Regional Head of Advocacy, Communications and Rights

Location: Nairobi or Addis Ababa

Responsible to: Regional Director

Grade: NS1

Responsible for: Regional Communications and Information Officer, African Union liaison post, Interns, Consultants, Freelance Editors as needed.

Key relationships: Advocacy and Communications Team in London, Head of Communications and Brand, Head of Strategic Alliances in Africa, Regional Communications and Advocacy staff in other regions, Affiliates and partners, Heads of programmes in the Regions, Regional Directors, Key Government Ministries and Regional Programmes Staff.

Background

HelpAge International is a global network of not-for-profit organisations with a mission to work with and for disadvantaged older people worldwide to achieve a lasting improvement in the quality of their lives.

HelpAge works with over a 100 affiliates organisations in 70 countries. HelpAge has a Regional Offices in East West Central and Southern Africa to manage HelpAge programmes in Africa.

Its past and current programmes have focussed on developing older persons’ organisations and networks and sub-national, national and regional level, realizing older persons´ rights, and contributing to policy development on ageing in the region.

The post holder will work in close coordination with the Country Directors (CDs), National Communications Officers (NCOs) and Advocacy and Communications Department (ACD) in London that is responsible for building profile and promoting understanding of HelpAge, its work and the issues with which it is concerned, through media, publishing and information activities, and through advocacy and campaigning work.

It leads on advocacy, coordinating campaigns, produces newsletters, briefing papers and other publications; leads on website management; handles media contacts; works on managing the corporate brand and supporting communications needs of fundraising affiliates.

Job Purpose

The post-holder will be part of the senior management team for the region providing strategic direction on communications and advocacy and building a strong regional profile for HelpAge. As a member of the International Advocacy and Communications

Team, the Regional Head of Advocacy, Communications and Rights will lead on campaigning, advocacy, rights and communications work in the region working to and contributing to the development of HelpAge Internationals global campaign agenda.

Main priorities and tasks
 

Strategic advocacy and campaigning

• Build profile and influence of HelpAge International across Africa and contribute to global campaign agenda, for example promoting and developing the use of the Global AgeWatch Index and Age Demands Action campaign.
• Support RD/CDs/NCOs – to develop regional and national advocacy and communication strategies in line with country/regional targets and the International Advocacy and Communication strategy
• Develop a regional advocacy and communications team to ensure peer-learning and coordinated action on key advocacy issues.
• Ensure regional programmes include evidence collection, documentation needed to communicate findings and recommendations clearly to media, government and other stakeholders.
• Proactively develop and contribute to proposal writing to raise resources for advocacy and communications work in the region.
• Manage liaison with key external stakeholders like the African Building Blocks e.g. (SADEC), African Union in liaison with Regional Directors and Program Heads, Donors etc.

Building Capacity

• Build capacity around advocacy and communications within the region to create positive change in the lives of older people and support NCOs in their work.
• Provide support to partners and staff in terms of ensuring the inclusion of advocacy, campaigns and older people’s rights in the designing, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of regional and country programmes.
• Provide technical support and input on older people’s rights and mainstreaming ageing in partner organisation’s programmes.
• Support the RDs, CDs on development of local network plan and hold responsibility for delivering Age Demands Action and other HelpAge campaigns in Africa in collaboration with Regional offices.

Media

• Ensure spokespeople on key strategic areas and campaigns are trained and accessible and build national and regional media (traditional and social media) profile of HelpAge
• Manage a number of proactive advocacy/media agendas at anyone time in line with country/regional strategy.
• Liaise with media proactively around key campaigns/events (2/3 a year) and reactively in response to enquiries and coverage of ageing issues (through letters to editor etc.)

Communications

• Ensure supply of communications information and materials (country info packs, price points, Sponsor a Grandparent reporting, videos and case studies) from the region for Age UK/International’s and other affiliates’ public fundraising efforts.
• Manage regular contact to key stakeholders in the region using corporate and local resources e.g. country section of website, Ageways, regional newsletters etc.
• Ensure the region is adequately represented on key corporate materials e.g. HelpAge website, annual report, AgeWays etc.
• Provide support and advice to programme staff on strategic advocacy, rights and communications work and resources available to produce programmes resources. E.g. rights policy briefs, brand guidelines, templates, publication and marketing, Photo library.
• Serve as the brand guardian for the region and ensure all materials produced reflect HelpAge’s brand position and all staff are aware of HelpAge’s values. Ensure HelpAge’s brand is adequately protected across the region against risks.

General

• To contribute to team and departmental meetings.
• The jobholder may be required to undertake additional tasks, commensurate with status, after consultation and the provision of necessary support and training.
• The jobholder is expected to operate within all HelpAge policies and procedures.

Person specification
 

Qualifications

• A university degree, preferably on Journalism/Communication/International Relations or equivalent
• Additional IT background is desirable

Knowledge and experience

• At least seven years’ of relevant strategic experience in working in campaigning, advocacy and communication with development agencies or equivalent (Essential)
• media contacts
• representational, leadership and motivational qualities
• Knowledge of/interest in international development and/or ageing issues (Essential)
• Experience of managing marketing, advocacy or policy campaigns (Essential)
• Proven success in developing and implementing creative campaigns and building networks for change (Essential)
• Understanding of how popular mobilisation helps to realise changes in policy and practice (Essential)
• Excellent project management skills, with a track record of taking large scale projects from concept stage to execution
• Ability to identify opportunities to engage the public in advocacy strategies and convert these into clear campaign messaging and activities
• Experience of media liaison and digital engagement at regional level
• Experience of managing a photo collection (Desirable)
• Experience of producing and marketing publications for international, regional audiences (Essential)
• Some experience of monitoring and evaluating the impact of publications (Desirable)
• Fluency in English (speaking and writing) – (Essential)

Specific skills and aptitudes (Essential)

• Ability to work as a team and on own initiative
• Ability to prioritise and manage a varied workload and to work under pressure to deadlines
• Proven ability to write accessibly for different audiences and to interpret information for them
• Editing, proof-reading, and production and print management skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including ability to advise staff on production of publications and photographic procedures
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability and willingness to be self-servicing, including word-processing, photocopying and filing.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, please send an updated CV and covering letter by 15th January 2014 explaining how you meet the criteria for the role to:

Regional Human Resource Coordinator
HelpAge International
Africa Regional Development Centre,
P.O. Box 14888 – 00800
Westlands, Nairobi

Email: helpage@helpage.co.ke copy in hr@helpage.co.ke