Senior Disaster Management & Cash Voucher Assistance Officer at The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)

Vacancy No: IFRC04100
Duration:6 Months
Category of Staff: National Staff
Grade: Not applicable

Organizational Context

• The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC or “the Federation”) is the World’s largest volunteer-based humanitarian network. The Federation is a membership organization established by and comprised of its member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Along with National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Federation is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Background COVID-19 is directly impacting the lives of millions of people around the world. While all countries are affected and everyone is at risk, the pandemic further exacerbates the vulnerabilities (“a crisis on top of a crisis”) of people already at risk, be this due to armed conflict, violence, disaster, migration, their own health status, limited access to health care and the immunization gains of the past decade, their socio-economic situation or detention. Beyond its immediate health impacts, the crisis will have long-lasting repercussions for the most vulnerable, while also creating new vulnerabilities.
• The health and socio-economic impact will have a wider effect on the needs of extremely vulnerable communities, including in relation to access to epidemic prevention measures, consistent and safe health services, safe and sanitary shelter and settlement, and population movements, and will have a knock-on effect on social care needs and on cohesion and integration across our societies. Greater severity of food insecurity is being experienced among the already food insecure, with the rural and urban poor considered the most at risk, followed by displaced people, migrants and informal workers. Millions of people on the move, who often live in sub-standard shelters, collective accommodation, inadequate housing, informal settlements and slums, with no or limited access to services, may be invisible or deprioritized and face stigma, discrimination and hostility. Pockets of further vulnerabilities affecting people within this group (e.g. women and older people) may lead to them being disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
• The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (the Movement) continues to focus on containing the spread of the pandemic, while at the same time addressing the deterioration in vulnerable peoples’ livelihoods and communities’ social cohesion and, above all, protecting, assisting and advocating for the most vulnerable.

Job Purpose

• This job is to support the IFRC West Coast country cluster support team CCST in their support to the national societies in the fight against Covid19 and other natural disasters. The senior officer will be reporting to the Disaster Management DM Delegate.
• The purpose of this job will be to support the DM Delegate with all ongoing CVA activities that the WC NSs are implementing as part of the Covid19 global appeal.
• The person will act as a DM and CVA focal point for any technical questions that NSs might have.
• The person will coordinate with NSs regularly and will make sure that best practises are shared peer to peer. Also, the person will make sure that all standards and risk mitigation measures are being adhered to. Quality control and assessments will also be part of the job.

Job Duties and Responsibilities
Working together with the IFRC West Coast CCST, the DM & CVA Officer will:

• In close cooperation with technical coordinators of the CCST and the Regional CVA Coordinator, support the implementation and revision of all CVA activities included in NS response plans and budgets.
• Provide direct support to the IFRC team and the National Societies of the West Coast CCST setting up cash and voucher assistance interventions for emergency responses
• Ensure completion of cash planning, preparation and rollout of activities in selected project sites.
• Support the procurement process of Financial Service Providers in coordination with the Regional Office.
• Monitoring progress of cash interventions of the West Coast, and collect the required reporting documentations per the IFRC standards
• Ensure that needs assessment, market assessment, financial service provider mapping, tendering and contracting are conducted in due time to have a timely and effective implementation that meets the program objectives in all NS of the West Coast that uses cash as a response tool
• Assist West Coast National Societies in developing the process and post-distribution monitoring system that provide systematic and standards indicators for CVA implemented through emergency responses.
• Produce accurate monthly reports of cash and voucher delivered assistance in all NS of the West Coast,
• Ensure beneficiary communications and feedback mechanisms are settled up in each West Coast NS implementing Cash and Voucher Assistance. Ensure CVA key messages are effectively disseminated to recipients and relevant stakeholders and appropriate feedback mechanisms are established, maintaining the National Society’s commitment to beneficiary accountability,
• Liaise with Finance and Logistic to ensure that standard procedures linked to CVA are well applied,
• Ensure good coordination on CVA between Movement colleagues, including the ICRC, Partner National Societies (PNS) and the implementing National Societies. Ensure same tools and standards are applied to the various areas in which the CVA will be implemented in the country, based on the RCRC Movement cash toolkit.
• When relevant engage in coordination with other stakeholders in the country (Cash working Group, CaLP, NGOs, WFP, etc.)

Requirements
Education:

• University degree or professional qualification in Humanitarian Assistant or another relevant area
• Practical Emergency Cash Transfer Training (PECT)
• Market Assessment Online Training
• Market Assessment Face to Face Training
• Technical training in design, implementation and monitoring cash and voucher interventions
• Technical training in disaster preparedness, response and recovery.
• ODK or KoBo Training
• Stay Safe – Personal security online training
• Fraud and Corruption online training

Experience:

• At least 5 years experience of successfully implementing and coordinating humanitarian emergency response operations that include CVA in at least one context and preferably within the RC/RC Movement
• At least one experience leading a cash or voucher response within a humanitarian context
• At least ten years of experience in disaster management or response in humanitarian operations
• Demonstrated experience in assessment which includes needs, market and Cash feasibility considerations
• Proven capacity building experience with NS or equivalent, delivering trainings and providing on the job training and coaching
• Knowledge and experience of RC/RC National Societies
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and negotiating skills
• Experience coordinating and advocating to external stakeholders including government, NGOs, UN and Donor organisations.
• Experience living and working in challenging and multicultural environments

Knowledge, Skills and Languages:

• Sound knowledge of and commitment to, a holistic approach to disaster management, with a particular understanding of recovery, and proven experience in cash and voucher interventions
• Good understanding of shelter, livelihoods and wash interventions
• Proven skills in strategic and operational planning, budgeting and reporting emergency response that included CVA
• Understanding of the key issues relating to delivering cash at scale and skills to address them
• Proven analytical skills and the ability to think strategically while under pressure
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with independent decision making capacity
• Excellent communication and inter-personal skills with the ability to represent the International Federation and to negotiate and influence people’s opinions
• Knowledge of targeting methodology
• Understand and use various beneficiary registration methods
• Knowledge of feedback and response mechanism, including of appropriate methods of beneficiary communication and channels.
• Contribute to the design and planning of distribution
• Ability to transfer knowledge, skills, and/or abilities to staff and volunteers.
• Fluently spoken and written English is required
• Fluently spoken and written French is preferred

Competencies and Values: 

• 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.