Community Engagement & Accountability Delegate at The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)

Vacancy No: IFRC04408
Duration: 6 Months
Category of Staff: Delegate

Job Purpose

• Reporting to Head of Cluster the Community Engagement and Accountability Delegate will be responsible for building the Community Engagement and Accountability capacity of National Societies in West Coast and working with them to integrate CEA into long-term programmes and emergency responses.
• The holder will also support West African National Societies to integrate risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) activities and approaches into the current COVID-19 operations

Job Duties and Responsibilities
Community Engagement and Accountability development and capacity building:

• Responsible for driving the roll out of a more systematic and integrated approach to CEA within the IFRC and across the 7 Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the cluster through mainstreaming CEA in National Societies and IFRC plans, processes and procedures.
• Work closely with National Societies, IFRC sectoral colleagues and partner National Societies to help them identify gaps in their approach to CEA and then supporting them to address these by integrating and/or scaling up an appropriate mix of approaches and activities to communicating and engaging with affected people and communities within their programmes and operations.
• Drive the inclusion of CEA in development and emergency operations and plans within the cluster.
• Plan and deliver CEA trainings to IFRC and NS staff and volunteers and for the various networks and working groups they support, providing people with the skills and knowledge to launch and manage CEA tools and approaches within their programmes and operations
• Develop evidence-based learning demonstrating the impact of community engagement on the quality and effectiveness of programming by supporting the rolling out of research, impact surveys, perceptions studies and case studies.
• Work closely with West Coast National Societies senior management, programme and operations departments to develop an appropriate and practical CEA strategies that will support the long-term integration of CEA activities and approaches into their programmes, operations and ways of working.

COVID-19 Responsibilities:

• Lead RCCE for the COVID-19 response in West Coast, designing a strategic approach that helps prevent the spread of infection and builds community trust in the response, revising as needed to meet emerging needs and changes in the epidemic.
• Provide technical support to National Societies, supporting them to develop appropriate and context specific RCCE strategies and response plans, including ongoing guidance to implement activities, including;
• Establishing systematic community feedback mechanisms to understand community perceptions, questions, complaints, and suggestions and using this to guide the response and update health approaches.
• Sharing timely, accurate information about COVID-19 using social mobilization and trusted mass communication channels to help people adopt safe practices and reduce fear, stigma, and misinformation.
• Working with communities to develop and support community-led solutions for preventing the spread of infection and ending the outbreak.
• Roll out online and face-to-face RCCE and CEA trainings to National Societies, IFRC and PNS staff, including building National Society capacity to collect and analyse community feedback and perceptions.
• Provide to the operation in West Coast with key analysis on community perceptions and feedback to ensure decision-making and direction is guided by community needs.
• Capture and share best practices and support peer learning between National Societies through webinars and case studies.
• Help coordinate RCCE response efforts across the countries by actively participating in coordination working group meetings, various platforms (RCCE working groups and interagency partners meeting, etc), taking part in teleconferences and sharing RCCE information and resources with branches and partners.

Project and Budget Management:

• Project and budget manager for CEA within the cluster including development of annual CEA log frames and activity plans, integrating CEA in emergency plans of action and ensuring the inclusion of CEA in cluster level plans and strategies.
• Donor management, including identifying opportunities, preparation of funding proposals, donor relationship management and providing high quality, timely and accurate reports to donors.
• Supporting NS under West Coast to develop their own CEA strategies, activity plans, budgets and to put in place robust monitoring and reporting processes.
• In collaboration with the Planning and Programming Coordinator, monitor expenditure on CEA pledges.
• Ensure expenditure on CEA pledges are in line with the budgets.

Coordination, Representation, Relationships and Reporting:

The Community Engagement and Accountability Delegate will:

• Working closely with the IFRC CEA Regional Senior Advisor for Africa to ensure there is consistency and coordination between CEA efforts at the cluster, regional and global level. This includes ensuring the roll out of global CEA frameworks and standards at cluster level and that global frameworks and standards benefit from learning and experience at the cluster level.
• Coordinate CEA efforts across National Societies, Partner National Societies and the IFRC within West Africa (West Coast), including playing a lead role in the CEA Africa Working Group.
• Attend and represent the IFRC at external coordination networks and mechanisms, such as the Communicating with Communities Working Group and Quality and Accountability Working Group and ensure a coordinated approach to CEA with other NGOs, humanitarian agencies, UN and private sector.
• Identify opportunities for partnership with external organisations, including the use of technology and innovative approaches to enhance CEA within NS and IFRC programmes and operations.
• Ensure effective working relationships with technical and service departments at the Africa regional level

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent degree) in Political Science, Behavioural/Social Sciences, International Studies or a related field is required with emphasis on strategic communication planning for behaviour development, social mobilization, participatory communication, and research.
• Experience in and knowledge of project management is required

Experience:

• 5 years’ experience working in community engagement and accountability, communication for development, or social mobilisation in developing countries for a humanitarian or development organisation.
• Experience of developing CEA strategies and plans, including ensuring the integration of CEA approaches into organizational strategies and other sectors’ operational plans.
• Experience integrating CEA into emergency response operations, including hands-on experience through emergency deployments to humanitarian disasters or complex crises.
• Solid experience of designing and implementing CEA approaches, including community feedback mechanisms, tools for communicating with communities (radio, social media, social mobilization) and participatory planning processes.
• Proven experience in planning targeted and appropriate behaviour change communication strategies.
• Experience of working with international organisations and/or National Societies to develop strategies and build long term capacity and create ownership
• Experience of planning and delivering training and awareness sessions to staff and volunteers at all levels
• Proven experience of successfully advocating for the inclusion of CEA within programmes, operations and organizational policies, processes and tools with staff at different levels, including senior leadership and technical teams.
• Project management experience, including developing plans, budget management, monitoring, reporting, and fundraising.
• Experience of designing and implementing assessments, community consultations, research, perception studies and/or focus groups discussions.
• Experience working with Red Cross/Red Crescent National Societies.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages:

• Good strategic planning skills, with the ability to identify areas for improvements in programmes and operations through the integration of CEA approaches and activities.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and networking skills, able to effectively sell an idea to staff and volunteers at all levels, creating buy-in and ownership
• Good coordination skills, with the ability to work with people across different teams and levels
• Good knowledge of Red Cross Red Crescent planning and disaster management cycle.
• Good knowledge of gender and diversity issues
• Highly motivated proactive self-starter, able to set and achieve goals using own initiative.
• Strong written, presentation, facilitation and training skills.
• Ability to multi-task and work under stressful conditions to meet deadlines
• Fluently spoken and written English and French.

Competencies and Values:

• Communications
• Collaboration and teamwork
• National Society and customer relations
• Building alliances
• Accountability
• Creativity and innovation