Organizational Context

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 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.” IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.

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.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services.

IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. 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.

The Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) is the primary provider of humanitarian services in Syria and has a lead operational role within the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, responding to the biggest humanitarian crisis in decades. Through its 14 branches, 65 active sub-branches and extensive volunteer network, SARC is present in most parts of the country and works according to the seven Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. SARC support is primarily focusing on relief, emergency and basic health, water and sanitation, psychosocial support, and livelihoods.

IFRC works in an integrated manner with SARC and is located at SARC HQ in Damascus.

The February 2023 earthquake resulted in significant loss of life and livelihoods, infrastructure damage, and ongoing displacement. In addition, 12 years of complex emergency has had a devastating impact on the health system across the country and SARC has taken a leading role in providing emergency and primary health care services country-wide, including in hard-to-reach areas. IFRC has partnered SARC in its health programming since 2008. Many Partner National Societies work bilaterally with SARC, several of whom provide significant support to SARC health programming.

Specific areas of focus for public health:

•  Community-based health and first aid,
•  Development and expansion of public health activities to build on health and hygiene promotion approaches,
•  Link of public health and Primary Health Care services, including mobile health and medical teams and emergency health points,
•  Epidemic detection, preparedness, and response,
•  Cash for health activities to improve access to or uptake of health services.

Coordination with WASH sector (particularly hygiene promotion) to ensure consistency and complementarity of health and WASH services.

Job Purpose

Reporting to the Health Coordinator and working closely with SARC’s Director of Health and specific health focal persons, the Epidemic Preparedness and Response Delegate is expected to support SARC Health department to ensure consistent quality in the delivery of epidemic prevention, detection, and response activities in Syria. The delegate will be actively engaged in planning, coordinating, and supporting Movement-wide efforts in support of SARC public and community health programming, including technical alignment of support provided by different Membership components (IFRC and PNS), and strategic alignment and non-duplication with ICRC.

The epidemic preparedness and response delegate, under the direction of the Health Coordinator, will work in collaboration with other Movement Partners, delegates, national staff and volunteers, local health authorities and affected communities as part of a team within the mandate of preparing for, detecting, preventing, and responding to a range of communicable diseases, including vaccine preventable and vector borne disease through established and innovative IFRC approaches to epidemics.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Technical support, implementation support, capacity building, and training

•  Support SARC to develop public health strategies and timely community-based health responses to the risk or presence of diseases of epidemic potential, related to the earthquake, population movement, and other needs arising from the complex crisis.
•  Provide technical leadership and implementation support to epidemic preparedness and response activities of the IFRC support to SARC, ensuring alignment with SARC strategic and operational priorities and revising Appeal focus and scope accordingly.
•  Work with the IFRC health coordinator to support SARC to identify health need gaps and support the implementation of enhanced community-based health interventions for diseases of epidemic potential.
•  Manage and/or support epidemiological data collection, analysis and/or sharing at community levels with relevant partners.
•  With SARC, ensure epidemic detection, prevention, and control measures are well functioning and monitored, including introduction of new community-based activities to improve public health outcomes, as appropriate.
•  Support coordination and cross-implementation of public health and community hygiene actions taken within the WASH department of SARC, to reduce the risk or impact of diseases of epidemic potential.
•  Support the establishment of community engagement and accountability approaches within public health community programming, with the technical support of CEA experts. Liaise with communities and promote community engagement and accountability through local health committees or similar structures and seek feedback on the community’s perception of health services, promoting community involvement in all aspects of health programming.
•  Design, implement and monitor early-to-long-term recovery programming as it relates to epidemic prevention, detection, and response. Take a strategic approach to public health intervention design to successfully plan for and incorporate transitions to early recovery/long term recovery. Draw upon sector and technical knowledge to provide contextual options to mitigate specific public health risks and address needs.
•  Using available resources, manage, analyse and strategically use health data received from SARC and improve health data through efficient public health implementation and monitoring plans and reliable indicators.
•  In coordination with other sectors support emergency and ongoing needs assessments, taking the lead on the public health technical areas. Assess and analyse primary and secondary data and ensure findings are documented and easily accessible for the emergency operations team.
•  Together with local counterpart/s develop a public health response plan of actions requiring public health interventions in sudden health disasters and/or epidemics (such as establishing, managing and/or supporting epidemic control, health promotion and disease prevention interventions) that balances context, capacity, and broader operational goals.
•  Take a capacity building approach to work, providing training, technical support, mentoring and dissemination as part of emergency response and recovery activities. Reinforce, when possible and appropriate, the capacity of the National Society’s volunteers through basic and/or specialized training in CBHFA, epidemic control for volunteers (ECV), community-based surveillance (CBS), Oral Rehydration Points for cholera epidemic response (ORP), or other relevant public health prevention, detection, or response

Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)

•  In close collaboration with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and IFRC health coordinator, identify local volunteers and community partners who can support the outreach work, and follow proper recruitment and training procedures to work with vulnerable population.
•  Support planning and implementation for community mobilization and volunteer-based health activities in the areas of epidemic prevention, detection, preparedness, and response in communities by setting up, managing and/or supporting community-based epidemic control, health promotion and disease prevention interventions.
•  Carry out visits to programme sites as the situation allows providing technical input into quality public health service and upholding IFRC, WHO, SPHERE and IASC standards.
•  Ensure that all activities are carried out in a participatory and inclusive manner that reflects community needs and cultural sensitivities, gender, age issues and the environment, and that activities take into consideration issues around any local risks and hazards.

Coordination, cooperation, and collaboration

•  Provide coordination and technical support to public health activities.
•  Build and maintain knowledge, understanding and effective relationships with partners in Syria and work on consistently strengthening relationships to improve public health services and outcomes.
•  Represent the IFRC as needed in technical discussions related to public and community health, to advocate for the role, impact and needs of SARC in health-related programming.
•  Work actively towards the achievement of the IFRC 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.

Education

•  Capable of decision-making in conditions of uncertainty. – Required
•  Able to work with limited resources, demonstrate innovation in problem solving.– Required
•  Capable of handling stress, change and situations of insecurity.– Required

Experience

•  Public health in emergencies training or equivalent knowledge of IFRC tools and approaches for epidemic control.– Required
•  Master’s Degree in Public Health, Global Health, Epidemiology, or similar, or equivalent relevant combination of work and academic experience.– Required
•  Experience in capacity building, training & supporting staff.– Required
•  Experience in living or working in a cultural context other than their own.– Required
•  Experience in working for the Red Cross Red Crescent movement.– Required
•  Experience in working in low-resource settings.– Required

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

•  Comfortable with public health prevention, detection and response programmatic approaches. – Required
•  Strong verbal and written communication skills. – Required
•  Can design and implement sound public health interventions in a low resource setting. – Required
•  Skills in training, facilitation, coaching and development of staff and volunteers. – Required
•  Strong computer and data literacy. – Required
•  Knowledge of commonly used data collection software and data analysis software. – Preferred
•  National Societies relations, building trust, Managing performance, Teamwork, Communication, Professionalism, Empowering others, Diversity, Judgment/Decision-making. – Required
•  Fluent spoken and written English . – Required
•  Fluent spoken and written Arabic. – Preferred .

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.

IFRC provides equal employment opportunities.