Advocacy Coordinator at Welthungerhilfe

Objectives of the position: The aim of this position is to ensure service-oriented support to WHH Skill Up! programme through capacity building, consultancy services and backstopping in the area of advocacy for non-formal TVET.

Additionally, this position contributes to:

• further develop WHH global standards, guidelines and approaches and
• ensure coherence of regional programmes and projects with WHH global instruments/approaches.
• positioning the organization in this specific field of work as competent, well known actor in the field of development an humanitarian aid.

Duties and area of responsibility

Duties with own area of responsibility

• Providing technical assistance to Skill Up! projects for the development of programme and country specific advocacy and lobby strategies and approaches;
• Supporting the regional operationalization of Skill Up!’s advocacy strategy and approaches;
• Enhancing Skill Up! positioning on sector level in relevant regional, national and global working groups / discussions etc.;
• Liaising with relevant external regional stakeholders including donors, learning institutes, networks, UN and NGO representatives to identify opportunities, synergies and partnerships for WHH programmes;
• Analysis of suitable and relevant interest groups and information sharing about important international conferences and networks.
• Facilitating and promoting topic relevant horizontal exchange in the region (and beyond);
• Facilitating and supporting capacity development for all eight project offices: Organizing workshops and trainings to build staff knowledge and capacity;

Duties without own area of responsibility

• Jointly developing and update Skill Up!’s advocacy strategy and positioning in line with WHH overall strategy;
• Building and maintaining relevant networks and communities of practice (internal and external networks) and sharing of best practices and relevant literature;
• Provision of technical assistance to HQ-level upon request (especially the marketing department or the Institutional Donor Unit, Policy and External Relations Unit, etc.);
• Presentation of Welthungerhilfe’s work and own topic relevant experience to private donors, supporters and members of Welthungerhilfe upon request;
• Supervision short-term experts and visitors;
• Fulfillment of any other tasks which are assigned by the management and correspond in general with the character of this position

Specific Activities and duties of the position

The expert for advocacy will be part of the eight country programme “Skill Up!” which aims to support vulnerable young people to gain valuable job-related, life and entrepreneurship skills through high-quality non-formal TVET.

The expert will lead and coordinate a working committee for advocacy composed of members from all eight programme countries.

• Supporting the conceptual and strategic development of the WHH Skill Up! programme towards improved advocacy (promotion, development and maintenance of subject specific guidelines, concept papers, action plans, standards of practices and minimum requirements of projects).
• Systematically assessing the capacities and support needs of Skill Up! countries regarding advocacy and lobbying for (non-)formal TVET and skills development in their projects.
• Based on this, defining main working priorities in agreement with the programme coordination and advisory board as well as the working committee ‘advocacy’ in regular intervals.
• Managing the working committee ‘advocacy’ comprised of staff from all programme countries in both administrative and content-related issued.
• Regularly reporting to programme coordination, other working committees and all partners involved on milestones achieved in the implementation of the work plan.
• Providing technical and capability development support to Skill Up! projects to influence on the development and implementation of the design and recognition of (non-) formal vocational education and training to improve livelihoods in their countries.
• Assist in producing policy and advocacy materials as needed.
• Identify key opportunities and advocacy events for TVET issues in the program countries.
• Contribute meaningful input into advocacy initiatives of the Skill up! countries.
• Facilitating regular learning exchange on advocacy between Skill Up! programme staff and partners in the region. • Supporting Skill Up! to secure funding for further projects (private and institutional donors), coordinate with donor technical experts and support to develop high quality proposals.
• Providing technical assistance for proposal development, implementation and evaluation in cooperation with the MEAL-Team (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning) on advocacy related aspects.

Job requirements

Knowledge/ Qualifications

Professional/ formal qualification

• Completed studies or a completed apprenticeship with additional specialised knowledge, and adequate job-related professional experience.

Job-related professional experience

Required:

• 5 to 7 years’ professional experience working in the global South
• Field experience in adult education / advocacy programmes
• Strong understanding of advocacy related M&E systems
• Direct programming and / or policy development experience on the integration of advocacy into at least one of the following: education and skills development, food and nutrition security, agriculture, water and sanitation, livelihoods
• Strong capacity development, facilitation and moderation skills
• Effective written and verbal communication skills

Desired:

• Experience in representation at national, regional or global advocacy networks
• Experience in lobbying and advocacy for (non-)formal TVET and skills development on several levels and influencing politicians and policy.
• Experience with leading knowledge exchange between several countries
• Experience with operational research and peer-review writing
• Proficiency in German

Required Education background

• Successful candidate must possess a minimum bachelor’s degree in, social sciences, development studies, management, public policy as well as post graduate training in advocacy.
• Valid membership with a relevant processional body

Foreign language skills

• Fluent in English (written and oral), basic knowledge of another world language

Miscellaneous

• Ability to cope in a tropical climate
• Ability to manage own work priorities
• Ability to travel frequently

Social skills

Social skills

• Excellent inter-personal, communication and facilitation skills
• Skills in training and mentoring

Capacity for teamwork and intercultural competence

• Ability to work in a multi-cultural team
• Cooperates with others when goals are mainly the same

Disciplinary Leadership of staff

None

Responsibility

• Largely independent performance of task within a given task-related scope of action and decisionmaking; alternative decision-making processes are possible