Regional Emergency Health Coordinator-PHiE delegate Re-advertised at International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)

Duty station status: Family Duty Station

Accompanied status: Accompanied

Duration:10 months

Category of Staff: Delegate

Grade: D1

Vacancy No:IFRC04000

Job Purpose

Reporting to the Health and Care Coordinator in the Africa Region, the Emergency Health Coordinator will lead and coordinate the Federation's support to National Societies in Africa in ensuring that the public health components of disaster preparedness, response and recovery programmes, as well as preparedness and response programmes to disease outbreaks and/or epidemics, adhere to Federation policies and strategies, meet established public health/humanitarian standards and technical guidelines, and reach the most vulnerable.

These components may include (and/or be closely integrated with), but not limited to, first aid, control of communicable and emerging diseases, psychosocial support, nutrition, water and sanitation/hygiene promotion.

Reporting to the Health Coordinator and as an integral part of the Federation's Africa health and care unit, and the global emergency health team, the Delegate works in close collaboration with the Africa Disaster Management structures, health and disaster management coordinators/managers of Federation regional and country delegations, other RCRC Movement components, and relevant external partners, to ensure that relevant emergency health preparedness and response components are integrated and/or mainstreamed with relevant health, disaster management and development programmes.

Reporting to the Health and Care Coordinator in the Region, the Emergency Health Coordinator will support the IFRC offices and through them the National Societies in planning and implementing public health nutrition interventions.  S/he will lead capacity building efforts in the Africa Region by providing technical supervision, support and advice to IFRC and NS’s health staff. The Emergency Health Coordinator will ensure that nutrition interventions maintain IFRC and other international standards and are implemented using an integrated public health approach.

In close cooperation with Africa Region management, Health, WatSan, and DM coordinators and delegates in Africa Region and with WatSan and Emergency Health functions in the Secretariat, and in respect the IFRC policies, strategies and the following documents (Health and Care strategy, WatSan policy, Strategy 2020, Health & Care policies, GWSI, MDGs, SPHERE, PHAST etc.,) the Emergency Health Delegate will perform the duties and responsibilities as enumerated below:

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Programme Development and Capacity Building

•  Support, in collaboration with Federation country and/or regional offices, National Society capacity strengthening in emergency health preparedness and response, particularly in the development of strategies, programmes and plans, but also training and management of staff and volunteers in emergencies
• Promote, and where possible facilitate, the integration of National Society emergency health programmes/activities with OD, DM, DP, DR and ER programmes/activities, as well as the co-ordination/co-operation between NS emergency health programmes/activities and those supported by bilateral/partner NS, ICRC, UN agencies, governments and non-government actors, to maximise synergies and impact, and to avoid service gaps and unnecessary overlaps.
• Further, and where feasible, promote the development of cross-country RCRC co-operation in emergency health preparedness and response.
• In collaboration with the Emergency health delegate and regional health coordinators support the Mapping of Emergency Health and Epidemic Control (EHEC) capacities and resources in the African NSs and support NSs in developing and implementing their capacity building plans for the subject.
• Lead IFRC Africa efforts to develop and expand nutrition focused programming.
• Coordinate and lead Africa wide assessment of nutrition programming needs (acute and chronic) and develop a prioritised plan to expand nutrition programming.
• Identify fundraising opportunities and lead the dialogue with potential partners, with support from resource mobilisation.
• The delegate will focus on rolling out and adapting standardised IFRC tools for use in preparedness and response by African NSs.
• Roll out available EHEC tools to be prepositioned and distributed as needed including WatSan Kits, cholera kits, PPEs, IEHK, etc.
• Familiarise NSs with the availability and use of international DM and EHEC tools within and outside the movement (ERUs, FACT, RDRT, IEHK, GOARN, etc.).
• Develop and adapt the use of early warning systems in coordination with the Secretariat.
• Build the capacities of both health and disaster management programme staff in various IFRC offices for standard public health nutrition approaches and protocols.

Technical Support

• Enforce and disseminate international emergency response standards (SPHERE, etc).
• Provide technical guidance, and where necessary, direct and coordinate the Federation's international public health response in emergencies in an accountable manner, and in cooperation with all relevant partners. Where necessary, participate in assessments and start-up of emergency operations within the Africa Region and beyond as per request from DMU.
• In coordination with the Federation medical logistics officer and relevant logistics units, advice on and/or oversee the procurement, storage and distribution of emergency medical supplies, following accepted Federation and WHO standards and guidelines
• Provide technical support and guidance to IFRC offices and through them to National Societies in nutrition related interventions and ensure the quality of their implementation.
• Provide technical input to implementation of nutrition interventions in all food security operations according to best practices and quality standards. Promote National Society participation in existing country coordination structures on nutrition
• Ensure that the implementation of the nutrition programmes conform to internationally accepted standards and country guidelines.
• Provide guidance to staff implementing nutrition programmes on integrating nutrition component into wider community health and disaster risk reduction programmes.

