Roving Delegate, Anticipatory Action – Readvertised

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 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.” 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 and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

Addressing climate and environmental crises is the first strategic priority of the IFRC’s Strategy 2030, which stresses the urgent need to massively scale-up climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction, in view of increasing disasters and climate-related impacts on vulnerable people. Early warning and early/anticipatory action are acknowledged as a critical component of this work. Anticipatory action is increasingly recognized as a key solution to reduce the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events, these actions help organizations and people build resilience to future shocks by better understanding trends and highlighting the need to embed risk information for short-term shocks that informs long-term adaptation.

The Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) is the International Federation’s pooled Fund for National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to access reliable international funding for anticipatory action and emergency response to small and medium scale disasters. The DREF has to 2 pillars, the anticipatory action pillar and the response pillar. Each one with different funding options to support National Societies in anticipatory action and response. The DREF 2020-2025 strategic ambition outlines its intention to grow the fund allocations to CHF 100 million out of which 25% is aimed at anticipatory action.

To operationalize that ambition and in line with the Operational Framework for scaling up Anticipatory Action the IFRC is seeking to support National Societies by developing anticipatory actions plans that are eligible and can be funded under the DREF anticipatory pillar.

Currently, 14 National Societies in Africa are engaging in anticipatory action planning. The roving Anticipatory Action Delegate will work with African National Societies and their partners to develop anticipatory action plans for weather and non-weather-related hazards.

Job Purpose

The Roving Anticipatory Action Delegate will work in a cross-functional and integrated manner with different IFRC technical units, IFRC Delegations, ensuring close cooperation with reference centres (Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre and Anticipation Hub), Partner National Societies, and other Movement/non-movement partners to ensure proper integration of the anticipatory action in other ongoing initiatives as relevant.

The position is based in the Dakar Country Cluster delegation (The Gambia, Senegal, Cape Verde, Mauritania) and will support the Cluster when required and agreed with regional management.

This position will require a significant amount of travel in the Africa region.

Job Duties And Responsibilities

Technical Support and capacity strengthening

Provide Technical Support To National Societies (NSs) And IFRC Country And Country Cluster Delegations In The Africa Region For The Development And Monitoring Of Anticipatory Action Plans

• In close cooperation with the NSs, support the development of simplified Early Action Protocols (sEAP) and DREF for imminent events aligned with the National Societies Contingency and Response plans, ensuring strong linkages with the Preparedness for Effective Response approach and their wider Disaster Risk Management strategies.
• Provide technical support and accompaniment to at least 4 NSs annually and their corresponding IFRC Delegations to develop work plans and budgets for their simplified EAP development, roll out and monitoring.
• Provide timely technical support and advice to NSs and IFRC Delegations to develop DREF applications and budgets for imminent events as they unfold.
• Provide technical support and guidance to IFRC Delegations and NSs on implementing anticipatory action, including advice on the Forecast based Financing methodology and DREF procedures and guidelines.
• Support NSs in liaising with relevant stakeholder to advance their anticipatory action plans (IFRC technical sectors, Partner NSs, Climate Centre, Anticipation Hub, partners, government agencies, including national hydro meteorological services, disaster management and sectoral agencies etc.)
• Familiarize NSs and partners with the DREF anticipatory pillar requirements, quality criteria and application process to ensure a straightforward and successful DREF application process.
• Work alongside the IFRC Country and Country Cluster Delegations to ensure their ownership of the resulting anticipatory action plans. This includes strengthening their capacities to monitor and manage the implementation of the anticipatory action plans with the NSs.
• Promote understanding of anticipatory action terminologies, tools, quality criteria and approaches including an increased understanding of the anticipatory pillar of the DREF in the Africa region.

Planning, monitoring and reporting

• Establish plans and roadmaps to deliver on the annual commitments and ensure appropriate monitoring and reporting is being delivered.
• Work with the Africa Regional Office, IFRC Country and Country Cluster Delegations and the DREF Team to develop a plan with NSs to be supported for the following 6 months (plan to be developed every 6 months).
• Monitor the progress of the NSs work plans, flagging issues and proposing adjustments needed for risk mitigation.
• In coordination with the anticipatory action grants manager monitor the financial implementation of the country budgets and reporting.
• Facilitate and support quality and timely reporting on project funded activities in close cooperation with IFRC Delegations, the Anticipatory Action Grants Manager and finance counterparts.
• Regularly update the Africa and Geneva DCC teams of ongoing anticipatory action initiatives, including sEAP progress, to ensure activities are closely linked and well-coordinated.

Education

• Relevant post-graduate university degree in Disaster Risk Management or equivalent qualification.
• Basic Delegates Training Course (BTC), WORC, IMPACT or equivalent knowledge

Experience

• At least 5 years of international experience in humanitarian sector technical level related to Disaster Risk Management programming, institutional preparedness capacity strengthening initiatives, emergency response operations or EWEA systems.
• Experience in developing emergency response plans, DREF applications or anticipatory action plans preferred
• Experience working with Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies preferred
• Experience working for a humanitarian or development organization in the Africa region preferred
• Good understanding of the IFRC policies, system, and procedures
• Experience in coordinating with multiple stakeholders, including authorities and other humanitarian actors.
• Experience managing projects including programmatic and financial aspects.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

• Excellent communication and facilitation skills.
• Well-organized, with very good planning and time management skills.
• Self-supporting in computers (MS Office, , spread sheets, word-processing, data analytics, presentations, etc.).
• Fluent spoken and written English
• Good command of another IFRC official language (French)

Competencies, Values and Comments

Core Competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust

Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability