SOUTH AFRICA ADVOCACY AND PARTNERSHIP COORDINATOR 290 views0 applications

CARE is an international NGO with local staff and community partners in more than 90 countries. We create local solutions to poverty and inequality and we seek dignity for everyone every day and during times of crisis. These solutions have a broad range, from clean water to access to education; from microfinance to ensuring that everyone has nutritious food; from agriculture and climate change to disaster response. CARE puts women and girls at the center of everything we do because they have proven to be the best hope for creating lasting change in the world. Our staff live where they work, which makes us effective at understanding the challenges they face. We’ve been doing this for over 70 years, since World War II. It started with the world’s first CARE Package® of food for the post-war hungry in Europe. Our work today is as important as ever, we believe that poverty and inequality are historic injustices that we can end within a generation, for good. If you share our core beliefs: poverty is an injustice; poverty is solvable; and together, we have the power to end it, join us, and fight with CARE.

The Regional Advocacy Coordinator under the guidance of the Regional Director, is responsible for delivering CARE’s advocacy goals in each of the regions where CARE operates. The Regional Advocacy Advisors will work with governments, and with national, regional and global institutions to improve policies and practices., with a specific focus on gender equality and the empowerment of women.
The RAC’s primary function will be to develop a Regional Advocacy Strategy. The strategy will be aligned to the Regional Programme Strategy, as well as CARE´s global agenda for 2030, and will follow the goals and milestones determined in the global thematic areas captured in the Advocacy Roadmap. In this regard, it links CARE´s global goals with those relevant to the region including Climate Change, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Gender based Violence, Humanitarian, Food and Nutrition Security and Women´s Economic Empowerment. The role contributes to the global advancement in advocacy informing, commenting and inputting in the global advocacy agenda.
This position has an external focus in building relationships and influence in the Regions with key partners including intergovernmental bodies such as the United Nations, other International Civil Society Organizations, Unions and relevant technical partners, private sector and local civil society groups, as well as academia (including Universities, research centers and think tanks). There are strong components of relationship building and partnerships, deep understanding of gender and advocacy at technical and strategic levels to increase impact providing strong political analysis.
The ideal candidate will understand the fundamentals of building an advocacy strategy and implementation plan, can contribute to building this capacity with colleagues throughout the region and comes to the work with experience of advocating for the human rights in development or/and humanitarian contexts.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS

1. Develop/refresh and implement the regional advocacy strategy to scale the prioritized strategic outcome area(s), in coordination with partners (aligned to CARE´s approach to social movements) and with CARE Country Offices.
2. Develop and maintain relationships with civil society actors including regional coalitions, intergovernmental fora, research/academic institutions to advance CARE´s programme to scale up and impact. Identify and manage strategic partnerships with key regional bodies for advocacy and programming goals and objectives.
3. Inform and contribute to the implementation of the Global Advocacy Strategy advancing on the vision of CARE´s Agenda 2030, particularly on the organizational goals regarding power shifting.
4. Leads on the monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning processes related to advocacy at country level, providing guidance and advising on the best ways to capture evidence. Report at regional level advocacy wins, processes, lessons learned and challenges.
5. Influence and advocate with others on related issues within and beyond CARE, ensuring effective coordination and alignment of regional and national-focused influencing work, with partners and with CARE Country Offices.
6. Whenever possible, identify evidence and potential for fundraising opportunities to expand advocacy, programming and partnership possibilities. Follow up those opportunities with concept notes/proposals where possible and in collaboration with country offices.
7. Ensure CARE is actively engaged and visible in support of intergovernmental fora, civil society discussions, decisions and frameworks.
8. Build the advocacy capacity of identified staff in each CO/sub-region;
9. Develop internal and external communications on CARE’s progress in partnerships and regional influence.

Technical Competencies

• Master’s degree (or a combination of Bachelors degree and relevant work experience) in social sciences and humanities including areas of women’s economic empowerment, resilience, public administration, gender in development, or international relations.
• At least 5 years of relevant international development experience.
• Relevant training in policy analysis, policy advocacy, partnership brokering/development, civil society engagement
• Proven ability to produce advocacy materials and analysis and to develop mechanisms to share and manage advocacy information and knowledge.
• Understanding of and familiarity with all relevant multilateral institutions, civil society and related decision-making processes as well as knowledge of the regional institutional environment,
• Excellent writing, editing and communications skills in English required (Portuguese and/or French desirable);
• Experience in community-level communications, feedback or awareness campaigns
• Some experience in management and capacity building of national staff;
• Strong computer skills (Microsoft Office, photo editing software etc.)
• Experience as a spokesperson;

Core Competencies

• People Skills: Ability to work independently and as a team player who demonstrates leadership and is able to support and train local and international staff.
• Integrity: Works with trustworthiness and integrity and has a clear commitment to CARE’s core values and humanitarian principles.
• Resilience/Adaptability and flexibility: Ability to operate effectively under extreme circumstances including stress, high security risks and harsh living conditions. Works and lives with a flexible, adaptable and resilient manner.
• Awareness and sensitivity of self and others: Demonstrates awareness and sensitivity to gender and diversity. Have experience and the ability to live and work in diverse cultural contexts in a culturally appropriate manner. Has a capacity to make accurate self-assessment particularly in high stress and high security contexts.
• Work style: Is well planned and organized even within a fluid working environment and has a capacity for initiative and decision making with competent analytical and problem solving skills.
• Knowledge and skills: knowledge of CARE policies and procedures, Sphere and the Red Cross/ NGO Code of Conduct. Requires general finance, administration, information management and telecommunication skills and proficiency in information technology/ computer skills.