Officer, Community Engagement and Accountability

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 192-member National Societies. 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.”  The IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.

IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of the IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services.

IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas.  IFRC also has country cluster delegations and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

The IFRC Africa Region is organized through regional representations covering the National Societies where Indian Ocean Islands Country Cluster Delegation covers Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles.

Indian Ocean Islands Cluster Delegation

The Indian Ocean Islands sub- region is characterized by the complexity of slow and rapid onset emergencies, with big impact to many communities. The IOI National Societies have been engaged in humanitarian operations responding to various types of disasters while also undertaking initiatives to build community resilience and addressing underlying causes. The National Societies of the region are also at various levels of capacities and face different challenges, which require IFRC, support in program, organizational development, humanitarian diplomacy, community engagement and accountability and reporting and resource mobilization. The region has been a focus for humanitarian actors, which require IFRC engagement in coordination and advocacy to influence humanitarian and development agendas and coordinate communication with communities and accountability mechanisms.

Job Purpose

The CEA Officer will be responsible for driving the development of CEA across the Cluster Delegation and ensuring CEA is built into National Society (NS) and IFRC ways of working, emergency operations and long-term programmes at both country and regional level.

The position will provide strategic and technical advice and training to build the capacity of NS and the IFRC to integrate a more systematic approach to CEA throughout the programme and disaster cycle. This will include supporting and promoting the use of innovative approaches to information sharing, community participation and feedback, behaviour and social change communication and evidence-based advocacy. In the immediate term the position will lead on all risk communication and community engagement efforts for the emergency response, including supporting National Societies to develop and implement response plans.

The position holder will be responsible for all aspects of project and budget management and will act as the IFRC CEA representative for the cluster, coordinating on CEA approaches internally within the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and externally, through inter-agency networks. 

Job Duties and Responsibilities

CEA 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 4 Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the cluster through mainstreaming CEA in NS and IFRC plans, processes and procedures and following the Strategy to Strengthen Community Engagement and Accountability in Africa.
• Work closely with National Societies and IFRC sectoral colleagues 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 emergency operations and plans within the cluster, including providing and organising CEA surge capacity support to NS when possible and appropriate.
• Lead technical advisor for CEA within the cluster, responsible for providing advice, support and training to NS and IFRC staff on how they can:
• Ensure assessments are transparent and participatory, and capture people’s information needs and trusted and preferred communication channels.
• Build community participation into operational planning, design and implementation.
• Strengthen and/or help set up feedback mechanisms, including processes to make sure feedback is analysed and acted upon by operational teams.
• Strengthen and/or help set up systems for sharing life-saving, useful and actionable information with affected people about Red Cross and Red Crescent services, from selection criteria to health advice, as part of information-as-aid activities.
• To increase their reach and impact by helping teams, such as health, water and sanitation and disaster risk reduction, to set up methods to gain a deeper understanding of local perceptions, beliefs, culture, practices and values and to implement innovative behaviour and social change communication activities.
• To find ways to involve affected people in assessing the impact of the operational response.
• To ensure women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups have equal access to information channels and feedback mechanisms particular to their needs and taking into account any specific protection issues.
• Plan and deliver CEA trainings to IFRC and NS staff and volunteers, providing people with the skills and knowledge to launch and manage CEA tools and approaches within their programmes and operations.
• Support the rolling out and adaptation of CEA Movement tools, methodologies and activities, as defined in the CEA Movement guide and toolkit, to support 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.

Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)

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.
• Supporting NS/IFRC EA to develop their own CEA log frames, activity plans, budgets and to put in place robust monitoring and reporting processes.

Coordination, representation, relationships and reporting

• CEA representative for the cluster, leading on the coordination of CEA efforts across National Societies, Partner National Societies and within IFRC Cluster Delegation.
• Attend and represent the IFRC at external coordination networks and mechanisms.
• Identify opportunities for partnership with external organizations, including the use of technology and innovative approaches to enhance CEA within NS and IFRC programmes and operations.
• Produce and disseminate internal and external reports, evaluations, brochures, case studies, press releases and web stories that demonstrate the impact of CEA, promote it to new audiences, and raise the profile of NS and IFRC cluster delegation.
• Establish and ensure effective working relationships with the other departments, in particular working closely with the programme and finance teams.
• Ensure effective working relationships with technical and service departments at the Africa regional level.

Education

• A university degree in a relevant area Communication or Social/Behavioural Sciences (i.e. Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology or Health Education) or relevant experience. Required.

Experience

• Three years’ experience community engagement approaches and initiatives, beneficiary communication, risk communication, social mobilization, accountability to communities in development programmes or operations. Required.
• Good understanding of the humanitarian environment, in particular emergencies and epidemics. Required.
• Solid experience in delivering communication and community engagement capacity building efforts with local organizations, including on accountability tools and feedback mechanisms in complex and delicate situations. Preferred.
• Experience working with communication channels such as radio, TV, SMS, cinema/drama and complaints and response mechanisms. Required.
• Proven experience in planning targeted and appropriate behaviour changes communication strategies. Required.
• Experience setting up and managing accountability to community systems. For example, feedback and complaints mechanisms, rumour tracking systems, or participatory planning processes. Required.
• Experience of coaching, training, and developing local staff and volunteers in order to build long-term capacity and create ownership. Required.
• Experience of planning and delivering community engagement interventions in emergency situations. Preferred.
• Experience of designing and implementing assessments, community consultations, research and/or focus groups discussions. Preferred.
• Experience working with Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies. Preferred.
• Experience of training National Society, staff or volunteers’ capacity. Preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

• Good planning skills, with the ability to identify areas for improvements in programmes, operations and NS/IFRC ways of working through the integration of CEA approaches and activities. Required.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and networking skills, able to build relationships with people at all levels of the organisation across multiple countries and cultures, both in person and remotely, to build commitment and support for CEA. Required.
• Excellent project management skills, able to work under pressure and manage multiple projects simultaneously, to a high standard and to deadline. Required.
• Advanced analytical skills, able to capture learning and use it to make improvements in programming and operations. Required.
• Highly motivated, self-starter able to take initiative and lead a team or process. Required.
• Good knowledge of Red Cross Red Crescent Movement. Preferred.
• Good knowledge of gender and diversity issues in humanitarian programming. Preferred.

• Fluently spoken and written French and English. Required.

Competencies, Values and Comments

• Core Competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust.
• Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability.
• Functional competencies: Strategic orientation; Building alliances; Leadership; Empowering others.