Senior Officer, Operations Quality Assurance Geneva
| The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies "Strategy 2020" recognizes the changing demography of the world, the increasing impact of climate change, unplanned urbanization, high levels of violence in society, involuntary migration pressures, new and emerging diseases, environmental degradation and the insecurity of access to water, food and natural resources as underlying causes of vulnerability. These trends are likely to result in changing patterns of vulnerability and increased numbers of small, medium and large scale disasters and crises. In order to meet these challenges Strategy 2020 has three strategic aims, to: Aim 1- Save lives, protect livelihoods and prepare for and recover from disasters and crises. Aim 2- Enable safer and healthy living. Aim 3- Promote social inclusion and culture of non-violence. To achieve these ambitious aims the International Federation will seek to build strong National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, pursue humanitarian diplomacy to prevent and reduce vulnerability and function effectively as the International Federation. The Programme Services Division (PSD) of the International Federation Secretariat has the lead responsibility to deliver on Aim 1 of Strategy 2020 while providing substantive support to achieve Aims 2 and 3. The Disaster Services Department has been created to re-align existing capacities to respond to a changing disaster environment. The Disaster Services Department is tasked with increasing and improving organisational preparedness for response at all levels of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent in order to save lives and livelihoods and support emergency relief and post disaster recovery, while paving way towards sustainable development (LRRD). This will require the development and maintenance of operational procedures and systems to support disaster operations, as well as a wide range of technical advisory capacity, surge capacity and information management, while ensuring that a learning and accountability culture is formed. As a member of the Disaster Services team, the Senior Officer Operations Quality Assurance will develop and strengthen the organisation's work in promoting a holistic and integrated approach to disaster management through the provision of timely and high quality technical advice, the development and maintenance of operational procedures and systems to support disaster operations, support for the development of appropriate tools and guidance materials, and effective representation and liaison with humanitarian partners. The Disaster Services team strives to support the effective decentralisation of operations coordination and management functions. Specifically, the Senior Officer Operations Quality Assurance will lead International Federation Secretariat efforts to strengthen the quality of disaster operation coordination and management with a focus on performance measurement, real-time and ex-post evaluation, clarifying disaster management roles and responsibilities and streamlining structures, supporting DREF and Emergency Appeal proposals when required, improving operation formats and templates, and briefing Senior Management on emerging and significant humanitarian situations. | |
| Description of Duties: | |
| Supporting the International Federation's Operational Capacity: 1. Lead and coordinate the department's inputs into the review and improvement of Emergency Appeal procedures and systems to support efficient and effective decentralized disaster operations coordination and management functions. 2. Support the revision of Emergency Appeal and Plan of Action narrative and budget templates to reflect a stronger relief to recovery programming approach and activity based budgeting. 3. Support the setting of appropriate disaster response and recovery norms and standards and support the dissemination, monitoring and evaluation of adherence to these standards. 4. Facilitate a consultative process to develop and utilize an appropriate humanitarian accountability framework for performance measurement of disaster operations. 5. In collaboration with the Planning and Evaluation Department (PED), facilitate routine and exceptional real-time, mid-term and ex-post evaluations of disaster response operations and contribute to management responses to recommendations where appropriate. 6. Support the development and maintenance of global disaster recovery surge capacity - including delegate briefing and debriefing. 7. Facilitate the process to develop global disaster response standard operating procedures within the Federation Secretariat disaster management team in Geneva and the Zones. 8. Temporarily assume operation coordination functions where Zone capacity is deemed to be inadequate. 9. Lead or facilitate the Emergency Support Group and alert the Senior Management Team on emerging and significant humanitarian situations. 10. Collaborate with the Senior Officer Training and Information Management and the Senior Officer DMIS and EWEA on the analysis and dissemination of timely and accurate disaster threat, impact and response information before during and after disasters. 11. Support the development and approval of DREF proposals and Emergency Appeals. 12. Contribute to the development of the curriculum for Federation Secretariat disaster management training courses. Representation and sustaining a global network on preparedness, relief and recovery: 13. Network and coordinate with RC/RC movement partners, NGOs, UN and other International organizations, to ensure the International Federation is kept informed and up to date on best practices and emerging trends related to disaster preparedness, response and recovery. 14. Represent the International Federation Secretariat on disaster issues in RC/RC Movement and external fora and establish effective working relationships with key humanitarian organizations, academic and research organizations including UN OCHA and IASC. 15. Support the Head of Disaster Services in representation on the Code of Conduct and on the Revision of the Principles and Rules for Disaster Relief and with the Disaster Management Working Group (DMWG). 16. Support the Disaster Management Units present in the Zones with technical advice and seek to connect regional to global networks. Management of Global Disaster Response Programming: 17. Develop global programme project proposals in accordance with Federation standards and donor requirements and seek to decentralize activity and project management functions to the field and Zone levels wherever possible. 18. Be fully accountable for the financial management of Emergency Appeal evaluation funds pledged and received and provide timely reporting according to donor requirements. 19. Prepare quarterly and annual work plans and provide regular updates on progress to Head of Disaster Services. | |
Duties applicable to all staff:
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| Required Qualifications | |
| Education: | |
| University degree in relevant area or equivalent experience required Technical training in disaster preparedness, relief and recovery | |
| Experience: | |
| At least of 8 years experience in disaster management Field experience in coordinating and managing disaster operations Experience in project cycle management including proposal development, budgeting and reporting, monitoring and evaluation Experience in working within the RC/RC Movement Experience in strategy development, developing tools and guidance, providing technical assistance and in establishing and maintaining networks would be an asset | |
| Skills: | |
| Strong analytical and problem solving skills and independent decision making capacity Excellent communication and inter-personal skills with the ability to represent the International Federation and to negotiate and influence peoples opinions Knowledge of technical aspects of disaster preparedness, relief and recovery and of key donor and partner organisations Flexible and adaptable to work effectively in a multicultural environment and ability to travel at short notice Computer knowledge as a user - self supporting in MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint Knowledge of minimum standards for disaster relief and performance and accountability frameworks would be an asset Ability to lead a complex or major disaster operation if required would be an asset | |
| Languages: | |
| Fluent in spoken and written English Good working knowledge of one of the official languages at the Federation (French, Spanish and/or Arabic) | |
| Competencies: | |
| Professionalism Accountability Communications Teamwork Building Alliances Collaboration, Influencing Strategic Orientation | |
| WRITTEN EXERCISES AND INTERVIEW | |
| Applicants may be requested to complete written exercises and/or be interviewed | |
This post is classified at Senior Officer level. The length of the assignment is two years. |
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