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).
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.
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:
Organized Pillar 4 Workshops:
Influenced Shaping of EW4All Initiative:
Deliverable #1:
Description: Submission of Inception Report
Deliverable #2:
Description:
Deliverable #3
Description: Effectively Conducted Four Relevant Workshops.
Deliverable #4
Description: Actively participated in Four relevant meetings both in and outside Mozambique
The consultancy is expected to commence on 1st March 2024 and conclude by 31st January 2025.
The IFRC will provide support to the consultant to achieve the outputs through:
Clear Communication:
Setting Milestones:
Stakeholder Engagement:
Resource Support:
Quality Assurance and Review:
