Community Engagement and Advocacy Coordinator at Save the Children Nigeria - Gombe, Katsina & Zamfara

Save the Children is a leading international organization helping children in need around the world. First established in the UK in 1919, separate national organizations have been set up in more than twenty-eight countries, sharing the aim of improving the lives of children through education, health care and economic opportunities, as well as emergency aid in cases of natural disasters, war and conflict.

In Nigeria, Save the Children has been working since 2001. The early focus was on getting children actively involved in shaping the decisions that affect their lives. Today, Save the Children is working in seven federal states - Zamfara, Yobe, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano, Bauchi and Kaduna - focusing on providing basic healthcare and protecting children.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Community Engagement and Advocacy Coordinator

Locations: Gombe, Katsina and Zamfara
Job Type: Full-time

The Organisation
We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard.

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

• No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
• All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
• Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children. We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive workplace where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

Role Purpose

• The Community Engagement and Advocacy Coordinator will lead the community mobilisation and participation in the REACH project in the implanting states.
• S/he will contribute to Save the Children’s efforts to influence and bring about change in state Government social protection policy through developing the awareness, attitudes, behaviours and policies related to the rights of children in the project states.
• In addition, S/he will coordinate the functional tasks necessary for meeting the goals and objectives of the collaborative partner community engagement and advocacy division and ensuring that the participants involved in our community engagement and advocacy efforts receive strong support and have high quality personal experiences.

Key Areas of Accountability
Strategy Development:

• Formulate key community engagement and advocacy messages and targets from lessons learned, assessments, research and evidence gained through REACH project implementation and wider analysis.
• Support development of an advocacy strategy for the REACH focusing on short and long term objectives and related to wider issues on social protection and Adolescent Sexual health
• Ensure that voices of children form the basis of Save the Children’s advocacy strategy.
• Acquire information and understanding of social policy, Adolescent Health and Development policy and the child right acts and adapt strategies as necessary.
• Maintain a strategic overview of sexual and reproductive health issues affecting adolescents relevant to REACH, monitoring trends in the external environment and inputting to organisational strategy and planning processes.
• Keep a watching brief on policy makers and other key players in relation to social protection and Adolescent sexual health issues and identify opportunities to raise awareness and influence policy change.
• Contribute to all efforts to raise/nurture CSO coalitions and champions at the state level.

Community Engagement and Participation:

• Facilitate development of community-specific action plans (with state and LGA and CBO involvement) and provide technical guidance throughout their implementation.
• Provide support in organization and implementation of the community-level activities of the CBO partners including: community meetings, capacity building activities, briefings, and community awareness raising and information campaigns. etc.
• Organize community-based awareness-raising and education events and campaigns. Explore local media opportunities for broadcasting community activities.
• Provide support in establishment of community monitoring groups with participation of CBO Partners, community dwellers, other NGOs.

Advocacy and Influencing:

• Develop good knowledge of state government structures, parliamentary and political processes and key decision making structures and how to influence them.
• Undertake a range of communications and other activities to inform and persuade policy makers, including donors and politicians, of the value of Save the Children’s policy recommendations.
• Work with M&E team to build systems for research, analysis and documentation that underpin evidence based advocacy and influencing in the state.
• Develop dissemination and communication strategies for key advocacy messages.

Collaboration & Representation:

• Develop strategic relationships with other agencies engaged in advocacy and policy work in the state.
• Develop and maintain a network of external contacts with key individuals in the government, NGO sector, civil society and the media.
• Build the capacity of state team and partner agencies in advocacy and communications.
• Where required, represent Save the Children at various policy forums and advocacy opportunities in the state and at national levels.
• Where required, act as a spokesperson for Save the Children to a variety of external audiences including policy makers and the media.

Programme Development:

• Support the programme team in the development of research methodologies, data analysis, report writing and publication.
• Ensure clear links between programmatic approaches and advocacy strategies.
• Write regular progress reports, including annual impact monitoring reports.
• Perform other tasks, as required.

Requirements, Skills & Experience
Essential:

• High degree of analytical skill, ability to influence and to communicate key advocacy messages effectively and convincingly to a diverse audience in the state.
• University degree in Social Sciences or Communications or a related field.
• 3-4 years’ experience in community engagement, advocacy and policy development.
• Good understanding of the possibilities and tactics for influencing decision and policy makers, politicians, donors, and other key actors.
• Knowledge of the media and its role in raising awareness and shaping public policy.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of audiences at local and national levels.
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with partner agencies and key contacts in the government, NGO, civil society and media sectors.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to effectively handle multiple tasks and meet strict deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, flexibility, adaptability and ability to work effectively as a member of a team..
• Good computer skills (word processing, spreadsheets, email / internet).
• Fluency in Hausa language
• Commitment to the values, mission, aims and policies of Save the Children.

Desirable:

• Experience in training others in community engagement and advocacy techniques and influencing tactics.
• Prior work experience in community engagement and advocacy in Northern Nigeria.
• Knowledge of the policies, functions, structures and decision-making processes of key national institutions with regard to Adolescent sexual and reproductive health.
• Experience working with adolescent on sexual and reproductive health will be an added advantage.

Skills and Behaviours (our Values in Practice)
Accountability:

• Accuracy and timeliness in all areas of responsibility
• High level of accuracy in work, and ability to analyse complex sets of relationships and situations
• Holds self and others accountable

Ambition:

• Future-orientated, thinks pro-actively

Collaboration:

• Working effectively with stakeholders to achieve common goals
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity:

• Willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency, demonstrates highest levels of integrity.

Application Closing Date
18th May, 2018.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• Due to the urgency of this position, qualified candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, as applications will be reviewed as received and also Save the Children reserves the right to change the closing date, if considered necessary. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
• We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.