Regional Cash & Voucher Assistance (CVA) Senior Officer, MENA

Organizational context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world's largest humanitarian network, that reaches 150 million people each year in 190 National Societies through the work of over 17 million volunteers. The Secretariat acts before, during, and after disasters, crises, and health emergencies in order to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people.

Our work is guided by seven Fundamental Principles (humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality) and by Strategy 2020, which voices our collective vision and determination to move forward in tackling the major challenges that confront humanity in the present decade.

In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in employing cash as a response option during emergencies. Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) has accounted for a large proportion of DREF and Emergency Appeal’s budgets globally.  Cash is a significant aspect of humanitarian response and one which is likely to grow significantly in the next few years. Donors will increasingly call for larger-scale cash programs to meet a range of basic needs and expect either one primary grant or more coherent approaches between organizations. National Societies are showing great interest in developing their cash capacity and expertise in order to use cash as the default response option in times of crisis.

In light of this trend, the IFRC is making investments in CVA capacity both at global and regional levels ensuring that capacities and resources are in place to take CVA forward.

While the global Cash team in Geneva provides global leadership and support in coordination with the Cash Peer Working Group (CPWG) and the Cash Advisory Group (CAG), the regional Cash and Voucher Assistance Senior Officer will focus more on; coordination, technical implementation and provide support to National Societies in the region both in preparedness and response to enable them to use CVA as a modality to meet the needs of the most vulnerable in a timely manner during both small and large scale disasters and crises.

While the regional CVA Senior Officer is under the direct supervision of the regional Head of DCPRR, he/she will work closely with the Cash team in Geneva as well as with the focal persons in the cluster and country offices to ensure synergy and holistic approach to IFRC cash policy and to the support to the National Societies.

Job purpose

Under the direct supervision of the Head of DCPRR – MENA region and the technical management of the cash team in Geneva, the Regional CVA Senior Officer will focus on:

• The successful implementation of the Regional Cash Plan of Action 2019-2021
• Provide leadership, guidance, and technical expertise for cash preparedness and cash-based response interventions across the Region to Movement partners (e.g. COVID-19 response).
•  Facilitate the contextualization and implementation of the Movement Cash Roadmap at regional and sub-regional levels
• Ensure coordination, cooperation, networking and partnership within and outside the Movement
• Ensure knowledge management, raising awareness and acceptance within the Movement across the region
• Strengthen resource mobilization and reporting in relation to CVA

This position will contribute to the achievement of all Movement specific targets for cash (mainly IFRC set targets).

Job duties and responsibilities

1.1 Preparedness:

• Provide cash preparedness technical support to the National Societies (NS) across the region in collaboration with Movement partners. This technical support should be centered on getting the “buy in” and commitments from the NS leadership to embed cash in the NS preparedness and contingency planning processes and developing their cash preparedness capacities to meet humanitarian needs in small, medium, and large-scale disasters.
• Facilitate capacity building for the selected NS in CVA with awareness sessions, face to face trainings, simulations and learning by doing exercises, with remote support and coaching in key areas such as integrating cash feasibility and market assessment into existing assessment methodologies, developing the tools for CVA, and training relevant NS staff.
• Support NSs to conduct cash feasibility and self-assessment and assess and sign pre-agreements with Financial Service Providers as part of preparedness to enable a scalable and rapid response.
• Following the self-assessment carried out with National Societies for cash preparedness, support the development and implementation of CVA preparedness plans of action (including budget) ensuring that procedures and processes are created in consultation with the relevant NS departments maintaining a cross-sectorial approach.
• Provide technical guidance and support to the NS CVA focal persons to take an active role or lead in-country cash coordination forums.
• Provide technical support to National Society to play a clearly mandated role as an auxiliary to government within nationally led cash-based responses with clear links to social protection when appropriate

1.2 Emergencies:

• Be the focal person for Cash in Emergencies across the Region providing technical support to DREF, Emergency Appeals (EAs) such as COVID-19 EA, joint task force meetings as well as the deployment of cash surge capacity or NS personnel who have completed PECT training.
• Technical line management, provide guidance and technical support to regional surge capacities and in-country cash personnel including the development of ToRs, sharing of lessons learned / good practice, as well as ensuring that all cash profiles are incorporated in the surge database.
• Provide remote or face to face technical support to NS in assessing the feasibility of cash, program design, and the implementation and monitoring of small, medium, and large-scale cash interventions in line with IFRC Cash SOPs and CVA good practices.
• Advice, support and promote the adaptation of various tools including RCM toolkits to local context
• Ensure appropriate planning, monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (PMEAL) and reporting systems are in place so that information is collected for the sake of analysis of response effectiveness and efficiency
• Provide guidance to the NS cash focal person to report on cash-based interventions in their DREFs, EA and other CVA implemented with bilateral support from Movement and non-movement partners, maintaining data on cash response across the region

• Facilitate the understanding of the global cash strategy and plan through regional and cluster NS leadership meetings.
• Align the cash component under the regional PoA with the regional movement CVA roadmap.
• Ensure effective CVA advocacy and communications reach all National Societies in the region and Movement partners.

