Delegate, CSP Country Support Manager At International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies

Organizational context (where the job is located in the Organization)

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.

The 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.

The 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 (NSDOC); (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization (GRHDD); and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services (MPSCS).

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

The Federation in delivering its broader Humanitarian and Developmental mission will host the Country Support Platform (CSP) of the Global Task Force for Cholera Control (GTFCC) as an operational arm of the GTFCC.

This Delegate Position, CSP Country Support Manager, will identify stakeholder counterparts especially within Government in the country where they are based, identify a National Counterpart (most likely a Government employee) and work towards and facilitate the further development of National Control Plans (NCP’s) for cholera. The Delegate will also regularly engage with, support and strengthen cholera coordination platforms in-country and provide capacity building opportunities for multi-disciplinary expertise in the field of Public Health to meet with response to and elimination of cholera in the short, medium and longer term. The Delegate will act as focal person responding to requests from the cholera affected country for further remote or in-country support and capacity building in cholera related fields. She\he will work under line management of the Regional Health and Care Coordinator and the technical direction and supervision of the CSP Coordinator and be based at a country location TBC. She\he will work closely with the GTFCC Secretariat and GTFCC member organizations especially at country level.

Job purpose

The Delegate, CSP Country Support Manager using their knowledge and experience in Public Health reach out to and foster an active networking and interaction role with Government, a National Counterpart and GTFCC member organizations, academia, consultants and other bodies active primarily to further develop the National Cholera Plan (NCP) including an activity plan, budget and investment case at country level to advocate for and identify a funding plan and potential partnership model to roll out the plan. The Delegate will also screen and match specific multi-disciplinary cholera related expertise for the cholera affected country in question. This in alignment with the multi-sectoral approach to cholera control as elaborated in the GTFCC cholera roadmap bringing together technical expertise in epidemiology, surveillance, laboratory testing, community engagement, immunization and WASH to serve country level requirements.

The Delegate, CSP Country Support Manager will further develop the ‘request for support’ mechanism at country level to ensure rapid short-term and more medium or longer term relevant technical support requests will be met by facilitating both remote and in-country missions where required. The majority of technical support missions will be provided, facilitated and funded directly by the providing organizations\bodies to government authorities, thus the Delegates role will be in most cases a coordination and quality control function. There may also be Red Cross\Red Crescent deployments which will be managed separately and directly by the established IFRC Surge and HR procedures in the normal manner conducted by the IFRC HR Department.

The CSP Country Support Manager will act in close regular consultation with their Line Managers at Regional level and technically report to CSP Coordinator and the WHO Team Lead Cholera Control and Epidemic Diarrheal Diseases position that also leads the GTFCC Secretariat.

Job duties and responsibilities

The Delegate, CSP Country Support Manager is responsible for the further development and roll out of the NCP while also ensuring specific technical support (principally in identifying experts in epidemiology, surveillance, laboratory testing, community engagement, immunization and WASH) that are available upon request from cholera affected countries from a broad range of expertise and providers for overall delivery of the cholera roadmap and the technical objectives of the GTFCC and the specific NCP. S/he will be working with a multi-disciplinary team, under the direction of the Regional Health and Care Coordinator and technically to the CSP Coordinator, and will contribute to the overall objectives of the GFTCC and specifically in providing tailored and targeted support (for example in preparing for Oral Vaccine Cholera campaigns; undertaking cholera hot-spot surveys and mapping; establishing or strengthening laboratory or rapid testing for cholera; providing expertise for both ‘real time’ or regular evaluations or reviews to identify best practice or mitigation of challenges and other support as requested for improved cholera programming or control). Wherever possible or practical the Delegate will encourage South-South use of expertise and identify capacity building opportunities for expertise that may be available from less developed countries in the field of Public Health. S/he will act, through the CSP Coordinator, in close regular consultation and collaboration with the WHO Team Lead Cholera Control and Epidemic Diarrheal Diseases position that also leads the GTFCC Secretariat and country level GTFCC members and stakeholders.

