluster and ensuring CEA is built into National Society (NS) and IFRC ways of working, emergency operations and long-term programmes at both country and regional level.

The position will provide strategic and technical advice and training to build the capacity of NS and the IFRC to integrate a more systematic approach to CEA throughout the programme and disaster cycle. This will include supporting and promoting the use of innovative approaches to information sharing, community participation and feedback, behaviour and social change communication and evidence-based advocacy.

The position holder will be responsible for all aspects of project and budget management and will act as the IFRC CEA representative for the cluster, coordinating on CEA approaches internally within the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and externally, through inter-agency networks.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

CEA development and capacity building

• Responsible for driving the roll out of a more systematic and integrated approach to CEA within the IFRC and across the 10 Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the cluster through mainstreaming CEA in NS and IFRC plans, processes and procedures.

• Work closely with National Societies and IFRC sectoral colleagues to help them identify gaps in their approach to CEA and then supporting them to address these by integrating and/or scaling up an appropriate mix of approaches and activities to communicating and engaging with affected people and communities within their programmes and operations.

• Drive the inclusion of CEA in emergency operations and plans within the cluster, including providing and organising CEA surge capacity support to NS when possible and appropriate.

• Lead technical advisor for CEA within the cluster, responsible for providing advice, support and training to NS and IFRC staff on how they can:

o  Ensure assessments are transparent and participatory, and capture people’s information needs and trusted and preferred communication channels.

o  Build community participation into operational planning, design and implementation.

o  Strengthen and/or help set up feedback mechanisms, including processes to make sure feedback is analysed and acted upon by operational teams.

o  Strengthen and/or help set up systems for sharing life-saving, useful and actionable information with affected people about Red Cross and Red Crescent services, from selection criteria to health advice, as part of information-as-aid activities.

o  To increase their reach and impact by helping teams, such as health, water and sanitation and disaster risk reduction, to set up methods to gain a deeper understanding of local perceptions, beliefs, culture, practices and values and to implement innovative behaviour and social change communication activities.

o  To find ways to involve affected people in assessing the impact of the operational response.

o  To ensure women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups have equal access to information channels and feedback mechanisms particular to their needs, and taking into account any specific protection issues.

Plan and deliver CEA trainings to IFRC and NS staff and volunteers and for the various networks and working groups they support, providing people with the skills and knowledge to launch and manage CEA tools and approaches within their programmes and operations

• Support the rolling out and adaptation of CEA Movement tools, methodologies and activities, as defined in the CEA Movement guide and toolkit, to support programmes and operations.

• Develop evidence-based learning demonstrating the impact of community engagement on the quality and effectiveness of programming by supporting the rolling out of research, impact surveys, perceptions studies and case studies.

Project and budget management

• Project and budget manager for CEA within the cluster including development of annual CEA log frames and activity plans, integrating CEA in emergency plans of action and ensuring the inclusion of CEA in cluster level plans and strategies.

• Donor management, including identifying opportunities, preparation of funding proposals, donor relationship management and providing high quality, timely and accurate reports to donors.

• Supporting NS/IFRC EA to develop their own CEA log frames, activity plans, budgets and to put in place robust monitoring and reporting processes.

• In collaboration with the Planning and Programming Coordinator, monitor expenditure on CEA pledges.

• Ensure expenditure on CEA pledges are in line with the budgets.

Coordination, representation, relationships and reporting

• CEA representative for the cluster, leading on the coordination of CEA efforts across National Societies, Partner National Societies and the IFRC within southern Africa, including playing a lead role in the CEA Africa Working Group and cluster PMER working group.

• Working closely with the IFRC CEA Regional Advisor for Africa to ensure there is consistency and coordination between CEA efforts at the cluster, regional and global level. This includes ensuring the roll out of global CEA frameworks and standards at cluster level and that global frameworks and standards benefit from learning and experience at the cluster level.

• Attend and represent the IFRC at external coordination networks and mechanisms, such as the Communicating with Communities Working Group and Quality and Accountability Working Group and ensure a coordinated approach to CEA with other NGOs, humanitarian agencies, UN and private sector.

• Identify opportunities for partnership with external organisations, including the use of technology and innovative approaches to enhance CEA within NS and IFRC programmes and operations.

• Position IFRC as a leader in CEA through attending and speaking at internal and external events, conferences, meetings and workshops that allow us to highlight achievements and lessons learned.

• Produce and disseminate internal and external reports, evaluations, brochures, case studies, press releases and web stories that demonstrate the impact of CEA, promote it to new audiences, and raise the profile of NS and IFRC in southern Africa.

• Establish and ensure effective working relationships with the other departments, in particular working closely with the EAIOI cluster programme and finance teams.

• Ensure effective working relationships with technical and service departments at the Africa regional level.

Education

An advanced university degree (Master’s degree) in Communication or Social/Behavioural Sciences (i.e. Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology or Health Education) or relevant experience is required.

Experience

Five years’ experience planning and delivering community engagement approaches, beneficiary communication, communication for development or accountability to communities at a national level

Experience working for humanitarian or development organisations, within the context of developing countries

Experience working internationally or across multiple countries

Experience setting up and managing tools for communicating with communities. For example, radio programmes, TV shows, SMS systems, community committees, social mobilisation or mobile cinemas and community dramas etc

Proven experience in planning targeted and appropriate behaviour change communication strategies.

Experience setting up and managing accountability to community systems. For example, feedback and complaints mechanisms, rumour tracking systems, or participatory planning processes

Experience of coaching, training and developing local staff and volunteers in order to build long-term capacity and create ownership.

Experience of planning and delivering community engagement interventions in emergency situations.

Experience of designing and implementing assessments, community consultations, research and/or focus groups discussions.

Experience working with Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies

Knowledge, skills and languages

Good planning skills, with the ability to identify areas for improvements in programmes, operations and NS/IFRC ways of working through the integration of CEA approaches and activities.

Good coordination and negotiation skills, with the capacity to build partnerships with internal and external organisations and bring people together to collaborate on CEA approaches and activities.

Excellent interpersonal, communication and networking skills, able to build relationships with people at all levels of the organisation across multiple countries and cultures, both in person and remotely, to build commitment and support for CEA.

Excellent project management skills, able to work under pressure and manage multiple projects simultaneously, to a high standard and to deadline.

Advanced analytical skills, able to capture learning and use it to make improvements in programming and operations.

Highly motivated, self-starter able to take initiative and lead a team or process.

Good knowledge of Red Cross Red Crescent Movement.

Good knowledge of gender and diversity issues in humanitarian programming.

Fluently spoken and written English

Competencies and values

Professionalism

Communications

Collaboration and teamwork

National Society and customer relations

Building alliances

Accountability

Creativity and innovation

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