Consultancy – EW4All Pillar Four (4) Full-Time

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 192-member National Societies. 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.” The IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.

The IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of the IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.

The IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The IFRC also has country cluster delegation and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

Climate change is a central element of IFRC’s Strategy 2030 and Plan & Budget 2021-2025, which stresses the urgency to massively scale-up climate action in view of increasing disasters and climate-related impacts on vulnerable people. Early warning and early/anticipatory action are acknowledged as a critical component of this work.

The Early Warnings for All initiative (EW4All) was formally launched by the UN Secretary-General in November 2022 at the COP27 meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh. The initiative calls for every person on Earth to be covered by an early warning system by the end of 2027. The evidence is clear: early warning systems are one of the most effective risk reduction and climate adaptation measures to reduce disaster mortality and economic losses. Half of countries globally do not have adequate early warning systems and even fewer have regulatory frameworks to link early warnings to emergency plans. Early Warnings for All is co-led by WMO and UNDRR and supported by pillar leads ITU and IFRC.

The EW4All initiative is built on the four Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (MHEWS) pillars: (1) Disaster risk knowledge and management, which aims to ensure all countries have access to reliable, understandable and relevant risk information, science and expertise (led globally by UNDRR); (2) Detection, observation, monitoring, analysis and forecasting of hazards, which aims to ensure all countries have robust forecast and monitoring systems (both soft and hardware infrastructure) and enable policies to support optimization and sustainability of hazard monitoring and early warning systems (led globally by WMO); (3) Warning dissemination and communication, which aims to use a people-centered approach to ensure that early warnings are effectively and timely disseminated to reach everyone, especially those most at risk (led globally by ITU); and (4) Preparedness to respond to warnings, which aims to ensure local governments, communities and individuals at risk have the knowledge and means to take pre-emptive early action to prepare for and respond to incoming disasters upon receiving warnings (led globally by IFRC).

Job Purpose

The consultant will provide expert advice, guidance, and services in preparedness to respond to warnings, which ensures stakeholders at risk have the knowledge and means to take pre-emptive early action to prepare for and respond to incoming disasters upon receiving warnings. Essentially, in coordination with IFRC Mozambique EW4ALL lead, the consultant will provide overall direction and coordination for Pillar 4. The consultant will align and support the Mozambique government Pillar 4 lead where relevant, ensuring IFRC’s effective engagement with all relevant Pillar 4 stakeholders in country and in close cooperation with other Pillar leads in country. Where funding is available via IFRC to advance the initiative, the Consultant will be responsible and accountable for ensuring exert advise, management, implementation, and coordination. In addition, the incumbent will act as the focal point within the IFRC Country (Cluster) Delegation for the Early Warnings for All initiative. The Consultant will work in collaboration with the National Society, IFRC personnel, other Movement Partners, National and International Organizations, and local authorities.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide expert support and technical advice and support to the National Society and Country Cluster Delegation for Mozambique and Angola related to EW4All and notably Pillar 4;
• Take on the responsibility and accountability for comprehensive research and project proposals development for scale up.
• Organize relevant workshops and attend meetings related to EW4All and notably Pillar 4 for Mozambique and Angola
• Ensure effective coordination within IFRC network.

Outputs

Facilitated Roll-out of Pillar Four (4) and the EW4All Initiative in general.

Ensured efficient coordination of Pillar 4 activities in collaboration with the national/government Pillar 4 lead and the National Society.

Developed Key Documents and Proposals:

• Jointly developed key documents, including stakeholder mapping, gap analysis, national roadmap, and funding proposals with Pillar 4 partners.

Organized Pillar 4 Workshops:

• Successfully organize Pillar 4 aspects of relevant workshops placing IFRC as Pillar lead and ensured the participation of all Pillar 4 partners.

