Project Manager, Strengthening Preparedness and Response to the COVID-19 and other Emerging Infectious Diseases

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies (NSs). The overall aim of IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by NSs 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 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 delegations and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.

Job Purpose

In December 2023, IFRC signed an agreement with the Asia Europe Foundation (ASEF) for USD 10 million for a two-year project to stockpile supplies and equipment for pandemic preparedness and disease control in five countries: Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, and the Philippines. The Project manager will work with various stakeholders involved in the project: IFRC CDs CCDs, National Societies, technical staff at IFRC regional level, WHO, ASEF, and Japan MOFA to ensure that the project stays on schedule and delivers against set results. The position will report directly to the Deputy Regional Director, Asia Pacific to ensure broad buy-in and visibility of the project at the senior management level, and at the entire Asia Pacific region. The position will also be guided by the Regional Director on overall strategic partnership with ASEF.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Programme Quality Management

• Develop and facilitate a common vision of the project and ensure a coherent strategy across the 5 countries (CCDs, CDs), with due consideration of needs, risks and opportunities, is in place.
• Ensure that all interventions of this project are appropriate and aligned with IFRC internal guidelines, and policies, including relevant resolutions of the International Conference.
• Convene and lead IFRC-internal meetings with stakeholders including the regional Health, Disasters, Climate and Crisis (HDCC), Strategic Partnership and Resource Mobilization (SPRM), Humanitarian Services and Supply Chain management unit, Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting (PMER), Regional finance unit (RFU), and other relevant technical units, to ensure collaborative review and shared understanding of project management issues, and timely implementation of activities.
• Guide, provide and coordinate with CDs and CCDs to implement the project in close collaboration with different stakeholders in the country and monitor overall stocks management and distribution.
• Ensure the success of the project and capture best practice and lessons learnt so that it proves IFRC is the best organization to partner with and open a further dialogue to move forward during and after the completion of the project.
• Manage the visibility of the project in the entire Asia Pacific region by sharing best practices and lessons learnt captured in the project countries.
• Develop and chair other IFRC-internal and external working groups including Geneva and across Asia Pacific as necessary.

Emergency Health
In collaboration with the regional HDCC,

• Work closely with the Regional Emergency Health Coordinator to ensure sufficient and timely delivery of technical assistance to CDs and National Societies.
• Ensure emergency health capacity building is clearly outlined and implemented in coordination with the Regional Emergency Health Coordinator, CD and NS.
• Engage with the Regional Emergency Health Coordinator in technical discussions and decisions with CD, NS, ASEF, Japan MoFA and WHO.
• Coordinate and conduct joint monitoring with the regional logs and health team to ensure planned interventions are timely implemented.
• Coordinate with the Regional Emergency Health Coordinator and CDs to identify complementarity of the project with other emergency health projects implemented by NS.

Partnerships
In collaboration with the regional SPRM,

• Provide regular informal updates to ASEF staff in Singapore and Japan MOFA staff in Tokyo.
• Lead yearly (or more often) steering committee consisting of ASEF, MOFA, and WHO. This will function as an oral report and provide opportunities for overall course changes required.
• Maintain communications with SPRM Japan focal point in Geneva and Japanese Red Cross Society (JRCS).
• Keep IFRC East Asia delegation updated on overall progress and any anomalies that they should be aware of in their interactions with Japan government and JRCS.
• Track spending and activities at the field level, ensuring that targets and deadlines are being met.
• Ensure field level interaction and engagement with Japanese missions is happening.
• Engage with interested Partner National Societies to ensure that they are well informed on this Project and collaborate with IFRC to strategize relevant areas of intervention.

Logistics Management
In collaboration with the regional Humanitarian Services and Supply Chain Management,

• Work with respective NS and health colleagues to determine list of medical drugs, consumables, and equipment as per budget and project agreement.

Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)

• Carry out market assessment with respective NS to identify local suppliers who can supply quality and WHO approved medical drugs, consumables, and equipment.
• Plan and organize operational IFRC medical logistics activities including medical procurement/warehouse/stock management ensuring adherence to IFRC policies, regulations, and standards to provide a high quality, efficient and cost-effective medical logistics services that meets the needs of NS and donor.
• Support NS in receiving, checking, and monitoring medical supplies including equipment ensuring that quality of supplies is maintained throughout handling, storage, distribution (or dispatch) and in compliance with IFRC and local regulations.
• Ensure respective NS has obtained required import permits, and handling, storage and dispatch records are maintained for all drugs under international control in accordance with National and International drug legislation and IFRC regulations.
• Support respective NS to maintain medical supplies movement record and ensure optimal rotation of shelf-life sensitive medical supplies to minimize wastage and to minimize the risk of out-of-date materials arriving onsite.
• Provide medical logistics advice and technical support to country level IFRC and NS functions.
• Provide support and training to national medical logistics staff and volunteers to improve the quality of medical logistics service provisions and promote adherence to best practice principles and compliance with necessary regulation, legislation and IFRC policy and MoH standards.
• Liaise with relevant field level operational partners and governmental bodies to enable a more efficient medical logistics service delivery.
• Maintain accurate records relating to the costs associated with all aspects of the provision of this service and report/communicate all relevant information in a timely manner.
• Support respective NS Logistics Manager in managing, evaluating and reporting upon medical logistics projects and stock which meet delivery and quality targets in-line with project strategy.
• Support respective NS with identifying and/or validating national standards for some of the medical items in line with MOH guidelines of the country, as and when relevant.
• Adopt a results-based management approach to ensure a comprehensive implementation and robust monitoring and evaluation plans are in place, which built upon the project proposals, fostering effective implementation, and enabling the tracking of program progress and quality.
• Collaborate with focal points at both country and cluster levels to ensure that implementations align with plans and budgets. Provide support and conduct scheduled monitoring actions.
• Engage with focal points at country and cluster levels to ensure sufficient data collection and documentations throughout the program to facilitate timely reporting.
• Lead and facilitate the review and evaluation of the program as outlined in the Monitoring and Evaluation plan. Capture best practices and foster cross-countries learning, not just within the 5 countries but in entire Asia Pacific.

Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting
In collaboration with the regional PMER and Quality Assurance

• Adopt a results-based management (RBM) approach to ensure a comprehensive implementation and robust monitoring and evaluation plans are in place, which built upon the project proposals, fostering effective implementation, and enabling the tracking of program progress and quality.

Education

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (CONTINUED)

• Collaborate with focal points at both country and cluster levels to ensure that implementations align with plans and budgets. Provide support and conduct scheduled monitoring actions.
• Engage with focal points at country and cluster levels to ensure sufficient data collection and documentations throughout the program to facilitate timely reporting.
• Lead and facilitate the review and evaluation of the program as outlined in the Monitoring and Evaluation(M&E) plan. Capture best practices and foster cross-countries learning, not just within the 5 countries but in entire Asia Pacific.

Finance Management
In collaboration with Regional Finance Unit (RFU),

• Be the Budget Holder of the Project and coordinate with RFU, CCDs and CDs in the appointment of programme managers for country and cluster projects.
• Ensure shared understanding of funds allocation rationale and Project Expenditure Approval Request (PEAR) ceilings with SPRM, RFU, CCDs and CDs.
• Coordinate with RFU to ensure orientation / refresher sessions targeting all programme managers so that they understand and fulfil their planning, reporting and budgeting responsibilities effectively.
• Ensure timely vouching of expenses and regular budget monitoring to avoid deficit or return of funds to donors.

EDUCATION

Required

• Relevant university education or an equivalent of qualifying experience
• Basic Delegates Training Course (BTC), WORC, IMPACT or equivalent knowledge
• Technical training in managing emergency, disaster, or public health emergencies

Preferred

• ERU/FACT/CAP/RDRT/Emergency Team Leader training

Experience

Required

• At least 8 years of relevant professional experience in international disaster response and recovery operations
• At least 5-7 years of professional experience in partnership and/or resource mobilization and/or donor funding mechanism and management, with a solid budget management/analysis experience
• Experience in establishing data and information management, and monitoring system in operations and resource mobilization
• Experience in working closely in Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting areas
• Proven experience of implementing RBM approaches for a humanitarian project/program
• Good understanding of the global humanitarian environment for pandemic preparedness and response
• Experience in working to enhance the capacity of local partner organizations
• Experience in managing relations with field offices and local partner organizations
• Experience in coordinating with the authorities and other humanitarian actors
• Experience in narrative and financial reporting and proposal writing

Preferred

• At least 5 years of work experience with the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement, preferably IFRC in Asia Pacific Region

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Required

• Self-supporting in computers (Email, Internet, spread sheets, word-processing, etc.)
• Strong knowledge of finance and budgeting
• Proven skills of coordinating and coaching teams in multi-faceted projects
• Excellent skills in negotiation, partnerships and building relations
• Strong analytical skills, including making sense of data and information for decision-making
• Ability to work within a matrix management structure and utilize talent and experience of other team members effectively
• Solid and tested team coordination and/or support skills
• Ability to work within multi-cultural, multilingual, and multidisciplinary teams
• Fluent spoken and written English

Preferred

• Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic)

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
Functional competencies: Strategic orientation; Building alliances; Leadership; Empowering others

Available documents

• JD Project Manager – Strengthening Preparedness and Response to the COVID-19 and other Emerging Infectious Diseases_classified_22012024_v2.pdf