International Rescue Committee (IRC)

The IRC is on the ground in more than 40 countries, providing emergency relief, relocating refugees, and rebuilding lives in the wake of disaster. Through 22 regional offices in cities across the United States, we help refugees resettle in the U.S. and become self-sufficient.

Founded in 1933, the IRC is a global leader in emergency relief, rehabilitation, protection of human rights, post-conflict development, resettlement services and advocacy for those uprooted or affected by violent conflict and oppression.

  • Civil Society
  • Community Conflict Resolution
  • DDR
  • Economic Foundations for Growth and Development
  • Employment Generation
  • Financial Transparency and Accountability
  • Gender
  • Good Offices and Peace Support
  • Human Rights
  • Humanitarian Assistance
  • Humanitarian Protection
  • Judicial and Legal Reform
  • Law Enforcement Institutions
  • Local Governance
  • Physical Infrastructure and Reconstruction

Humanitarian Assistance
The IRC works in a number of areas within the broad sector of Humanitarian Assistance, but has a specific expertise in public health, water and sanitation, education, gender-based violence, and protection.
Other
  • Capacity and development training
  • Financial support
  • Policy advice
  • Project support services
  • Research and policy development
  • Technical assistance
Description of activities
Capacity Development and training in approximately 25 countries throughout Africa, Asia, the Caucasus, Middle East, and South America.
Direct project implementation in approximately 25 countries throughout Africa, Asia, the Caucasus, Middle East, and South America.
Financial support granted in approximately 25 countries throughout Africa, Asia, the Caucasus, Middle East, and South America.
Policy advice in approximately 25 countries throughout Africa, Asia, the Caucasus, Middle East, and South America.
Project support services in approximately 25 countries throughout Africa, Asia, the Caucasus, Middle East, and South America.
Research and policy development in approximately 25 countries throughout Africa, Asia, the Caucasus, Middle East, and South America.
The IRC maintains an Emergency Response Team (ERT) comprising 17 technical specialists with expertise in key areas necessary to assess critical survival needs and mount an effective response to sudden or protracted emergencies. Technical assistance is also provided, beyond that of the ERT, through head office based Technical Units. These provide specific expertise in the areas of: Child and Youth Protection and Development, Health, Gender Based Violence, Governance & Rights and Economic Development and Recovery / in approximately 25 countries throughout Africa, Asia, the Caucasus, Middle East, and South America.

Local Governance
IRC has extensive experience of implementing multiple generations of community development programming in a number of countries; with projects of significance being located in DRC, Afghanistan and Liberia. IRC’s programme methodology has evolved over time and is based on analysing community approaches in over five countries in protracted and post-conflict settings. We have developed a ‘Best Practice Approach to Community-Driven Reconstruction’ manual to collate and share these learning’s across the organisation. The manual which includes a significant number of implementation tools, outlines a basic project planning cycle, staffing needs, sensitisation activities, selection and composition of CDCs, quick impact projects, participatory planning, financial allocation, project implementation and project monitoring and evaluation.
Other
  • Capacity and development training
  • Financial support
  • Research and policy development
  • Technical assistance
Description of activities
Capacity building, support and training is provided to the community development committees to allow them to effectively undertake this role. Examples of trainings include: project and financial management and facilitation of meetings and election processes. / Great Lakes, West Africa, Horn & East Africa and Asia & Caucasus.
IRC implements its local governance activities using the Community Driven Reconstruction Approach. This approach gives control over decision-making and resources directly to the communities through a process of creating local and representative community elected councils. There are a number of benefits of utilising this approach. Community driven projects are the highest priorities of community members and therefore address the most urgent needs. Members contribute labour, funding, and/or materials, which generally increases the cost effectiveness and efficiency of project implementation and participation tends to encourage greater project ownership, which often results in better infrastructure maintenance and sustainability. The community level interaction that occurs in forming the community councils and going through the decision making and project execution stages of this approach also encourage the rebuilding of trust and relationships destroyed during conflict. The establishment of local governance structures, in the form of the community councils, to plan and implement projects also links community management of resources to principles of good governance. Through skills building and experience, this tends to increase self-reliance while it develops relationships and collaboration both between community members and between the community and local government. / Great Lakes, West Africa, Horn & East Africa and Asia & Caucasus.
Block grants are provided, where legally possible, to community development committees to fulfil the prioritised community projects. These committees are then responsible, and accountable to the local communities, for management of the funds, tendering work and managing contractors to execute projects where necessary. The size of financial support varies by project and is normally allocated to the community based on the number of households within a community. / Great Lakes, West Africa, Horn & East Africa and Asia & Caucasus.
IRC is working together with researchers from Stanford and Columbia University to evaluate the impact of IRC’s community driven reconstruction programming. This will help understanding of program impacts on key outcomes of interest such as individual and community welfare, community cohesion, attitudes to democracy, and the successful reintegration of ex-combatants./ Liberia
Technical assistance is provided to program staff through the London based Governance & Rights Technical Unit. The team provides hands-on support to field programmes as well as coordinates Governance & Rights expertise that can be applied and used in any of IRCs other sector programmes (primarily GBV, health, civil society). The unit develops resources to advance IRC's expertise in gender based violence programming; and liases with donors and other key partners to develop and enhance funding and working partnerships./ Great Lakes, West Africa, Horn & East Africa and Asia & Caucasus.

