Director, Advocacy, Communications and Public Engagement

With over 70 years of experience, our focus is on helping the most vulnerable children overcome poverty and experience fullness of life. We help children of all backgrounds, even in the most dangerous places, inspired by our Christian faith.

Come join our 33,000+ staff working in nearly 100 countries and share the joy of transforming vulnerable childrens life stories!

Employee Contract Type:

Local – Fixed Term Employee (Fixed Term)

Job Description:

Purpose of position:

The Position of Director, Advocacy, Communications and Public Engagement is critical to the realization of World Vision Strategy, Our Promise in Niger. The position will re-enforce World Visions (WVs) ability to credibly engage with government, partners, donors and decision makers from the local to regional and global levels, helping WV leverage its presence, results, and brand to ensure the following:

• Influence policy and practice in the humanitarian and development industry
• Increased funding for child wellbeing including childrens right to quality education, health care and child protection services, Improved access for children to humanitarian assistance
• Provide strong communication materials for effective donors engagement
• Improved coordination and influence towards the accelerated implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2, 4, 5, 13 and 16
• Showcasing WVs contributions to climate mitigation, adaptation and justice, and raising our profile with donors and governments to invest in proven, scalable environmental and climate action approaches
• GESI integration in the offices programming across all funding sources,
• Support local partners GESI integration by providing training, guidance, etc.
• Seeking Justice for Environmental Sustainability and Climate action at National, Regional and Global level
• Empowerment of children as effective advocates and change agents in their communities and at national level fostering peace and enabling their peers access their constitutional and childrens rights
• Provide leadership in Advocacy and coordinate design and implementation of campaigns at the local and National levels for Word Vision Niger.
• Facilitate public engagements with different stakeholders and build capacity of key development partners to mainstream campaign interventions and ensure linkages with World Vision Strategic Objectives.

ROLE DIMENSION / DESCRIPTION

Context and Strategic Leadership

• Develop and monitor National Office Advocacy and External Engagement strategy to determine appropriate interactive changes to the context and policy landscape in line with the Country Office Strategy and Global Strategy Our Promise.
• Provide line management for Local Level advocacy staff and CVA Coordinator, gender and inclusion as well as communications
• Implement GESI Policy and build GESI evidence based,
• Provide leadership for advocacy within all humanitarian responses in Niger
• Develop and maintain a simple tracking tool to show WV Niger progress towards policy change objectives
• Provide strategic leadership and coordination in situations requiring urgent advocacy action within the NO such as in humanitarian advocacy
• Provide policy direction to the NO including models and messages for evidence based policy influencing at different levels.
• Appropriately provide ongoing context analysis of the unfolding situation on the ground based on operational, security, humanitarian and political changes to the National Director, Integrated Programs Director, Response Managers, Regional Offices (RO), Support Offices (SOs) and the ARG
• Under the leadership of the National Director, ensure that the Faith and Development component is well integrated in the NO engagement and advocacy plan
• Lead National Efforts at influencing government at local and national level to implement the relevant SDGs related to CWB outcomes, different campaigns (It takes a world, ENOUGH, Climate Action, Immunization)

Provide leadership for the campaign strategy

• Review NO Strategies and policies and ensuring that campaign issues are embedded and work closely with technical teams to ensure alignment with NO strategy
• Ensure that WV Niger campaign contribute to the achievement of the National Offices Strategic Objectives and Our Promise
• Coordinate and ensure synergy in all campaigns in the national office TPs (WASH, Education, economic development and livelihood and child protection).
• Identify and build networks of children from the AP to National levels for the purposes of amplifying their voice on issues that affect their wellbeing.

Advocacy Co-ordination/Integration-Internal

• Ensure that advocacy is implemented effectively as a ministry area and is integrated across other ministry areas including, Evaluation and Learning, Humanitarian & Emergency Affairs (HEA) and Gender and inclusion, Faith and Development.

• Support APs in development and implementation of Local Level Advocacy initiatives such as CVA integration.

• Develop and implement a comprehensive advocacy integration skills development plan for all staff and partners including youths and children

Capacity enhancement and advocacy support to Area Programs (APs)

• Model best advocacy practice in the NO through Advocacy knowledge management and best practice.
• Promote the effective and meaningful participation of WV in functioning and vibrant national networks in the area of advocacy & campaigning for children in the country including in the UN Cluster system
• Oversee the replication of emerging advocacy good practices across APs and at national level
• Represent WV Niger in national and international high level events related to global, regional and national advocacy and campaign themes.
• Build capacity of all technical leads to undertake policy analysis and develop policy products for their respective sectors
• Build capacity of children, other vulnerable groups, Community Based Organizations, local government agencies and other service providers to implement campaign and advocacy interventions

