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 (NSDOC); (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization (GRHDD); and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services (MPSCS).
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.
The Federation in delivering its broader Humanitarian and Developmental mission will host the Country Support Platform (CSP) of the Global Task Force for Cholera Control (GTFCC) as an operational arm of the GTFCC.
Job Purpose
Reporting to the Regional Head of Health and Care Unit, the Officer, CSP Technical Support will, using their knowledge and experience in Public Health reach out to and foster an active networking and interaction role with GTFCC member organizations, academia, consultants and other bodies to identify, screen and match specific multi-disciplinary cholera related expertise for cholera affected countries who request such support. This in alignment with the multi-sectoral approach to cholera control as elaborated in the GTFCC cholera roadmap bringing together technical expertise in epidemiology, surveillance, laboratory testing, community engagement, immunization and WASH to serve country level requirements.
The Officer, CSP Technical support will further develop the ‘request for support’ mechanism with the GTFCC and CSP Field team to ensure rapid short-term and more medium or longer term relevant technical support requests will be met by facilitating both remote and in-country missions. The majority of technical support missions will be provided, facilitated and funded directly by the providing organizations\bodies to government authorities, thus the Officers role will be in most cases a coordination and quality control function. There may also be Red Cross\Red Crescent deployments which will be managed separately and directly by the established IFRC Surge and HR procedures in the normal manner conducted by the IFRC HR Department.
The technical Support Officer will act in close regular consultation and report to CSP Coordinator and the WHO Team Lead Cholera Control and Epidemic Diarrheal Diseases position that also leads the GTFCC Secretariat.
Duties and Responsibilities
Technical support and Coordination:
- Under the direction of the CSP Coordinator, identify potential technical support and expertise from a network of GTFCC members organizations (such as GOARN, CDC, John Hopkins etc) and other potential providers and offer those individuals and potential providers to country level stakeholders who would then facilitate their deployment in coordination with the CSP Field based team and national counterparts. It will remain the responsibility of country level stakeholders, especially government partners, to facilitate any deployments.
- Act as primary liaison between CSP Coordinator and the technical support providers, their networks and field based CSP team and national counterparts.
- Coordinate and enable the interactions between the CSP field-based team and the GTFCC secretariat, WHO cholera team focal points, the GTFCC Working Groups and GTFCC partners as required before, during and after technical support deployments.
- Contribute to CSP Team, under the direction of the CSP Coordinator in delivering on the basis of the approved CSP Project Proposal, Results Tracker and Budget and contribute to the management of any revisions required of those documents during the duration of the project.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of the CSP Advocacy and Resource Mobilization strategy and related activities, particularly in identifying and encouraging the use of ‘in-kind’ technical support.
- Contribute to identifying ‘in-kind’ technical support from external providers therefore contributing to resource mobilisation.
- Contribute to the financial management of the CSP by supporting the budget holder when required and support coordination of the team’s activities reflecting the GTFCC vision and objectives.
- Contribute to cholera interventions that are coherent, evidence based, aligned with the government and GTFCC Roadmap objectives and strategy.
Monitoring:
- Provide advice and guidance to the GTFCC and country level teams that they establish a post deployment evaluation system for the GTFCC to measure impact and effectiveness of deployments that they undertake, which is outside the remit of the IFRC.
- Contribute to the CSP Monitoring and Evaluation framework and produce regular reports and analysis.
- Contribute to all required internal and external reporting, both narrative and financial, and submitted following IFRC internal procedures and protocols to meet with IFRC and donor requirements in a timely manner.
- In the case of RC\RC deployments and in liaison with the IFRC HR Management Department, the officer might contribute to evaluations and reviews.
Duties applicable to all staff within the CPS:
- Actively work towards the achievement of the GTFCC objectives and goals.
- Represents the CSP at relevant meetings, events, and forums when required to do so.
Duties applicable to all staff:
- Actively work towards the achievement of the Federation Secretariat’s goals.
- Abide by and work in accordance with the Red Cross and Red Crescent principles.
- Perform any other work-related duties and responsibilities that may be assigned by the line manager.
Education
- Relevant degree or post-graduate study in public health, international health, or program management.
- Relevant degree or post-graduate study in Human Resource Capacity Building
Experience
- At least 3 years working experience in a role that supported a field-based team in humanitarian or developmental programming.
- At least 3 years working experience in human resources management and networking in a management and supervisory position.
- At least 3 years’ experience in a multicultural environment, with developing countries and/or with an international organisation or INGO at management level.
Knowledge and Skills
- Broad knowledge of Human Resource Management or Human Resource Capacity Building, Training and establishing or supporting HR rosters in the humanitarian or development field.
- Programme, project management and networking.
- Results oriented and demand driven individual, entrepreneurial, ability to lead in unprecedented and/or ambiguous situations.
- Outstanding networking, representational, communication and negotiation skills. An ability to be proactive and persuasive.
- Demonstrated track record in innovating, contributing to a learning culture, sharing knowledge and new approaches to engaging partners.
- Demonstrated ability to lead within a matrix management structure and utilize talent and experience of team members in a productive way.
- Professional credibility, able to work effectively at all levels across the organization.
- High degree of discretion, tact and sensitivity in dealing with internal and external clients and stakeholders at all levels.
- Ability to work within a multi-cultural, multilingual, multidisciplinary environment.
Languages
- Fluently spoken and written English
- Good command of spoken and written French
- Good command of another IFRC official language (Spanish or Arabic)
Competencies
- Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability
- Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust