Back Advocacy, Campaigns, Communications and Media Director

The Opportunity – Advocacy, Campaigns, Communications and Media Director

Post location: Ramallah - Country Office

Contract Duration: 1 year with possibility of extension based on funds availability

As a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT) in the Country Office (CO), the Advocacy, Campaigns, Communications and Media (ACCM) Director shares in the overall responsibility for the direction and coordination of the Country Office. The ACCM Director in his/her capacity is responsible for providing leadership to ensure excellence in our public and private facing advocacy, campaigning, media, and communications on the humanitarian situation of children in oPt as well as our longer term development work.**

The purpose of the role is to lead and manage the external policy analysis and advocacy strategy development for the CO, supporting the priority programmatic areas, such as child protection and Education in Emergencies, and humanitarian space/operational space issues. The role will support the Senior Management Team in risk mapping, mitigation and management on issues identified as most relevant for the CO, and develop policy analysis and strategic planning in response to those issues.

In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Country Director **

Role Dimensions: The oPt CO operates in a highly complex context with multi-member interest. The CO has an annual budget of around $13m, and approximately 65 staff.

Staff directly reporting to this post: 3 staff members as follows: Communication officer (West Bank), Advocacy and Campaigns Senior Officer (West Bank) and Communication Officer in Gaza- technically dotted line.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

As a member of the Senior Management Team, provide:

· Leadership of the oPt Country Office.

· Support in the development of an organisational culture that reflects the full programming spectrum (humanitarian and development) values, promotes accountability and high performance, encourages a team culture of learning, creativity, and innovation, and supports staff to deliver outstanding results for children.

· Help in the design and implementation of a coherent organizational structure that is consistent with agency practices and appropriate to country office needs.

· Assurance that all required support is provided promptly, during emergencies or times of humanitarian crisis.

· Risk mitigation management in response to SMT, regional office, center (HQ), or Member identified risks to the delivery of quality programmes for children with focus and ownership on ‘Speaking Out’.

· Guarantee of strong linkages between the Advocacy, Campaigns, Communications and Media function and other functions of the SMT so that advocacy is well resourced, evidence based and programme driven, and that programmes are enhanced through advocacy.

Advocacy Strategy Development and Implementation

• Lead oPt’s Advocacy, Media and Communications team with a clear vision and integrated work plans and objectives, including setting SMART goals for the team and securing buy-in from key internal stakeholders.
• Lead the country office’s strategy to protect children in conflict, ensuring coordination and engagement across all departments to deliver on the strategic objectives. The post holder will hold primary responsibility for risk mitigation and management associated with the delivery on this strategy.
• Revise, strengthen, and implement the Country Office’s overall advocacy strategy that identifies policy and practice change, on the basis of Save the Children’s experience, that would promote and protect the rights of children in the oPt.
• Based on Save the Children (SC) programme priorities and identified priority issues for children, develop key advocacy messages and identify targets from lessons learned, assessments, research, and evidence gained through project implementation.
• Develop and implement advocacy objectives and initiatives, both short and long term, encompassing a wide range of issues and audiences.
• Develop and implement a plan for national level advocacy and influencing as part of the overall advocacy strategy, involving partners, technical experts, and national actors where appropriate.
• Ensure that voices of children are integral to SC’s advocacy, campaigning, and media work.
• Lead the Country Office’s campaigns strategy, with a focus on education, ensuring coordination and engagement across all departments to deliver on the strategic objectives.
• Maintain a strategic overview of issues effecting children’s rights in the oPt, monitoring trends in the external environment and inputting and/or leading as required to organisational strategy and planning processes, in coordination with other team members.
• Ensure a robust overview, ongoing analysis, and development of key messages around protecting children in conflict issues with the particular focus on education and protection, movement and access, humanitarian and operational space issues affecting Save the Children’s ability to deliver quality programmes for children.
• Work proactively with Save the Children oPt’s partners on joint advocacy, media, and communications objectives and support partners to identify and address capacity strengthening opportunities, both for partners and wider civil society in oPt.

Situation and Advocacy Analysis

· Working closely with programmes, provide analysis of how children have been affected by the occupation in the Palestinian territories, the national policy responses and policy frameworks, as well as other factors such as UN coordination, funding for the response, security, and current and future challenges that have an impact on children and their access to humanitarian assistance, health, education and protection services.

