Organizational Context
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the worldโs largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies. The overall aim of the IFRC is โto 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.โ The 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 delegation and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.
IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.
The Freetown Cluster Delegation is the hub to support the Red Cross-National Societies (Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, and Guinea Bissau) to deliver the IFRC mandate with a focus on Disaster Management, Capacity Building of the National Societies and Humanitarian Diplomacy
Job Purpose
The incumbent will support National societies to achieve its mandate of responding to the needs of vulnerable persons in communities by ensuring the National Societies respect their statutory commitments specifically in the areas of accountability and transparency. He/she will also support the development of National Societies within the cluster to have the capacity and explore the opportunities and become domestically sustainable partners of choice to build more resilient communities.
Job Duties and Responsibilities
- Support the development of National Societies to become stronger local actors.
- Support National Societies in implementing IFRC policies and General Assembly resolutions.
- Assist cluster National Societies in identifying and prioritise areas of support and to develop, where relevant, plans for the development, including identifying and utilising specialist technical support as appropriate.
- Support National Societies to develop, revise and implement National Society Development (NSD) Plans, in alignment with existing initiatives and identified needs.
- Provide day-to-day technical guidance and capacity building support to National Society (NS) upon request and as per identified priorities, in coordination with other partners.
- Support NSs to engage in innovative initiatives in NSD, promote peer to peer learning opportunities with NSs in the region.
- Promote development and knowledge sharing and increase visibility of NSs' experiences.
- Coordinate with cluster and regional teams to provide leadership development opportunities to NSs to ensure high level, diverse and inclusive governance, leadership and management in the NSs at all level.
- Abide by the regionally and globally agreed commitments and operating models, including the Transformational Agenda and the Pan African Conference commitments and indicators (Nairobi Plan of Action).
- Provide support to NSs in exploring and developing potential resource mobilization opportunities and partnerships, including core cost recovery mechanisms, asset management mechanisms, local income generation activities, etc.
- Assist National Societies in strengthening their auxiliary role and their engagement in humanitarian diplomacy.
- Provide support to develop NSs' branch system and functions in a sustainable way, including supporting a long term youth and volunteer engagement both at national and local level, with learning and training programmes, adequate duty of care systems and retention policies.
- Assist NSs in developing and maintaining appropriate internal structures and systems, and updating policies and procedures to match current needs and requirements.
- Develop initiatives to support staff and leadership capacity on integrity and accountability in line with global policies.
- Provide technical guidance and accompaniment on efforts to secure resources (financial and technical) from Red Cross/Red Crescent (RCRC) Movement internal funding mechanisms (National Society Investment Alliance (NSIA), Capacity Building Fund (CBF), Empress Shoken Fund (ESF) and from external sources.
- Engaging with National Society senior management including SG and NSD Focal persons
Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)
Coordination, cooperation and collaboration amongst Movement partners, including mobilizing resources amongst Partners
- Lead and implant processes, mechanisms and approaches for cooperating, collaborating and coordinating with Movement and external partners and stakeholders
- Assist NSs and work with Partner National Societies to coordinate their support so that it contributes to systematic NSD/Organization Development and capacity-building according to NSs priorities and operational needs in a coordinated way.
- Assist NSs to access and link-up with various knowledge-sharing networks and opportunities across the region.
- Provide consistent and well-coordinated support and facilitate discussions among RCRC Movement Partners on NSD to avoid duplication of efforts.
Relationships, expertise and professional development
- Establish and maintain effective professional working relationships with national and international staff in country, regional and global offices, and, with counterparts in country, partner national societies, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and donors.
- Maintain a high degree of skill and knowledge in National Society development, be an expert and a person of reference for the fields and areas under her or his responsibility
- Be part of and contribute to develop a network and systems for knowledge sharing including best practices, NSD mapping and reporting on indicators.
- Contribute to the IFRC Cluster Office Team and Regional Office, while sharing technical expertise in a supportive manner.
Fostering sustainable change
- Fostering an environment for National Societies to implement sustainable change through supporting individuals and groups within National Societies to scope and lead change processes
- Nurturing Innovation and creating culture of learning
- Serve as a critical advisor for reshaping existing way of working, and support National Society counterparts to identify, design, test, reflect, analyse, and replicate different ways of working appropriate to the context:
Education
- Bachelor Degree in Community Development, Development Studies, Humanitarian Studies or equivalent. (Required)
- Post Graduate Degree will be an added advantage (Preferred)
Experience
Required
- 5 to 6 years of experience in organisational development/international development.
- Prior work experience with a Developmental organization
- Proven credibility in relation to organisational & leadership development, capacity enhancement, change management and related aspects
Knowledge, Skills and Languages
Required
- Self-supporting in computers (word processing, spreadsheets etc.)
- Good communication skills,
- Leadership skills & Interpersonal skills
- organizational development skills,
- Negotiation skills
- Team building Skills
- Problem solving & conflict management
- facilitation and partnership Skills
- Able to work with due sensitivity in a multi-cultural environment and virtual or/and dispersed teams
- Able to build partnerships and network effectively and to influence and inspire others including the membership, governments, other agencies, and own peers, staff, and partners
- Analytical decision-making capacity
- Ability to work under pressure
- Fluently spoken and written French and English
Preferred
- Good command of another IFRC official language (Spanish or Arabic)
Competencies, Values and Comments
- 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
- Functional competencies: Strategic orientation; Building alliances; Leadership; Empowering others