Knowledge Management

• Monitor regional and national epidemiological data, standard health indicators and disaster patterns for analysis and early detection of trends, disease outbreaks and/or epidemics. Facilitate the identification of necessary actions and corrective measures to be taken, where necessary.
• Ensure high-level emergency health response preparedness capacity in Africa Region through the effective use of Disaster Management Information System (DMIS), Emergency Appeals, Field Assessment and Co-ordination Team (FACT), Emergency Response Units (ERU), Regional Disaster Response Teams (RDRT), including medical logistics/supply lines.
• Obtain and collate information, reports and case studies from preparedness and response by NSs and establish best practices on emergency health and epidemic preparedness and response and share knowledge within and outside the Movement.

Coordination

• The delegate will participate as part of the global Emergency Health capacity of the IFRC. The delegate will act as a technical resource on epidemic control for the IFRC.
• As budget holder, the Emergency Health Coordinator is responsible in ensuring that expenditure charged to their cost centre or project is appropriately allocated and correctly stated. Authorisation of such expenditure will be exercised by a combination of transaction approval, monitoring actual expenditure requisition against the approved budget line, clarifying funds available and making sure donor earmarking requirements are met.
• Help build and facilitate fundraising initiatives for National Society and Federation emergency health and Nutrition programmes, in collaboration with Resource Mobilization and other coordinators.
• The emergency Health Coordinator will supervise directly other health delegates deployed for emergency health operations in the Region.
• Produce regular, written and accurate technical reports to the  Health & Care Coordinator, with copy to the Emergency Health Unit, Health & Social Services Department/Geneva.
• Coordinate with other technical units/functions at Regional, Cluster and Country levels to ensure quality of nutrition related activities.
• Represent IFRC in appropriate working groups, forums and other technical meetings on nutrition.

• Ensure proper communication, coordination and harmonization of tools with the different stakeholders involved in food/nutrition activities.
• Promote RC/RC Movement cooperation and exchange of learning in Africa on various nutrition programming.
• Map and continually assess best  practices and priority needs of National Societies including active monitoring of global health risks and development of relevant epidemiological and other emergency health information management systems.
• Work with the Community Health and Emergency Care team leader to  actively engage with the relevant IASC sub committees,  Health Cluster and the Global Emergency Medical Team coordination mechanisms to ensure that NS are  prepared and able to interact with these and other global health emergency coordination systems as needed.
• Work with the Psychosocial Reference Centre to promote and support effective psychosocial support in emergencies and during recovery.
• Support National Societies to provide quality emergency medical services and emergency community health care through investment in preparedness, standard setting, tool development, monitoring and evaluation and knowledge sharing.
• Work in close collaboration the four emergency health related cross organizational work streams: Emergency Medical Services, Public Health in Emergencies, Psychosocial Support in Emergencies and Health Emergency Coordination.

Education

• Degree in Public Health, and/or relevant medical qualification
• Relevant Post Graduate qualifications
• Basic Delegates Training Course

Experience

• 6 years’ experience in public health with focus on Emergency Health, Experience with nutrition is an asset.
• 4 years’ experience of project planning & budgeting, supervision and management to include monitoring and evaluation
• 4 years experience in working in both emergency contexts and engaging effectively with beneficiaries especially women and children and other vulnerable groups
• Experience of producing narrative & financial reports
• Experience of managing, coaching, and supporting staff
• Experience of working for the Red Cross/Red Crescent or international Humanitarian agency

Knowledge, skills and languages

• Strong skills in general administration, oral and written communication
• Skills in training and developing staff
• Ability to engage effectively with NS staff, volunteers and beneficiaries, being results focused and accountable, being a team builder and team player, a good communicator at all levels, having professional mastery over their technical area, having leadership qualities and encouraging others to take the lead when appropriate, having managerial effectiveness
• Ability to represent the Federation with potential and existing donors, Government officials and members of the Diplomatic Community.
• Self-supporting in computers (Windows, spreadsheets, word-processing)
• Fluently spoken and written English
• Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic)

Competencies and values

• Teamwork
• National Society relations
• Professionalism
• Communication