Advocacy and Communication Specialist

Responsibilities & Context

HI seeks an Advocacy and Communication Specialist for its South Asia Regional Programme (Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka).

• Job Location: Dhaka
• Type of Contract: Open-ended
• Joining: As early as possible.
• Line Manager: Regional Program Director
• The Advocacy and Communication Specialist on a specific crisis works under the responsibility of the Regional Program Director covering the concerned crisis and in close collaboration with the HI Institute on Humanitarian Action and the Federal Advocacy and Institutional Relations team (AIR). She/he contributes to the design, implementation, and follow-up of HI policy and advocacy strategies related to a specific crisis on national, regional, and international levels. The position will be based in Dhaka and responsible for the Handicap International Federation-Humanity & Inclusion (HI) Programme in the South Asia Region (Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka).

Mission 1: STRATEGY AND STEERING

• Mission 1: Operational implementation

• Responsibility 1.1: Analyze the humanitarian environment and define HI positions

• Monitor and analyze the humanitarian context, architecture, and actors at play to identify the main positioning and ethical issues to ensure a principled humanitarian action

• Define and produce policy papers laying down HI positions following HI ethical guidelines and principles of intervention, liaising with relevant stakeholders at the programme level (PD/AM) and HQ levels (HI Institute and AIR)

• Undertake research and provide recommendations based on ethical guidelines

• Contribute to the risk analysis for the adaptation of the advocacy strategies

  Responsibility 1.2: Develop and update advocacy strategies and action plans

• Work with the AIR team on developing and updating the joint advocacy strategy related to [CRISIS] and ensure it is consistent across national, regional, and international levels

• Lead the design and implementation of coordinated advocacy action plans at regional and national levels, and ensure they are properly implemented and in compliance with HI advocacy quality standards and procedures

• Identify key issues emerging from HI operations that would require advocacy for policy changes

• Carry out and constantly update a stakeholder mapping and power analysis to identify key advocacy targets and allies

• Mission 2: OPERATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION

• Responsibility 2.1: Ensure that advocacy is based on reliable and up-to-date evidence and data

• Regularly liaise with key operational staff and external stakeholders to gather timely information and data to feed into federal and country-based advocacy strategies

• Ensure that the programme produces reliable and consistent data for advocacy purposes and that it is shared with the AIR team

• Lead or contribute to the preparation of advocacy tools (reports, briefing papers, talking points, media and social media tools, and the collection of testimonies) in collaboration with the AIR team and HI federal Communication team

• Responsibility 2.2: Organize the effective influence and outreach of HI vis-à-vis key decision-makers and networks

• Engage in relevant forums, networks, and coalitions, or with key partners at national and regional levels, to feed the analyses and promote HI positions; identify opportunities for and collaborate with the AIR team on collective advocacy initiatives

• Maintain contacts with key decision-makers at national and regional levels through regular meetings and exchanges

• Take part in events conferences and ad hoc meetings with decision-makers at the global level in coordination with the AIR team

• When appropriate, liaise with the media on advocacy-related issues with the support of the federal communication and AIR teams

• Responsibility 2.3: Ensure internal communication and ownership

• Disseminate advocacy- and policy-related information within the HI network through appropriate channels, including by feeding HI internal communication tools and platforms

• Contribute to internal advocacy-related working structures and other relevant internal meetings to provide updated information and discuss advocacy developments; liaise as necessary with AIR, Federal Communication, HI Institute, or National Associations

• Inform and provide support to key operational staff and local and national partners on HI advocacy activities

• Assess needs and provide training accordingly on principled humanitarian action and HI ethical guidelines to staff as well as local and national partners when appropriate

• Responsibility 2.4: Contribute to fundraising efforts

• Identify funding opportunities for advocacy and positioning activities and staff, including incorporating advocacy activities into field projects and new project proposals

• Mission 3: STANDARDS and Experience

• Contribute to raising the quality and internal ownership of HI advocacy work

• Comply with and promote HI quality standards and internal procedures relating to advocacy

• Report to the line manager and the AIR Humanitarian Advocacy Manager any issues of compliance

• Contribute to the design and delivery of presentations and training tools on advocacy

• Provide advocacy-related inputs into internal processes as requested

Compensation & Other Benefits

• Salary: Tk. 145652 – 162976 (Monthly)
• Mobile bill, Tour allowance, Medical allowance, Provident fund, Weekly 2 holidays, Insurance, Gratuity
• Festival Bonus: 2
• Salary will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and budget availability.
• Medical Coverage: Staff and dependents will get general/outpatient, hospitalization, dental, and optical medical insurance facilities as per the HI policy.
• Maternity Coverage: Staff & dependents will get maternity medical coverage facilities as per the HI policy.
• Group Life Insurance Coverage: Staff will get the death benefit, accidental benefit, permanent partial disability, permanent total disability benefit, and critical illness benefit as per the HI policy.
• Leave: Staff will get sick leave, annual leave, casual leave, medical leave, and event leave as per HI policy.
• Special Attention: “You are cordially requested not to apply if the salary range, job location, contract duration, and other terms and conditions mentioned in the advertisement do not match your expectations.”

Additional Requirements

• At least 5 years of professional experience in the humanitarian/development context, including 3 years in emergency settings (field experience).
• At least 4 years of experience in the advocacy, communication, and policy areas.
• Experience in context analyses and policy development concerning principled humanitarian action
• Experience in advocacy and communication work.
• Experience in networking and active participation in conferences and forums, including at high levels.