MSR Part 6: Security Staffing and Expertise
The IFRC must ensure there are sufficient qualified security personnel to implement MSR and monitor its’ compliance at the field, country and regional level. The IFRC must also provide its personnel and managers with access to relevant security expertise when engaging in potentially new high-risk activities, managing security incidents, or deviating from established security procedures.
Security Competency Requirements:
The GSU has defined the recommended IFRC Security Job Description/Requirements for security focal points (SFP), security officers and senior security officers and other security staff employed by the IFRC. This is to ensure that security personnel have the competencies and qualification to serve in their assigned role.
Security Staffing Requirements:
IFRC is required to have enough resources on hand to manage security and critical incidents. Therefore, higher risk areas and large complex operations with a high security and/or safety risk profile are required to have more security resources, as defined below. Since this is a Duty of Care obligation, IFRC cannot operate in areas with insufficient security capacity, which is why financial constraints cannot be used to justify exemptions in this case.
Red and Orange Areas: Offices and Field Operations with personnel operating in Orange and Red areas, must employ at least one full-time qualified Security Delegate - as defined in the IFRC Security Posts - Responsibilities, Tasks & Requirements 2021 document (to be replaced in 2022 by a Security Competency Framework), unless the Senior Manager requests and receives a written exemption from the GSU (on behalf of the Secretary General). Such an exemption will be based on factors including the impact of IFRC humanitarian support operating in such and the level of IFRC capacity to mitigate against prevailing risks. Areas. Exemptions for this requirement will not be given based on financial constraints.
Phase White and Yellow Areas: Offices and Field Operations must, at minimum, designate a security focal point; however, the GSU may also impose a security officer or delegate requirement for larger and more complex operations, based on the overall risk. The security focal point must meet the standards laid out in the IFRC Security Job Description/Requirements document.
Regional Offices: Regional offices must employ at least one full-time Regional Security Coordinator, unless the Senior Manager requests, and receives a written exemption from the GSU (on behalf of the Secretary General). The selected RSC must meet the standards laid out in the IFRC Security Job Description/Requirements document for their position. Exemptions for this requirement will not be given based on financial constraints.
Requirement for Managers to Consult with Security:
Senior Managers must consult with pertinent IFRC security personnel, as well as their RSC when engaging in potentially new high-risk activities and high-risk areas, managing security incidents, or deviating from established security procedures, standards and rules.
Senior Managers must also inform either the RSC (or the GSU if no RSC is in place), when their operations increase beyond the capacity of their existing security measures and plans, to effectively ensure Duty-of-Care compliance
Senior Managers must consult with RSC (or the GSU if no RSC is in place) before deploying personnel to security phase Orange areas.
Senior Managers must obtain the approval of the Secretary General via the Head of GSU before deploying personnel to security phase Red areas,
Minimum Security Management Capacity During Leave/Travel Periods
Senior managers away on leave/travel, must designate someone in the country office to undertake security management of the country office, including critical incident management, on their behalf. The designate must have the competencies and training (at an absolute minimum have completed the manager level training on the IFRC Stay Safe online training) to do so. They must fully brief them on the situation (risks and potential issues), rules and mitigation measures, and the contingency plans (relocation, medical, critical incident).