Regional Readiness and Rapid Response Specialist

WORK CONTEXT / BACKGROUND:

West and Central Africa is prone to cyclical humanitarian crises under the combined effects of climate shocks, poverty, market inflations, and multifaceted security threats. Most recent available data (UN, June 2024) report that acute and protracted crises are deteriorating, and needs are growing or have become a way of life for many. Two areas still of greatest concern: Liptako Gourma (the crossroads of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger) and Lake Chad basin (Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria) with spill over into the Gulf of Guinea. According to the UN, West Africa has hit new record in 2024 high of 65.1 million (63 in 2023, 43 in 2020) in need of life-saving assistance and protection.

Plan International is responding to Orange 2 emergencies in targeted high and very high-risk countries in West and Central Africa, providing relief assistance and protection to affected children particularly girls and their families, and building resilience for the most vulnerable communities.

WORK CONTEXT / BACKGROUND:

West and Central Africa is prone to cyclical humanitarian crises under the combined effects of climate shocks, poverty, market inflations, and multifaceted security threats. Most recent available data (UN, June 2024) report that acute and protracted crises are deteriorating, and needs are growing or have become a way of life for many. Two areas still of greatest concern: Liptako Gourma (the crossroads of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger) and Lake Chad basin (Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria) with spill over into the Gulf of Guinea. According to the UN, West Africa has hit new record in 2024 high of 65.1 million (63 in 2023, 43 in 2020) in need of life-saving assistance and protection.

Plan International is responding to Orange 2 emergencies in targeted high and very high-risk countries in West and Central Africa, providing relief assistance and protection to affected children particularly girls and their families, and building resilience for the most vulnerable communities.

ROLE PURPOSE

The Regional Readiness and Rapid Response Specialist is part of Plan International’s WACA team and deploys to Country Offices to support disaster preparedness and humanitarian operations ensuring high quality programmes. 

DIMENSIONS OF THE ROLE

• The post-holder deploys (sometimes at short notice) to support Plan International’s country offices respond to specific humanitarian crises.
• Between deployments the post-holder will work on specific preparedness tasks for the Region
• During deployments up to 5 staff may report to the post holder and significant numbers of indirect reports. Typically, technical specialists, Finance, HR, Logistics, comms/media and policy staff.

RESPONSABILITIES

Programming (30%):  Provide strategic backstopping to country Disaster Risk and Emergency Response Managers for the management of specific preparedness and response programmes, particularly in new or underperforming countries, ensuring activities are being implemented in line with Donors and Plan International’s standards and procedures. This will include:

:

a) Early warning and Disaster Preparedness:

• Lead the preparation of the quarterly Hotspot Analysis within the region, ensuring updates are being prepared by Country Offices and shared with the wider organisation on a timely basis
• Maintains a watching brief on humanitarian situation in countries where Plan International is not present, highlighting key issues of concern and potential options to regional leadership team and Global Hub Humanitarian team.
• Oversee the roll out of the Ready To Respond preparedness work across the region
• Identify capacity building needs and develop a capacity building plan
• Support Country Offices in setting up appropriate preparedness device and get ready to respond to new crises or spikes in existing crises.
• Work with Country ERMs and P&Cs to compile and maintain an up to date register of deployable staff for the region

b) Emergency Responses

• In countries of deployment, support rapid needs and gender assessments, ensuring a clear focus on the specific needs of children and in particular girls.
• Support Country Offices in the development of specific humanitarian response strategies, clearly defining key priorities in line with Plan International’s expertise.
• Provides COs with strategic advice and guidance on their humanitarian portfolio, ensuring it is of high quality, aligned with key industry standards and has a clear focus on gender
• As needed, deploy to establish response operations for a rapid onset emergency in countries where Plan International does not have a presence
• Ensure country responses are aligned to appropriate standards are used in the design and implementation of country humanitarian programmes, particularly SPHERE and its companion guides, the Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS).

Fundraising (20%)

• Develop an appropriate grant pipeline in collaboration with National Organizations (NOs)
• Support Plan International NOs develop appropriate funding submissions to institutional donors.
• Identify potential in-country funding streams and submit funding proposals to these.

Representation & Coordination (15%)

• Represent Plan International with the host Government, both at national and regional level, highlighting key issues of concern impacting on children and in particular on girls.

• Represent Plan International with senior humanitarian actors in country (eg UN Humanitarian Coordinator, UN Resident Representative, Humanitarian Country Team)
• Engage with relevant humanitarian fora and clusters in country, ensuring appropriate information is provided in a timely basis (eg 3Ws).
• Maintain and develop in country relations with institutional donors.

Capacity building (15%)

• Supports Country Offices determine additional capacity requirements in line with the Ready to Respond needs analysis, and to formulate the necessary requests
• Ensure compliance with international legal humanitarian requirements
• Together with regional security manager, monitor the security situation in the region, particularly in volatile contexts, and share appropriate humanitarian updates

Administration and Finance (10%)

• Ensure that administrative support functions are established and maintained in accordance with Plan International administrative policies and procedures
• Coordinate mobilisation of financial resources related to emergency activities;
• Ensure with the Procurement & Logistics Manager/Officer the establishment and maintenance of a functional procurement and supply chain management system;
• Support the timely and appropriate establishment of all logistics and procurement infrastructure.
• Develop appropriate operating budgets for emergency operations. Ensure compliance with donor requirements.

Human Resources (10%)

• Outline the composition of the emergency response team, ensuring clear reporting lines
• Conduct performance appraisals for Emergency Response Team staff and ensure regular feedback and mentoring on individual performance is provided.
• Oversee and approve sitreps on the emergency response and recovery. Ensure timely dissemination of SitReps and fundraising material to Plan Int. Headquarters and National Organisations;
• Support the review and update of the WACA roster of deployable staff
• Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility.

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Experience and Knowledge

• Advanced Degree or equivalent working experience in Management, Sciences or related fields
• Significant field experience of managing emergency programmes in a number of humanitarian crises.
• Demonstrated experience of key standards for humanitarian response such as SPHERE and CHS.
• Significant knowledge of humanitarian response, child protection and disaster risk reduction
• Conversant with the int. humanitarian architecture, particularly related to coordination and funding.
• Significant programming in emergencies in several continents and diverse contexts
• Experience of designing and delivering training 
• Knowledge of Plan policies and procedures, Sphere and the Red Cross/ NGO Code of Conduct
• Requires general finance, administration, information management and telecommunication skills and proficiency in information technology/ computer skills.
• French and English excellent proficiency highly required. Spanish, Portuguese or Arabic assets

Skills

• Project management including planning and scheduling, process design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation
• Advocacy, influencing and negotiating skills, experienced in gaining commitment from a wide range of people, bringing about change and providing support from a distance
• Networking skills
• Extensive programming experience in Gender in emergencies, particularly related to girls and adolescent girls. Training and facilitation

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT The post-holder will be expected to travel extensively, sometimes at short notice to join humanitarian responses and where there may be a level of insecurity.    

LEVEL OF CONTACT WITH CHILDREN Mid contact: Occasional interaction with children

Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International's Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates.