Policy Advocacy, Communications and Partnerships Officer At REPSSI

REPSSI (the Regional Psychosocial Support Initiative) is a renowned pan African organisation that has been supporting governments and non-governmental organisations to provide holistic psychosocial care and support to children and their families in East and Southern Africa for 18 years now. REPSSI works in 13 countries and aims to enhance the psychosocial and mental wellbeing of girls, boys, youth their families and communities to be able to respond to challenges such as HIV and AIDS, conflict, poverty, climate change, environmental disasters and social strife.

REPSSI’s strategy is underpinned by four strategic outcomes:

1. Enhanced health, SRHR, and HIV outcomes for children, adolescents & mothers through MHPSS
2. Enhanced protection and sustainable livelihoods through MHPSS
3. Education and Early Childhood Development is enhanced through MHPSS
4. Disaster risk reduction and enhanced humanitarian response through MHPSS

Job Summary

REPSSI seeks to appoint an experienced Policy Advocacy, Communications and Partnerships Officer. The successful candidate will provide overall advocacy coordination and leadership for REPSSI as a whole as well as advocacy technical support to countries and regional economic co-operations. S/he will provide technical oversight and assistance to the organization in the areas of behavior change communication, capacity strengthening, community mobilization, social media strategies and advocacy to ensure advocacy and behavior change communication efforts are evidence-based, community-driven and contribute to the implementation of REPSSIs regional strategy.

Key Responsibilities

1. Policy, communications and partnership building

• Develop overarching an advocacy and behaviour change communication strategy and business plan that is aligned to REPSS’s organizational strategy and objectives;
• Provide strategic direction for REPSSI’s advocacy engagement at national, regional and global levels;
• Manage the communications function to advance advocacy communications at both regional and global levels;
• Build influence and dialogue on children’s issues nationally, regionally and globally;
• Establish strategic partnerships at national, regional and global with civil society, media, UN, INGO and social protection coalitions for joint advocacy;
• Establish and strengthen partnerships with community and civil society groups, leaders and other key partners for participation in social and behavioural changes activities related to MHPSS and social, health (including SRH, HIV and AIDS, ASRHR,) and education outcomes;
• Establish and coordinate (internally) advocacy representation and relationships nationally, regionally and globally;
• Lead and coordinate REPSSI’s engagement process and input at strategic regional and global conferences, forums or meetings focusing on children’s issues to profile PSS;
• Contribute to AU, SADC and EAC’s policy and technical forums on rights issues;
• Lead REPSSI contribution to regional and global communities of practice and coalitions on child rights and social development issues.

2. Technical Assistance

• Develop and implement evidence-based PSS advocacy and behaviour change communication intervention and packages related to psychosocial and mental wellbeing in relation to SRH, HIV and AIDS, ASRHR, Social Protection and child rights;
• Providing technical inputs to field staff and partners on the analysis and use of data to produce evidence-based plans for behaviour change and social mobilization;
• Identify and establish sector specific partnerships and implement the PSS advocacy and behaviour change communication interventions and packages (short courses, workshops and mentoring);
• Produce policy briefs to inform the MHPSS agenda and position REPSSI at national, regional and global levels;
• Provide technical input into strategic documents and produce papers on child rights, MCH, HIV and AIDS, ASRHR and social development issues;
• Contribute to national regional reviews and analysis of policies and frameworks related to psychosocial and mental wellbeing in relation to SRH, HIV and AIDS, ASRHR, Social Protection and child rights.

3. Behaviour change communication

• Responsible for providing technical direction and oversight for social and behavioural change communication initiatives;
• Promote and support dissemination of best practices among the partners and stakeholders;
• Ensure appropriate branding of all REPSSI advocacy, social and behaviour change communication materials and its compliance with respective institutional regulations and guidelines.

4. Policy research, reporting and learning

• Working in collaboration with the Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Manager, develop mechanism and tools for remote monitoring of effectiveness of and reporting for MHPSS advocacy and behaviour change communication programme interventions (including community level social and behavioural change interventions);
• Undertake policy reviews, policy scoping and put in place mechanisms for policy implementation
• Ensure that programme deliverables align with the REPSSI planned goals, objectives and targets;
• Document practice-based evidence from knowledge development initiatives, noting similarities and differences in terms of programming, costs and impact;
• Monthly, quarterly and annual reports developed to organisation’s specifications and timelines;
• Ensure tracking of outputs, outreach and outcomes at all levels of the programmes;
• Oversee assigned programmes ensuring that projects are delivered on time and to budget;

5. Resource mobilization

• Ensure that donor and programme partners’ relationships are successfully established and sustained as relevant for the assigned programmes;
• Provide technical and conceptual input for funding proposals;
• Fundraise for the departments’ programme activities.

Essential Skills and Personality Traits

• Technical background on issues of Orphans, other Vulnerable Children and Youth, ASRHR, MCH, VAC, GBV, HIV and AIDS issues in the region;
• Understanding and experience of Mental Health and Psychosocial support, child rights, social protection, child protection, child rights, MCH, HIV and AIDS, ASRHR and social development work in the region;
• Strong project management skills, able to develop implementation plans, budgets, reports, M&E frameworks, including monitoring finances; able to multi task and very well organised;
• High level analytical and English writing skills – abstracts, advocacy materials and editorial content and good presentation skills to different audiences.

Minimum Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s degree in a relevant area of study (Policy Management, Communications for Social Change, Public Health, Social Science or related field);
• Minimum 5 years’ experience working in a policy advocacy and communication position at senior level. Prior experience in regional policy advocacy will be of advantage.
• Experience working with any of the following regional economic cooperation’s; SADC, AU, EAC UN Agencies, donors, national governments, civil society and regional bodies;
• Experience in writing policy briefs, position papers and technical documents;
• Astute with use of social media;
• Experience in organising and running conferences and other events;
• Experience in using social media for social development advocacy and knowledge sharing.

This is a 3-year contract position subject to availability of donor funding and good performance.

Remuneration will be commensurate with skills and experience. REPSSI is committed to the principles of employment equity.