Intern - Community Engagement and Accountability

Background

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world's largest humanitarian organization, with 190 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.

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is a global membership organisation comprising National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies around the world. Through 190 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and 17 million volunteers, the IFRC network is present in virtually every community, reaching more than 160 million people every year with life-saving and life-changing support. The mission of the IFRC is to support National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to prevent and alleviate human suffering and promote human dignity around the world. We do this in line with our fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality. Together, IFRC, National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) form the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. IFRC is served by a Secretariat based in Geneva, with regional and country offices throughout the world. The Secretariat's headquarters is organized as three main business groups: Partnerships, Programmes and Operations; and Management Services. The Communications and Community Engagement Department is part of IFRCs Partnerships Division. The department comprises four teams including the Community Engagement team. Together, these teams advocate for local communities, vulnerable groups and people in need. Community Engagement and Accountability (CEA) is an approach to Red Cross Red Crescent programming and operations that helps to put communities at the centre of what we do by integrating communication and participation throughout the programme cycle or operation. CEA is the process of and commitment to providing timely, relevant and actionable life-saving and life-enhancing information to communities. It is about using communication approaches to listen to communities' needs, feedback and complaints, ensuring they can actively participate and guide Red Cross Red Crescent actions. CEA supports programmes and operations to adopt innovative approaches to better understand and engage with people and communities and help them address unhealthy and unsafe practices and maximizes the Red Cross Red Crescent unique relationship with the community to help them speak out about the issues that affect them and influence decision and policy-makers to implement positive changes.

Job Purpose

The Intern will be supporting the Coordinator for Community Engagement and Accountability in strengthening coordination, information sharing and dialogue, among the group of IFRC and National Societies CEA practitioners and focal points as well as enabling horizontal and vertical linkages and sharing of expertise, lessons and leanings to ensure cross-fertilization of CEA approaches.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Promote and sustain a CEA community of practice through a common information sharing platform and support for intra-team dialogue at and across all levels.
• Support with the finalization and dissemination of the CEA guidelines and training curriculum.
• Assist with the creation of an online CEA library, as a shared resource for programmes and operations.
• Assist in the documentation of case studies, good practices and production of audio-visual material, tools and guidance for internal and external dissemination, including public positioning for fundraising purposes.
• Assist with the desk review to support the development of an IFRC CEA policy, standards/minimum actions.
• Support the rolling out of innovative tech solutions for community engagement (namely TERA, U-Report/Rapid Pro, phone-based survey apps and other phone apps), including strengthening our social media engagement approach in support of National Societies.
• Help conduct a survey to map National Societies community engagement and accountability work.
• Support the organisation of events (external ones and internal meetings, workshops and courses) as needed.
• Provide administrative and logistical support as needed.

Education

Required:

• University degree in communications, behaviour change communication or community engagement. Additional diploma in international relations, development studies or other relevant subjects an asset

Preferred:

• Master's degree (or enrolled in one) in communications, behaviour change communication or community engagement. Additional diploma in international relations, development studies or other relevant subjects an asset

Experience

Required:

• Experience in risk communications, accountability approaches, marketing, strategic communication processes for behaviour change as well as participatory programming
• Experience in inter-disciplinary approaches in strategic communication with knowledge of external partners work in humanitarian action
• Data management – collection, consolidation and validation

Preferred:

• Experience in programme communication planning, implementation and research, with good understanding and possible experience in developing countries.

Knowledge, skills and languages

Required:

• Strong interest in humanitarian work
• Passionate about information, communication and technology
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Organised and results oriented
• Ability to work within a multi-cultural, multi-lingual, multidisciplinary team environment
• Presentation skills - ability to present complex data in an accessible way to various audiences
• Fluent spoken and written English

Preferred:

• Good knowledge of public relations principles and techniques
• Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic)*

Competencies and values

Comments

The basic internship is intended for young people pursuing university level education to gain work experience in the area of their education.

The basic intern must meet the following criteria: Be currently-enrolled in a university or equivalent level, or have graduated within 1 year from the date of hiring in an area that is compatible with the IFRC activities.

Remuneration:

• A daily allowance of CHF 75.00 is paid to basic interns for each day worked at the IFRC at the end of each month.
• Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation, insurance and living expenses are the sole responsibility of interns themselves.

Position budgeted for 3 months with the possibility of being extended for an additional 3 months.

HOW TO APPLY:

http://www.ifrc.org/en/who-we-are/working-with-us/current-vacancies/job-...