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. 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.’’ It works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises. The Secretariat based in Geneva, with regional and country offices throughout the world. The Secretariat is led by the IFRC Secretary General and provides the central capacity of the International Federation to serve, connect, and represent National Societies. The Secretariat’s focus includes providing support to the IFRC governance mechanisms; setting norms and standards; providing guidance; ensuring consistency; coordination and accountability for performance; knowledge sharing; promoting collaboration within and respect for the RCRC Movement and expanding engagement with partners. The Secretariat’s headquarters is organized in three main business groups: (i) Partnerships, including Movement and Membership; (ii) Programs and Operations; and (iii) Management. The Secretariat has five regional offices, as follows: Americas (Panama City); Africa (Nairobi); Asia/Pacific (Kuala Lumpur); Europe (Budapest); Middle East and North Africa (Beirut).
As one of the five decentralized parts of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Secretariat, the Asia Pacific Regional Office (APRO) leads the support to National Societies of 38 countries through Country Offices (CO) and Country Cluster Support Teams (CCST) spread across East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific geographical areas. APRO, led by the Regional Director, is organized in units – among them one responsible for Disaster and Crisis Preparedness, Response & Recovery. APRO also functions as the Country Office for Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore with heads of units assigned focal person responsibilities for these countries.
The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Coordinator is a member of the IFRC Asia Pacific Disaster and Crisis Unit and the position forms part of the Programmatic functional area working collaboratively with other functional areas and units in APRO as well as with Geneva, CO and CCST counterparts to ensure a collaborative approach for the implementation of DRR across initiatives and in operations.
Job purpose
The Regional DRR Coordinator facilitates strategic planning and tailored technical support for the development and strengthening of approaches in ‘humanitarian’ DRR across Red Cross Red Crescent (RCRC) network and other humanitarian actors in the Asia Pacific region. The position will enhance the positioning of the RCRC as a key player and partner in areas of DRR, Climate Change and Resilience Strengthening with a particular focus on Forecast-based Financing (FbF) as well as its integration in the broader area of DRR in the Asia Pacific Region; and support the implementation of the IFRC’s DRR, Climate Change and Resilience agenda in line with its Strategy 2030 together with National Societies to reduce the humanitarian impact of disasters and in order to strengthen community resilience in the Asia Pacific Region. Achieving RCRC’s collective ambitions will depend on enhancing the capacities of the National Societies as strong local actors and auxiliaries to their government.
The Regional DRR Coordinator will work under the supervision of the Manager for Disaster Risk Management at the IFRC Asia Pacific Regional Office Disaster and Crisis Unit in Kuala Lumpur. The Regional DRR Coordinator will work in cross-functional manner with other IFRC technical units, ensuring close cooperation with German Red Cross (GRC), Red Cross Red Crescent reference centres (Asia Pacific Disaster Resilience Centre, Global Disaster Preparedness Centre and Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre) and other humanitarian actors in the Asia Pacific Region.
Job duties and responsibilities
Technical Support:
- Provide technical support to National Societies, IFRC offices and partners for the implementation of climate-smart DRR initiatives and operations in Asia Pacific Region
- Lead/support the development of regional DRR work plans and provide technical support and guidance on DRR to National Societies and IFRC offices in the Asia Pacific Region in coordinated manner in line with their own strategies, IFRC Strategy 2030, IFRC’s policies and plans, promoting coherence and alignment of DRR initiatives supported by various actors.
- In close collaboration and coordination with the relevant IFRC thematic leads, technical units and offices, provide timely technical DRR support (technical reviews and guidance) for new and ongoing initiatives and emergency operations, including through monitoring and follow-up.
- In close collaboration and coordination with the relevant DRR actors and initiatives in Asia Pacific Region, contribute to joint monitoring, technical support and follow-up as well as support the development of new proposals and identifying of supporting resources.
