Jobs at DAI Kenya - Development Alternatives, Inc.

General Position Objectives

1. Lead technical implementation and program management of all Policy LINK activities in Kenya, working closely with relevant technical teams and partners
2. Maintain strong, positive stakeholder and client relationships that advance technical engagement and implementation in a coordinated and coherent manner.
3. Provide consistent and responsive communication with USAID/Kenya
4. Develop and nurture an effective, well-functioning Kenya Program team, primed to deliver at the highest level.
5. Ensure full integration of and accountability to Policy LINK global functional areas of operations, communications, M&E within Policy LINK

The position will continually reinforce Policy LINK’s agreed-upon core purpose and principles, and ensure strategic design, implementation and ongoing decision-making is rooted in the purpose and principles. S/he will contribute to a learning environment in which personal and team growth is supported, with a shared understanding that the “team” always comes before the “individual.”

Specific Roles and Responsibilities

The Kenya Country Lead will be responsible for the following anticipated tasks, though others may be added as appropriate:

Work with the USAID Kenya Mission, national and county governments, non-state actors including the private sector and other counterparts to conceptualize and design approaches and activities in support of Mission objectives as captured in the Program’s activity description and concept notes; specifically:

• Lead and participate in the design of new activity concepts and descriptions together with relevant teams
• Lead implementation of technical activities according to Policy LINK’s established Activity Management Systems and Tools
• Develop and track updated activity implementation trackers with detailed information on the status of activities.
• In coordination with the Regional Director, maintain continuous interface and hold regular meetings with USAID/Kenya to collaboratively design and create interventions as well as take the lead on reporting and reviewing program progress.
• Provide overall supervision to the Policy LINK Kenya country team, including program staff, collaborators, and consultants; specifically:
• Coordinate regular internal team meetings and debriefs to set targets, review progress, leverage lessons, and ensure successful implementation of program activities.
  Ensure effective management of consultants and service providers to produce high quality deliverables.
• Ensure overall proper documentation, monitoring, and reporting of the status and performance of the Kenya Program implementation, including setting targets, monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and learning.
• Ensure the program communication is of high quality, appropriate, regular, and efficient
• Ensure that accurate budgeting for Kenya Program activities, and as needed, link with relevant finance staff on budgets, procurement, and operational support
• Lead the design and development of an annual workplan for the Program, including updated annual targets aligned with the workplan and budget.
• Coordinate with global MEL Manager to design and develop a MEL plan for the Kenya Program
• Ensure that the Program is consistently utilizing and learning from Policy LINK’s global practice areas and working closely with Practice teams
• The Kenya Country Lead may be called upon to support Policy LINK’s broader program management activities and may also be part of other relevant activity teams within Policy LINK

Qualifications Education:

• Minimum Master’s degree required in agricultural or development economics, management, economics, social sciences, or other related field of study.

Experience:

• Experience supporting fast-paced, global USAID programs operating across multiple countries is preferred.
• Knowledge of agriculture policy, and institutional frameworks and ability to carry out critical analysis of policy issues; experience working with national and County governments and non-state actors preferable.
• Familiarity, networks and expertise on Kenya’s institutions, processes, and systems especially in Agriculture.
• Ten (10) years of progressive/ leadership experience in program management, international/ economic development.
• Proven experience in agricultural public and private sector capacity building activities.
• Strong strategic thinking and organizational skills with ability to work in a complex, rapidly changing environment and respond to changing donor and partner demands.
• A good understanding of donor-funded compliance requirements, with prior experience reviewing and approving procurement actions and financial transactions.

Skills:

• Strong skills in monitoring and evaluation program activities as the candidate will be expected to actively ensure progress against indicators and objectives.
• Strong written, verbal and presentation skills with the ability to tailor communication for donors, stakeholders, and partners (including public, private and government counterparts) at a high level.
• Demonstrated effective interpersonal skills, creative problem solving, conflict and ethical management skills.
• Computer literate in word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software
• (Microsoft).
• Fluent Swahili and English language skills preferred.
• Strong leadership, program management and coordination skills with ability to mentor and build strong cross-functional and cross-organization teams, and to design and rollout program activities.

