Save the Children invests in childhood – every day, in times of crisis and for our future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. By transforming children’s lives now, we change the course of their future and ours. Please give monthly and support our mission. Save the Children is working to strengthen health systems and support maternal and child health in four northern states. Much work needs to be done for Nigeria to deliver its promises on Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 (which aim to reduce child mortality and improve maternal health) before 2015. Facts About Nigeria More than 173 Million people live there The average girl stays in school only until she’s 9 123 out of 1000 children die before their 5th birthday A parent earns an average of just $4 a day Our Work Save the Children has been working in Nigeria since 2001. We’re helping to improve health systems in northern Nigeria to delivery maternal, newborn, and child health services, including the revival of routine immunization.
- Job Type: Full Time
- Qualification: MBA/MSc/MA
- Location: Kaduna
- Job Field: NGO/Non-Profit , Project Management
SCOPE AND ROLE PURPOSE:
- This role will manage, coordinate and mobilize all advocacy, and community engagements for ROOSC project, through collaborating and closely working with the Education Coordinator, GESI Specialist, MEAL Coordinator, Child Protection officers, Advocacy, Campaign and Policy Manager/Learn, Deputy Director/s of Program Operations, Project Director, Field Manager, and Community Mobilization and engagement Manager – ensuring that there is an effective and coordinated team spearheading SCI Nigeria’s influence towards an accelerated positive change for all children, specially girls, to access quality, safe, inclusive, uninterrupted and free education.
- S/he will work closely with the Community Mobilization Officers and Field Manager on the implementation of the advocacy and community engagements. S/he will ensure during proposal development that sustainability of the projects are well articulated and the project implementation are directed using both National and Sub-national advocacy and community engagements strategies as appropriate. S/he will also be expected to contribute to the design, review and implementation of wider SCI Nigeria Advocacy, Campaign, Media and Communication Strategy and the CSP.
- S/he will coordinate and oversee the Community Mobilization Officers to ensure monthly, quarterly and annual advocacy reports that feeds into CO and donors report. S/he will work closely with CO ACCM Unit to develop relevant materials, such as but not limited to policy briefs/briefing messages, concept notes, guidelines and undertake actions to create enabling environment and promote increasing government and community commitment and action on children’s rights to education.
- S/he will lead on education advocacy and community engagements and support the design and implementation of the programme within the right based programming approach.
- Generally, s/he shall provide technical support, capacity building and technical oversight to community mobilization Officers and Assistants; networking and partnership building at state level; and shall promote Girl Education Campaign across the State.
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
Advocacy and Community Engagements
- Develop, coordinate and manage Advocacy and Community engagements plans, in order to influence relevant stakeholders and achieve required changes at State and local government levels.
- Lead Advocacy and community engagements at the state, local government and community levels on Universal Basic Education, develop key messages for influencing state policy reviews, processes and discussions.
- Champion, promote, coordinate and manage the implementation of out of school children Campaign Strategy in collaboration with Advocacy, Campaign and Policy Manager learn.
- Mobilize and build capacities of community mobilization officers and assistants, towards delivering advocacy and community engagements strategies through strengthening knowledge and skills/capacities to incorporate, align and integrate advocacy and community engagements into their area of work
- In collaboration with the MEAL Coordinator, s/he shall track, measure, monitor and evaluate the quality of integration and implementation of advocacy and community engagement in the implementation of the project.
- Shall contribute to the development of annual work plans, budgets, reports and document case studies and success stories on the ROOSC project.
- Ensure maximum visibility of Save the Children according to the branding guidelines both internally and externally across relevant platforms.
- Ensure that children are at the heart of advocacy and community engagements activities, and they are an integral part of Save the Children’s campaigning work.
- Ensure proper documentation and dissemination of major activities, successes and learnings related to ROOSC.
- Strengthen Networking and Partnership
- S/he shall represent SCI Nigeria in the state level engagements, and shall create, nurture, strengthen and maintain strategic partnership with other key stakeholders in the education sector.
- Work with Media and Communication team, Education Coordinator, Safeguarding officer and Project Director to develop case studies for the project and ensure that these meet Save the Children Child Safeguarding Policies (SP)
- In collaboration with the CO Media and Communication Manager, Advocacy, Campaign and Policy (ACP) Manager/learn, s/he will identify story ideas on lessons learned and experiences for development of success stories and other communication materials.
- Explore opportunities to communicate about ROOSC project deliverables and its impact internally and externally, with a wide variety of state and national level stakeholders using innovative methods.
- Produce reports, advocacy messaging and presentations for internal and external audiences, as directed by the line manager or ACCM Director.
- Act as SCI Nigeria’s representative at state and local government levels as required, mainly in events relating to education advocacy, and community engagement.
- Develop and maintain a professional network for governance issues within project state and within SCI Nigeria.
- Build the capacity of CSOs and support the development of strong civil society engagement in reducing out of school children.
- Contribute to the bi-weekly ACCM country wide coordination meeting and produce stories and case studies for publication in the monthly Jebb times.
- In collaboration with Advocacy Campaign and Policy Manager Lean, Community Mobilization and Engagements manager, organise events on education issues, including symposiums, trainings, high-level seminars and conferences for the dissemination of important information, learning, reports, research and messages.
Others
- Participate in all ACCM activities, meetings, annual review workshops and trainings.
- Perform other duties as assigned by the Project Director, Field Manager, ACP Manager/learn or ACCM Director.
SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our Values in Practice)
Accountability:
- Holds self- accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
- Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved
Ambition:
- Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to do the same
- Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
- Future orientated, thinks strategically
- Build strong influencing networks among policy makers, donors and CSOs to push the UHC agenda
Collaboration:
- Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters
- Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
- Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to
Creativity:
- Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
- Willing to take disciplined risks
Integrity:
- Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity.
SKILLS & EXPERIENCE
Essential
- Level of Education – Postgraduate
- Specified Study Area – Development Economics, Education, Public Policy, Human Rights Law, Development Studies
- Desired Number of Years’ experience – 5 (in education/development advocacy)
- Language Requirements – English – Excellent with a good knowledge of Hausa language
- Level of IT Expertise Required – Excellent
- Profound knowledge in Nigeria governance and education systems and political terrains
- Ability to write very good position papers and policy briefings
- Strong analytical framework to clearly articulate and communicate our policy positions.
- Ability to be strategic and proactive when required to be able to keep advocacy plans dynamic and aligned to new policy and political developments.
- Ability to clearly communicate and easily relate to state and local government authorities.
- Able to demonstrate positive attitude, diplomatic, negotiator, and team player.
- Experience of working in a multi-cultural environment and respect for diversity
- Comply with the requirements of Save the Children’s commitment to protect children in accordance with the Child Safeguarding Policy
Prior Experience Expectations
- Building external networks
- Strategic Planning
- Governance and Gender advocacy
- Enhanced voice accountability
- Training and Facilitation