Psychosocial Support (PS) Delegate, Syria

The Danish Red Cross (DRC) has been working in the Middle East and North African (MENA) Region for over 20 years, where we support the Red Cross / Red Crescent (RCRC) Host National Societies (HNS) in Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen and Syria, with a total of 28 international delegates. The support focuses primarily on emergency response, health, and psychosocial support (PS) services. We emphasize strengthening the HNS through organisational development and operational capacity building. We see integrity, transparency, autonomy and sustainable volunteer structures as necessary conditions for building sustainable NS capacity.

We are offering a unique opportunity to be the DRC Psychosocial Support (PS) Delegate in Syria, the World’s worst humanitarian crisis today. To succeed in this position, you will need to be diplomatic, flexible, resilient and innovative in a challenging context. In return you can expect a full complement of support from the DRC Regional Office and HQ, and a competitive remuneration package with free housing in Damascus and rest and recuperation breaks after every eight weeks.

Context

Starting in 2011, the Syrian conflict has triggered the largest most volatile crisis in the current decade; humanitarian needs remain enormous and population displacements continue. Nearly half a million Syrians are estimated to have been killed, 55,000 of them children; over 1 million have been seriously injured, 5 million have become refugees, and 6 million are internally displaced. It is the largest displacement crisis in the world today. Syria has seen reversals in all 12 MDG indicators as its development status regressed by four decades; life expectancy has dropped by more than 20 years, whilst school attendance has fallen over 50%. According to UN OCHA, 85% of Syrians live in poverty and 13 million people require humanitarian assistance. 2 million still live in hard-to-reach areas, mainly in the Northwest around Idleb. The Turkish incursion on 07 October 2019 created fresh waves of displacement and even new refugees into Iraq, demonstrating that bitter fighting can still break out as different parties attempt to settle the conflict in their favour.

The Danish Red Cross (DRC) has collaborated with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) since 2006, initially through cooperation on a psychosocial support programme (PSP) provided to the Iraqi refugee population in Syria, and since the beginning of the conflict in 2011 through programmes with a focus on PS, health and relief items, for conflict affected communities, as well as organisational capacity building for the national society. In May 2017 and April 2019, DRC conducted reviews of the SARC PSP and the PS delegate is expected to continue working on the capacity building plan linked to these recommendations, in close cooperation with SARC.

The PS Delegate reports directly to the DRC Country Manager who is responsible for management of DRC’s project portfolio in Syria, and of the other DRC delegates based in Damascus, currently three programme delegates overseeing the ECHO, DG-NEAR and Danish MFA-funded projects, plus a logistics and a financial management delegate. The PS Delegate will contribute their support to the whole DRC programme and operation in Syria, as well as focusing on the PSP and SARC capacity-building, in which they will receive technical support from the DRC global MHPSS Matrix.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all technical aspects of SARC’s PSP in close coordination with the DRC Country Manager, relevant delegates and SARC departments.
• Support and advise SARC programme teams and departments implementing the PSP, and the teams providing technical support/supervision.
• Support overall DRC programme development and fundraising as a contribution to our wider response to the Syria Crisis.
• Ensure technical quality of the PSS project interventions.
• Support SARC with assessment, response and mainstreaming of PS knowledge, attitudes and practice across their departments.
• Jointly with SARC participate in relevant Red Cross Red Crescent (RCRC) Movement and inter-agency coordination beyond the Movement, such as the MHPSS Technical Working Group and Child Protection Working Group (CPWG) in Syria. 
• Advise, assist, and communicate as appropriate with other Partner National Societies (PNS), ICRC or NGOs working with interventions related to the PSP.
• Support the DRC Syria Country Manager in relations with the HNS, other PNS, and in DRC’s contribution to wider Movement and inter-agency cooperation in Syria.

Employment Conditions

The starting date is 1 March 2020 or earlier, if possible. There is a 3-month probationary period, and the initial contract is for 12 months with the possibility of extension. The salary including all allowances and pension payment will be between DKK 41.500 and 43.900 per month, depending on qualifications and experience. An individual apartment in Damascus is provided, free of charge.

Damascus is a non-family duty station with a paid 7-day Rest & Recuperation break permitted after every 8 weeks in-country. The delegate will be an integral member of the DRC Country Team, although in order to focus on capacity-development they will work extremely closely with SARC’s PS Team and fluent Arabic is an advantage. Travelling to programme areas within Syria is possible to the extent that local security conditions permit and currently the DRC staff make field trips about 10% of their working days, but it is hoped that this proportion will increase.