Organizational Context
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 192-member National Societies. 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.” The IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.
IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of the IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.
IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services.
IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. IFRC also has country cluster delegation and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.
The IFRC Africa Region has 15 cluster delegations across the continent. Each of these delegations support 2-4 National Societies. Other country delegations may be considered depending on the support required by National Societies.
Job Purpose
Under the supervision of the IFRC Southern Africa Operations Manager, the Senior DM Officer will ensure timely, effective and efficient support of disaster risk management activities for National Societies. He/she will work in building national, regional and institutional (including secretariat) disaster response and preparedness capacities to enable them to improve their disaster management programming and be an advocate for IFRC’s Preparedness for Effective Response approach.
He/she assures ongoing collaboration with all relevant partners in the region in the field of disaster risk management and will also work on further developing these relationships. He/she contributes to the quality improvement of the DRM programme of NS throughout the region.
The DM Officer will ensure a symbiotic process of development for the National Society DRM programmes, with the ultimate goal of increasing community resilience to disasters; enhance NS and their branches disaster readiness.
Thus, the Senior DM Officer will be deployed to the field 100% of his/her time in support to National Societies, working on four main objectives:
- Increasing preparedness for effective response (through PER or the Red Ready approach), working with NHQ and Branches to build response capacity prior to disasters, including contingency planning and EWS, forming Rapid Response Teams, Stock Prepositioning, and supply chains;
- Supporting of timely and high-quality humanitarian response when a disaster strikes, ensuring sound operational management and coordination in the field.
- Support NS to design long-term resilience building programme including Food security and livelihoods.
- Support profiling of programmes through meetings participation and monthly newsletters
Job Duties and Responsibilities
- Build capacity and competencies of National Societies in Disaster Risk Management and support them in becoming relevant partners for Disaster Risk Management in their respective countries.
- Strengthening NS programming in community resilience, contextualising and localising Road Map to Community Resilience guide and ensure resilience approach is integrated across all NS programming areas.
- Actively engage the National Societies on the scaling-up of ‘Preparedness for Effective Response’ approach and improving coordination and harmonisation of DRM capacity building approaches.
- Facilitate technical guidance for the National Societies on Cash Transfer preparedness and programming in different contexts.
- Support the National Societies with the process of hazards mapping, development and review of Contingency Plans, SOPs at national and branch levels.
- Promotes knowledge sharing and best practices among Red Cross Movement Partners and at international meetings and conferences and influences partners in stakeholder consultations.
- Organize and facilitate training sessions for National Society technical staff and volunteers in various areas of disaster risk management.
- Participate in relevant meetings with Red Cross Movement partners, Governments, donors, NGOs and UN Agencies engaged in disaster risk management.
- Assume responsibility for the quality and timely planning, implementation and reporting of the IFRC support to the NS for the emergency operations;
- Support the NSs to ensure effective monitoring of emergency operations against the key deliverables and milestones articulated in the response strategy and plan as per systems in place, while serving as link with the PMER officer in Pretoria.
- Work closely with the NS team to ensure that timely and accurate financial and narrative reports are prepared and are in line with requirements specified in the project agreement or standard Federation reporting guidelines
- Support NS to liaise with international humanitarian agencies and organisations when appropriate and participate in Inter Agency coordination and other NGO meetings.
- Perform any other duties as requested by the Supervisor.
Education
- Advanced university degree in Development/Social Studies, Project Management, Disaster Management or other relevant field.
- Professional training in disaster risk management.
Experience
- Experience of working for the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement – preferred.
- Six years of relevant experience in the field of disaster risk management.
- At least 2 years of working for a humanitarian aid organisation.
- Experience in facilitating workshops and seminars.
- Experience of planning and managing finances and budgets.
Knowledge, Skills and Languages
- Strong and highly developed technical skills in disaster risk management international practices.
- Self-supporting in computers (word processing, spreadsheets, internet and web-based searching etc.).
- Solid and tested analytical skills.
- Project management and reporting skills.
- Excellent communication, interpersonal and networking skills.
- Fluently spoken and written English.
Competencies, Values and Comments
- Accountability
- National Society Relations
- Teamwork-interpersonal skills
- Integrity and personal conduct
- Professionalism
- Communication Managerial effectiveness
- Initiative and direction
- Flexibility, Patience and adaptability-sensitivity to diversity