Consultant, Advancing Anticipatory Action & CVA within the Red Cross and Red Crescent Network

Organizational Context

Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) has been one of the key response actions in times of emergencies, so, it is logical to use CVA as anticipatory action ahead of predicted hazards to help people at risk to protect their homes, livelihoods, and health. Studies in Nepal and Bangladesh indicate that cash has more value to at risk/affected individuals before and after the floods than during the flood-related disaster. Cash Hub compiled 15 excerpts on cash as anticipatory action around the world, identifying modality, lead time and overview of the action.

Besides the need for analysing existing practices of cash as anticipatory action within the IFRC network, there is a need to strengthen CVA preparedness/readiness efforts to effectively implement CVA as anticipatory action. Being a critical link between preparedness efforts and response, anticipatory action does not operate in silo. Anticipatory action sits between preparedness and response, in a window of opportunity between an early warning/ trigger for action and the onset of a hazard. Therefore, CVA preparedness activities such as agreements between financial service providers and National Society, pre-registration of at-risk individuals to receive cash, cash as part of contingency planning need to be well connected with cash as anticipatory action, and seamlessly transition to early response, ensuring the synergy across the disaster risk management continuum.

Job Purpose

Objectives:

1. Enhance the learning products and reiterate the workshop materials for CVA in AA practitioners on how to set up cash-based anticipatory action in a national society from feasibility to delivery in consultation with the CVA and AA task team.
2. Facilitate final revised workshop in early 2025.
3. Revise and finalize AA and CVA Feasibility and Design tools in consultation with the CVA and AA task team. Potentially developing an CVA AA user friendly toolkit which can be integrated to CIE toolkit
4. Capture and compile CVA early action and readiness activities pertaining to Anticipatory Action.

Reporting Line:

The consultant is expected to work independently and will report to the Officer, Cash Preparedness & Capacity Building and will have technical line to the Anticipatory Action Coordinator. The consultant will work with different stakeholders within the IFRC and NSs as needed.

• Deliverable 1: Mapping of CVA readiness and CVA anticipatory actions within approved (simplified) Early Action Protocols (EAP) to include learnings, recommendations and corrective actions in line with broader EAP activation learnings.
• Deliverable 2: Revised and Reiterated CVA in AA Workshop Package by February 2025, based on the FBF Manual, CVA preparedness guidance, AA tier-1 training and the CVA and AA workshop materials.
• Deliverable 3: 1/1,5-hour modular session on anticipatory CVA, with session guidance document for facilitators, power point slides, visualization.
• Deliverable 4: Lead the Facilitation of workshop in March 2025
• Deliverable 5: Finalize ‘Guidance for Cash Feasibility in Anticipatory Action’ tool and ‘Guidance for Cash Design Process for Anticipatory Action’ tool.
• Deliverable 6: Capture all cash early action and readiness activities in coordination with Anticipation Hub to help inform those developing anticipatory CVA programs.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Deliverable 1: Mapping of CVA readiness and CVA anticipatory actions within approved (simplified) Early Action Protocols

Within the Red Cross and Red Crescent network there have been experiences with the development and activation of about 65 EAP and 11 simplified EAPs.. Not all EAPs have a cash component, thus, the consultant is expected to review the existing EAPs that do have cash components and then identify what readiness and AA activities were proposed to address impacts. The deliverable should include key lessons learned and recommendations for EAP development.

Deliverable 2: Revision and Reiteration of CVA in AA Workshop Package

The first phase of this consultancy focuses on revising and reiterating CVA in the Anticipatory Action workshop package. This involves reviewing and chronologically organizing the sessions of the workshop simulating a development of an EAP with cash based early actions. The expected package will be scenario based and modular so that it can be adjusted for different audiences (NS, IFRC Secretariat, and or other references and likes).

Deliverable 3: 1/1,5-hour modular session on anticipatory CVA

To raise awareness and improve the quality of practice and understanding of anticipatory CVA, it is important for this area to be mainstreamed in standard CVA and anticipatory action trainings. Thus a 1-1,5-hour session along with supporting materials and visualisations will be helpful to be integrated into relevant IFRC trainings. The modular session could be delivered during the in-person training and can take some of the material from the deliverable 3.