Influenced Shaping of EW4All Initiative:

• Played a crucial role in influencing the shaping of the EW4All initiative in the country, focusing on a multistakeholder, people-centered, and locally led approach.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Schedule for payment of fees

Deliverable #1:

Description: Submission of Inception Report

• Payment: 10% of total fees.
• Deadline: 30th March 2024.
• Days : 10 Days

Deliverable #2:

Description:

• A scale up and consolidated plan of preparedness and response capacities in Mozambique based on the Mozambique National EW4All Roadmap.
• Two detailed funding proposals to galvanise preparedness and response capacity building opportunities.
• Donor Landscape Analysis report.
  • Payment: 40% of total fees.
  • Deadline: 31st August 2024.
  • Days : 50 Days

Deliverable #3

Description: Effectively Conducted Four Relevant Workshops.

• Payment: 30% of total fees.
• Deadline: 30th November 2024.
• Days : 50 Days.

Deliverable #4

Description: Actively participated in Four relevant meetings both in and outside Mozambique

• Payment: 20% of total fees.
• Deadline: 30th March 2025.
• Days : 10 Days

Payment Terms and Conditions

• All payments are subject to approval of deliverables.
• If there are any invoices, they must be submitted within 5 working days of submitting the monthly progress reports.
• Late submissions may result in delayed payment.
• Invoices should be addressed to International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
• C/o Cruz Vermelha de Moçambique | Av. 24 de Julho Nr. 641| Maputo, Moçambique.
• Payment will be made via Bank Transfer.

Duration

The consultancy is expected to commence on 1st March 2024 and conclude by 31st January 2025.

Management of Consultancy

The IFRC will provide support to the consultant to achieve the outputs through:

Clear Communication:

• Establish open and transparent communication channels from the outset, clearly outlining project expectations, goals, and deliverables. Maintain regular check-ins to discuss progress, address concerns, and ensure alignment with consultancy objectives.

Setting Milestones:

• Develop a detailed consultancy plan with clear milestones and deadlines. Regularly review progress against these milestones to track the consultant’s work and identify any potential issues early on.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Facilitate effective engagement with key stakeholders, including government agencies, local communities, and regional organizations.

Resource Support:

• Provide the necessary resources, including access to data, technical tools, subject matter experts, logistics for travel to enable the consultant to perform their tasks effectively. Address any resource constraints promptly to avoid delays.

Quality Assurance and Review:

• Implement a robust quality assurance process by regularly reviewing the consultant’s work, methodologies, and deliverables. Provide constructive feedback to support continuous improvement.

Education

• An Advanced University degree (master’s or equivalent) or professional qualification in disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, international relations, or related field.

Experience

• Preparedness and/or related work
• Experience working in humanitarian or development sector, with developing countries and/or with an international organisation.
• Experience in multi-stakeholder coordination
• Experience in building relationships with relevant partners and stakeholders
• Demonstrated professional credibility in the sector of early warning early action.
• Experience working in an international or cross-cultural environment.
• Experience working in a RC/RC National Society and/or Federation/ICRC/Climate Centre

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

• The ability to be results oriented and driven as well as be able to lead in unprecedented and/or ambiguous situations.
• Outstanding networking, representational, communication and negotiation skills. An ability to be proactive and persuasive.
• A demonstrated track record in innovation, contributing to a learning culture, sharing knowledge and new approaches to engage partners.
• Energy and enthusiasm in engaging, brokering, and facilitating learning and dialogue among diverse groups.
• Professional credibility and the ability to work effectively at all levels across organisations.
• The ability to take good judgment and work with complete integrity and confidentiality.
• High degree of discretion, tact, and sensitivity in dealing with internal and external clients and stakeholders at all levels.
• The ability to work within a multi-cultural, multilingual, multidisciplinary environment.
• Fluent spoken and written English
• Good command of official languages within the SADC region and/or another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic)

Competencies, Values and Comments

• Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism;
• Accountability Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust

Notes

• The consultant will be contracted by the IFRC, and the standard contractual terms will apply.
• Agreed travel expenses will be reimbursed at cost in accordance with in the IFRC’s relevant regulations.