Gender
IRC is in a position to utilise its extensive field experience in conflict and post conflict environments to support effective advocacy initiatives. It also has the ability to develop experience based gender based violence response and prevention programmes.
Other
  • Capacity and development training
  • Policy advice
  • Research and policy development
  • Technical assistance
Description of activities
Training is provided for partners including UN, governmental and non governmental agency personnel working in health, psychological care, protection and justice to enable them to better protect women and girls and respond to incidents of gender-based violence. IRC's GBV Emergency Response Initiative is a capacity building programme designed to expand the pool of staff with the necessary skills to initiate immediate responses to sexual violence during the early days of a crisis. The program contains a comprehensive curriculum to train staff in GBV emergency response programme in addition to providing leadership and guidance in the wider field of humanitarian assistance. / Great Lakes, West Africa, Horn & East Africa, Asia & Caucasus.
IRC supports the operation of basic services - sexual assault support centres, local government health staff in response and prevention, community awareness raising and sensitisation. Training of the police, justice sector and health personnel, community leaders, setting up womens and mens groups. / Great Lakes, West Africa, Horn & East Africa, Asia & Caucasus.
Advice is provided on developing country legislation - see Sierra Leone country detail. In Liberia we have supported the creation of the National Action Plan. Through advocacy in the UK and US, IRC works closely to influence key donor governments - EC, DFID, Irish Aid, USAID, in the importance of addressing gender and gender based violence in conflict and post conflict environments. / Great Lakes, West Africa, Horn & East Africa, Asia & Caucasus.
IRC has established relationships with research institutions to develop rigourous research methods in order to compare and assess the scope of violence as well as the effectiveness of programmes to end it. / Great Lakes, West Africa, Horn & East Africa, Asia & Caucasus
Technical assistance is provided to IRC's Gender Based Violence programmes through its Head Office Based GBV Technical Unit. The team provides hands-on support to field programmes as well as coordinates GBV-related expertise that can be applied and used in any of IRCs other sector programmes (primarily health, education, water and sanitation). The unit develops resources to advance IRC's expertise in gender based violence programming; and liases with donors and other key partners to develop and enhance funding and working partnerships. A GBV Emergency Response Coordinator is part of IRC's Emergency Response Team leading context assessment and program startup activities. The GBV Technical Unit and Program staff work closely with Governance & Rights staff particularly in relation to access to justice for survivors of GBV. Technical assistance is provided directly to Governments and is focused on training of staff, capacity building and development of policy (see below). / Great Lakes, West Africa, Horn & East Africa, Asia & Caucasus.
  • Americas
    • North America
      • United States of America
  • Africa
    • Central Africa
      • Central African Republic
      • Chad
      • Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • Eastern Africa
      • Uganda
      • Kenya
      • United Republic of Tanzania
      • Burundi
      • Ethiopia
      • Rwanda
      • Sudan
    • Western Africa
      • Liberia
      • Cote d’Ivoire
      • Guinea
      • Sierra Leone
  • Europe
    • Western Europe
      • Belgium
      • Switzerland
  • Asia
    • Central Asia
    • South Asia
      • Afghanistan
      • Nepal
      • Pakistan
    • South East Asia
      • Thailand
      • Indonesia
    • Western Asia
      • Azerbaijan
      • Jordan

Burundi

Types of activity: 
Technical assistance
Capacity and development training
Financial support
Other
Other: 
Direct project implementation support
Description: 

• Technical assistance has been provided to programme implementation through an in country Governance Program Coordinator and the Governance & Rights Technical Unit.
• Funding was been secured for 2 CDR programmes in Burundi and Programme implementation started in late 2007 and 2008.
• Block grants and capacity development were provided as part of the CDR programme methodology.
• Technical support is further provided through the Gender Based Violence Technical Unit. IRC particapate actively in inter-agency working groups on sexual violence to advocate for a broader commitment to GBV issues and to improve multi-sector services for GBV survivors. IRC works with women's community-based groups comprised of especially vulnerable women, to provide information, support and access to GBV services, through awareness raising and fostering improved linkages with local and international service providers.
• GBV training is provided for NGo staff and key local stakeholders, such as local leaders, public service secto providers, local administrators and traditional leaders.

Sierra Leone

Types of activity: 
Technical assistance
Policy advice
Capacity and development training
Financial support
Other
Other: 
Direct project implementation support
Description: 

• Technical assistance is provided through the Governance & Rights Technical Unit. IRC is implementing a CDR programme in Eastern Sierra Leone.
• Block grants are provided as part of the CDR programme methodology. Capacity development is also provided as part of the CDR programme methodology. In Sierra Leone this includes a component on human rights training, awareness and mainstreaming through the programmes that are being implemented.
• IRC program staff work with closely with local councils, civil society and key parliamentarians to raise awareness of three draft CEDAW bills and works to push for the enactment of the three bills.
• IRCs GBV programme in Sierra Leone aim to embed sexual assault response and prevention services within government and civil society structures in Sierra Leone. IRC established partnerships with five civil society organisations and fifteen community groups in an effort to raise awareness around GBV and to build partner capacities to build an effective national network to prevent and respond to GBV in Sierra Leone.