• Ensuring coordination, cooperation, networking and partnership within and outside the Movement
• Represent the IFRC in internal and external CVA meetings and contribute to technical, coordination, and advocacy initiatives within the RC/RC Movement or with other partners, the wider humanitarian community, donors and the public sector.
• Set-up and lead the coordination of Movement regional CVA Working Group by involving representatives from Partners present in the Region as well as the representatives from NSs carrying out cash preparedness/responses. Organize the monthly/quarterly meetings/calls to ensure coordination and information sharing across the region.
• Contribute to building stronger partnerships, coordinate activities, support better positioning of IFRC and Movement partners, identify areas of collaboration with external key stakeholders such as UN Agencies, International NGOs, and the Private and Academic Sector in the region.

• Ensuring knowledge management, public awareness and public education within and across the region
• Support the NS with its own communications and advocacy capacity in CVA and their representation in external cash coordination groups as necessary.
• Document the cash preparedness process, and draft case studies to profile the work of the National Societies highlighting good practice and lessons learned. Share and disseminate CVA news, documentation, and training opportunities that exist within and outside the Movement.
• Support Partner National Societies in their bilateral responses to the NS EPoA within the region, ensuring that bilateral projects are integrating and using the standards IFRC tools and methodologies and extract learnings.
• Lead the roll-out of IFRC wide global CVA standards, tools, procedures, and advocacy activities in the region and with the targeted National Societies.
• Promote and support the implementation of the concepts of Labs, Hubs, Field Schools, and other innovative approaches and methodologies in cash preparedness.

• Strengthening resource mobilization and reporting in relation to CVA
• Together with the regional PRD Unit, explore new opportunities for funding, from multilateral finance institutions such as the World Bank where cash is part of shock responsive social protection and from the development budget lines of donors
• Collect and update, with a quarterly frequency, CVA data in sub-regions to ensure more accurate and accountable CVA metrics, including both IFRC and PNS supported cash activities.
• Actively seek and secure CVA funds to continue and expand the CVA preparedness work with NSs. Specifically investing in piloting regional payment service options for the NSs, taking learning from the recent global responses in Africa, Asia-Pacific, the Americas, and Europe
• Undertake any other task as required by the Head of DCPRR in line with the “One DCPRR Team Approach”

Duties applicable to all staff

• Actively work towards the achievement of the Federation Secretariat’s goals
• Abide by and work in accordance with the Red Cross and Red Crescent principles
• Perform any other work-related duties and responsibilities that may be assigned by the line manager
• As a result of decentralization to be ready to deploy in any office of Africa Region or in other Regions for a shorter or long period

Position Requirements

Education & Languages

1. University degree in Disaster Management/ Disaster response or equivalent experience and knowledge – Required
2. Fluently spoken and written English – Required
3. Good command of Arabic/and or French – Preferred

Experience

1. At least five years’ experience of successful CVA implementation (i.e.: assessments and market analysis, CVA feasibility, design, implementation, and M&E) and in developing CVA programs that are inclusive and gender-sensitive in at least one context and preferably within the RC/RC Movement – Required 
2. Demonstrated experience in programming in emergency, recovery and development contexts using cash as response tool – Required 
3. At least seven years’ experience in disaster management or response in humanitarian operations – Preferred
4. Demonstrated experience in assessment which includes needs, market, and cash feasibility considerations – Required 
5. Experience with alternative cash transfer delivery mechanisms and working with the private sector – Preferred
6. Experience of successful institutional fundraising and managing donor relations and adequate narrative and financial reporting – Required 
7. Proven capacity building experience with NS or equivalent, delivering trainings and providing on the job training and coaching – Required
8. Knowledge and experience of working with HNS and PNS – Required
9. Experience coordinating and advocating to external stakeholders including government, NGOs, UN and Donor organizations – Required
10.  Experience living and working in challenging and multicultural environments – Required

Knowledge and Skills

1. Sound knowledge of and commitment to a holistic approach to disaster management, with an understanding of recovery through multi sectorial approach - Required   
2. Acquaintance with Federation DM tools (FACT, RDRT, ERU, PECT, VCA and others) - Preferred
3. Technical training in design, implementation and monitoring of CVA - Required
4. Technical training in disaster preparedness, response and recovery - Preferred
5. Proven skills in strategic and operational planning, budgeting and reporting emergency response that included CVA - Required
6. Understanding of the key issues relating to delivering cash at scale and skills to address them - Required
7. Proven analytical skills and the ability to think strategically while under pressure - Required
8. Experience working in insecure environments will be an asset - Preferred
9. Excellent interpersonal, communication and negotiating skills - Required