· Define key advocacy opportunities and targets at national and regional levels, if relevant, and if needed mobilize international advocacy support for these.

· Ensure a strong power analysis of the relevant actors and where opportunities for influence and leverage lie to inform the advocacy strategy.

Producing Advocacy Products

· Draft and otherwise support the production of advocacy products as outlined in the advocacy strategy for use at the country, regional and international levels including supporting the Protecting Children in Conflict (PCIC) Advocacy and Campaigns strategy in country.

· Ensure that all advocacy messages, documents, and strategies are evidence-based, drawn from field experience and assessments, of high quality and effective, and are approved by the Country Director, the Regional Advocacy Media and Communications Director, and the Humanitarian Advocacy Working Group (HAWG). When necessary ensure advocacy products are signed-off according to the SCI sign-off procedures.

Policy

• Keep a watching brief on policy makers and other key players in relation to children’s rights issues and identify opportunities to raise awareness and influence policy change.
• Lead and coordinate Save the Children’s engagement with humanitarian policy issues and related advocacy, including by developing briefing papers and helping SC’s team navigate issues relating to humanitarian access and other pressing policy issues.

External Engagement and Influencing

• Develop good knowledge of local and national government structures (in Palestine and in key Member capitals), parliamentary and political processes and key decision making structures and how to influence them.
• Undertake a range of lobbying, communications, and other activities to inform and persuade policy makers, including donors and politicians, of the value of SC’s policy recommendations.
• Build systems for research, analysis, and documentation that underpin evidence based advocacy and influencing at national and international levels.
• Develop dissemination and communication strategies for key advocacy messages, together with communications colleagues.
• Produce or manage the production of reports, briefing papers, and presentations for internal and external audiences, as directed.

· Lead SC’s media and comms work to highlight humanitarian needs by developing products for social and traditional media. Advise on media lines and media strategy, ensuring potential risks associated with SC’s positions are assessed and sign-off procedures are adhered to.

Coordination & Representation

• Develop and cultivate strategic relationships with other agencies engaged in advocacy and policy work in the oPt.

· Lead or support external advocacy coordination forum, including within the Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA), the Humanitarian Country Team, and the Education Cluster (EiE thematic working group), promoting or ensuring inclusion of Save the Children prioritized child rights issues in these essential coalition fora.

• Develop and maintain a network of external contacts with key individuals in the government, donors, NGO sector, civil society, and the media.
• Represent SC at various policy forums and advocacy opportunities at national and international levels, as directed.
• Act as a spokesperson for SC to a variety of external audiences including policy makers and the media, as directed.
• Liaise closely with staff in the Policy, Advocacy, and Campaigns units within the Members, the Regional Office, and at the Center, and other fora to integrate and coordinate policy change initiatives throughout SCI members.
• Develop strong links with the Members programmes for advocacy / awareness raising globally.

Campaigns Materials and Delivery

· Lead the development of an integrated campaigns plan aligned with the country strategic plan.

· Lead the implementation of Save the Children global campaign ‘Save Our Education’ in oPt as a focus country.

· Develop policy briefing papers, policy statements and public communication materials related to national, regional and international advocacy issues and priorities.

· In coordination with the programmes team, commission and/or conduct strategic research development to support campaigning efforts including evidence-based timely data and content.

· Oversee the delivery of planned campaigns including the development of campaign materials and all aspects of implementation, including public mobilization, community engagement, and child and youth engagement.

· Ensure that all advocacy and campaign messages, documents and strategies are evidence-based, drawn from field experience and assessments, of high quality and effective.

· Ensure that children are engaged in child-led and collaborative messaging development where relevant.

· Establish and strengthen partnership efforts around campaigning for child rights.

Integrated Policy Programming Support

· Working closely with programmes and programme development and quality (PDQI), provide analysis of how children have been affected by the crisis in oPt in order to influence SC’s own national responses and policy frameworks, as well as other actors such as the UN, humanitarian community, donors, and security actors.

· Support programme leadership to articulate their top priority advocacy or communications objectives in line with the Country Office Strategic Plan.

