Advocacy and Communications Manager at Action Against Hunger | ACF-International

Location: Damaturu, Yobe
Job Type: Full Time
Operations Manager/Supervisor
Start date: As Soon As Possible
Direct Line Manager: Area Coordinator

Job Purpose

• The Advocacy and Communications Manager will lead the AAH policy and advocacy efforts in Yobe state while working in close coordination with the advocacy coordination team under the supervision of the Area Coordinator.
• Focusing on the early-recovery context and the AAH Nigeria advocacy strategy, the Advocacy and Communications Manager will play a key role in developing and implementing a field-level advocacy and communications strategy that will inform the policy agenda and enhance collaboration with communities, government stakeholders, partners and the media. 
• This position will also provide overall management of advocacy and communication action plans for AAH projects in the state.

Objective 1

• Expand and improve AAH’s advocacy and communication work for tackling undernutrition in Yobe State.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Development of project specific advocacy and communications action plan and provide technical guidance throughout their implementation.
• Develop and drive implementation of the state focused advocacy and communication plan in collaboration with advocacy coordination team.
• Analyse and understand the state government structures, parliamentary and political processes including key decision-making structures and how to influence them.
• Increase visibility and dissemination of AAH programme interventions by developing a range of communications materials and other activities for sharing with the stakeholders.
• Identify both global, federal and state events/celebrations and organize awareness-raising events and campaigns.
• Explore media opportunities for broadcasting AAH activities and showcasing community initiatives.
• To develop or contribute to the development of advocacy products such as policy briefings, letters, submissions and other advocacy products.
• Facilitate documentation and coordinate the collection of evidence from AAH programs in the state to influence state policies and practices.
• Facilitate institutional capacity building of government stakeholders and partners as per AAH mandate.
• Facilitate and create platforms for active and meaningful engagement of citizens with the government stakeholders.

Objective 2

• Collaboration and representation in advocacy fora

Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Raise awareness and knowledge about AAH mandate, activities and principles
• Raise awareness about humanitarian principles
• Provide Coordination team with regular updates on the political and policy developments in the State as well as humanitarian updates and state level conversations.
• Develop and coordinating partnerships with other parties on advocacy activities (NGO, civil society) and facilitating joint advocacy activities.
• Engage in networking, building relations with Federal and States stakeholders to continually inform, challenge and improve advocacy messages and tactics
• Represent AAH and contribute to advocacy related working groups (INGO and UN Working groups & task forces) and other coordination meetings.
• Undertake advocacy and lobbying as required with state decision-making bodies and stakeholders
• In collaboration with the advocacy coordination team, support the development of policy and advocacy materials such as talking points, briefing notes, position papers for AAH.
• Undertake additional coordination as requested by the DCD Humanitarian and Area Coordinator.

Objective 3

• Capacity building and repository of information

Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Coordinated organizational and staff capacity assessment and plan appropriate capacity building on communication and advocacy as per the capacity needs identified.
• Responsible for regular progress reports on advocacy and communication activities, outcomes, lessons learned, best practices and challenges at the state level.
• Create repository of advocacy and communication initiatives, tools and documents and support colleagues in identification, documenting and drafting of best practices and lessons learned from AAH interventions.
• Provide context specific, field-level information to national and global advocacy efforts.

Internal & External Relationship
Internal:

• Other Managers: exchange of information and coordination (integrated approach)
• Coordinators: exchange of information and collaboration on program issues
• Area Coordinator:  hierarchical relationship – reporting, exchange of information and collaboration on program, operational and security issues
• Operations Support Coordinator: Collaboration and exchange of information on relations with Government Institutions at district level, operational and security issues
• Advocacy Manager (Abuja): work very closely to provide information, specifically around challenges and concerns within the humanitarian response; collaboration, coordination on early recovery, policy and development agenda
• Advocacy and Communications Officer: Supervisee - exchange of information, collaboration, coordination on advocacy and communications agenda in Yobe state.

External:

• Governmental and non-governmental partners : exchange of information, coordination, training, supervision, influence on choice of technical options
• International and Local Aid Organizations : exchange of information
• Donor representatives: hosting field visits, exchange of information
• Cluster and other coordination forums

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Development related fields, with at least 2-3 years of relevant work experience in development and humanitarian.
• Minimum 2 year experience in an advocacy position
• Experience in working with coalitions and within multi-agency forums.
• Engaging with governments and/or multilateral institutions at different levels.

Skills & Experience
Essential:

• Credibility to lobby, network, influence and represent AAH Nigeria at all levels.
• Must be disciplined and able to work autonomously and arrive at decisions and conclusions with minimal guidance.
• Proven ability to learn and adapt Professional, motivated, open, creative, mature, responsible, flexible and, culturally sensitive
• Previous experience with advocacy or communication duties
• Microsoft Office Skills (Outlook, Excel, Power Point, Word)
• Willing and able to be based and travel regularly within remote areas, where services are limited.
• Excellent writing/editing, analytical and verbal communication skills
• Fluency in English and Hausa/Kanuri (written and spoken)
• Good written and oral communication skills
• Commitment to AAH mission, values and policy
• Familiar with Northeast Nigeria context

Preferred:

• Knowledge and practical experience of general humanitarian standards and principles such as Sphere Standards, HAP, and the Red Cross Code of Conduct, Do No Harm and conflict sensitivity.
• Up to date knowledge of the humanitarian discourse around key concepts such as devolution, resilience, LRRD.
• Advanced knowledge of donors’ guidelines/procedures.
• Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Package and Adobe photoshop.
• Good understanding of all three AAH’s technical sectors is desirable.

Minimum Basic Salary
N424,310 NGN per month