- Coordinate and support joint initiatives in order to identify new approaches to increase the efficiency of DRR, with special focus on DRR in fragile contexts, preparedness for response in urban areas, through digitalization or through green solutions for DRR; as well as accompany and advise the testing of these new approaches in DRR in Asia Pacific Region.
- Through/together with regional, country cluster and country teams, assist National Societies in successful introduction and adaptation of innovative approaches, methodologies and tools developed by IFRC/GRC.
Support learning and knowledge management in Asia Pacific Region:
- Facilitate knowledge sharing on DRR, including through the organization of trainings, meetings, webinars, at regional and national levels, and provide timely updates and advice on scientific and technical developments, trends, best practise, areas for improvement and lessons learnt.
- Identify and document innovative DRR approaches and lessons learnt from RCRC programs/projects and operations to share them within the RCRC and the wider humanitarian community.
- Promote increased understanding of DRR, EWEA and FbF terminologies, tools, quality criteria and approaches, building on context-specific progress in the implementation of existing DRR, EWEA and FbF strategies among NS, IFRC offices and partners.
- Initiate and/or continue the collaboration and coordination with the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team in the region to strengthen the cooperation between the RCRC and the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap community.
- Coordinate and support RCRC participation and/or represent at relevant platforms on DRR, EWEA and FbF in the region.
- Promote and support an evidence-based approach to determining climate-smart DRR programming capacity gaps of National Societies, designing, and implementing measures/activities to enhance their capacities to deliver innovative DRR programming in line with the National Societies’ mandates.
- Contribute to the lessons learnt processes on improving the relevance and effectiveness of (newly developed) DRR approaches, and documenting achievements, case studies and lessons learnt from RCRC programs and operations in the region as well as outside the region.
- Contribute to the development and roll-out of appropriate DRR capacity building activities and communication products in the region.
- Facilitate and strengthen exchanges between different stakeholders and sharing of knowledge and expertise amongst RCRC and partner networks in the Asia Pacific Region and across regions.
Management and reporting:
- Manage both technical consultancies and support staff, to complete specific DRR related tasks, if assigned.
- Prepare, quarterly/biannual and annual plans and reports, and provide inputs to monthly management highlights (MMH).
Duties applicable to all staff:
- Actively work towards the achievement of the IFRC 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
Position Requirements
Education:
- Relevant post-graduate university degree
- Basic Delegates Training Course (BTC), WORC, IMPACT or equivalent knowledge
- Technical training in DRR, including EWEA systems and disaster preparedness for response.
- Technical training in climate science, contingency planning and/or financing mechanisms (Preferred)
Experience:
- 5 years’ experience in humanitarian sector technical level related to DRR programming, institutional preparedness capacity strengthening initiatives, emergency response operations and EWEA systems
- Good understanding of the IFRC
- Good understanding of the global humanitarian environment
- Experience in working for a humanitarian aid organization in the area of DRR in a developing country
- Experience in coordinating with the authorities and other humanitarian actors
- Experience in narrative and financial reporting and proposal writing
- Experience in the Asia Pacific region
Knowledge and Skills:
- Excellent communication, organization and facilitation skills
- Valid international driving licence (Manual gears)
- Self-supporting in computers (Email, Internet, spread sheets, word-processing, etc.)
- Skills in developing and training staff
- Skills in negotiation and building relations
Languages:
- Fluently spoken and written English
What we offer you:
You will be part of a highly motivated professional and multicultural team. We offer you a compensation package according to the collective employment agreement of the GRC, an expatriation allowance during your mission as well as a personal allowance to cover your accommodation. In addition to a full insurance package GRC is covering ahome flight within a 12-months period of assignment. You will benefit from acomprehensive training package and receive briefings and coaching prior as well as during and after your mission. Medical check-ups and Psychosocial Support Service are included in your assignment.
How to apply:
**Kindly apply by submitting your application by using the GRC online application system
DRK HRnet **(https://drkhrnet.de) until 13.04.2020.
Please indicate Ref. No. 2020-020 with your application.