Advocacy, Campaigns, Communication and Media (ACCM) Coordinator

Advocacy, Campaigns, Communication and Media (ACCM) Coordinator

TEAM/PROGRAMME: PDQ

LOCATION:  Lusaka with occasional field travel.

GRADE:   3

CONTRACT LENGTH: 2 year, renewable

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; ore because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

ROLE PURPOSE:

The Advocacy, Campaigns, Communication and Media (ACCM) Coordinator is responsible for the development and implementation of Save the Children in Zambia’s overall ACCM Strategy and Plan, in promotion of children’s rights and driven by child participation. Based on SCI in Zambia programming priorities, he/she identifies key issues for advocacy, campaigns and communications, preparing and implementing strategies and messages across all of our humanitarian and development work. The ACCM Coordinator ensures effective documentation of evidence and good practice. The ACCM Coordinator leads gathering and developing engaging visual and written material that voices the gaps in fulfilling children’s rights, effectively explains our work and engages a wide range of external audiences in our work. S/he succeeds in establishing strong and strategic partnerships with like-minded organisations in advancing the rights of children. The ACCM Coordinator oversees all media and related external communications activities and leads in developing effective online social media strategies to engage the wider public. In addition, the ACCM Coordinator builds capacity of Technical Specialists and Programme Managers in undertaking advocacy activities in line with the Country Strategic Plan and Advocacy Strategy.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Programme Development and Quality Director

Staff reporting to this post:

Direct: Communications and Campaigns Assistant/Officer.

Indirect: Sponsorship Info-Communications Officers

Budget responsibilities: The role holder has no direct budget holder responsibility but oversees budget lines for all advocacy, campaigns, communications and media activities across projects.

Dimensions: Save the Children works throughout the country and our ACCM work covers both development and humanitarian activities. The ACCM Coordinator oversees all SCI ACCM work, both through direct and remote management of staff and activity implementation. The role holder oversees appropriate and effective use of the SCI brand and is accountable to the PDQ Director for strategic leadership of the ACCM work.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY

Strategic leadership

• Lead the development/revision and implementation of the Country programme ACCM strategy (and operational plan) that aligns directly with the Country Strategic Plan and the SCI global advocacy agenda.
• Work closely with Business Development and technical specialists to develop new projects and ensure that ACCM interventions are strategically incorporated and adequately resourced and budgeted for in new proposals.

Advocacy

• Support project teams to effectively deliver advocacy and campaign activities within program areas – more specifically on Education, Child Protection, Child Rights Governance, Health & Nutrition, and Child Poverty.
• Lead the implementation of evidence-based and child-led advocacy initiatives that aim to have evidenced impact on the lives of children and their families.
• Develop core national-level campaigns on ending violence against children and access to quality and safe education.
• Lobbying and relationship-building with policy-makers, officials and other key stakeholders.
• Develop talking points, messages, speeches, briefing papers and other advocacy material.
• Conduct stakeholder analysis, map out the work, interests and plans of other stakeholders in respect to identified area of advocacy and ensure effective collaboration with like-minded organisations.
• Represent SCI in Zambia at relevant external meetings, platforms, working groups and fora, with a range of stakeholders including government, line ministries, donors and partners such as the Joining Forces Alliance.
• Position Save the Children nationally as the leading advocate on children’s rights in Zambia.

Communications and Media:

• Lead the development/revision and implementation of the country programme Communication Plan.
• Produce engaging materials (stories, audio-visual material, brochures, factsheets etc) to communicate our work to a wide range of audiences including donors, media, government and partners.
• Engage with national media and develop media products and relationships.
• Manage SCI in Zambia’s website, social media channels and online communication.
• Work with programme and technical teams to develop effective ways to communicate evidence of the impact of our approaches, good practices and lessons learned, in order to influence policy and practice among communities, partners, donors and the general public.
• Advise on and develop messaging and approaches for community-level influencing and social behaviour change.
• Lead media/communications responses to new crises and emergencies.
• Oversee internal communication to build awareness and cohesion among staff.
• Ensure Save the Children branding guidelines are known and adhered to by all staff/programmes
• Manage and coordinate visits of Save the Children global member offices (e.g. photographers, journalists, ambassadors, supporters and other content gatherers).
• Develop media strategy to guide the engagement of the Country office with media.
• Actively cultivate media contacts and appropriately establish proactive and beneficial relationships with media houses that can help in advancing children’s rights at policy and programme levels as well as identify opportunities to profile Save the Children’s work.

National Campaigns:

• Lead and coordinate the delivery of the country office campaign initiatives under the 2022-2024 strategic campaigns.
• Support the program teams in implementing campaign activities taking advantage of key moments to deliver on the country office campaign objectives.
• Work closely with Programme teams in public mobilization and engagements, creating moments and opportunities for campaigning.
• Build and maintain effective, collaborative relationships with Save the Children’s regional and global campaigns teams ensuring consistent approaches, common messages and effective campaign events.
• Support SCI in Zambia’s engagement in regional and global campaigns through contribution of stories, videos, photos etc. to highlight Country office achievements within such initiatives.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY

Strategic leadership

• Lead the development/revision and implementation of the Country programme ACCM strategy (and operational plan) that aligns directly with the Country Strategic Plan and the SCI global advocacy agenda.
• Work closely with Business Development and technical specialists to develop new projects and ensure that ACCM interventions are strategically incorporated and adequately resourced and budgeted for in new proposals.

