Consultant to Support IFRC Accreditation Process as Implementing Entity to the Pandemic Fund

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). Along with National Societies (NS) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The overall aim of the IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies to prevent and alleviate human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” It works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during, and after disasters, health emergencies, and other crises.

The IFRC is served by a Secretariat based in Geneva, with regional and country offices throughout the world. The Secretariat is led by the Secretary-General and provides the central capacity of the IFRC to serve, connect, and represent National Societies. The Secretariat’s focus includes providing support to the IFRC governance mechanisms; setting norms and standards; providing guidance; ensuring consistency, coordination, and accountability for performance; knowledge sharing; promoting collaboration within and respect for the RCRC Movement; and expanding engagement with partners. The Secretariat’s headquarters is organised in three main Divisions: (i) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization (GRHDD); (ii) Management Policy, Strategy, and Corporate Services (MPSCS); and (iii) National Society Development and Operations Coordination (NSDOC). The Health and Care department is part of the NSDOC division. It focuses on two strategic directions: Health System Strengthening and WASH System Strengthening. Four pillars support the two strategic directions: (i) Global Health Security, (ii) Global Health Protection/UHC, (iii) Global WASH Services and (iv) Transformative Partnership.

Epidemics are occurring more often, spreading faster and further than ever. Between 2011 and 2021, WHO recorded 2,377 infectious disease events—an average of more than 200 per year. Public health emergencies affect all sectors, impacting routine health services, economic and food security, trade, education, civil order, communications, transportation and many other areas of life. The threat of emerging infectious diseases, including those of zoonotic origin, and the increasing prevalence of diseases previously controlled by antimicrobials and vaccination efforts, is a cause for concern to the global health community. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a staggering toll on lives, health, and social and economic well-being worldwide, and has been a major setback to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Lessons from the pandemic clearly indicate that we must step up investment in preparedness now, instead of waiting for the next crisis to hit.

The IFRC and National Societies are engaged in implementing a structured, comprehensive and coordinated approach to epidemic prevention, detection, response and recovery in close cooperation with key stakeholders. Recognizing the gaps and needs to improve community engagement, community protection and community-based surveillance within prevention, preparedness and response (PPR), IFRC aims to implement community-based activities in priority countries from different regions, with a view to enabling country- and disease-specific interventions, as well as the sharing of experience and findings across countries through the Pandemic Fund.

Established at the end of 2022, the Pandemic Fund is a Financial Intermediary Fund (FIF) with the World Bank as a trustee dedicated to providing multiyear grants for enhancing pandemic preparedness in low- and middle-income countries. The Fund assists countries and regions in strengthening their health systems and increasing their investments, enabling them to prevent, prepare, and respond effectively to health threats.

The Pandemic Fund Governing Board recently approved an accreditation framework to regulate the accreditation of new implementing entities. To support the application as a Pandemic Fund Implementing Entity, IFRC is looking for a consultant that will support the preparation of the Stage-1 Application Questionnaire: Fit-for-Purpose process by collecting needed information and documents and create language according to the application process set out in Implementing Entity Accreditation Framework.

Job Purpose

The overall objective of this consultancy is to support IFRC’s Health Security and Community Resilience (HSCR) team and Strategic Partnerships and Resource Mobilization (SPRM) teams in completing the accreditation process for IFRC to become an Implementing Entity to the Pandemic Fund. The Pandemic Fund engages implementing entities that facilitate delivery of the projects / programs financed by the fund.

The Pandemic Fund’s accreditation process consists of three consecutive stages. The consultant will be responsible to draft and complete Stage–1 Fit-for-Purpose.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

1. Review the Pandemic Fund Implementing Entity Accreditation Framework to understand the eligibility requirements along with standards, criteria and process needed.
2. Organize meetings with IFRC’s Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness, SPRM, legal and finance teams to discuss the accreditation process and eligibility requirements set out in the Implementing Entity Accreditation Framework.
3. Collect and review the key documents and references.
4. Work closely with Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness, SPRM, legal and finance teams to draft theStage-1 Application Questionnaire: Fit-for-Purpose following the guidance note and template provided. The key principles of the Pandemic Fund, as outlined in the Governance Framework[1], should be considered in completing the questionnaire.
5. Share the initial draft and support dialogue amongthe teams for feedback.
6. Compile the inputs and revise the application questionnaire based on the feedback.
7. Finalise and submit the complete Fit-for-Purpose Stage – 1 Application Questionnaire.
8. Ensure the following considerations provided by the Pandemic Fund are followed while completing the Stage – 1 application:
   1. Provide recent detailed and specific information that is up to date and complete;
   2. Number the documents that are submitted for easy reference;
   3. Where possible, use the same projects as examples for the sections related to different objectives;
   4. Provide URL reference links, where documents are publicly available and accessible on the web. Doing so is the equivalent of uploading documents to an application;

[1] Governance Framework Para. 6

Outputs

1. First Draft of the Fit-for-Purpose Stage – 1 Application Questionnaire
2. Second Draft of the Fit-for-Purpose Stage – 1 Application Questionnaire
3. Final and approved Fit-for-Purpose Stage – 1 Application Questionnaire including all the required documents

Management of the consultant

The consultant will have a dual reporting line towards the Strategic Partnerships and Resource Mobilization (SPRM) focal point, IFRC Geneva and the IFRC Health and Care Department’s Health Security and Community Resilience Lead. The consultant will also coordinate with the broader Health and Care Department, and Field offices. The position will be home-based.

Proposed time frame

25 working days from 18th March to 10th May 2024.

Notes

The consultant will be contacted by the IFRC, and the standard contractual terms will apply.

Job Requirements

Education

Required

• University degree in medicine, public health or social science.

Preferred

• Advanced university degree in medicine, public health or relevant areas is desirable.

Experience

Required

• Over 10 years of working experience in the area of public health.
• Experience writing technical documents or funding proposals.

Preferred

• Experience from humanitarian aid organisations and global health will be meriting.
• Experience working with Work Bank or development of proposals/accreditation applications to the World Bank and/or similar organizations is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Required

• Fluency in English is required.
• Demonstrated skills on writing technical documents and/or funding request proposals.
• Capacity to work with various stakeholders and produce results in a given timeframe.
• Experience in research, scientific writing, and research methodologies.

Preferred

• Spanish, French, Russian or Arabic are an asset.

IFRC values equal opportunity, diversity and inclusivity. We encourage applications from all suitably qualified candidates, irrespective of sex, gender, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, nationality, class, political opinions, ethnic or social origin, disability, religion, or belief.