SCI Syria Response Office
role profile
TITLE: Advocacy, Media and Communications ManagerTEAM/PROGRAMME: Save the Children Syria Response office Senior Management Team / LOCATION:
Amman
GRADE: TBC / CONTRACT LENGTH:
12 months
CHILD SAFEGUARDING:
Level 3: the role holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work in country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.
ROLE PURPOSE:
As a member of the Syria Response office’s Senior Management Team (SMT), the Advocacy, Media and Communications Manager shares in the overall responsibility for the direction and coordination of the Syria Response office. The Advocacy, Media and CommunicationManager in his/her capacity is responsible for managing our public and private facing advocacy, media and communications on the humanitarian situation for the Syria Response office as well as any longer term development work.
SCOPE OF ROLE:
Reports to:Syria Response Director
Dimensions:Supports the successful management of the Syria Response office’s program portfolio, approximately $20m USD annually across all access areas.
Staff directly reporting to this post:1 direct report and 1 dotted line report
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
As a member of the Senior Management Team, contribute to:
- Demonstrate behaviours that are consistent with Save the Children’s Mission, Vision and Values and ensure their broader application by staff across the programme
- Support the development of an organisational culture that promotes accountability and high performance, encourages a team culture of learning, creativity and innovation, and frees up our people to deliver outstanding results for children and excellent customer service for our Members and donors
- Supportstrong linkages between Advocacy and Programs so that advocacy is evidence based and program driven and that programs are enhanced through advocacy.
- Demonstrate Save the Children’s commitment to safeguarding children, in accordance with our Code of Conduct and Child Safeguarding Policy.
- Comply with and promote Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.
Strategy
- Ensure regular review, revision and implementation of the Syria advocacy strategy, in coordination with the Syria Director and programs team, the RO and the Humanitarian Advocacy Working Group (HAWG).
- Liaise with key UN, NGO and other interlocutors in the region to ensure Save the Children has up to date information on the humanitarian situation and response in the country.
- Working closely with programs, provide analysis of how children have been affected by the crisis in Syria, the policy responses and frameworks, as well as other factors such as UN coordination, funding for the response, security and current and future challenges that have an impact on children and their access to humanitarian assistance, health, education and protection services.
- Define key advocacy opportunities and targets at national and regional levels, if relevant, and if needed mobilize international advocacy support for these.
- Ensure a strong power analysis of the relevant actors and where opportunities for influence and leverage lie to inform the advocacy strategy.
- Prepare high-quality briefings, letters and other written material for internal and external use
- Undertake and/or commission researches on specific issues to inform present and future advocacy choices and to build Save the Children’s position
- Produce policy briefing papers, policy position statements and public communication related to key advocacy issues
- Lobby decision-makers at high level in line with Save the Children agreed advocacy messages
- Support media strategyto make optimal use of national and international media to influence key advocacy targets and public opinion
- Support in seeking creative and influential routes to profile issues of importance for children
- Undertake vigorous networking to continually inform, challenge, and improve advocacy messaging and tactics, investing in relationships and attending coordination meetings and forums
- Establish monitoring and evaluation processes of advocacy work and ensure that advocacy implementation and impact are effectively monitored and evaluated (including through the use of the Advocacy Measurement Tool)
- Write on regular basis short stories illustrating the success of advocacy work
- Ensure that learning from monitoring and evaluation processes is used to improve delivery of advocacy work
- Ensure the provision of high quality visual and print media materials to support campaign strategies and their implementation
External communications/media
- Maintain overall accountability for comms and media, support the Info and Communications Manager and team to effectively implement the comms and media strategy and deliver high quality media and comms products;
- Support the developmentof a high profile for Save the Children’s Syria response through the production of high quality, well researched, and well written products (in a variety of mediums), responding quickly and appropriately to external requests for information, especially on the conflict
- Work with Regional Office Media Manager to identify potential media moments highlighting identified advocacy issues
- Facilitate media interviews with Syria Response Director or designate, undertake media interviews as needed and relevant
- Provide a system of regular information dissemination support production of information documents andpublications for the Syria Response program and internal stakeholders
- Oversee ability to scale up the delivery of robust communications material during emergencies per the agreed protocols and requests from other Members and Save the Children International
- Ensure that all staff understand and are able to perform their role in an emergency
- Manage Media, Communications and Advocacy team; define expectations, provide leadership and technical support as needed, and evaluate direct reports regularly
- Ensure the recruitment, training, and promotion of staff as appropriate and ensure availability of appropriate professional development opportunities for staff
- Incorporate staff development strategies and Performance Management Systems into team building process. Establish result based system and follow up
- Manage the performance of all staff in the work area through:
- Effective use of the Performance Management System including the establishment of clear, measureable objectives, ongoing feedback, periodic reviews and fair and unbiased evaluations;
- Coaching, mentoring and other developmental opportunities;
- Recognition and rewards for outstanding performance;
- Documentation of performance that is less than satisfactory, with appropriate performance improvements/ work plans
BEHAVIOURS (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
- 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
- Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, other Members and external partners and supporters
- Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
- Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to
- Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
- Willing to take disciplined risks
- Honest, encourages openness and transparency
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
- 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.
- Experience in influencing government, donors, and other organisations
- Demonstrable creative ability in accessing new opportunities, expertise and ideas
- Demonstrable track record of leading change which has led to significant results for the organisation and their stakeholders
- Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing and negotiation
- Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
- Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mindsets
- Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner
- Strong research and policy development skills
- Experience of building networks, resulting in securing significant new opportunities for the organisation
- Experience of solving complex issues through analysis, definition of a clear way forward and ensuring buy in
- Knowledge of children's rights key international agreements and conventions
- Commitment to Save the Children values
- Excellence in written and spoken English
- Proven skills in media work, including interviews on Radio and TV.
- Fluent in Arabic.
Date of issue:14August 2017 Author: SK, Syria Response Director
date: August 2017