Strategic Lead, Community, Engagement and Accountability

Organizational Context

“This is a national staff position open to nationals and others who are legally eligible to work in countries where IFRC has legal presence: Buenos Aires (Argentina), San José (Costa Rica), Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), Guatemala City (Guatemala), Tegucigalpa (Honduras), Kingston (Jamaica), Managua (Nicaragua), Panama City (Panama), Lima (Peru), or Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago). Candidates must be able to provide proof of their eligibility to work in those countries during application phase”

Job Purpose

Community Engagement and Accountability is at the core of Red Cross and Red Crescent programming and operations. It is an approach geared towards putting people and communities, vulnerable to and affected by crisis, at the centre of what we do. It encompasses a set of activities that embed and integrate participation, communication, feedback and learning throughout the programme cycle, in service delivery and in strategy development. The goal is to enable people and communities to lead and shape positive, sustainable change in their own lives, communities and society.

The Community Engagement and Accountability Strategic Lead will support the National Societies and IFRC delegations to enhance the impact, reach and efficiency of emergency response operations and programmes through the integration and coordination of CEA activities and approaches. This includes participatory approaches, feedback systems, risk communication and evidence-based advocacy.

The position will provide strategic and technical advice and training to build the capacity of staff to integrate a more systematic approach to CEA and strengthen participatory processes in response and recovery approaches.

The Community Engagement and Accountability Strategic Lead will ensure the CEA components are prioritised and mainstreamed throughout programmes and projects assisting the implementing National Societies (NSs) to plan and IFRC delegations, implement, monitor, and report on the CEA activities defined in each project, suggest changes, provide technical assistance, and conduct orientations and trainings on CEA. S/he will also be responsible for guiding and coordinating the rolling out of CEA activities across emergency operations, technically leading CEA surge staff deployed.

The Community Engagement and Accountability Strategic Lead will develop or participate in active networks and coordination groups with external organisations and actors to ensure that CEA approaches and activities are integrated with wider sector initiatives.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

1. Designs, plans and coordinates community engagement assessments and guide intersectoral work towards collecting insights on socio-cultural and contextual factors that can inform planning and guide community engagement efforts
2. Defines the plan and strategy to mainstream community engagement effectively into programmes and projects to meet the specific needs of affected people and ensure their participation
3. Leads and coordinate the setting up/strengthening of appropriate feedback systems and rolling out of research to gain a deeper understanding of the community perceptions, beliefs, rumours and complains
4. Assess/synthetize qualitative and quantitative information, data and evidence relevant to community engagement to support key operation teams and decision makers and inform action
5. Ensures the most vulnerable groups participate in key decision-making processes, have equal access to information channels and feedback mechanisms and any specific protection issues are taken into account
6. Leads the operationalisation of the Movement minimum actions and commitment, policies, and guidelines relevant to CEA and ensures the roll out and adaptation of CEA tools, methodologies, trainings and activities
7. Oversees the rolling out of CEA approaches across the Americas region and makes recommendations on operational strategies and country plans to ensure strengthened engagement of and accountability to people and communities
8. Guides coordination efforts across the Movement components and supports inter-agency coordination with a wide range of partners and stakeholders to ensure synergy, integration, coherence, and harmonization of community engagement actions, including the rolling out of technological solutions and innovative approaches
9. Engages in dialogue with key stakeholders’ leadership to ensure community engagement issues and insights drive humanitarian action
10. Identifies partnership opportunities with key local and international partners
11. Coordinates National Society’s support to integrate CEA in their strategies, frameworks, and plans, setting out how community engagement activities and approaches will be institutionalised in the longer term.
12. Coordinates capacity building efforts on essential CEA aspects within the Movement and outside.

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

• Eight 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 protection and community engagement interventions in emergency situations, preferred
• Experience of designing and implementing assessments, community consultations, research and/or focus groups discussions, preferred
• Experience working with Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies, preferred

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 protection, gender and inclusion issues in humanitarian programming
• Good knowledge of Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, preferred

LANGUAGES:

• Fluently spoken and written English and Spanish
• French, preferred

Competencies, Values and Comments

VALUES: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability

CORE COMPETENCIES: Communication; Collaboration and Teamwork; Judgement and Decision Making; National Societies and Customer Relations; Creativity and Innovation; Building Trust

MANAGERIAL COMPETENCIES: Managing Staff Performance; Managing Staff Development; Strategic Orientation

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES: Strategic Orientation; Leadership; Empowering Others