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 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 (DCPRR). 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 Urban Risk Management (URM) 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 urban risk management across initiatives and operations.
Job purpose
The Regional Urban Risk Management Coordinator facilitates strategic planning and tailored technical support on urban risk management (URM) approaches, methodologies and tools, incorporating the latest technical developments, innovations, and lessons learnt, for the implementation of humanitarian action in urban areas. The position will strengthen professional engagement of the Red Cross Red Crescent (RCRC) in Asia Pacific Region with affected communities and respective stakeholders in urban areas through exchange platforms as well as enable global/interregional exchange of innovations and practical experiences in DRR, anticipatory humanitarian action and programming in urban settings. Furthermore, the position will contribute to RCRC community of practise in URM and humanitarian action in urban areas as well as support policy advocacy at country and regional/international levels by increasing the positioning, research and visibility of experiences and achievements specific to Asia Pacific Region besides through strengthening collaboration with other actors working on similar topics.
The Regional Urban Risk Management Coordinator will work under the supervision of the Manager for Disaster Risk Management at the IFRC Asia Pacific Regional Office Disaster and Crisis Prevention, Response and Recovery (DCPRR) Unit. The Regional URM Coordinator will work in cross-functional manner with other IFRC technical units, ensuring close cooperation with German Red Cross (GRC), including stakeholders of GRC ‘Humanitarian Assistance in the Urban Context’ Initiative and 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
Leadership and networking:
- Lead the development and implementation of regional work plans for urban risk management (URM) and provide technical support and guidance for planning of humanitarian action in urban areas with 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.
- Promote coherence and alignment of URM initiatives, including research initiatives, and humanitarian action in urban areas supported by various external actors, partners as well as National Societies and IFRC offices.
- Engage with the Asia Pacific Urban Community Resilience Hub (UCRH), its core group and lead a Thematic Working Group on URM/Humanitarian Action in Urban Areas.
- Collaborate with partners and other stakeholders, including Asia Pacific based organisations, on identifying challenges and approaches, and facilitate support for needs analyses on field level.
- Network with relevant universities and stakeholder groups, including Local Authorities, Civil Society Organizations, Private Sector Groups, etc.
- Lead the analysis of urban trends and innovations, mapping of relevant initiatives and network, and manage the development of a communication campaign and advocacy strategy for URM/Humanitarian Action in Urban Areas.
- Liaise with the IFRC Urban Collaboration Platform lead in sharing learning and knowledge with the wider RCRC network.
Technical Support:
- In close collaboration and coordination with the relevant IFRC thematic leads, technical units and offices, provide timely technical URM support (technical reviews and guidance) for new and ongoing initiatives and emergency operations in urban areas, including through monitoring and follow-up.
- Through/together with regional, country cluster and country teams, assist National Societies in successful introduction and adaptation of innovative approaches to humanitarian action in urban areas, and development and testing of methodologies and tools developed by IFRC/GRC.
- Promote increased understanding of urban risk management tools, quality criteria and approaches, building on context-specific progress in the implementation of existing urban risk management strategies among NS, IFRC offices and partners.
- Promote and support an evidence-based approach to determining capacity gaps of National Societies in designing, and implementing measures/activities to enhance their capacities to deliver innovative humanitarian action in urban areas in line with the National Societies’ mandates.
- Contribute to the development and roll-out of appropriate urban risk management capacity building activities and communication products in the region.
Support learning, knowledge management and exchange in Asia Pacific Region:
- Support knowledge management and sharing on humanitarian action in urban areas, 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 approaches to humanitarian action in urban areas and lessons learnt from RCRC programs/projects and operations to share them within the RCRC and the wider humanitarian community.
- Contribute to the lessons learnt processes on improving the relevance and effectiveness of (newly developed) approaches to humanitarian action in urban areas, and documenting achievements, case studies and lessons learnt from RCRC programs and operations in the region as well as outside the region.
- Lead research activities on humanitarian action in urban areas in Asia Pacific Region and ensure quality of data collected for research.
- Facilitate 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 URM 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
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Education:**
- Relevant post-graduate university degree
- Basic Delegates Training Course (BTC), WORC, IMPACT or equivalent knowledge
Experience
**
Technical Experience:**
- At least 5 years of relevant experience in the field of emergency relief and/or development programs including Disaster Risk Reduction, Disaster Management, community-based approaches, working in urban settings etc.
- Minimum 3 years of coordination experience; either technical or operational
- In-depth understanding of and proven experience in integrated programming, community-based approaches and their mainstreaming
- Experience in strategy development processes
- Profound understanding of humanitarian action in urban areas and fragile contexts
- Ability to translate global and national policies into the operational level
- Ability to document lessons learned, case studies etc. and use best practices to inform the policy level
- Proven programmatic, administrative, financial and organizational understanding and skills
- Proven experience in monitoring, evaluation and quality assurance
Management and Partnership:
- Strategic thinking, hands on mentality and in depth understanding of the humanitarian system (including RCRC Movement)
- Highly developed networking skills
- Highly developed diplomatic skills and personal attitude
- Previous experience of working for the RCRC Movement is a requirement
- Profound understanding of ‘localization’ and partnership work / partner driven cooperation;
- Experience in working with local partners, including in an advisory and coaching role, and engaging in high-level strategic discussions;
- Ability to work result oriented, independently and as a team member;
- Excellent verbal and written communications skills and the ability to relate to people from all backgrounds.
Good understanding of the IFRC
Good understanding of the global humanitarian environment
Experience in working for a humanitarian aid organization 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 (Preferred)
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. 2020-022 with your application.