Swedish Red Cross Programme Manager, based in Liberia 189 views0 applications

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The Swedish Red Cross is part of the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement, the world’s largest humanitarian network. The Red Cross/Red Crescent is working to improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters and emergencies. We support people whoever they are, wherever they are.

As one of the 190 National Societies in the Movement, the Swedish Red Cross contributes towards emergency response in various ways ranging from technical to financial support. For example in 2017 we support with food, shelter, health care, water and sanitation to people in need. We are bound by the Red Cross/Red Crescent fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.

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Background

The Swedish Red Cross (SRC) is supporting two of its sister National Societies in West Africa; Liberian National Red Cross Society (LNRCS) and Côte d’Ivoire Red Cross (CIRC). The SRC, the LNRCS and CIRC are all part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (the Movement). The Movement – consisting of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) – is the world’s largest humanitarian network. The strength of the Movement lies in its volunteer network consisting of 80 million people, and in the community-based localized structure and expertise. As partners, the different members of the Movement work to improve humanitarian standards, work as partners in development, respond to disasters, support healthier and safer communities, reduce vulnerabilities, strengthen resilience and foster a culture of peace. For the Movement inclusive community engagement is central for trust-building and peaceful coexistence. The Movement also works in cooperation with governments, donors and other aid organizations to assist vulnerable people around the world and through the broad network of volunteers the National Societies of the Movement are able to address humanitarian needs and vulnerabilities of crises affected people through presence in communities before, during and after an emergency.

SRC has been engaged multilaterally in Liberia for many years and supported the work of Liberian National Red Cross Society (LNRCS) since the end of the civil wars in Liberia. SRC has over the years supported several different projects in Liberia, both long-term resilience building projects and more emergency oriented projects.

LNRCS played a crucial role in contributing to halt the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) epidemic through its nationwide operations reaching out to millions of people, providing safe and dignified burials and psychosocial support that reached 2,4 million people with sensitization activities etc. Following the EVD response operation, the LNRCS had a deep organizational crisis due to integrity issues in parts of the organization and LNRCS has undergone a transitional process putting in place a new governance and management that is now setting the direction for the organization and restoring LNRCS ability to again assume the role as auxiliary to the Liberian Government in responding to crises in the country. Most of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement partners has phased out from the country and SRC will be the main partner left to support the efforts by the LNRCS to ensure an independent humanitarian national and local actor in place in Liberia to address humanitarian needs during crises situations.

SRC and LNRCS have developed a three-year bilateral project that aims at contributing to a sustainable LNRCS empowering vulnerable communities through voluntary actions and delivering integrated services without discrimination, contributing to peace and development. The project is focusing on four components identified by the LNRCS as key in achieving a more sustainable Red Cross National Society with capacity to address needs in most vulnerable communities. The components are; chapter and branch development, volunteer management, gender and diversity and resource mobilization. Part of the project focuses on the LNRCS at a national level to ensure that the systems, structures and policies needed are in place. Focus is also on increasing the LNRCS financial sustainability at the national level. The other part of the project will focus on three pilot chapters; River Gee, Sinoe and Grand Kru and branches and communities in these counties to work to strengthen the LNRCS local presence in these areas to enable the National Society to support especially vulnerable communities to become more resilient.

SRC has been engaged in Côte d’Ivoire for the past five years supporting long-term health projects and resilience building to crises in very vulnerable areas. SRC is currently supporting the CIRC in implementing two projects; an urban disaster risk reduction project in Abidjan, and a health resilience project on the border to Liberia to enhance the response capacity and community resilience for crises situations, such as health emergencies (epidemics), crises that triggers population movement, and accidents. Additionally, in view of the upcoming elections 2020, the CIRC will need to be sufficiently prepared to address needs of persons affected by social and political tension and violence.

Overall Purpose of the Role

The Programme Manager will be based in Monrovia and will provide Programme management support to the project in Liberia and help to establish SRC bilateral presence in Liberia. The delegate will also provide project management support to the projects in Côte d’Ivoire, however the main focus will be to support the work in Liberia.

