The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC or “the Federation”) is the World’s largest volunteer-based humanitarian network. The Federation is a membership organization established by and comprised of its member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Along with National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Federation is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. 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.” It works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.
The Federation is served by a Secretariat based in Geneva, with regional and country offices throughout the world. The Secretariat is led by the IFRC Secretary General and provides the central capacity of the International Federation to serve, connect, and represent National Societies. The Secretariat’s focus includes providing support to the IFRC governance mechanisms; setting norms and standards; providing guidance; ensuring consistency; coordination and accountability for performance; knowledge sharing; promoting collaboration within and respect for the RCRC Movement; and expanding engagement with partners. The Secretariat’s headquarters is organized in three main business groups: (i) Partnerships, including Movement and Membership; (ii) Programs and Operations; and (iii) Management. The Secretariat has five regional office, as follows: Americas (Panama City); Africa (Nairobi); Asia/Pacific (Kuala Lumpur); Europe (Budapest); Middle East and North Africa (Beirut)
The Federation has been responding to food insecurity in Africa since the major famines of the mid 1980s and initially made food security a committed strategic priority at the 5th Pan African Conference in Ouagadougou in September 2000. Since this time, a large number of Africa National Societies have been actively engaged in initiatives to reduce food insecurity. Since 2000, a large number of African National Societies have been actively engaged in initiatives to reduce food insecurity. Many Eastern African National Societies have so far implemented food security programmes, designed to improve the availability, access and utilization of food in communities. The International Federation regards these three components as interrelated and essential for achieving food security. Africa is the continent most at risk from food insecurity, due to various socio-economic, political, climatic etc. factors. African National Societies (ANSs) made a collective commitment to address root causes of food insecurity through their Pan Africa Conferences of 2000 (Ouagadougou Declaration) and 2004 (Algiers Plan of Action). These commitment were further reinforced by the Federation's Governing Board (GB) decisions in 2003 (Geneva) and the GB Special Session which was conducted in Addis Ababa in 2007. Based on these governance commitments and declarations, and under the overall guidance of the Pan Africa Coordination Team (PACT), the Secretariat has launched a Long term (2008 - 2012) Food Security Initiative for Africa, in Addis Ababa in April 2008, that has recently been revised (the new FSI is from 2013 to 2017, aligned with the Africa DM Framework).
The Federation Eastern Africa Cluster covers 12 National Societies (NS) of Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Tanzania and Uganda. The East Africa Program’s vision for the Eastern Africa NS is to build up well-prepared, stronger, more efficient National Societies, able to reduce risks and respond to the high level of humanitarian demands in the region posed by small, medium and large-scale disasters. In 2013, the Cluster Programme guides National Societies in the region to align themselves further to IFRC Strategy 2020, the Hyogo Framework for Action (FfA) as well as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as they develop or review their DM and food security strategies. Food security is a priority for National Societies in the Eastern Africa Cluster and the Southern Africa Cluster. The Cluster Team also reinforces National Societies’ disaster risk reduction programmes as potential and sustainable solutions for improving community resilience capacities and coping with climate change. The East Africa cluster also provides technical support to Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and the Sothern Africa Cluster on request and capacity allowing.
Job purpose
The overall purpose of the Food Security Advisor post is to strengthen the quality of IFRC work to address food insecurity in relief, recovery, and longer-term resilience building in the sub-region. He/she will provide co-ordination and technical guidance to the Federation in order to enhance their capacity in developing and delivering effective food security responses. He/ she will also be responsible to support operational research to pilot innovative drought risk mitigation programs to improve RCRC response, while positioning east African RCRC within the movement, as well as within regional & global humanitarian spheres.
The Food Security Advisor will be responsible for closely monitoring the changing context and needs in the Eastern and Southern African sub regions and capturing and transferring good practice and lesson learning, so encouraging quality and consistency of approach. The post will provide specific support to IFRC disaster responses and longer term activities in the sub regions while ensuring better RCRC early warning and more effective RCRC early action.
The Food Security Advisor for Eastern Africa Country Cluster Support Team will provide technical support for the implementation of the Africa Food Security Initiative and he/she will share the key lessons & learning from the sub regions, in coordination with the Africa DPCRR Coordinator.
He / she reports to the Head of Country Cluster Support Team for East Africa and works closely with the cluster technical units, with the Region and in coordination with African National Societies from the clusters as well as with PNS.
Job duties and responsibilities
Priority for this position will be on three key areas:
i) building learning, good practice and technical capacity;
ii) coordination and
iii) technical support.
Building learning, good practice and technical capacity:
· Keep up-to- date with and advise Federation on key global and regional developments in food security policy, theory and good practice.
· Provide workshops, trainings and mentoring to help build understanding and technical skills among the food security staff from African National Societies (ANS) and other key staff in Federation.
· Develop learning initiatives relating to food security activities in the Cluster, including its integration with DRR, HIV and other sectors, in order to develop good practice and consistency of approach.
