Coordinator in Communication and Influence (Local contract) At International Plan

The Communications and Influence Coordinator , under the supervision of the Country Director, is responsible for developing Plan International RCA’s communications and influence strategy, as well as all influencing activities; he/she also ensures communications and public relations (PR) in coordination with the Director of Programmes and Influence.

Role Dimensions

• He/she is responsible for the planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of communication and influence initiatives;
• He/she is responsible for strengthening communication by providing significant support to the programmatic and influence objectives of the Humanitarian Response Plan 2023-2027, reinforcing the legitimacy and positioning of Plan International as a reliable, credible NGO committed to promoting the rights of children and young people, particularly girls, in the CAR;
• He/she is responsible for managing the budget of the communications and influence department (PR)
• He/she submits activity reports to the Director of Programs and Influence on a monthly basis.

Responsibilities and expected results

Responsibilities Influence

• Develop Plan International RCA’s influence strategy based on the Humanitarian Response Plan, the Pan-African Advocacy Strategy (PAAS), as well as the Global Advocacy Strategy (GLAS).
• Develop and ensure the implementation of the RCA PAAS Action Plan with a quarterly progress report submitted to the regional office through the Regional Policy, Advocacy and Research Specialist.
• Based on programmatic priorities at national and international levels, work with technical advisors to identify topics and areas that will require Plan International RCA actions in terms of influence.
• For each of the influence themes identified in the projects and programs, develop an influence plan that systematically takes into account the best partnership, strategic communication, advocacy and public mobilization strategies.
• Ensure that initiatives carried out within the framework of influencing actions are in line with the Humanitarian Response Plan 2023-2027, including Plan International’s approaches to Influencing, partnership and resource mobilization.
• Update and monitor thematic influence plans on a regular basis in light of the evolution of the national and global socio-economic and political context, including the internal organizational contexts of Plan International.
• Work with the Domain Specialists and the Monitoring and Evaluation team on data collection and research initiatives to serve as evidence for advocacy in relation to violations of the rights of girls and young people.
• Support project development teams in taking into account specific needs for public influence and mobilization.
• Mobilize technical and financial partners, as well as potential local donors (including private sector companies) to increase their interest in the issue of girls’ and young people’s rights in their financing plans in the CAR, including financing directly granted to the Government in the form of loans or donations.
• Develop and maintain relationships within coalitions, with civil society actors, intergovernmental institutions and academics for concerted influence actions.
• Support project managers and local NGO partners including youth organizations in the implementation of their influence actions.
• Participate in program, initiative and research and evaluation meetings to discuss progress of work and develop appropriate strategies to ensure achievement of project/program influence objectives.

Communication Responsibilities

Communication strategy

• Develop/update communication and public relations strategies and annual plans, to promote Plan International’s response in CAR and improve internal and external communication.
• Ensure gender mainstreaming in communications and public relations activities and maintain gender sensitivity among staff in order to promote gender equality.
• Supporting Plan International’s new campaign, with media input,
• Support the visibility and operational communication of Plan International’s programmatic activities;
• Contribute to the accountability of Plan International RCA through communication on its role, actions and results;
• Ensure the dissemination of good programmatic practices through case studies and publication (Planet, social media)
• Anticipate and lead (if necessary) dynamic crisis communication in an emergency situation.
• Finalize the communication strategy;
• Regularize the production of the internal newsletter,
• Actively participate in program meetings to discuss activities, recommendations, successes related to communication support;
• Ensure that the production of media and content is suitable (children and young people), of high quality and inclusive;
• Choose the right channels for distributing content and media by varying the content on social platforms.

Internal liaison and communications

• Disseminate a constant stream of information (social media updates, human interest stories, talking points and Q&As, blogs, etc.) to the Regional Communications Unit for internal and external dissemination.
• Regularly provide high-resolution, good quality digital images and videos of Plan International’s work, including the perspectives of children, young people/girls and communities.
• Monitor written and digital media to detect any mention of Plan International and other topics of interest to the organization, and inform the Country Director and the Regional Communications Officer of anything of importance.
• Conduct regular field visits to interview staff and beneficiaries, write human interest stories, and take photos and videos.
• Identify and create talking points and Q&As on potentially sensitive issues and inform the Country Director, or Regional Communications Officer.

Media and Public Relations

• Facilitate the creation of a strong professional image of Plan International with external media in order to reach the right audience inside and outside the CAR.
• Develop and manage relationships with national media, journalist networks as well as NGOs and government authorities in the field of communication to ensure that Plan communications reach the right audience.
• Act as the main point of contact for the media and respond to requests for information from journalists, country offices and donors, including arranging interviews and field visits.
• Act as spokesperson for the organization, if applicable and with the approval of the DC.
• Support/facilitate media visits at country level to ensure that the objectives of these visits are met. Develop, manage and monitor the country office public relations budget to ensure that value for money is achieved at all times.
• Support measures to strengthen staff capacity to communicate using various channels and for different audiences to support the effective dissemination of Plan International programmes and projects: training of designated spokespersons and media coaching.
• Effective management of communications in crisis/disaster situations to create the right environment. Reporting emergency or disaster situations to the required standards.
• Establish and ensure that the database and resource centre has up-to-date information for storytelling and provides information to internal and external audiences. Adequate documentation of plan information is available at all times.
• Comply at all times with the Plan’s child protection policy in order to protect children from all forms of abuse.
• Perform any other work-related tasks assigned to support the achievement of the organization’s objectives.

Operational Support

Ensure that Plan International’s global policies on child and youth protection and gender equality and inclusion are fully integrated in line with the principles and requirements of the policy, including relevant implementation standards and guidelines applicable to their area of ​​responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring that staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and the Plan International Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of ​​work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with appropriate procedures