Main duties

Programme Management

• Support SRC establishment of bilateral programme management, support, and follow up of SRC supported projects in Côte d’Ivoire.
• Work together with SRC OD delegate in Liberia as well as with the HQ based Desk officer, advisors and controllers to provide technical support and quality assurance to all SRC supported projects in Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire.
• Provide appropriate guidance and advice to the program/project teams in planning, monitoring, implementation and reporting.
• Share experiences with and provide hands-on support to SRC supported projects.
• Undertake regular on-site monitoring of project activities through field visits, interviews and other monitoring tools, as relevant
• Identify and help solving the critical challenges/issues faced in the projects.
• Support LNRCS and CIRC in recruiting project staff to SRC programs/projects, including developing ToR, agreeing on HR approach and HR management, ensuring appropriate recruitment process, and participating in selection of candidates.
• Work with the LNRCS and CIRC finance teams (especially project accountants) to monitor and review the spending rates of projects as well as carry out follow-up actions as necessary.
• Ensure good financial management including:
• Checking eligibility of project costs
• Reviewing transactions in the accounting systems monthly
• Reviewing and quality assure monthly and quarterly financial reports
• Reviewing supporting documentations to ensure compliance with SRC requirements
• Undertaking spot check of expenditures to avoid overcharging etc
• Reviewing actuals vs budget
• Reviewing cash requests
• Report narratively and financially on the project as required to SRC internally and externally (SRC annual reports, back donor reporting, annual audit etc)
• Ensure that donor requirements are met during project implementation
• Ensure that agreed procedures for procurement and fleet are followed and that supporting documents lives up to SRC standards

Other duties

• Support the establishment of SRC bilateral presence in Liberia, which includes assessing the operating environment, establishing procedures and protocols necessary for a bilateral presence, including security protocols for country presence and field travel, provide regular security updates and briefings.
• Assuming a representational role of SRC in Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire, and as such be responsible for donor relations and dialogue in the two countries.
• Assuming security responsibility for SRC staff based in Liberia and visitors to Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire, which involves updating security protocols, and ensure these are being adhered to, brief visitors around security and the protocols in place, support SRC and other partners with information regarding security.
• Support the Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire National Societies in planning, implementation, monitoring, learning and reporting of the SRC supported projects, including financial and narrative reporting.
• Support the daily management of the office, activities and projects in Liberia and the projects in Côte d’Ivoire as well as to facilitate administration and logistic support for visitors to both countries
• Be responsible for the reporting of the projects including donor reporting and any other reports that may be required.
• Ensure coordination of project activities and SRC wider engagement with Movement partners and other humanitarian actors in Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire.
• Be responsible for the coordination of donor funding processes on behalf of the Movement in Liberia (incl ECHO/EU etc)

Required Skills and Experience

Qualifications

• Relevant academic background
• Experience from planning, monitoring, evaluation and reporting
• Experience from financial management
• Experience from training and coaching staff and/or volunteers
• Experience from one or several of the following fields is an asset; protection, gender and inclusion, community engagement and accountability, urban disaster risk reduction, volunteer management
• Experience from the Movement is an asset
• Field experience from resource scarce settings, preferably from West Africa
• Relevant security training and experience from working in contexts with moderate or high security risks, including ability to assess risks, security protocol management, field communication equipment (such as Coda and VHF radio etc)
• Very good knowledge of written and spoken French and English

Personal Competencies

• Good interpersonal skills and team oriented
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral
• Constructive, flexible and solution oriented
• Ability to positively interact with all levels of society
• Awareness and understanding of cultural and gender differences, and able to work constructively in culturally diverse environments
• Must be able to handle high workloads and stressful circumstances
• Must be able to live and work under demanding physical and stressful conditions in remote locations

Other requirements

• Medical clearance for the assignment is required. You will be asked to undergo a pre-employment medical examination before being contracted
• Ability to travel in the field during periods is required for the position
• As a Swedish Red Cross employee, we expect you to share the Red Cross/Red Crescent humanitarian values. The movements values diversity and actively works against all forms of discrimination
• If you are appointed to a role within Swedish Red Cross you will be subject to the organization’s Code of Conduct, a copy of which you can find on our website. It is of utmost priority that you understand respect and comply with the Code of Conduct
• In line with the principle of neutrality, the SRC does not assign personnel to a country of which they are nationals
• Candidates must possess a manual driving license and experience in driving manual transmission vehicles
• Candidates must be in good health and will have to do a medical check-up prior to departure in the field
• Candidates must state their nationality in their application
• Please note that online tests and several interviews is part of the selection process
• We do a thorough reference check on relevant candidate

Dates and information

• Application deadline: 23 June 2019
• Place of assignment: Monrovia, Liberia (with extensive travel)
• Type of posting: International delegate (non-family posting)
• Length of mission: 12 months (with possibility of extension)
• Desired starting date: Mid-August 2019