Consultant, Road Safety Advocacy and Grants (Latin American Regional Focus)

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian network, with 191 member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. IFRC uses the Triple R – response, resilience and respect – to deliver on Strategy 2030. IFRC responds to disasters and crises, ensuring timely, coordinated and locally led humanitarian action. IFRC supports its members in building community resilience in the areas of climate and environment, health and wellbeing, and migration and displacement. IFRC promotes respect for our fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality, including in our work on values, power and inclusion. The IFRC focuses throughout on our core mandate – our raison d’être – of strategic and operational coordination, humanitarian diplomacy, National Society development, and accountability. 

IFRC is led by its Secretary General and has its Headquarters in Geneva and five regional offices in Africa (Nairobi); the Americas (Panama); Asia Pacific (Kuala Lumpur); Europe (Budapest); and MENA (Beirut) as well as representation offices, service centres and delegations across the globe.

The Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) (www.grsproadsafety.org) is a hosted programme of the IFRC and is a voluntary association of governments, businesses, and civil society organisations. Both the IFRC and GRSP are headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The GRSP has full time staff based in Geneva, Kuala Lumpur and Budapest and a cadre of globally based consultants. The aim of the GRSP’s work is to reduce death and serious injuries as a result of road crashes with a focus on low- and middle-income countries. According to the World Health Organization, road traffic injuries claim more than 1.16 million lives each year and result in approximately 50 million injuries. Low and middle-income countries are disproportionately negatively affected. Globally, road traffic deaths are the leading cause of death among young people aged five to 29 years and can cost governments between 3 and 5% of GDP. Road traffic injuries and deaths represent a manmade humanitarian crisis and GRSP/IFRC are committed to evidence-based interventions to address this global pandemic. GRSP’s work includes:

• Carrying out a variety of member and non-member funded road safety projects and research throughout the world but focused primarily in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
• Managing a Road Safety Grants Programme that supports civil society and Red Cross/Red Crescent National Societies to strengthen legislation and policies that impact on road safety.
• Undertaking projects in low- and middle- income countries to reduce road crash deaths and serious injuries.
• Running road policing capacity building and training programmes in multiple cities and countries.
• In conjunction with Johns Hopkins University International Injury Research Unit, running Global Road Safety and Road Policing Leadership programmes.

GRSP’s work is funded by members, donors and development banks with one philanthropy contributing to a large programme, namely the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) – funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Job Purpose

(...Continued from Organizational Context)

GRSP’s work specifically contributes to meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 3.6 - “By 2030, halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic crashes” and 11.2 – “By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons.” GRSP also contributes to meeting the broader SDG sustainability agenda.

 

Job Purpose

The primary role of the Road Safety Advocacy and Grants Consultant is to serve as the GRSP lead on road safety policy, advocacy, and capacity building in a designated portfolio of countries within Latin America. The appointee will be expected to coordinate the implementation of GRSP policy objectives and strategies in key priority countries and identify opportunities to further advance GRSP’s country-based objectives and strategies.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

At the direction of the GRSP Manager, Advocacy and Grants Programme:

• Serve as the primary coordinator of the implementation of GRSP’s road safety advocacy related activities under the Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety in a designated set of countries.
• Develop, in consultation with the relevant GRSP managers and other technical staff, country-based policy objectives and advocacy strategies to achieve the objectives in the designated set of countries.
• Support the implementation of country-based policy strategies, including coordinating the work of GRSP grantee organisations and other partners in the designated set of countries.
• Provide guidance, support and advice to individual organisations to enable them to deliver effective advocacy for evidence-based road safety policies within Latin America.
• Identify opportunities for programmatic advancement within the country portfolio and develop strategies including realignment of strategies, if needed, to exploit those opportunities, in relation to work undertaken as part of the GRSP Road Safety Grants Programme.
• Facilitate identifying international and intraregional cross-programmatic opportunities to advance GRSP goals and objectives by sharing information on a regular basis between relevant GRSP staff members working in specific geographic regions.
• Support the development of country-specific strategic plans through assessment of road safety policy and legislative gaps, existing political context, current opportunities for policy and legislative changes and analysis of civil society organisations and government agencies and their potential to advocate for stronger road safety law.
• Provide ongoing guidance, support and technical assistance to ensure the delivery of effective campaigns, which adapt to changes in the political context, respond effectively to oppositions and achieve road safety related policy change and implementation.
• Support strategy workshops with grantee organisations as required during advocacy campaigns to modify existing strategies and/or develop new strategies in response to changing policy environment.
• Contribute to the development of advocacy and training material for use by GRSP teams.
• Manage a portfolio of grants in the designated set of countries through the following activities:
  • Contribute to the process of identifying grantees through the two annual rounds of grant making under the BIGRS.
  • Negotiate grants with successful applicants.
  • Monitor implementation of grants and provide regular feedback and road safety related technical assistance to grantees.
  • Review periodic and final reports submitted by grantees on the implementation of grants.
  • Identify needs for modification/expansion of grants and complete relevant grants management activities to allow for such within the designated country portfolio.
  • Develop, implement and monitor road safety capacity building plans for GRSP grantees.
• Work collaboratively with all GRSP teams and other BIGRS partners.
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with local advocacy and road safety related organisations and regularly update knowledge of local civil society and road safety landscapes in the country portfolio.
• Represent GRSP at relevant events, meetings and conferences, as requested by the Manager.
• Contribute to GRSP regional seminars and other GRSP events by providing inputs to the agenda and working with the team to prepare and deliver sessions.

Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)

• Complete regular monthly, six-monthly and annual reporting of country-based activities.
• Contribute to Global Road Safety Leadership Institute courses by identifying possible participants from countries and participating in course delivery.

Upon commission of consultant services, specific Terms of Reference (ToR) will be provided. TORs will include specific project objectives, desired outcomes, consultancy outputs, method of delivery and time requirements.

 

Location

The consultant will ideally be based within the Latin American Region to facilitate online meeting times with in-country partners. However, applicants from outside the region who can demonstrate an ability to work effectively with time zone differences will be considered. The successful applicant will work from their home location and will require excellent internet connectivity to perform the functions of the role. Occasional travel within the Latin American Region may be required to perform the role.

 

Time Allocation

It is anticipated that this consultancy will on average require a minimum commitment of three days per week (up to 150 days per year) for a period of 12 months with a possible extension. Consultancy rates that are consistent with rates in the location the appointee is resident will be offered.

Education

Required

• University degree in a relevant area (road safety, public policy, advocacy, public health).

Preferred

• Advanced education or professional/technical training (or equivalent experience) in a relevant area.

Experience

Required

• Minimum 10 years of professional experience including at least 5 years in the area of road safety, policy advocacy and/or grants management.
• Experience in undertaking policy mapping and situation assessments.
• Experience in working with NGOs having a focus on policy advocacy.
• Experience in writing reports for different audiences.

Preferred

• Experience in providing technical input on road safety topics.
• Experience in developing or supporting the development and implementation of advocacy tools and advocacy plans.
• Experience of working for the Red Cross / Red Crescent or other humanitarian organisations.
• Experience of working at the global level and in cross-cultural settings.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Required

• Fluently spoken and written English.

Preferred

• Good command of Spanish would be highly desirable.

Competencies, Values and Comments

Application Instructions

• Please submit your application in English only.
• Please include the following in your application:
  • Cover letter (if resident outside the Latin American region, a description of how time zone differences will be managed)
  • CV (which includes the applicants city and country of residence)
  • Documentation of valid current health and travel insurance (in English)

 

Notes

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

 

The closing date and time for this vacancy are based on Geneva time. Applications must be submitted by 23:59 (11:59 PM) Geneva time on the advertised closing date.