Regional Head of Disaster Risk Management at Plan International

Dimensions of the Role

Responsible for overseeing and supporting the implementation of the humanitarian scope of Plan International’s Global Strategy ‘100 Million Reasons’, the global DRM strategy and compliance with the DRM Policy across all of Plan International’s country offices across the MEESA region, whilst contributing to global learning and initiatives aimed at strengthening DRM across the wider organization.

The post is a key linkage/coordination point between global approaches to our DRM work (held in our Global Hub and National Offices) and the implementation of the DRM policy and practice at Country Office (CO) level. 

The post holder manages a Regional DRM specialist and a Child Protection in Emergencies Specialist, with matrix links into Country Office DRM leads and Emergency Response Managers. 

The post holder is expected to be deployable as Emergency Response Manager in responses to large scale disasters in the region.

Accountabilities

Disaster Preparedness

• Responsible for overseeing and supporting the implementation of the DRM strategy across the MEESA region.
• Facilitate learning and exchange through maintaining a regional network of Country Office based DRM focal points.
• Ensure readiness to respond to disasters through ensuring compliance of the Disaster Preparedness Process (DPP) and roll out of capacity building activities across all COs in the region.
• Establish and facilitate peer support processes and inter-country collaboration between countries in the region.
• Establish and regularly update the roles and responsibilities of MEESA staff during emergencies, and assure regional DPP processes and action planning.

 

Disaster Response

• Be ready to deploy as emergency response manager at the initial stage of medium or large scale emergency in the region for up to two months.
• Support and advise CO management timely decision making in slow-onset, protracted and rapid onset emergencies.
• Jointly with the COs/MEESA Management/GH, the Regional Head of DRM will identify additional capacity needs and coordinate rapid deployment of additional surge capability (funding, people and materiel) as required.
• Support CO’s in documentation of lessons from all significant disasters, including supporting real time reviews, evaluations and reflection workshops.
• Available to give technical support to others regions, when requested by GH.
• Advise on allocation of the global disaster fund (medium/large scale disasters).

 

Programme Management and Fundraising

• Actively fundraise to ensure high quality sup-ort is available for the DRM portfolio in the MEESA region and ensure that the grants commitments are met in terms of performance, schedule and costs.
• Support formation and relationship management of relevant consortiums in the region.
• Contribute to ensuring quality of multi-country projects and responses in the region (e.g. South Sudan refugee and displacement programme) though capacity building, formation of practitioner’s networks, development of tools and undertaking of research and lessons learned exercises.
• Engage and work closely with the Girls in Displaced Situations Centre of Excellence which is based in Uganda. 
• Take an active role in supporting regional grant acquisition for relevant DRM related work and support country applications with advice where required.

 

Resilience Mainstreaming

• Work with COs in monitoring and supporting integration of resilience across relevant programmes within the region, as guided by the global strategy ‘100 Million Reasons’.
• Provide guidance and technical support for DRM integration in new County Strategies and support development of programmatic approaches and guidance.
• Support and facilitate learning and sharing of DRM related resources/tools/experiences between countries in region.
• Coordination, Networking and Advocacy:
• Engage externally with relevant actors and coordinate Plan International’s work with other international/regional agencies and networks, such as the regional IASC network and working groups and donors.
• Ensure representation of Plan International in regional conferences and influencing events.
• International DRM strategy implementation:
• Take part in international meetings and contribute to international initiatives with Plan’s international DRM team.

 

Line Management:

• Manage and coach a team of regional technical specialist (2) and project managers/coordinator (1) to support the implementation of the global DRM policy and to implement regional grants across countries.

 

 

• Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Child Protection (CPP) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.

 

Key End Results

• All COs in the region maintain an appropriate level of readiness (capacity/skills/procedures) through adequate preparedness and capacity building processes, adopted to the risk level of the CO.
• COs in the region have responded to all significant disasters, as per internationally acceptable humanitarian standards and received appropriate support in doing this.
• Basic DRM training targeting Country Management Teams and Emergency Response Teams has been carries out at country level, comprising both operational and programmatic aspects of humanitarian response.
• All COs have a contingency plan in place for managing disasters, including standardized operational protocols, contingency funds and adequate stock of prepositions.
• All new Country Strategies have included risks/hazards related to natural disasters, conflict and environment in their child rights analysis and designed programmatic responses.
• An increase in the volume of regional grants raised for DRM, with a focus on Gender in Emergencies, Climate Change Adaptation, Girls in Crisis and Resilience.
• Plan International’s professional profile within the DRM sector has been raised through regular attendance/contributions in coordination meetings and relevant forums.
• Prepared and updated disaster preparedness plan for the region.
• Monitoring progress towards strategy and regional learning is reflected in global policy and practice.

