Senior Officer, Road Safety Advocacy and Grants Programme (Latin America)

Organizational Context

Job Purpose

The primary role of the Senior Officer, Road Safety Advocacy and Grants Programme (Latin America) is to serve as the GRSP lead on grant portfolio management and provision of technical and organizational capacity building support in a designated portfolio of low- and middle-income countries selected from Latin America in order to sponsor evidence-based best practice road safety policies and legislation at the national and sub-national level. The appointee will be expected to contribute significantly to the implementation of road safety policy objectives and strategies in the countries covered under the assigned portfolio, mapping of opportunities to further advance the country-based objectives and strategies, and, when required, work closely with GRSP road policing programme staff to ensure complementary approaches and activities. The appointee will be required to ensure regular and effective coordination with the relevant global partners of BIGRS implementing activities in assigned countries.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of grants in at least three countries in Latin America as assigned by the manager and undertake the following activities:
  • Contribute to the process of identifying grantees through two annual rounds of grant making under the
  • Lead the process of grant negotiation with successful applicants.
  • Monitor implementation of grants and provide regular feedback and road safety-related technical assistance to grantees.
  • Review periodical and final reports submitted by grantees on the progress of the implementation of grants and maintain full and up to date records of grant related activity within the grants management system.
  • Identify needs for modification/expansion of grants and complete relevant grants management activities to allow for such within the designated country portfolio.
  • Effectively coordinate with other team members (e.g., Grants Officer and Financial Compliance Consultants) to provide the required support to grantees.
• Lead the implementation of GRSP’s road safety advocacy related activities in coordination with relevant global partners of BIGRS in the assigned countries in Latin America.
• Contribute to the process of developing country-based policy objectives and policy advocacy strategies in the assigned countries in collaboration with grantees and partners. Support country-based grantees, local and BIGRS partners in the implementation of policy strategies, including coordinating the work of GRSP grantee organizations and other relevant partners in assigned countries.
• Provide guidance, support and advice to individual organizations to enable them to deliver effective advocacy for evidence-based road safety policies within the low- and middle-income country context.
• Work with relevant global partners of the BIGRS to identify opportunities for programmatic advancement within the country portfolio and develop or realign strategies, if needed, to exploit opportunities, in relation to work undertaken as part of the GRSP Road Safety Grants Programme.
• Facilitate identifying international and intra-regional cross-programmatic opportunities to advance GRSP goals and objectives by sharing information on a regular basis between relevant GRSP staff members working in specific geographic regions.
• Develop, implement, and monitor road safety capacity building plans for assigned GRSP grantee organizations.
• Support the development of country-specific strategic plans through assessment of road safety policy and legislative gaps, existing political context, current opportunities for policy and legislative changes and analysis of civil society organizations and government agencies and their potential to advocate for stronger road safety
• Provide on-going guidance, support and technical assistance to ensure the delivery of effective policy advocacy campaigns, which adapt to changes in the political context, respond effectively to opposition and achieve road safety-related policy change and implementation.
• Contribute to the development of advocacy and road safety-related training material for use by GRSP Programme teams.
• Work collaboratively with all GRSP teams and other BIGRS partners.
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with local advocacy and road safety-related organizations and regularly update knowledge of local civil society and road safety policy landscapes related to the assigned country portfolio.
• Serve as an effective spokesperson and establish and maintain effective relationships with local advocacy and road safety-related organizations, and regularly update knowledge of local civil society and road safety policy landscapes in the country portfolio.

Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)

• Represent GRSP at relevant events, meetings and conferences, as requested by the Manager, including contributing to GRSP regional seminars and events.
• Contribute to GRSP’s Global Road Safety Leadership Courses by identifying prospective participants from countries and conducting advocacy & grants related sessions as requested.
• Complete comprehensive and accurate regular monthly, six-monthly and annual reporting of country-based activities and meet all deadlines.

Duties applicable to all staff:

• Actively work towards the achievement of the Federation 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

Education

Required:

• University degree in a relevant area (road safety, public policy, advocacy or public health)

Preferred:

• Advanced education or professional/technical training (or equivalent experience) in a relevant area

Experience

Required:

• Minimum 7 years of professional experience including at least 5 years in the area of road safety, policy advocacy and/or grants management
• Experience in undertaking policy mapping and situation assessments
• Experience in working with NGOs having a focus on policy advocacy
• Experience of working within the Latin America region and in cross-cultural settings

Preferred:

• Experience in providing technical input on road safety topics
• Experience in developing or supporting the development and implementation of advocacy tools and plans
• Experience of working for the Red Cross / Red Crescent or other humanitarian organizations having a focus on policy advocacy

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Required:

• Ability to provide clear advice to NGOs and National Red Cross / Red Crescent Societies to effect policy change and implementation
• Ability to assess current and changing political situations to use the best advocacy tools to impact on policy change
• Knowledge of political processes, policy mapping and where in the process efforts should be made to strengthen policies that protect road users
• Ability to coordinate across a diverse set of stakeholders with sensitivity to the political and policy dynamics
• Ability to maintain strong internal and external partnerships and act collegially and consistently to resolve issues
• Ability to deal with difficult partner relationships, maintain a high level of professionalism, resolve conflict and progress programme objectives
• Ability to consistently meet programme reporting deadlines and maintain up to date programme records
• Ability to take up extensive international travel
• Ability to provide grant/project management support effectively to grantees
• Demonstrate excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to clearly explain complicated issues for non-native Spanish and English speakers
• Fluency in spoken and written English and Spanish

Preferred:

• Good command of another IFRC official language (French, 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

SO - Advocacy and Grants (Latin America).pdf