Advocacy & Policy Manager

The Opportunity – Advocacy and Policy Manager

Post location: Country Office in Ramallah

Contract Duration and Level of Effort: 12 months with possibility for extension

ROLE PURPOSE:

The purpose of the role is to support policy analysis and advocacy strategy development for the CO, support priority programmatic areas such as education, child protection, accountability, and humanitarian space/operational space issues, and deputise management of the Advocacy, Campaigns, Communications and Media team as needed. The Advocacy Manager will support advocacy and campaigns work with and for children, work in close collaboration with programme colleagues, and support Save the Children’s external engagement and participation in clusters and relevant fora. The role will support development of policy analysis and strategic planning in response to those issues. The post-holder will work closely with the Regional Office and advocates across the Save the Children movement. The post-holder will be key in ensuring child participatory advocacy and campaigning activities across strategic priorities, ensuring current and consistent messaging, and identifying and building relationships with key stakeholders including strategic local partners. S/he will have strong strategic thinking, risk management, policy analysis, diplomacy, and negotiation skills and experience, with demonstrable ability to work effectively autonomously and as part of a team.

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: Advocacy, Campaigns, Communications and Media Director

Staff reporting to this post: None, though will take on operational management oversight of ACCM team (currently Gaza Communications and Media Officer, West Bank Communications and Media Officer, and CO-wide Senior Advocacy and Campaigns Officer) in ACCM Director’s absence.

Budget Responsibilities: None

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Advocacy Strategy Development and Implementation

• In collaboration with ACCM Director and team and others at CO and RO, support development and implementation of the country office’s advocacy strategy, ensuring coordination and engagement across all departments to deliver on the strategic objectives.
• Support regular revision, strengthening, and implementation of 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, with support from the ACCM Director, RO and the backstop, and in line with the CO CSP.
• Support the Senior Advocacy and Campaigns Officer and ACCM Director to develop and implement the Country Office’s campaigns strategy, ensuring coordination and engagement across all departments to deliver on the strategic objectives, with support from the RO and the backstop.
• Based on Save the Children 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 with support from ACCM Director, RO and the backstop
• In collaboration and support from relevant CO functions, support the plan for national level advocacy and influencing as part of the overall advocacy strategy, involving partners, technical experts, and national actors where appropriate.
• Maintain a strategic overview of issues effecting children’s rights in 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.
• 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.
• Define key advocacy opportunities and targets at national and regional levels, if relevant, and if needed mobilize international advocacy support for these working closely and supporting the ACCM Director.
• Support a strong power analysis of the relevant actors and where opportunities for influence and leverage lie to inform the national and international advocacy strategy.
  • Support the ACCM Director to provide regular updates to relevant teams on campaign and advocacy progress
  • Support to the CO identifying issues affecting children’s rights in oPt through new research and information sharing with peer organisations
  • Work with ACCM team and programme teams on the development of advocacy briefs (public and private), impact studies, and reports to ensure visibility and strategic external communications
• Ensure coordination and engagement across all departments to deliver on the strategic objectives. Including:
• Train national partners on advocacy and support them in development of their advocacy strategies
• Support programme teams with advocacy training, and feedback on advocacy products/deliverables

Producing Advocacy Products

• Collaborate and support the CO team to 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 national advocacy strategy and humanitarian advocacy strategy in country.
• Develop policy briefing papers and messaging related to national, regional and international advocacy issues and priorities.
• 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 and the Regional Advocacy Media and Communications Director. When necessary ensure advocacy, products are signed-off according to the SCI sign-off procedures.
• Work closely with media and communications colleagues to highlight humanitarian needs in line with ACCM strategy objectives by supporting development of products for social and traditional media. Advise on advocacy angles for media lines and media strategy.
• Support external advocacy coordination fora, including within the relevant national forums/entities and meetings, AIDA, the Humanitarian Country Team, the Education Cluster and Child Protection Sub-Cluster as directed by the ACCM Director, promoting or ensuring inclusion of Save the Children prioritized child rights issues in these essential coalition fora.

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.
• 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 oPt 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, working closely with PDQ leads.
• Support the development of systems for research, analysis, and documentation that underpin evidence-based advocacy and influencing at national and international levels.
• Support development of dissemination and communication strategies for key advocacy messages, together with communications colleagues at CO, RO, centre and members.
• Produce or manage the production of reports, briefing papers, and presentations for internal and external audiences, as directed by the ACCM Director.
• Promote the role of children in influencing to promote respect for their rights to survival, learning, and protection

Coordination and representation

• Develop and cultivate strategic relationships with other agencies engaged in advocacy and policy work in oPt.
• 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.
• Support the ACCM Director to liaise closely with ACCM staff across Member, Advocacy, Regional and Centre offices to integrate and coordinate policy change initiatives throughout.

Child participation

• Provide additional advocacy support as needed to the Senior Advocacy and Campaigns Officer in 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 children are meaningfully engaged in advocacy activities wherever possible, including building capacity in child participation in advocacy initiatives and meetings
• Support programme and operations teams to incorporate child-led advocacy activities in programming activities.

Integrated Policy Programming Support

• Working closely with programmes and programme development and quality (PDQ), support the analysis provided 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 integration of programme insights and focus into advocacy strategy and activities, and integration of advocacy strategy objectives into programmes in line with the Country Office Strategic Plan.
• Support the ACCM Director to ensure proper planning and engagement in programme proposals around advocacy activities.
• Support the technical advisers and implementation team/s in defining and articulating thematic policy change objectives.

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 5 years demonstrated experience in progressively responsible positions at management levels.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Essential

• At least 5 years’ experience in a humanitarian or development environment, preferably leading advocacy and policy change in the oPt or the Middle East region.
• 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.
• Demonstrated skills in advocating towards government officials in developing countries.
• Experience in developing and implementing humanitarian advocacy strategies.
• 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 and Arabic required.
• Good attention to detail.
• 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
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Advanced understanding of protection issues arising from a crisis setting, impact on protected populations, and implications for humanitarian aid agencies.
• Ability and willingness to change work practices and hours, and work with incoming surge teams, in the event of emergencies.
• Commitment to Save the Children values.
• 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.
• Experience in managing risks associated with advocacy in high-risk settings, including in developing risk management plans and mitigation measures.

Desirable

• Experience working for an international humanitarian organisation in oPt or the Middle East preferred.
• Understanding of the wider advocacy ecosystem – for oPt and in general – and distinct roles, responsibilities, capacities and added values of INGOs, national NGOs, humanitarian organisations, human rights organisations, legal actors and activists within it.
• 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.
• Proven skills in media and communication work, including interviews on Radio and TV.
• 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.
• Experience in coaching, capacity-sharing and strengthening and supporting the development of a team, including supporting junior members of staff to deliver high-quality output.

We offer a competitive package in the context of the sector**. Application will be reviewed and selected on a rolling basis.**

Save the Children promotes a diverse and inclusive work environment, women and people with different abilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Organisation

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.