Fire rescue consultant(s) - Armenia (VolFiRe)

Context and background

Title of the project:   Institutionalising a Volunteer First Responder Service in Armenia (VolFiRe)
Country / Location:  Armenia / countrywide
Date of the Action:   01.12.2022 - 31.08.2025

The current project “Institutionalising a Volunteer First Responder Service in Armenia (VolFiRe)” is funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), co-funded and coordinated by the Austrian Red Cross (AutRC). It is implemented in Armenia along with three project partners: Armenian Red Cross Society (ARCS), Caritas Austria (CA) and Armenian Caritas (AC). All activities are implemented in close cooperation with the Rescue Services of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia (MIA, formerly Ministry of Emergency Situations).

Objective and scope

The role of the consultant(s) will be to provide technical expertise for the further development of the conceptual framework for Volunteer Fire Rescue Groups (VFRGs) in Armenia and the establishment of the new Volunteer Fire Rescue Groups in Armenia. The conceptual framework for VFRGs includes regulations and concepts that describe and define the process of establishing, training and operating Volunteer Fire Rescue Groups successfully. The development of the framework builds on the evaluations and recommendations of the VFRG pilots. It will form the basis for the formation of all new groups and their operations. Before establishing new volunteer groups, the set of documents developed during the pilot project to regulate their foundation, training, support, and all their activities, will be reviewed, revised and amended. For this purpose, also international examples of similar frameworks and documents for volunteer-based emergency response organisations will be reviewed. The new documents will be combined in a new VFRG handbook of organisation and procedures. The handbook will contain VFRG regulations (on e.g., foundation, membership, decision making, leadership structure and appointment, area of operation, finance and administration, …), a generic organisational VFRG chart with roles and responsibilities to facilitate the self-management of the groups, and new as well as revised Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). A comprehensive training package needs to be developed to ensure, that the volunteers and the Rescue Service (RS) trainers have the necessary knowledge and skills for their respective roles. This will build on materials already available from previous activities with the partners and additionally consider best practices from countries with well-developed volunteer systems.

The training package will include training curricula, trainer handbooks and participant manuals. The training development will be led by a Fire Rescue training expert (consultant) in close cooperation with specialists of the MIA Crisis Management State Academy.

Reporting lines and management

The consultant(s) will be recruited and managed by the Austrian Red Cross.
The consultant(s) will report to the VolFiRe AutRC Programme Manager. The consultant(s) will spend several weeks in Armenia for developing the deliverables jointly with MIA RS counterparts and the project team, and for holding trainings for RS trainers and VFRGs in Yerevan and the regions. Between travels to Armenia part of the work can be done remotely with regular online contacts with RS counterparts and project partners.

Deliverables and trainings

The consultant (team) can submit a proposal for one or for both lots:

Lot A - Developing the conceptual framework (25 working days):
The consultant(s) will submit the following deliverables:

• VFRG regulations, including for instance VFRG foundation, membership, decision making,
  leadership structure and appointment, area of operation, finance and administration, …
• VFRG organisational chart with roles and responsibilities
• Existing VFRG SOPs reviewed and revised; 
• New VFRG SOPs developed
• Compilation of the above in a “VFRG Handbook"

Lot B - Development of comprehensive training package and holding trainings (90 working days):
The consultant(s) will submit the following deliverables:

• Training of Trainers (ToT) for Fire Rescue
• Fire Rescue Basic Training
• Fire Rescue Refresher Training
• Incident Commander Training

The consultant will hold the following trainings together with RS trainers:

• 1 ToT for RS trainers 
• 1 Pilot Fire Rescue Basic Training
• 3 Incident Commander Trainings 

Timeframe

The deliverables for lot A will be developed from May to June 2023.
The deliverables for lot B should be developed from May to October 2023. The trainings should take place in Armenia from October 2023 to January 2024.

The travels in Armenia will be defined with the consultant(s). The exact time frame will be defined with the Austrian Red Cross according to final planning of activities and prior to signature of contract with consultant(s).

Required qualification, skills, and experience

Depending on the lot (A and/or B) applying to, only the relevant qualifications need to be met.

Competencies and education

• Academic degree or equivalent education in relevant field
• Knowledge of regulatory and organisational frameworks of (European) volunteer fire rescue services and their integration into national civil protection systems
• Extensive knowledge of fire rescue Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and ability to develop such
• Extensive expertise and knowledge of fire rescue techniques and relevant equipment
• Knowledge of training curricula and systems for volunteer emergency responders in the
  European context
• Ability to develop training curricula, content, and manuals for volunteer fire rescue service
• Expertise in adult learning and adequate training techniques
• Intercultural sensitivity and ability to work across language barriers
• Excellent writing and presentation skills and ability to formulate clear and concise
• Strong computer skills in word processing and formatting
• Ability to work self-organised, independently and in a very structured manner
• Strong interpersonal and organisational skills

Experience

• Experience in working with civil protection authorities and actors in a development context
• Experience in working with governmental authorities in Armenia or other post-soviet countries is an asset
• Personal experience of working as a paid or (preferably) volunteer firefighter is required
  (minimum 7 years), in a leadership role is an asset
• Experience in developing regulatory and organisational frameworks for volunteer-based
  emergency response organisations is a strong asset
• Experience in developing SOPs for fire rescue or other emergency response organisations
• Professional experience in developing and holding trainings for emergency responders
• Experience of working with volunteers is an asset

Language Skills

• Fluency in English (C1 written and spoken) is required
• Proficiency in Armenian and/or Russian and/or German is a clear asset

Guiding principles and donor concept

The consultant(s) must conduct the work in accordance with the Red Cross Fundamental Principles, the principles outlined in ADA project guidelines and in the “Austrian Red Cross Code of Conduct”. All relevant documents will be provided to the consultant(s) prior to signature of the contract.

How to apply

Teams of consultants or organizations are explicitly encouraged to apply.
Interested candidates or organizations are requested to submit

• a cover letter clearly summarizing their experience,
• CVs of all consultants proposed for the work,
• a detailed proposal (including work plan, description of methodology, list and examples of
  similar work, names and contact details of two referees) demonstrating their ability to deliver on this assignment 

with the subject VolFiRe – Fire Rescue Consultancy to Thierry Girard, VolFiRe AutRC Programme Manager, thierry.girard@roteskreuz.at.

The financial offer should include the proposed budget with an all-inclusive fee in EURO.
The deadline for submission of proposals is 26th of March 2023.