Deliverable 4: Lead the facilitation re-iterated workshop

The target audience for the workshop are CVA, anticipatory action, and/or DRR focal points in National societies who would be responsible for implementing an anticipatory cash program. CVA practitioners engaged in CVA preparedness or expected to engage in future Cash based early action development within EAPs will benefit most from this workshop. The objective of the workshop is to build capacity in developing anticipatory cash and to equipe participants with knowledge, skills, and tools to carry out the CVA readiness activities and delivery of anticipatory CVA. A few seats will be made available for the Movement participants.

Deliverable 5: Finalize ‘Guidance for CVA Feasibility in AA tool’ and ‘Guidance for Cash Design Process for Anticipatory Action tool’.

Despite the availability of comprehensive toolboxes for Cash and Voucher Assistance and Anticipatory Action within the Movement, there is a lack of centralized references or mappings of tools specifically suited for designing cash interventions in an anticipatory context. To address this gap, two new tools are being developed for an upcoming workshop (as mentioned in Deliverable 6). The consultant will be responsible for finalizing these two tools.

1. Feasibility Checklist for Anticipatory Cash: This tool will serve as a checklist to assess the feasibility of implementing anticipatory cash programs.
2. Comprehensive Guidance Tool for Anticipatory Cash Design and Implementation: This tool will provide detailed instructions, best practices, and frameworks to ensure effective planning, execution, and monitoring of anticipatory cash programs.

Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)

Deliverable 6: In collaboration with the Anticipation Hub to compile all early action and readiness activities related to cash. This effort will inform and support the development of anticipatory CVA programs. 

The Anticipation Hub’s early action database compiles numerous early actions highlighted in various anticipatory action programs, protocols, and guidelines. Meanwhile, the evidence database gathers proof of the effectiveness of early interventions. Identifying appropriate early actions for specific hazards and contexts is crucial for successful anticipatory action program. To promote collaboration among organizations, regions, and stakeholders, this early action database enables practitioners to view the anticipatory actions being implemented or considered globally. Therefore, to enhance the field of anticipatory cash, the consultant will work with the hub to compile and establish a centralized database. This database will encompass all relevant early action and readiness documents relevant to developing an anticipatory cash program.

The following are proposed list of activities with estimated total effort of 70 days. Plan to commence on 1^st December 2024 to 30^th April 2025.

1. Work planning and agreement on methodology – 2 days

2. Mapping of CVA in existing / active EAP, simplified EAPs and CVA/AA resources – 4 days

3. Learning and recommendations on anticipatory CVA within EAP and simplified EAP activations and other relevant findings on CVA and AA from within and outside the RCRC Movement – 7 days

4. Desk Review of the current CVA AA Workshop package – 2 days

5. Key informant interviews and consultation with stakeholders – 5 days

6. Development of the Workshop Package – 10 days

7. Development of a 1/1,5- hour modular session on anticipatory CVA – 3 days

8. Tools & Guidance development in line with review of CVA and AA needs and recommendations, including but not limited to CVA feasibility tool for Anticipation and Guidance for Cash design process for AA. – 15 days

9. Capture all cash early action and readiness activities in coordination with Anticipation Hub to help inform those developing anticipatory CVA programs. – 6 days

10. Learning review of the Workshop in December – 7 days

11. Training delivery (3 days, plus 2 days travel) – 7 days

12. Produce a final consultancy report with all the deliverables – 2 days

Experience

Required:

• Proven experience in training development and delivery
• Experience in CVA design and implementation and evaluation in the humanitarian sector
• Experience in anticipatory action, preferably EAP development within RCRC network

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Required:

• Experience or knowledge of the RC/RC
• Excellent written communication and presenting skills
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to determine priorities and meet deadlines.

Competencies, Values and Comments

The IFRC will contract and pay the consultancy fee and cover travel costs and other expenditures related to the training according to IFRC travel policy. The payment will be delivered after the completion of the training and upon submission of invoice and receipts.

Consultants who meet requirements are invited to submit an interpretation of ToR that comprises the following.

• CV including names of 3 references
• Two examples of reports, training materials, and evaluations recently completed
• Methodology
• A detailed work plan – include assumptions and adjustments based on the proposed workplan
• Qualifications of the consultant(s) and experience (including similar work done)
• Proposed Budget including daily rate in CHF