Senior Communications Officer - MWENDO Project at Catholic Relief

Department: MWENDO Programming

Grade: 7

Reports To: Senior OVC Technical Advisor

Job Location: Kisumu

Background:

CRS is implementing a 5-year orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) program, MMWENDO, which seeks to empower local and county-level OVC stakeholders to strengthen the formal and informal HIV and child protection systems and services and the linkages between them, including cross-sectoral service referrals and coordination to ensure quality service delivery for OVC and their households.

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Senior OVC TA, you will lead the development and implementation of a holistic Communications strategy for MWENDO. You will coordinate, plan and implement program documentation activities for MWENDO with an aim of sharing project achievements with stakeholders. You will set-up mechanism to facilitate adaptive management by staff at all levels within the MWENDO program and collaborate to development and dissemination of audience-specific learning and communication products to various audience including target beneficiaries, GOK staff, LIPS, other I/NGOs and the donor.

Job Responsibilities:

• Develop and disseminate the MWENDO communication strategy to staff
• Guide project teams to document audience-specific learning products including journal articles, videos, case studies, success stories and disseminate these using various channels such as peer reviewed journal article, community meetings, and project’s intranet.
• Contribute to reviewing, editing and writing of key program reports for internal and external audience.
• Work with Accountability and Knowledge Management Officer to guide evaluation and documentation of project outputs and results including gathering of qualitative and other relevant information, ensuring they are appropriately packaged, stored, and shared
• Lead MWENDO project communication campaigns, including photos, email, and print materials to facilitate adoption of changes resulting from project learning and theory of change.
• Work with CRS senior management to identify new audiences at the national, regional, and possibly international level, and create effective communication materials to engage these audiences.
• Develop high quality monthly newsletters in coordination with MWENDO staff to communicate project work to donors and internally for CRS staff. Help conceive creative ideas and direction and working with writers and photographers/graphic designers within and outside the organization.
• Coordinate and organize major events for MWENDO project, including project launches, major donor visits and anniversary events. The Communications Officer may be assigned to assist partners in organizing key partner events.
• Support in organizing internal collaboration events for staff and communities of practices to keep abreast of new developments and work with AKMO to ensure key points of learning are identified and shared
• Provide capacity strengthening to LIPs and staff to appropriately package promising practices, develop case studies and submit conference abstracts and prepare quality posters and oral presentations based on conference guidelines
• Work with Senior OVC TA to develop guidance for staff to ensure continuous improvement on reporting.
• Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff):
• These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.
• Serves with Integrity
• Models Stewardship
• Cultivates Constructive Relationships
• Promoting excellent knowledge management and collaborative learning processes at the project, program and institutional levels, generating robust evidence for project and programmatic learning that leads to action, decision-making and influence.
• Typical Background, Experience & Requirements:

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in a field relevant to development assistance, such as communication, media studies, international affairs, development studies, or another related field. Master ‘s degree will an added advantage.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in Communication, Documentation and knowledge management
• Experience working with international donor agencies, particularly USAID
• Preferably, familiarity with USAID’s Collaborating Learning and Adapting methodology
• Experience engaging with and writing for a range of audiences, including governments and policy makers, multilateral agencies, and the public (national and international)

Personal Skills

• Observation, active listening and analysis skills with ability to make sound judgment
• Good relationship management skills and the ability to work closely with all stakeholders including local partners and community members and inspire teamwork among diverse partners without direct supervisory responsibilities
• Attention to details, accuracy and timeliness in executing assigned responsibilities
• Proactive, results-oriented and service-oriented
• Required/Desired Foreign Language
• Able to clearly communicate in written and spoken English

Travel Required

Up to 40% travel to MWENDO project field sites and LIP project sites

Key Working Relationships:

Supervisory: None

Internal: Project technical officers, MWENDO Leadership; CRS Kenya Head of Programs, CRS Kenya Programming,

External: OVC Program consortium members and implementing partners, government ministries, research institutions, relevant private sector entities, local communities, beneficiaries and other stakeholders.

Representatives of the GOK, LIPs, other stakeholders, and the community.

Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.