Team Leader, Community Engagement and Accountability (CEA) ESSN III

IFRC is currently seeking a Team Leader, CEA to join the ESSN III Team in Ankara, Turkey.

Job Purpose

Community engagement and accountability (CEA) is an approach to Red Cross and Red Crescent programming and operations. It is supported by a set of activities that help put communities at the centre of what we do, by integrating communication and participation throughout the programme cycle or operation. CEA is the process of and commitment to providing timely, relevant and actionable life-saving and life-enhancing information to communities. It is about using the most appropriate communication approaches to listen to communities’ needs, feedback and complaints, ensuring they can actively participate and guide Red Cross Red Crescent actions. CEA supports those involved in programmes and operations to adopt innovative approaches to better understand and engage with people and communities and help them address unhealthy and unsafe practices. It maximizes the Red Cross Red Crescent’s unique relationship with the community to help them speak out about the issues that affect them and influence decision and policy-makers to implement positive changes. The CEA team supports all sectoral teams to strengthen participation and two-way communication in their interventions.

Due to its magnitude and complexity, the ESSN program, funded by ECHO is managed from the Secretariat in Geneva. The program is embedded in the Turkey Country Office and the CEA Team Leader will support the IFRC partner and IFRC ESSN team to enhance the impact, reach and efficiency of ESSN activities through the integration of CEA activities and approaches into the ESSN programme. This includes communication with communities, participation and feedback systems, behaviour and social change communication, and evidence-based advocacy.  

The CEA Team leader reports to the Operations Manager. The CEA Team leader is responsible for managing, mentoring and coaching the two additional IFRC CEA Officers in the team.

The CEA Team Leader also coordinates and integrates with and supports CEA counterparts at IFRC partner headquarters and the IFRC Country Office facilitating CEA in all operations and long-term programmes.

Responsibilities

Technical support to the operation

• Support assessments to be transparent, participatory and accountable, capturing people’s information needs and trusted and preferred communication channels
• Support IFRC partner to integrate community participation in operational planning, design and implementation
• Provide oversight to existing feedback mechanisms and advice on improving efficiencies, including processes to make sure feedback is analysed and acted upon by operational teams
• Support and provide technical guidance on communications systems for sharing information with affected people about Red Cross and Red Crescent services, including selection criteria.
• Support the ESSN team, to increase reach and impact by advising IFRC partner on methods to gain a deeper understanding of community perceptions, beliefs, culture and values and to implement innovative behaviour and social change communication activities.
• Ensure CEA activities and approaches are included in operational plans and budgets and support the operation to achieve its aims.
• Support IFRC partner to explore ways to involve affected people in assessing the impact of the ESSN response.
• Provide oversight the processes for IFRC partner that ensure women, children, older people, people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups have equal access to information channels and feedback mechanisms particular to their needs, and taking into account any specific protection issues.

Capacity building

• Provide targeted CEA training and mentoring support to ESSN staff and IFRC staff and volunteers, working closely at all times with IFRC partner counterparts.
• Review existing ESSN processes and develop plans to encourage the adoption and adaptation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement tools, methodologies and activities, as defined in the CEA guide and toolkit.
• Work closely with the IFRC country office CEA Delegate to provide strategic support to help with the institutionalization of CEA in all operations and long-term programs.

Coordination, representation and reporting

• Work closely with the IFRC country office to ensure there is consistency and sustainability between CEA in the ESSN activities and other Turkey programmes.
• Contribute to the coordination of CEA activities and reporting with IFRC partner and IFRC counterparts.
• Represent IFRC with IFRC partner counterparts in relevant 3RP coordination meetings
• Identify opportunities for partnership with external organisations, including the use of technology and innovative approaches to enhance CEA
• Support and provide oversight to strategic data management to feed into programme improvement processes as well as advocacy and NS humanitarian diplomacy efforts.
• Provide technical guidance to feedback mechanisms and two-way communication processes and work with IFRC partner counterparts to ensure they are continued across ESSN activities, with adequate capacity to given for data analysis.
• Support ESSN team to include CEA data in existing Information Management systems and platforms so it can be used to inform decision-making processes at strategic and operational levels.
• Support evidence-based learning by assessing and monitoring levels of community engagement through research, impact surveys, perception studies and case studies.
• Support the positioning and visibility of Red Cross and Red Crescent CEA achievements and share data with the wider humanitarian network to inform and influence the overall response.

Education

Required

University degree (in Communication or Social/Behavioural Sciences i.e. Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology or Health Education) or relevant experience.

Experience

Required

• Five years’ experience working in community engagement and accountability, communication for development or social mobilisation in developing countries for a humanitarian or development organisation.
• Experience of working as part of a team responding to complex humanitarian emergencies
• Experience setting up and managing tools for communicating with communities. For example, radio programmes, TV shows, SMS systems, community committees, social mobilisation or mobile cinemas and community dramas etc.
• Experience setting up and managing accountability to communities systems. For example, feedback and complaints mechanisms, rumour tracking systems, or participatory planning processes.
• Experience of coaching, training and developing National Society staff and volunteers in order to build long-term capacity and create ownership.
• Experience of designing and implementing assessments, community consultations, research and/or focus groups discussions.

Preferred

• Proven experience in planning targeted and appropriate behaviour change communication strategies
• Experience working with Red Cross/Red Crescent National Societies.

Knowledge, skills and languages

Required

• Good planning skills, with the ability to identify areas for improvements in operations through the integration of CEA approaches and activities.
• Good knowledge of gender and diversity issues
• Team player, with the ability to coordinate and engage others and build good working relationships with internal and external partners.
• Highly motivated proactive self-starter, able to set and achieve goals using own initiative.
• Strong written, presentation, facilitation and training skills.
• Ability to multi-task and work under stressful conditions to meet deadlines.
• Willing to travel extensively to support field operations.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and networking skills.

Preferred

• Good knowledge of Red Cross Red Crescent disaster management cycle, including planning and response processes and procedures.

Languages

Required

• Fluently spoken and written English and Turkish

Preferred

• Fluently spoken and written Arabic

Competencies and values

• Professionalism
• Communications
• Collaboration and teamwork
• National Society and customer relations
• Building alliances
• Accountability
• Creativity and innovation

How You Apply: 

Please submit your cover letter and your resume online HERE or www.ifrc.org by January 6th, 2020

Please note that the position will stay open until filled.  

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. 

The IFRC is an equal opportunity employer and committed to workforce diversity.