Advocacy

• Support project teams to effectively deliver advocacy and campaign activities within program areas – more specifically on Education, Child Protection, Child Rights Governance, Health & Nutrition, and Child Poverty.
• Lead the implementation of evidence-based and child-led advocacy initiatives that aim to have evidenced impact on the lives of children and their families.
• Develop core national-level campaigns on ending violence against children and access to quality and safe education.
• Lobbying and relationship-building with policy-makers, officials and other key stakeholders.
• Develop talking points, messages, speeches, briefing papers and other advocacy material.
• Conduct stakeholder analysis, map out the work, interests and plans of other stakeholders in respect to identified area of advocacy and ensure effective collaboration with like-minded organisations.
• Represent SCI in Zambia at relevant external meetings, platforms, working groups and fora, with a range of stakeholders including government, line ministries, donors and partners such as the Joining Forces Alliance.
• Position Save the Children nationally as the leading advocate on children’s rights in Zambia.

Communications and Media:

• Lead the development/revision and implementation of the country programme Communication Plan.
• Produce engaging materials (stories, audio-visual material, brochures, factsheets etc) to communicate our work to a wide range of audiences including donors, media, government and partners.
• Engage with national media and develop media products and relationships.
• Manage SCI in Zambia’s website, social media channels and online communication.
• Work with programme and technical teams to develop effective ways to communicate evidence of the impact of our approaches, good practices and lessons learned, in order to influence policy and practice among communities, partners, donors and the general public.
• Advise on and develop messaging and approaches for community-level influencing and social behaviour change.
• Lead media/communications responses to new crises and emergencies.
• Oversee internal communication to build awareness and cohesion among staff.
• Ensure Save the Children branding guidelines are known and adhered to by all staff/programmes
• Manage and coordinate visits of Save the Children global member offices (e.g. photographers, journalists, ambassadors, supporters and other content gatherers).
• Develop media strategy to guide the engagement of the Country office with media.
• Actively cultivate media contacts and appropriately establish proactive and beneficial relationships with media houses that can help in advancing children’s rights at policy and programme levels as well as identify opportunities to profile Save the Children’s work.

National Campaigns:

• Lead and coordinate the delivery of the country office campaign initiatives under the 2022-2024 strategic campaigns.
• Support the program teams in implementing campaign activities taking advantage of key moments to deliver on the country office campaign objectives.
• Work closely with Programme teams in public mobilization and engagements, creating moments and opportunities for campaigning.
• Build and maintain effective, collaborative relationships with Save the Children’s regional and global campaigns teams ensuring consistent approaches, common messages and effective campaign events.
• Support SCI in Zambia’s engagement in regional and global campaigns through contribution of stories, videos, photos etc. to highlight Country office achievements within such initiatives.

Internal alignment and capacity building:

• Ensure all SCI in Zambia’s ACCM efforts are aligned to and contribute to the ACCM strategy and plans.
• Work in close collaboration with Technical Specialists on sector-specific ACCM actions.
• Conduct ACCM training for programme teams, management, technical specialists and partners.
• Represent the Country Office in regional and global ACCM working groups.
• Ensure all creative content (photos, stories and videos) have informed consent forms and are in line with child safeguarding policies.

People Management, Mentoring and Development

• Direct supervision of ACCM staff. Manage their performance and oversee that all direct staff proactively build and maintain their technical skills and competencies required.
• Support the development of an organisational culture that reflects our mandate and values, 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.

MEAL:

• With support from regional and member communications and campaign staff, develop and put in place systems to monitor and measure the impact of the Kenya Country Office’s communication and campaign initiatives, as well as systematically sharing these achievements in the most appropriate way with Country office Senior Management Team.
• Share success stories and learning related to Communication and Campaign initiatives spearheaded by the Kenya country office with regional and global working groups and/or communities of practice.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of Bachelor’s Degree or higher in a relevant subject such as social science, human rights, development, international relations, journalism/mass communication.

Masters or post graduate degree will be an added advantage

Experience and skills

• At least 4 years of experience in undertaking major advocacy, media and communication initiatives in humanitarian and development contexts, preferably with focus on child rights issues.
• Proven experience in analysing the situation of children using child rights programming/principles framework
• Proven track record of policy influencing with partners, government and civil societies/key stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically, to analyze complex information and offer creative, practical and effective solutions.
• Excellent influencing skills, ability to deal with people at all levels with credibility, tact, and diplomacy.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills, and an ability to produce good quality documents, information for a variety of audiences and communicate good practices.
• Experience in policy and practice analysis and implementing strategic advocacy initiatives aimed at bringing changes in these areas.
• Experience with online and social media communications strategies.
• Strong interpersonal skills such as networking, negotiation and communication.
• Willing and able to travel time to upcountry locations to support field teams as security permits
• Strong computer skills to produce advocacy documents and document and communicate good practices.
• High level of fluency in English, both verbal and written, required.
• Commitment to Save the Children International values.
• Experience with graphic design software is an added advantage.

Good photography or video skills is an added advantage.

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Equal Opportunities

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.

Child Safeguarding:

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Health and Safety

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.