Technical Specialist 9 / Communications & Program Coordinator (Abuja) (19321) at ABT Associates

Organization Overview

The International Health Division is committed to the improvement of health and healthcare delivery around the world.  Serving both the public and private sectors, our efforts include health policy research and evaluation, health promotion and disease prevention, health finance, and health systems management.  Our impact is felt in policies that ensure healthcare access for women, children, and individuals with special needs, in strengthening health infrastructures, and HIV/AIDS solutions.

Job Summary

• Develop and lead implementation of an integrated communication strategy that promotes PATHS 2 messages to key audiences through diverse media.
• Protects and promotes PATHS 2 public image.
• Develop Annual Communications Work Plan, manage its implementation and monitor activities against plan and budget.
• Leads the development and strategic operations of knowledge and information management, including the technical infrastructure, to support effective communications to internal and external audiences.
• Oversees news, multi-media, e-communications, editorial, publishing, information management and technology functions.
• Ensures consistent and coherent corporate and editorial style across all outputs including media and audiovisual material, publications, documentation, action and internal materials.
• Leads the development of communications management infrastructure.
• Manages all communications activities on the ground, including interface with media.
• Keep an organized database of photos (including source of the photos, due credit, etc).
• Manages other print needs (brochures, CD-ROMs, booth materials, primers, etc.).
• Represent PATHS2 at external communications meetings.
• Write PATHS2 success stories for publication with DFID.
• Liaise with Abt Corporate Communications and the International Line of Business (ILOB) Knowledge Manager and other Abt communications staff.
• Develop and implement new initiatives that exploit current publishing and information technologies and establish and maintain communications networks and distribution channels;
• Monitor and evaluate knowledge sharing activities;
• Coordinate with key program personnel and DFID to define goals, targets and program needs (both internal and external) of the knowledge management strategy;
• Manage consultants to implement the strategy from a variety of fields such as web design, data base development, media design, multi-media, technology and publications;
• Integrate information dissemination, networking and outreach activities into the knowledge sharing effort.

Key Responsibilities

• The State Coordinator will work with project leadership to build effective and productive relationships with the State Team Leaders and encourage state-level day-to-day implementation of project activities.
• Act as a strategic link between the States and the NPM and as a clearing house for Information on States.
• Ensure timely and cost-effective project implementation, reporting of activity results at the state-level which will include working with the Value for Money (VFM) team.
• Organize, coordinate and maintain local coordinating teams amongst the State (preferably with the M&E teams) to accurately track project implementation processes.
• Maintain excellent working relationships with and serve as a liaison between state teams and the Senior Management Team (SMT)
• S/he will be responsible for liaising with project technical leads to provide support when needed.
• Identify and review system problems related to effective implementation
• Advocate for support of State-led initiatives
• Prepare policy briefs when needed and in collaboration with programme staff (TL's, STL's and TO's).
• Examine internal programme trends and issues and communicate monthly findings to assist the SMT in efficiently and effectively addressing larger team.
• Collect data and all pertinent state documentation in residual database
• Coordinate state level monthly progress reports and produce monthly updates based on M&E findings in collaboration with Microsoft Project Tool expert.

Minimum Qualifications
(8+) years of experience and a master degree OR the equivalent combination of education and experience.