· Manage the communications staff/team, ensuring the delivery of high quality communications and documentation support to the CO and programmes.

· Ensure development of the CO communications strategy, towards donors (working with the MRM) and other external stakeholders.

· Ensure proper planning and engagement in programme proposals around communications, branding, and visibility.

· Support the specialists and implementation team/s in defining and articulating thematic policy change objectives.

· Ensure clear links and mutual reinforcement between programmatic approaches and CO communications, and links external advocacy strategies where appropriate.

• Write regular progress reports as needed, to keep the CO and regional team updated, and contribute to the Regional advocacy updates for the HAWG as required. Ensure that SC responds appropriately to emergencies, providing policy analysis and support around humanitarian space issues, and support the Comms focal point to meet emergency comms requirements, including sitreps, fact sheets, updates and other required products.

· Proactively engage and support country teams’ efforts to engage externally and build relationships that will generate new funding opportunities.

· In relation to specific opportunities, contribute where possible to the country leadership decision making to form partnerships which strengthen both programming and resource mobilization outcomes.

Perform other tasks as required to ensure the smooth running of the country programme.

In order to be successful you will bring/have:

QUALIFICATIONS

· Master’s degree in Social Science, Journalism & Media or related field.

• A minimum of 8 years demonstrated experience in progressively responsible positions at senior management levels.**

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Essentials

· At least 8 years experience in a humanitarian or development environment, preferably leading advocacy and policy change in the Middle East.

· Prior management experience working in emergency response contexts or fragile states.

· Significant prior experience working in advocacy on humanitarian issues, child rights, human rights, and/or development issues.

· Experience of influencing and advocacy work including lobbying, policy development and information provision in humanitarian issues.

· Excellent skills in advocating towards government officials in developing countries.

· Experience of and strong skills in developing and implementing humanitarian advocacy strategies.

· Proven skills in media and communication work, including interviews on Radio and TV.

· Demonstrated ability to develop and lead research, surveys, and other activities oriented towards developing positions and evidence base.

· Highly developed communication skills both written and verbal in order to establish effective relationships with a wide variety of internal and external audiences including at a geographical distance.

· Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner.

· Fluency in Writing and Presentation skills in English required.

· Good attention to detail.

· Extensive knowledge of child rights and international humanitarian law.

· Understanding of UN and donor operations at country level.

· High level analytical and strategic thinking skills.

· Cultural awareness and ability to build relationships quickly with a wide variety of people

• Patient, adaptable, flexible, able to improvise and remain responsive and communicate clearly and effectively under pressure.
• Excellent planning, management, and coordination skills, with the ability to organise a substantial workload comprised of complex, diverse tasks and responsibilities.

· Excellent interpersonal skills, with experience in managing multicultural teams.

• Experience in coaching, capacity-building and supporting the development of a team, including supporting junior members of staff to deliver high-quality output.
• Experience in managing risks associated with advocacy and communications in high-risk settings, including in developing risk management plans and mitigation measures.

· Advanced understanding of Protection issues arising from a conflict setting, impact on protected populations, and implications for humanitarian aid agencies.

· Ability and willingness to dramatically change work practices and hours, and work with incoming surge teams, in the event of emergencies.

· Commitment to Save the Children values.

Desirable

· Experience working for an international humanitarian organisation in oPt (or the Middle East) preferred.

· Experience with programmes, programme development, proposal writing, or implementation a plus.

· Experience in coordination of various stakeholders a plus.

· Experience solving complex issues through analysis.

· High Fluency in writing and presentation skills in Arabic.

· Has a strong international network within advocacy and policy settings.

· Understanding of the issues concerning the INGO sector with an in-depth knowledge in communications, marketing and/or fundraising.

· Demonstrable track record of leading change, resulting in significant results for the organisation and their stakeholders.**

· Strong results orientation.**

· Palestinian nationals are encouraged to apply.

We offer a competitive package, commensurate with the sector and within the context of the oPt. This role is offered on the basis of national or international terms and conditions, dependent on the successful candidate. Palestinian nationals are strongly encouraged.

The Organization

Save the Children works in development and humanitarian contexts with children and partners to help families, communities, and governments identify and use innovations to ensure all children survive, learn and are protected.

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 realize 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 environment where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.