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.
The 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.
The 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.
The IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The 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.
As one of the five decentralized parts of the Secretariat, the Europe Region structure is composed of the Regional Office for Europe based in Budapest and a number of local representations that operate at the following locations:
- the Country Cluster Support Team in Moscow covering the Russian Federation and Belarus
- the Country Cluster Support Team in Sarajevo covering Central and South-Eastern Europe
- the Country Cluster Support Team in Tbilisi covering Southern Caucasus
- the Country Cluster Support Team in Bishkek covering Central Asia
- the Country Cluster Support Team in Ukraine covering Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, and the Baltic Countries
- the Country Offices in Greece and Turkey
Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) has been widely recognized by the International Red Cross Red Crescent (RCRC) Movement as an effective way of meeting humanitarian needs of affected population in a dignified manner. Over the past decade the IFRC and some Partner National Societies have supported an increasing number of National Societies (around 60 to date) in different levels of cash preparedness with the objective of having them ready to deliver, when appropriate Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) in a timely, accountable, and effective manner at any time and at any scale.
Eventually, some National Societies from countries impacted by the major crises are implementing CVA for the first time with the support of the IFRC. This also increases the emphasis on the importance of the CVA preparedness.
To ensure a future where people affected by crisis make their own decisions about how to recover, by 2025, the IFRC commits to deliver 50% of humanitarian assistance using cash and vouchers.
The CVA Officer position is a national staff position applicable for candidates from countries whose citizens are not subject for work permits in Kazakhstan and do not have any travel restrictions for visiting both Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The position incumbent will be based in Almaty
Job purpose
As part of the Central Asia Country Cluster Support team and under the overall guidance of the Head of Delegation and technical supervision of the Regional CVA Preparedness Delegate (located in Regional Office, Budapest) the CVA officer will be responsible to provide technical support to National Societies in Central Asia in their CVA preparedness, more specifically to Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan National Societies in the implementation of ECHO-PPP project CVA activities, as well as to support them on any of their other complementing CVA activities including CVA implementation in regular programmes and emergencies.
Job duties and responsibilities:
- Implementation of the CVA preparedness plans of actions and response activities, Coordination: Provide technical support to selected National Societies to effectively plan, implement, manage and evaluate CVA capacity enhancement, preparedness and response activities.
- Support the mid-term review of CVA Preparedness roadmap with each selected National Society to revise the plan of action (PoA) based on their current capacities and specificities.
- Support the implementation of the CVA preparedness PoA for each National Society.
- Support the National Societies in developing long-term framework agreements with financial service providers and work with regional logistics teams in close coordination to process the framework agreements.
- Undertake capacity building in CVA through face-to-face trainings, simulations and “learning by going” exercises, as well as remote and face-to-face coaching. These will cover training National Society staff and volunteers at national HQ and branch levels and looking for peer to peer engagements across those selected National Societies where synergies align and with the other National Societies on a peer-to-peer basis.
- Explore and facilitate peer-to-peer support among National Societies that are on-going ECHO-PPP program within and outside of the region.
- Support the implementation of the joint initiative between IFRC, Swiss RC and RC Society of Kyrgyzstan, based on the cooperation agreement signed by all mentioned parties to build on CVA capacities in Central Asia.
- Facilitate the RCRC network and interagency cash working group meeting along with NS focal point.
Technical Support and Quality Assurance:
- Support National Societies (NSs) and IFRC to deliver cash-based responses that are predictable, replicable, and applicable to all sectors, programs, and phases of the disaster/crisis response cycle for all type of CVA activities (DREF, EA, bilateral projects).
- Ensure the provision of high-quality CVA technical support to NS emergency response operations in countries, assisting in all stages (assessment, analysis, design, planning, implementation, monitoring & evaluation), in line with international, RCRC Movement and IFRC standards, guidelines and good practice.
- Support the Head of Delegation in provision of technical quality assurance in all documents, including Plan of Action, Operational Strategy, budget, Operations Updates, Sitreps and other relevant documents.
- Ensure implementation follows the approved operational work plan, delivery mechanisms are properly established, and selection and distribution mechanisms follow agreed CVA guidelines, procedures, and SOPs.
- Work closely with Community Engagement and Accountability (CEA) and protection, gender and inclusion (PGI) focal points and ensure systems are in place and are in line with established strategies of the operation and RCRC minimum standards.
- Work closely with Planning Monitoring Evaluation and Reporting (PMER) Officer and ensure that CVA is indicated and considered adequately in the Unified Planning process and reflected in National Societies and IFRCs planning processes.
- Support in setting up and implementation of M&E framework to ensure quality programming and to establish appropriate monitoring systems that accurately track targeted population, disbursement, and reconciliation.
- Support National Societies in producing accurate monthly reports of cash disbursements and utilisation using a secure system of accountability and control, ensuring beneficiary data management and protection.
- Support National Societies in post distribution monitoring and provide recommendations for future improvement.
General
- Work closely with National Societies, NS CVA counterparts and other IFRC staff to promote technical CVA awareness, capacity, delivery, and learning.
- Deliver capacity building initiatives such as trainings, learning by doing exercises, simulations, pilots and remote/face-to-face coaching, undertake staff and volunteer orientation on CVA providing training as required, prepare training materials, develop and lead trainings in CVA in line with existing resources within the RCRC Movement, CashHub and CALP Network.
- Participate in internal and external CVA meetings to contribute to technical, coordination and advocacy initiatives within the RC/RC Movement or with other partners.
- Support any other CVA task if required.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Advanced university degree in a relevant area such as social sciences/statistics/finance/ management/communication sciences or equivalent experience
- CVA related training (Calp Level II, PECT)
- Technical training in information technology, information management, demography, statistics, GIS, social sciences, analysis, needs assessments or a related field
- Minimum 3 years of experience in providing CVA support in a disaster response and recovery programmes or operations
- Experience in working for the Red Cross/Red Crescent
- At least two-year experience of successfully implementing and coordinating humanitarian
- emergency response operations that include CVA in at least one context, preferably within the RC/RC Movement.
- Experience building a network and/or team
- Experience facilitating training
- Experience in project planning, monitoring, and reporting
- Experience in proposal writing
- Demonstrated experience in different aspects of CVA implementation (i.e.: assessments and
- market analysis, CVA feasibility, design, implementation and M&E) and in developing CTP programmes that are inclusive and gender sensitive
Knowledge and Skills
- Self-supporting in digital and software (including Excel, internet, email)
- Skills in developing and training staff
- Skills in negotiation and building relations
- Fluently spoken and written English
- Fluently spoken and written Russian
How to apply
For further information and to apply please follow the link: https://www.ifrc.org/jobs/details.html?nPostingId=10727&nPostingTargetId=122346&id=PZ8FK026203F3VBQB79LO79OB&LG=UK&languageSelect=UK&mask=newtempconfig