Restoring Family Links (RFL) Capacity Development Delegate for Iraq

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Summary of assignment details

Place of assignment: Baghdad, Iraq (Non-family posting)

Length of assignment: 6 months

Desired starting date: October/November 2021

Application deadline: October 5^th 2021

Background

Restoring Family Links (RFL) lies at the origin of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and at the heart of the work of its components. RFL is the embodiment of the principle of humanity. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people benefit from the Movement’s RFL services. The Movement’s Family Links Network, which is comprised of the National Societies’ tracing services, the tracing agencies in International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegations and the ICRC’s Central Tracing Agency, is dedicated to address the needs of people without news of their families by restoring family links (RFL). The priorities of the Movement in RFL are outlined in the Restoring Family Links: Strategy for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement 2020–2025.

All the components – the ICRC, the National Societies and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (the IFRC) – have a shared responsibility to maintain and strengthen this Network and its services. The Swedish Red Cross has been providing RFL services in Sweden and dedicating its longstanding experience and technical expertise deploying RFL experts to support the Movement’s objectives abroad, including assessments and thematic capacity development of Hosts National Societies.

Over the past few decades Iraq has experienced several armed conflicts which have caused families separations. As a result, thousands are still missing while their families keep searching for answers about their loved ones’ whereabouts. Sadly, the already substantial caseload of the Restoring Family Links (RFL) file drastically increased during the last 2014-2018 conflict. To date, many people in displacement, including children, lose contact with their relatives, while other families await information concerning the fate of relatives gone missing in connection with past conflict, during internal and international displacement, and in other circumstances.

The ICRC and Iraqi Red Crescent Society (IRCS) – from 1980 until 2015- carried out joint RFL activities. The cooperation with the ICRC was essential for the implementation of the RFL activities in Iraq: IRCS access has been important for the delivery of services, especially in areas of difficult access. A partnership between the Swedish Red Cross, Iraqi Red Crescent Society and ICRC aims to strengthen the Movement’s provision of RFL services in Iraq for a more efficient service delivery by building IRCS’s institutional capacity at central and localized levels and enhancing in-country RFL coordination mechanisms.

Purpose

In close collaboration with IRCS and ICRC, the SRC RFL Capacity Development Delegate will facilitate a comprehensive assessment of the actual and potential RFL needs and Movement’s institutional capacities in Iraq – while ensuring the main risks related natural hazards and manmade emergency situations are identified. Drawing on the findings/ recommendation of the assessment and consultation with IRCS and ICRC, the delegate will articulate a roadmap towards enhancing the scope, relevance, and quality of the RFL services delivered by the IRCS and coordination mechanisms with ICRC in Iraq.

Contract modality: The Delegate will be under contract with the Swedish Red Cross and have a technical reporting line to the ICRC Protection Department in Baghdad, Iraq.

Duties and Responsibilities

· Design the assessment’s methodology, workplan, tools; and conducting the implementation tasks – while facilitating a participatory, inclusive, and coordinated approach with the IRCS headquarters and branches. The assessment will include a compilation of different sources of information on past and current IRCS Tracing (ICRC RFL) activities and trends. Collect and analyze relevant data on past conflicts, disasters’ and migration’s relevant figures/trends; conduct interviews with key stakeholders.

The following components are priorities, but not limited to:

• Map the capacities of the current RFL (Tracing network) of IRCS (and the ICRC Iraq) to meet existing and potential needs in Iraq, including a review of identified strengths and weaknesses of IRCS for responding to the RFL and Missing needs.

• Map key stakeholders and capacities at local, national and international levels.

• Identify/analyze the trends of RFL needs, and the actual and potential RFL needs as a result of past conflicts, natural disasters.

• Analyze the main risks of natural disasters and other emergency situations which may potentially increase the RFL needs in the country.

• Identify existing and potential synergies and gaps in the coordination mechanisms of the Movement in Iraq.

· Facilitate awareness and capacity building activities for IRCS staff and volunteers (and other stakeholders as observed necessary) – to promote understanding and ownership of the RFL concepts, Movement’s Strategy, and assessment’s components/objectives.

· Conduct visits to prioritized Governorates in Iraq with the IRCS branches and ICRC sub-delegation; conduct interviews with key external stakeholders.

· Deliver a compiling assessment report, including key recommendation. Present the finding to the key stakeholders via workshops, discussions groups, etc.

· With the engagement of IRCS and ICRC, provide recommendation for a plan that will address the findings of the assessment to lead the path towards establishing RFL core functions and capacities at IRCS, incorporating RFL (and potentially the Missing file) in IRCS DRM components, establishing working modalities with ICRC and address the gaps.

Qualifications:

A Bachelor and/or Master’s degree in any of these disciplines: Social Sciences (sociology, social work, population studies, demography, anthropology, etc), Social Development, Human rights, or similar.

Required Experience/Skills:

• Minimum 5 years of direct international experience and organizational design in RFL with the International Movement of Red Cross and Red Crescent.

• Broad experience in research, facilitating strategic and operational planning processes (preferable withing within a Protection scope).

• Tactical and practical experience and ability in improving institutional capacity for the provision of Protection services.

• Previous working experience in, and relevant knowledge about, the Middle East – relevant to the assignment (preferably Iraq).

• Broad previous experience in similar assignments.

• Demonstrated strong analytical, report writing and presentation skills.

• Proven track record of delivering high-quality results in stakeholder engagement and organizational design.

• HEAT training successfully completed (or similar training that may be recognized by the SRC) and/or significant experience working in highly insecure contexts.

Other requirements

· Excellent command of English – spoken and written. Good command of Arabic is a strong asset.

· In line with the principle of neutrality, SRC does not assign personnel to a country of which they are nationals.

· Candidates must be in good health and are required to pass a medical check-up prior to departure in the field.

· Candidates must hold a manual driving license and have experience in driving manual transmission vehicles.