The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

Background of the project 

PlayMatters3.0 (2026–2030) is a four-year education initiative implemented by the Intern tional Rescue Committee (IRC), Plan International and War Child Alliance in Ethiopia, South Sudan and Uganda. The programme aims to improve the well-being and holistic learning outcomes of pre-primary and primary school-aged children, including children affected by conflict and crisis, by strengthening education systems to deliver quality education through Learning through Play (LtP).

PlayMatters has three outcomes. Outcome 3 focuses on protecting children’s holistic development during acute crises. Its Crisis Modifier (CM) provides a flexible mechanism for preparedness, anticipatory action, rapid multisectoral response and transition, while keeping a clear link with the programme’s longer-term education systems work.

The CM is designed to work with existing government and response mechanisms and to allow PlayMatters country teams to act quickly when a significant shock or deterioration affects children, education services or the wider conditions needed for learning and well-being.

Effective activation depends on good preparedness before a crisis occurs. This includes understanding the risks in PlayMatters locations, identifying credible early-warning information, agreeing practical trigger thresholds, knowing what response options are feasible, understanding existing response plans and coordination arrangements, and identifying the capacities and gaps of consortium and national partners.

The first major step is a country-level consultative risk mapping and analysis. The process will generate the evidence and country-specific inputs needed to develop the PlayMatters Trigger & Response Matrix. The Matrix will set out the priority shocks and stresses to monitor, the indicators and thresholds that signal a need for action, and the pre-agreed response options that can be considered when a trigger is reached. The country matrices will subsequently inform the Regional Trigger & Response Matrix and wider Crisis Modifier preparedness work.

Scope of work

1.    Inception and planning

·         Conduct a desk review of existing risks, vulnerability, hazard, conflict, climate, displacement, disease and education assessments, contingency plans, and Education Cluster/sector preparedness documentation for Ethiopia

·         Agree on the methodology, actual geographical locations to be covered (in consideration of security and access), consultation plan, stakeholder list, analytical framework and work schedule with the PMC Lead and Regional EiE Adviser.

·         Identify key information gaps and how these will be addressed.

·         Submit an inception report setting out the proposed approach, workplan, stakeholder/data-source mapping and expected outputs.

2.    Risk mapping and analysis

·         Conduct key informant interviews and consultations with PMC members, government education actors, community leaders, national partners and other relevant system actors identified in the workplan's reach group.

·         Map historical and anticipated shocks and stresses specific to PM operational areas, considering seasonality and early-warning systems already in use nationally or sub-nationally.

3.    Risk Trigger Report

·         Draft a country-specific Risk Trigger Report defining, for each priority shock/stress: description, geographic scope, early-warning indicators, data sources, and the threshold(s) that would trigger a PM response.

·         Review the draft with the PMC and Regional EiE Adviser and incorporate feedback.

4.    Trigger & Response Matrix

·         Coordinate with the PMC to translate each trigger into a feasible, pre-agreed response option, considering PM's existing modalities and partner capacity.

·         Facilitate a validation session with the PMC (and relevant coordination fora, where feasible) to finalize the country Trigger & Response Matrix.

·         Produce a final consultancy report summarizing the process, findings, the finalized Matrix, and recommendations for periodic review.

      Safeguarding Responsibilities: -

·         Promote and actively participate in initiatives and efforts to build team engagement, inclusion and cohesion in IRC [team/office]

·         Foster ongoing learning, honest dialogue and reflection to strengthen safeguarding and to promote IRC values and adherence to IRC policies

Professional Standards: All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.

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