 

Dealing with Problems:

The post is a key linkage/coordination point between global DRM work (GH/NOs) and the implementation of the DRM policy at CO level.  For this reason, the post holder must be able to manage relationships well with different parts of the organizations, including conflicting priorities and ad hoc request at times, in the best interest of the organization and in line with the DRM policy.

Given the wide scope of responsibility and limited resources, it’s essential that the post holder is able to stay on top of a variety of work and make clear prioritizations and be creative in making use of internal (and external) resources (people/funding) to achieve the outcomes of the Global Strategy. 

Key relationships

Internal:

• Under the supervision of the Director of the Sub Region (DSR) North and East Africa and the Director for DRM (GH) the post holder will work closely with the Country Directors, Country Management Teams and DRM national advisors/managers for the roll out of the DRM ambition in the MEESA Region.   
• The post requires close liaison and coordination with technical experts in the DRM teams at GH and regional managers of finance, operation, HR, MERL, resource mobilization, and communications to build capacities in support functions and for deployment.
• For fundraising purposes and grants management, the post holder will liaise with NO colleagues.

External:

• Engage externally with relevant actors and coordinate Plan International’s work with other international/regional institutions and agencies, technical networks, regional government bodies, consultants, academy, consortium partners, regional IASC network, and donors.

Technical expertise, skills and knowledge

Essential

Knowledge

• Demonstrable knowledge as a result of study, training or practical experience on the key debates in DRM, especially also related to working in conflict and protracted crises, and emergency response methods and effectiveness;
• Knowledge of the requirements of donor compliance and financial management;
• Knowledge of key debates in the humanitarian sphere, including on the nexus and triple nexus debate, and about the practical implications of the key debates at field level.
• Knowledge of programming in complex and constantly changing environments.

Key Skills and Behaviours

• Energetic and motivated individual, with a proven track record of undertaking similar assignments successfully.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and able to work in a dynamic environment with multiple stakeholders at different level.
• Ability to think strategically, but also result oriented and get things done.
• Commitment to continuous learning and willingness to keep abreast of new developments in the field (DRM and humanitarian issues in general).
• Able to work independently, but also to lead the coordination and management of virtual teams and networks.
• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal in order to present arguments clearly and powerfully to a variety of audiences.
• Ability to establish and sustain good working relations with colleagues in the MEESA COs and Regional Hub though efficient communication, using virtual relationship management.
• Culturally and socially sensitive, and able to work successfully with partners and sector professionals.
• Embodies Plan International Values and behaviours as outlined in its values and behaviours framework, notably being open and accountable, being inclusive and empowering, demonstrating the ability to work well together and striving for lasting impact.
• Ability to prioritize and manage complex and varied workload, often to tight deadlines.

Qualification and experience

• Documented experience from disaster risk management work, including disaster preparedness and managing response programs.
• Documented experience from at several major disaster events, working in “high risk” environments.
• Documented experience to lead capacity building and organizational development on humanitarian issues.
• Experience of strategic planning, i.e. analysing relevant factors from both the internal and external environments, identifying crucial issues that have to be addressed, setting medium and long term objectives and developing plans of actions.
• Experience of working with institutional donors/fundraisers.
• Documented experience to oversee planning, monitoring and evaluation of grants.

Plan International’s Values in Practice

We are open and accountable

• Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
• Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
• Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.
• Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
• Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young people

We strive for lasting impact

• Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.
• Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.
• Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.
• Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.

We work well together

• Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
• Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
• Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
• Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

We are inclusive and empowering

• We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential
• We respect all people, appreciate differences and challenge equality in our programs and our workplace
• We support children, girls and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives.

Physical Environment

This position entails 50% travel both within and outside region, often in hardship locations.

Level of contact with children

Mid contact: Occasional interaction with children