Burundi

Types of activity: 
Technical assistance
Capacity and development training
Financial support
Other
Other: 
Direct project implementation support
Description: 

• Technical assistance has been provided to programme implementation through an in country Governance Program Coordinator and the Governance & Rights Technical Unit.
• Funding was been secured for 2 CDR programmes in Burundi and Programme implementation started in late 2007 and 2008.
• Block grants and capacity development were provided as part of the CDR programme methodology.
• Technical support is further provided through the Gender Based Violence Technical Unit. IRC particapate actively in inter-agency working groups on sexual violence to advocate for a broader commitment to GBV issues and to improve multi-sector services for GBV survivors. IRC works with women's community-based groups comprised of especially vulnerable women, to provide information, support and access to GBV services, through awareness raising and fostering improved linkages with local and international service providers.
• GBV training is provided for NGo staff and key local stakeholders, such as local leaders, public service secto providers, local administrators and traditional leaders.

Sierra Leone

Types of activity: 
Technical assistance
Policy advice
Capacity and development training
Financial support
Other
Other: 
Direct project implementation support
Description: 

• Technical assistance is provided through the Governance & Rights Technical Unit. IRC is implementing a CDR programme in Eastern Sierra Leone.
• Block grants are provided as part of the CDR programme methodology. Capacity development is also provided as part of the CDR programme methodology. In Sierra Leone this includes a component on human rights training, awareness and mainstreaming through the programmes that are being implemented.
• IRC program staff work with closely with local councils, civil society and key parliamentarians to raise awareness of three draft CEDAW bills and works to push for the enactment of the three bills.
• IRCs GBV programme in Sierra Leone aim to embed sexual assault response and prevention services within government and civil society structures in Sierra Leone. IRC established partnerships with five civil society organisations and fifteen community groups in an effort to raise awareness around GBV and to build partner capacities to build an effective national network to prevent and respond to GBV in Sierra Leone.

International Rescue Committee (IRC)
Rue Gautier 7
Geneva CH-1201
See map: map.search.ch, Google Maps
http://www.theIRC.org
Non-governmental organisation
New York, USA
Other
5,539
Rue Gautier 7
Geneva CH-1201
See map: map.search.ch, Google Maps
Liaison Office

Liaise with UN and other Geneva-based actors dealing with issues related to populations displaced by conflict. The Protection Surge Capacity Project is also based out of IRC Geneva, whereby IRC recruits and seconds Protection Officers to UNHCR for deployment to UNHCR field offices worldwide. Additionally one headquarters staff person is based in the Geneva office to deal with general IRC field program recruitment.

6
Mr
Greg Brown
Geneva Liaison
Jane Drapkin
8

Network

Columbia University

Type: 
Academic
Description: 

Partnership to improve evaluation of CDR and increase understanding of the impacts and key outcomes of this programme methodology.

European Network for Central Africa (EurAC)

Type: 
NGO
Description: 

The network brings together 46 organisations active in Central Africa working for development or to provide humanitarian assistance. These organisations come from 12 different European countries. The network has three main tasks: Advocacy Information Coordination and networking between members

GAPS -Gender Action for Peace & Security

Type: 
NGO
Description: 

Network aims to promote, support, and monitor the inclusion of a gender perspective in security and peacebuilding policies and the fulfilment of commitments made in UNSC resolution 1325.

In country CBOs

Type: 
NGO
Description: 

Local human rights organisations or other CBOs may be used to provide specific training around capacity building and human rights activities.

InterAction

Type: 
NGO
Description: 

InterAction is the largest alliance of U.S.-based international development and humanitarian nongovernmental organizations. With more than 160 members operating in every developing country, we work to overcome poverty, exclusion and suffering by advancing social justice and basic dignity for all. InterAction convenes and coordinates its members so in unison, they can influence policy and debate on issues affecting tens of millions of people worldwide and improve their own practices.

International Council of Voluntary Agencies

Type: 
NGO
Description: 

The International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), founded in 1962, is a global network that brings together human rights, humanitarian, and development NGOs as an advocacy alliance for humanitarian action. Focusing on humanitarian and refugee policy issues, ICVA draws upon the work of its members at the field level and brings their experiences to international decision-making forums. ICVA provides a means for the collective body of its members to work together to effect change, and also assists members to improve their own work through access to initiatives and tools that help to increase quality and accountability.

Local and District level governments

Type: 
Governments
Description: 

CDR works closely with local government structures to achieve the development of a longer term credible governance structure. Capacity building training is also provided to government officials around governance activities

Stanford University

Type: 
Academic
Description: 

Partnership to improve evaluation of CDR and increase understanding of the impacts and key outcomes of this programme methodology