· Provide sectoral input to development of relevant tools, guidelines and other related initiatives in the Cluster and Movement.
· Lead/support operational research to pilot innovative drought risk mitigation programs to improve RCRC response, while positioning east African RCRC within the movement, as well as within regional & global humanitarian spheres.
Co-ordination:**
· Co-ordinate the sharing of information and experiences between African National Society Food Security Officers in the Cluster and with Food Security Advisers counterparts in other Clusters, in the Africa Region, Geneva and ICRC Ecosec.
· Work closely and co-ordinate with Relief, Recovery, DRM, Health & Care, WatSan, Climate Change colleagues at Region and Geneva levels, in order to strengthen working relationships and to promote integrated approaches.
· Co-ordinate and exchange information with partner national societies supporting food security work in the region in order to help bring together learning and to promote greater consistency of approaches.
· Build relationships and actively co-ordinate with other non RCRC food security actors in the region, including donors, UN, INGOs, government agencies and interagency groups (e.g. Regional Food Security & Nutrition Working Group) so that IFRC can contribute to, influence and keep up-to-date with current situation analysis, programming, funding opportunities, regional activities and good practice.
· Produce regular, timely updates and reports for the Head of Country Cluster Support Team as tasked.
Technical support to ensure quality programmes:
· Provide food security technical guidance to Federation programmes that aim to address food insecurity in relief, recovery and longer-term resilience building.
· Contribute to the design and planning of Federation food security strategies, policies and initiatives.
· Ensure that appropriate assessments of context and needs are undertaken and used to develop food security/livelihoods programmes.
· Provide a direct input into emergency assessments and more in-depth food security assessments for emergency appeals[1].
· Monitor regional trends relating to food insecurity and provide feedback and advice to Federation and Movement
· Monitor implementation of the Food Security Initiative in the Eastern and Southern Africa Cluster and support partners on any subsequent actions as needed, in order to ensure timely and appropriate responses to food crises.
· Ensure that food security programmes of specific African National Societies in the sub region conform to international standards of good practice (e.g. Sphere), are in line with IFRC approaches and guidelines, and are integrated with other sectors (e.g. HIV, DRR, Health & Care, Shelter, WatSan) where appropriate and feasible.
· Support the development and/or review of food security strategy for Eastern African National Societies and align Cluster and Regional food security strategies to NS priorities.
· Support the Disaster Management team plan, link and integrate recovery and longer term mitigation interventions into longer term activities and plans of specific National Societies.
· Support evaluation of food security components of emergency appeals and other food security programmes and initiatives.
· Advice the East Africa Head of Country Cluster Support Team on matters related to food security, including donor policies and funding opportunities.
· Support RCRC early warning and more effective RCRC early action by communicating emerging issues/changing conditions and strengthen NS Response Analysis mechanisms.
· Support Eastern Africa NS’s in formulating co-operative alliances as appropriate with members of the Red Cross Movement, INGOs, national NGOs, relevant UN.
· Maintain an overview of regional internal and external trends in food security, provide feedback and advise Region DCPRR Coordinator and Head of Country Cluster Support Team on actions required.
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 level qualification or extensive professional experience in related field
Professional qualification in a relevant field
Basic Delegates Training Course, IMPACT or equivalent knowledge
Experience
8 years experience in directly implementing and technically supporting food security and livelihoods emergency relief, recovery and disaster risk reduction programmes.
Proven practical experience of designing food security and livelihoods programmes, including preparation of programme proposals for donors.
Proven practical experience of developing simple systems to monitor delivery and impact of food security/livelihoods programmes.
Proven experience in food security assessments, livelihoods analysis and market assessments.
Knowledge and Skill
Knowledge and experience of working in humanitarian and food security related issues in East Africa, including familiarity with early warning systems and food crisis response mechanisms in the region. Knowledge of conceptual frameworks, global standards and good practice in food security including the use of cash, food aid and livelihoods support.
Self-supporting in computers (Windows, spreadsheets, word-processing) Valid international driving licence (manual gears)
Strong oral and written communication skills with an ability to negotiate, present and advocate new ideas and approaches. Good team working skills with ability to work as part of multi-cultural and diverse teams.
Excellent training and counter part development skills
Excellent networking skills and knowledge of key donor and partner organisations in the region.
Languages
Fluently spoken and written English.
Competencies and Values
National Society and Customer Relations
Collaboration and Teamwork
Communication
Building Trust
Creativity and Innovation
Accountability
Respect for Diversity
Integrity
Professionalism
Accountability
[1] Note: In the event of major food security emergencies occur, it is expected that the post holder will provide support but that this will be short term and that surge capacity will be made available to support response activities to avoid the risk of the Food Security Advisor being drawn into specific responses on a long-term basis.
HOW TO APPLY:
Please click on the link to apply.http://www.ifrc.org/en/who-we-are/working-with-us/current-vacancies/
