ADVOCACY/POLICY MANAGER 154 views0 applications

The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) is a leading Africa-based, African-led, international research institution headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, and engaged in multidisciplinary, evidence-informed policy research. Our research contributes to the body of evidence about the critical barriers preventing optimal population health and wellbeing among the most vulnerable of Africa’s urban poor: the six in 10 people who live in the informal settlements, or slums, that crowd the continent’s urban centers.

Our aim is to inform decision-making with evidence generated by and for Africans to drive improved population health and wellbeing across the continent, in line with global targets including the Sustainable Development Goals.

APHRC is recruiting for an exciting new role for a seasoned communications, political science or campaigning professional ready to lead in the execution of a pivotal piece of our 2017-2021 strategy: driving our evidence-to-policy model.

The right candidate for this manager-level position will be able to design and develop pathways to increase the use of evidence by civil society campaigners demanding accountability from those who make decisions, as well as by decision-makers themselves, at the sub-national, national or even regional levels. She or he will be comfortable with tight deadlines requiring thoughtful translation of research findings into forward-looking recommendations that can lead to smarter policymaking, improved resource targeting and better service delivery – ultimately achieving impact by transforming the lives of communities.

This role will be evenly divided between two portfolios of work: improving coverage of safely managed sanitation services for urban populations; and achieving a more equitable and inclusive approach to quality sexual and reproductive health care for adolescents, women seeking safe abortions and sexual and gender minorities. Both portfolios address sensitive, often contentious topics in sub-Saharan Africa, even as the failure to address the challenges in reaching these marginalized populations is stalling meaningful social and economic development.

Key responsibilities of the role include developing advocacy strategies built on policy research around issues related to the two portfolios, as part of a multidisciplinary team of researchers and communications professionals. Strong networking skills deployable at both the grassroots and decision-making levels will be critical, as there is a considerable amount of training and skills transfer inherent in the role.

The best candidate will have an exceptional ability to set priorities and identify areas that require further research. She or he will have strong writing and presentation skills, and be highly organized. Familiarity with policy tracking tools is essential.

Responsibilities:

· build and manage relationships within existing networks, technical working groups, regional economic committees and other decision-oriented bodies, both in and out of government

· prepare relevant briefing materials articulating strategic opportunities, key messages and possible entry points for engagement in policy and budgeting discussions at national and regional levels, for internal and external use

· understand existing global policy instruments and where there are gaps in their domestication to national contexts

· understand evidence needs and gaps in knowledge that are preventing smart decision-making and provide suggestions as to how to fill them

· develop briefing papers for use in consultations by both internal and external stakeholders

· synthesize and interpret current trends in the field and in policy circles, and facilitate opportunities to engage with those trends and key actors

· deliver effective training and capacity strengthening modules in using evidence to drive advocacy and achieve policy change for a variety of audiences

· oversee production of innovative and compelling knowledge translation materials

· participate in the creation of a monitoring and evaluation framework for advocacy efforts in the two domains that demonstrates a familiarity with outcome harvesting and other advocacy-oriented learning tools

Skills and Qualifications:

· Master’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Policy or related field;

· At least five (5) years of post-qualification work experience in policy review or analysis, communications, and writing and content creation, preferably at an international organization.

· Project or campaign management experience

· Familiarity with developing, executing and evaluating the impact of a theory of change; some experience with monitoring and evaluating attribution of impact desirable

· Excellent editing and writing skills as well as the ability to translate technical ideas into accessible messages

· Familiarity with approaches for planning, executing, and monitoring impact communications strategies

· Demonstrated willingness to work as part of a team

· Demonstrated ability to multitask and work without supervision

· Stellar skills in problem-solving, writing, editing and meeting deadlines