REGIONAL HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR – ECA

As part of CARE’s priority to strengthen its humanitarian preparedness and response globally, region-based humanitarian coordinator positions have been established in major regions where CARE operates. Regional Humanitarian Coordinators support CARE offices and regions in the initial phases of an emergency response, rapid escalations of needs in needs, humanitarian programming and response, preparedness, regional donor relationships, capacity building, humanitarian policy & analysis and technical assistance in the support of quality emergency & humanitarian response including Gender in Emergencies and partnership.

The Regional Humanitarian Coordinator (RHC) provides critical coordination and support to CARE International’s humanitarian & emergency preparedness and response. In-between rapid onset emergencies she/he works with country offices (with a focus on high priority/risk countries), lead members’ management, members and affiliates to strengthen CARE’s humanitarian capabilities across the region in line with the Regional Road Map. This includes strengthening capacity for preparedness, emergency response, integration of emergency/humanitarian programming within CARE’s program approach, strengthening our gender in emergency capacity, humanitarian policy, and other related priority areas. She/he also represents CARE externally at regional level in the humanitarian field with key forums, partners and donors, develops a contextual understanding of the region, and undertakes appropriate humanitarian policy and analysis. During major emergencies, the RHC will often be the first rapid response staff member to deploy from outside the country office and would support initial response start-up by the country office. The RHC will also support and/or lead responses to rapid escalation of needs in existing CARE country programmes. The RHC represents all of CI, liaises with various CI offices and members, and should ensure consistency with CI global humanitarian approaches and standards. For these reasons, the RHC reports to the CI emergency group (CEG), but with strong links to lead members’ management structures, including both their line management and emergency units.

Support to Country Offices

• Support country offices, members and affiliates initiate responses to emergencies, in consultation with CEG and the lead member (as appropriate), including advising on start-up, assessments, and mobilization of resources.
• In rapid onset and/or major emergencies, the RHC will be expected to rapidly deploy to the country office to directly support the start-up of the response in an appropriate role such as leading assessment and/or start-up of an emergency response, or other roles as needed.
• The RHC might also be responsible for leading assessments and responses in countries in which CARE has no presence.
• In relatively small or chronic emergencies/humanitarian situations, the RHC may coordinate or provide technical assistance to the CARE office team mounting/scaling up a response. This includes monitoring country office capacity to respond and progress made in doing so, guiding the CARE offices on the use of CARE’s emergency toolkit, helping offices assess capacities (including partners) and fill human and other resource gaps as rapidly as possible in consultation with CEG and the lead member (if applicable).

Regional Representation

• Represent the region internally on behalf of CEG and in crisis coordination meetings/calls, CI conference calls, and with lead members as appropriate;
• Ensure information flow among country offices, CEG, lead members (line management and emergency units), and with other CI members.
• Establish strong and close relationships with programming members, candidates and affiliates, CDs and Regional / deputy regional directors and emergency directors at CI levels and plays an active advisory, supportive and coordination role in order to facilitate clear communication and coordination, integration of humanitarian and long-term development, contextual analysis, and address any potential issues related to our humanitarian work, emergency preparedness and response

Promote and guide quality in humanitarian & emergency programmes throughout the region.

• This includes promoting and guiding CARE offices in their adherence to our humanitarian aspirations (scale, size, timeliness, quality) and regional priorities identified in the road map, to minimum standards, including CARE’s Humanitarian Accountability Framework (incl. program principles and its humanitarian mandate, policies, procedures & guidance as contained within CARE’s emergency toolkit).
• Strengthening quality also includes conducting capacity building and training, monitoring and facilitating engagement of technical specialists, compliance activities with CARE’s accountability framework for responses in the region (e.g. After Action Reviews and evaluations).
• Additionally, this entails assisting offices in preparing strategies for humanitarian programming.

Guidance on Humanitarian and Emergency Programmes

• Promote and guide humanitarian and emergency programmes to incorporate Gender in Emergencies approaches by CARE together with partnership approaches, including Rapid Gender Analyses.
• Women Lead in Emergencies etc. Thereby ensure CARE fulfils organisational and global commitments to CARE’s humanitarian mandate, the new Humanitarian Directions and emerging strategy for Agenda 2020.
• Important stakeholder in contributing to information and analysis for the development and implementation of the humanitarian aspects of the Regional Road Map as part of the Regional team.

Support and advise lead members, country offices, members and partners on emergency preparedness planning (EPP).

• This includes working with lead members in the development of region-wide preparedness work plans.
• Guiding country offices in their establishment and skill building of emergency response teams and partners, application of CARE EPP guidelines and contingency plans, and integration of humanitarian considerations within country office strategic planning, programming and program support functions.
• Seeking guidance and support from CEG, lead members (line management and emergency units), gender, partnership and sector specialists and other CI members emergency units; working with a team of country office focal points in the region on training and capacity building for EPP.
• Sorting lead members in the completion and regular updating of country and regional preparedness plans and processes; developing an understanding of diverse regional and country contexts (including countries in conflict), emergency scenarios, and ongoing risk analysis, serving as the regional link to CEG and lead members in monitoring and ensuring preparedness in high-risk country offices; and supporting country offices ratchet up their capacity as the situation requires.

Represent CARE International in regional forums and meetings

• Represent CARE International in regional forums and meetings in the humanitarian area including with regional entities, UN humanitarian agencies, other NGOs, partners, region-based emergency donors, inter-agency working groups etc., and coordinate with CEG and CI members as appropriate.
• Inform CO’s and Lead Members on a regular basis on regional meetings, forums and also on advocacy initiatives and opportunities.
• Monitor and develop understanding of ongoing regional contexts and vulnerabilities and produce occasional updates/sit reps and support country offices to develop their own updates/sit reps when need Work with country offices, programming members, candidates and affiliates, CEG’s HR coordinator, lead members’ HR departments and technical specialists to support the staffing of the RED and the emergency roster with qualified and skilled staff within the region readily available to participate in CARE responses to our humanitarian and emergencies work within and outside the region

Qualifications:

1. Master’s degree, or relevant combination of qualifications and experience, in a relevant field At minimum
2. 5-10 years’ experience in humanitarian preparedness, risk reduction and response
3. Experience and knowledge of the region
4. Experience in programme design, management, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, including the CORE Humanitarian Standards, SPHERE standards, Grand Bargain, gender, donor relations, security and protection considerations
5. Experience in scale-up emergency response, Gender in Emergencies; women’s empowerment programming and humanitarian accountability.
6. Excellent training, coaching and mentoring skills
7. High level of writing and communication skills
8. Willingness to spend high proportion of time travelling away from home (approx 60%) and be deployed with limited notice period
9. Language skills: English. French would be an added advantage