International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)

Job Advertisement

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world's largest humanitarian organization, with 192-member National Societies. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, our work is guided by seven fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.

Job Purpose:
The Senior CEA Officer will support BDRCS and IFRC to enhance the impact, reach and efficiency of our Population Movement Operation through the integration of CEA activities and approaches. This includes community participation and feedback systems, two-way communication, behaviour and social change communication, information as aid and evidence-based advocacy.

The Senior CEA Officer works under the direction and guidance of the IFRC CEA Delegate. As a member of the CEA team, he/she will work closely together with the BDRCS CEA Officer and the IFRC CEA Officer (Graphic Designer).

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

Technical support

• Support needs assessments to be transparent and participatory, capturing people’s information needs and trusted and preferred communication channels.
  
• Support community participation in operational planning, design and implementation.
  
• Strengthen and/or help set up feedback mechanisms, including processes to make sure feedback is analysed and acted upon by the sectors (such as WASH, Health and Shelter).
  
• Strengthen and/or help set up systems for sharing life-saving, useful and actionable information with affected people about BDRCS services, from selection criteria to health advice, as part of information-as-aid activities.
  
• Introducing the use of technology and innovative approaches to enhance CEA.
  
• Support and develop information hubs for communication with targeted communities to inform on services available in the community, referral pathways, collect feedback and complaints, as a base for further outreach in the communities and other services.
  
• Support sector teams, such as health, water and sanitation, and disaster risk reduction, to increase their reach and impact by helping them set up 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 all plans and budgets.
  
• Find ways to involve affected people in assessing the impact of our humanitarian interventions.
  
• Ensure women, children, the elderly, 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

• Work closely with the BDRCS CEA Officer to provide targeted CEA training and mentoring support to BDRCS and IFRC staff and volunteers.
  
• Support the rolling out and adaptation of CEA tools, methodologies and activities, as defined in the CEA Movement guide and toolkit.
  
• Build the capacity of BDRCS to integrate CEA into their ways of working and support the development of an exit strategy to map out which CEA activities and approaches can be sustained after the end of the operation.

Coordination, representation and reporting

• Coordinate CEA efforts with all RC/RC Movement partners.
  
• Coordinate with the established Communication with Communities working group (CwC), and identify partnership opportunities with other NGOs, humanitarian agencies, UN, private sector and Government.
  
• Identify opportunities for partnership with relevant external organisations, such as BBC Media Action, Translators without Borders and Bangladesh Betar.
  
• Ensure CEA data is included 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 Requirements:

• University degree (in Communication or Social/Behavioural Sciences i.e. Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology or Health Education) or relevant experience is required..
  Experience:
  
• Three years’ experience working in community engagement and accountability, communication with communities (CwC), communication for development (C4D) or social mobilisation in Bangladesh for a humanitarian or development organisation.
  
• Experience of working as part of a team responding to humanitarian emergencies, complex crisis or conflict situations.
  
• Experience setting up and managing tools for communicating with communities. For example: radio programmes, TV shows, SMS systems, community committees, social mobilisation or community dramas.
  
• Experience of coaching, training and developing national staff and volunteers in order to build long-term capacity and create ownership
  
• Proven experience in planning targeted and appropriate behaviour change communication strategies.
  
• Experience setting up and managing accountability systems. For example, feedback and complaints mechanisms, rumour tracking systems, or participatory planning processes.
  
• Experience of designing and implementing assessments, community consultations, research and/or focus groups discussions.

Knowledge and Skills

• Good planning skills, with the ability to identify areas for improvements in operations through the integration of CEA approaches and activities.
  
• 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 on 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.
  
• Good computers skills (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Dropbox, etc.)
  
• Understanding of and/or experience with Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies
  
• Good knowledge of gender and diversity issues.

Languages: Fluency in English and Bangla.

Salary Range: Negotiable

Other Benefits

• Festival Bonus
  
• Life & Medical Insurance
  
• Provident fund & Gratuity
  
• Medical reimbursement for staff and immediate family of up to 70000 BDT per annum.

How to Apply:
Interested candidates are requested to apply through online by 27 December 2020.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

About Us:
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organisation. The IFRC Country Office in Bangladesh has worked alongside the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) for more than 30 years in humanitarian fields including disaster management, with a focus on the cyclone early warning and response programme in the coastal belt, and disaster preparedness and response during natural disasters.