DREF Officer

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies (NSs). The overall aim of IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by NSs 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.”  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 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.

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and IFRC are calling for efforts in institutionalizing and strengthening the roles, functions and capacities of Community Health Workers (CHWs) and strengthening health systems on the African continent...  Community health workers represent a crucial asset to African member States’ health systems and therefore, in 2017, the African Heads of States and Governments committed to recruit, train and deploy two million CHWs across the continent. 

Resilient and Empowered African Community Health (REACH) Initiative is a 5-year community healthcare initiative that aims to scale up 2 million community health workers across the 55 African Union (AU) member states, in a bid to help attain universal health coverage. The initiative is a part of the overall Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between IFRC and the Africa Union through Africa CDC.

Job Purpose

The DREF Officer for Africa, working with Africa DREF delegate, will contribute to the DREF approval process by:

• Providing dedicated technical support to assigned National Societies and IFRC delegations involved in DREF operations within these Country and Cluster delegations,
• Supporting effective and rapid DREF requests, ensuring adherence to established criteria, and to monitor the operations achieve their goal, objectives and expected results as per the DREF Procedures.
• Fostering compliance to DREF Procedures and Guidelines amongst assigned ANSs, making sure any non-compliant requests and a rationale for proceeding with any such requests are duly documented.
• Support National Societies and IFRC clusters in the review of Operations Updates and Final Narrative and Financial Reports, ensuring timeliness and quality of the same.

The DREF Officer for Africa will ensure that information on DREF operations assigned National Societies is collected and analysed in a systematic way to assist in assessing and recording key achievements and challenges from DREF operation to contribute to improving future disaster responses. The DREF Officer for Africa will equally support the DREF Delegate for Africa in overall management of DREF requests, timeframe extensions and final reports.  

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Technical

• Provide guidance to assigned priority National Societies, Cluster and Country Delegations in preparing DREF allocation requests,
• Promoting timeliness and advising on the eligibility of the proposed activities and compliance with DREF Procedures, ensuring initial timely operation strategy calls with regional and country delegations, or participating on joint task force calls and providing advice on the eligibility or not of the proposed requests, and advising on DREF grant or loan procedures according to the Emergency Response Framework
• Support the DREF approval process by ensuring appropriate and timely technical input from regional technical teams (HDCC, health, water and sanitation, logistics, OD, PMER and validation by finance; by liaising with DCC Dept. in Geneva for quality control and sign off.
• Work with the DREF operation budget holders to maintain an overview of DREF expenditure, revision of operation plans where necessary and timely and transparent financial and narrative reporting on the use of DREF funds. This will be done in collaboration with CCSD and CD Operations, Finance and PMER teams to ensure proper monitoring of operations.
• Facilitate and encourage quality and timely reporting on DREF-funded operations through close cooperation with Country and Cluster PMER and Finance Units.
• Disseminate and promote understanding of the Procedures and Guidelines for the use of DREF.
• Monitor respect of DREF Procedures in the Africa Region, reporting issues of non-compliance to the DREF Delegate and HoHDCC.

Representation & Relationships 

• The DREF Officer for Africa works under the management of the DREF Delegate for Africa (Nairobi) within the Disaster and Crisis Prevention, Response and Recovery (HDCC) Unit to ensure that DREF Procedures and Guidelines are respected for DREF operations and provides regular updates and information for informed decision making related to the DREFs. The DREF officer shall work in close coordination with and seek technical guidance from the DREF Delegate as necessary.
• Work in close collaboration with the relevant Regional and CCSD/CD’s Operations colleagues, but also Health, Logistics, WatSan, Shelter, NSD and other colleagues on thematic files to promote an integrated approach in disaster response operations.
• Work in close collaboration with PMER and Finance colleagues to ensure timely and quality DREF bulletins and reports.

 

 

Education

Required

Degree level (or equivalent qualification) in Disaster Management, International Development, or other relevant subject.

Experience

Required

• At least five years' relevant experience of disaster management and particularly disaster response operations in multiple country contexts
• Previous experience of monitoring and evaluation
• Previous experience of using International Federation planning, reporting and finance tools
• Experience of programme design, project management and reporting, preferably in relation to disaster response
• Disaster response experience in African context

Preferred

• Practical experience in sectors that link with disaster response (i.e. relief, food security, health, watsan, logistics)

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Required

• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Excellent computer skills (including presentations, database and use of statistics
• Fluently spoken and written French or English

Preferred

• Facilitation and training skills
• Networking skills
• Good command of another IFRC official language (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