Public Engagement Communication

• Develop and maintain public engagement framework to ensure that WV is recognized as a strategic partner for government, UN agencies and civil society organizations
• Provide support to the ND and SLT in directly engaging senior government officials including parliamentarians, policymakers, the UN agencies and Civil Society Organizations on critical issues including the production and monitoring of the implementation of SDG Voluntary National Review Reports (VNR)
• Support National Director and leadership team in engaging external individuals /institutions towards the development and implementation of child well-being strategic relationships
• Support all APs to generate CVA Data that influences the governments local and national level policies, strategies and SDG Voluntary National Reports (VNR)
• Ensure clear communication around OUR PROMISE
• Ensure work with team and media groups to inform the general public and stakeholders on WV work and impact

Leading & supporting others

Provide empowering and influential leadership to, CVA Advisors and advocacy point persons in the APs in the following manner:

• Review and provide valuable feedback in their various strategies, performance objectives, work plans and key reports (annual program report, child wellbeing report, national advocacy annual report,)
• Provide hands -on support in the implementation of the advocacy components of the various Technical Programmes (TPs)
• Support the leadership team in ensuring the agenda for Gender equity and Social inclusion is implemented
• Promote innovation and organizational learning
• Facilitate team work
• Engage and motivate staff
• Promote reflective practice
• Facilitate action learning and reflection
• Work with the NGO forum, the advocacy working groups and Joining Forces in all advocacy efforts and communications

Resource mobilization

• Work collaboratively with the RAM unit to support programs and WV partnership in mobilizing human and financial resources for advocacy and campaign purposes
• Assemble data for the purposes of resource acquisition, donor engagement
• Provide technical expertise to facilitate resource mobilization specifically for advocacy programmes around the sectors of health, education, WASH and child protection and inclusion into all grants
• Lead the development of quality materials for donors engagement

National advocacy annual report production.

Ensure that an effective and operational national advocacy data collection mechanism is in place

• Leads periodic review (every six month) of advocacy data from the local and national including CVA Data
• Produce annual reports related to initiatives such as the ITAW Campaign, ENOUGH campaign, Our Promise score cards and the Advocacy Strategic Measures (ASM) annual reports and PCPR
• Ensure CVA Data base is regularly updated and the gaps and improvement in service provision is analyzed and shared with SLT
• Ensure GESI is fully integrated in programming and Aps reflect this engagement
• Ensure the Communications team bring visibility to the ENOUGH, ITAW campaigns as well as advocacy around ESCA.
• Lead the communications team in ensuring that strategic Calendar moments such as the Day of the African Child or the Womens Day are given full coverage
• Raise national champions outside AP areas who will support the ITAW campaign

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

The incumbent is expected to operate with a high degree of independence, under the broad strategic direction and policy guidance of the National Director with technical support from the Regional Advocacy, campaigns and Safeguarding Advisor. In addition, the following knowledge, skills and abilities may be acquired through combination of formal schooling, self-education, prior experience, or on-job training:

• Masters degree in communication, journalism, public policy, social sciences, development studies, international relations or related field.
• 7 years of senior leadership experience in advocacy (including campaigns), communication, government and other stakeholders engagement, working with partners in development context;
• At least 7 years working with international NGOs and practical experience in emergency context
• Experience in high level government, international organisation & UN representation
• Strong track record in media relations, crisis management, creating constructive relationships and having the confidence to represent the organisation in the media
• Experience in technical branding, and developing policy briefs and advocacy messaging, initiatives and analysis
• Demonstrable track record of developing and executing external communications within scope and budget to positively impact the organisations influence and visibility
• Demonstrated experience leading effective digital communications, including social media and an understanding of relevant tools and trends
• Proven ability to effectively manage team and project to deliver outcomes on time
• Experience linking communication outputs with fundraising, especially in a non-profit setting
• Excellent communication skills (verbal and written), and a proven ability to train and coach staff and peers
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with proven team leadership and participation.
• Ability to communicate fluently in French and English, and to relate cross-culturally with a wide range of international constituencies
• Demonstrated facilitation and collaboration skills
• High level of awareness of global and regional socio-economic, political and environmental issues
• Ability to work virtually with other teams across different time zones, and in different cultural contexts.
• Excellent writing and editing skills fluent in English, and in French
• Travel requirements this position entails a minimum of 40% travel both within and outside the NO

Advocacy, Communication and Policy Work

The incumbent will have significant experience working in multi-NGO environment and in coalitions on policy issues in relation to child protection, poverty eradication, complex humanitarian emergencies and governance.

• The incumbent will be articulate both verbally and in writing, including the provision of policy analysis.
• The incumbent will have the ability to work with and guide consultants in research and policy analysis.
• The Position holder will have the ability to lead a communications team and partners in communication

Team Work

• Ability to maintain good relations and work effectively with other team members and External Engagement Team to ensure that World Vision presents a professional and efficient point of contact to national institutions.
• Ability to maintain awareness of the activities of other members of the team to enable mutual support during times of high pressure of activity.
• Ability to participate in and provide leadership to a virtual cross-functional national team to ensure an integrated ministry approach.
• Ability and willingness to undertake any other activities designated by the supervisor that might be necessary for the efficient and effective performance by the team.

Applicant Types Accepted:

Local and International Applicants (IA’s) Accepted