Technical support and Coordination:

• Support the implementation of the Zambia Multisectoral Cholera Elimination Plan (2019 -2025) working closely with the Zambian Government, National counterparts and country level stakeholders (Zambia Public Health Institute, WaterAid, UNICEF and WHO) through development of activity plans, budgets and investment cases to roll out these plans at country level to contribute towards the goals of the GTFCC Cholera Roadmap.
• Under the direction of the Health and Care coordinator and the CSP Coordinator, identify potential technical support and expertise from a network of GTFCC members organizations (such as GOARN, CDC, John Hopkins etc) and other potential providers and offer those individuals and potential providers to country level stakeholders who would then facilitate their deployment in coordination with national counterparts. It will remain the responsibility of country level stakeholders, especially government partners, to facilitate any deployments.
• Act as primary liaison between the CSP Coordinator and CSP team with the Zambia National Public Health Institute and key country level actors and stakeholders (WaterAid, UNICEF and WHO).
• Coordinate and enable the country level interactions between the CSP Geneva Team and the GTFCC secretariat, WHO cholera team focal points, the GTFCC Working Groups and GTFCC partners as required before, during and after technical support deployments.
• Contribute to CSP Team, under the direction of the CSP Coordinator in delivering on the basis of the approved CSP Project Proposal, Results Tracker and Budget and contribute to the management of any revisions required of those documents during the duration of the project.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of the CSP Advocacy and Resource Mobilization strategy and related activities, particularly in identifying and encouraging the use of ‘in-kind’ technical support.
• Contribute to identifying ‘in-kind’ technical support from external providers therefore contributing to resource mobilisation.
• Contribute to the financial management of the CSP by supporting the budget holder when required and support coordination of the team’s activities reflecting the GTFCC vision and objectives.
• Contribute to cholera interventions that are coherent, evidence based, aligned with the Zambia Multisectoral Cholera Elimination Plan (2019 -2025) and GTFCC Roadmap objectives and strategy.

Monitoring

• Provide advice and guidance to the GTFCC and country level counterparts that they establish by measuring impact and effectiveness of deployments that they undertake, which are outside the remit of the IFRC.
• Contribute to the CSP Monitoring and Evaluation framework and produce regular reports and analysis.
• Contribute to all required internal and external reporting, both narrative and financial, and submitted following IFRC internal procedures and protocols to meet with IFRC and donor requirements in a timely manner.
• In the case of RC\RC deployments and in liaison with the IFRC HR Management Department, the officer might contribute to evaluations and reviews.

Duties applicable to all staff within the CPS

1. Actively work towards the achievement of the GTFCC objectives and goals
2. Represents the CSP at relevant meetings, events, and forums when required to do so, especially at country level.

Duties applicable to all staff

1. Actively work towards the achievement of the Federation Secretariat’s goals
2. Abide by and work in accordance with the Red Cross and Red Crescent principles
3. Perform any other work-related duties and responsibilities that may be assigned by the line manager

Position Requirements

Education

• Relevant degree or post-graduate study in a public health field, international health, or program management. ( Required )
• Relevant degree or post-graduate study in a Public Health or management field. (Preferred)

Experience

• At least 3 years working experience in a role in a field-based position in humanitarian or developmental programming. (Required)
• At least 3 years working experience in facilitation and coordination of multi-sectoral actors preferably in a management or coordination role. (Required)
• At least 3 years’ experience in a multicultural environment, with developing countries and/or with an international organisation or INGO at management level (Required)

Knowledge and Skills

• Broad knowledge of Public Health including Coordination, Capacity Building and training. (Required)
• Programme, project management and networking. (Required)
• Results oriented and demand driven individual, entrepreneurial, ability to lead in unprecedented and/or ambiguous situations. (Required)
• Demonstrated ability to lead within a matrix management structure and utilise talent and experience of team members in a productive way. (Required)
• Outstanding networking, representational, communication and negotiation skills. An ability to be proactive and persuasive. (Required)
• Demonstrated track record in innovating, contributing to a learning culture, sharing knowledge and new approaches to engaging partners. (Required)
• Professional credibility, able to work effectively at all levels across the organisation. (Required)
• Proven good judgment and ability to work with complete integrity and confidentiality. (Required)
• High degree of discretion, tact and sensitivity in dealing with internal and external clients and stakeholders at all levels. (Required)
• Ability to work within a multi-cultural, multilingual, multidisciplinary environment. (Required)

Languages

• Fluently spoken and written English (Required)
• Good command of spoken and written French ( Preferred )
• Good command of another IFRC official language (Spanish or Arabic) ( Preferred )

Competencies

• 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