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The objectives of this position are to:

• Ensure that communication is a key component of CAADP, used strategically for effective outcome and impact and to enhance capacity and outreach; stimulate learning and action; and emphasize the creation and sustainable use of dissemination, networking and learning processes, tools, and products driven by the AU and its partners.
• Develop strategies to ensure that CAADP activities are inclusive and fully promoted among key audiences, using communication to sensitize, mobilize, and engage diverse CAADP constituencies to support and implement CAADP activities.
• Develop strategies to successfully deliver communication and advocacy functions and outcomes for the CAADP process and strengthen advocacy by key stakeholder groups.
• Support effective documentation of CAADP processes, activities, and lessons, working closely with teams to compile, manage, and share relevant CAADP and project resources and reports to support overall learning and reporting.
• Contribute to and support Policy LINK’s overall communication needs, including communication with USAID and key partners.

The Strategic Communication and Advocacy Manager will help to position communication efforts as a core part of CAADP implementation. The manager will support African Union Department for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (AU-DARBE) and New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUC-NEPAD) and CAADP partners to develop a communication and advocacy strategy and support its implementation. The manager will also work with individual Policy LINK activity teams to ensure that communications is used strategically for greater outreach and impact, and to create sustainable stakeholder-driven mechanisms and platforms for engagement, networking, and learning. This includes playing a critical role in enhancing engagement and inclusivity of certain CAADP constituencies (e.g., youth, women, non-state actors), building strong coalitions and synergy within these groups to enhance their inclusivity, active representation, and voice in CAADP processes and decision-making at country level.

In addition, the manager will work closely with the Policy LINK team to undertake and support internal and external project-wide communication, advocacy, and learning activities to achieve overall Policy LINK objectives. This will include supporting the design and implementation of project communication, knowledge management and learning plan, integration of communication strategies and tools in buy-in activities, supporting activity teams to develop communication tools and products, stakeholder engagement, and project reporting.

S/he will continually reinforce Policy LINK’s core purpose and principles and ensure all decision-making is rooted in the purpose and principles. S/he will contribute to a communication and learning environment in which personal and team growth is supported, with a shared understanding that the “team” always comes before the “individual.”

Detailed Roles and Responsibilities

The Strategic Communications and Advocacy Manager will manage all aspects of communication, knowledge management, learning, and advocacy, to support the implementation of CAADP, and to contribute to Policy LINK communication needs, with the support of the CAADP Program Lead, East Africa Regional Director, and Strategic Communications Director.
The communications manager will:

Support AU to develop and implement communication strategy for CAADP. The manager will provide proactive communication support to make communication a substantive CAADP activity that enhances outreach, advocacy, learning, and behavior change.

Specific tasks include:

• Support AU to develop communication strategy to meet the objectives of CAADP.
• Technical input and guidance on matters relating to communication and advocacy and build capacity of AU CAADP team to execute communication strategy and to develop tools and products to promote CAADP agenda.
• Develop strong relationship with AU CAADP team, strategic partners, CAADP technical teams, working groups, coalitions, and platforms for effective planning, co-creation, coordination, and execution of CAADP activities.
• Support AU to develop appropriate communication tools and products to facilitate dissemination and outreach, awareness, dialogue, learning and commitment as well as adoption and scale across CAADP constituencies and platforms. This includes supporting the use of CAADP reports and documents (i.e., the CAADP Framework, Business Plan, and Biennial Review [BR] reports) among key CAADP constituencies and through events and platforms; and supporting AU’s initiatives to mobilize, engage, and educate decision makers at continental, regional, and national levels.
• Support engagement and advocacy work of specific CAADP groups through i) development and implementation of strategies to enhance groups’ engagement and influence in CAADP processes and events and ii) development and use of strategic advocacy channels and tools to achieve relevant advocacy outcomes for CAADP. This will include facilitating groups of youth, women, parliamentarians, media, and private sector representatives, and civil society actors to strengthen structures and processes to continue to engage in, coordinate, lead, or collaboratively undertake CAADP activities.
• Lead, envision, and execute specific Policy LINK activities that are linked to CAADP but which are not directly implemented by AU.

Provide communication support and services to planned CAADP events, processes, and platforms. This area focuses on providing communication support to Policy LINK-facilitated CAADP meetings (virtual and in person), workshops, training, Technical Working Groups (TWGs), and other platforms, including:

• Supporting design and content development of tools and products as well as documentation and reporting (e.g., working with the global communications team to prepare and share highlights, slide decks, policy briefs, press releases, and reports, including materials generated for Policy LINK through contractors).
• Coordinating communication activities between AU CAADP, Policy LINK, and key CAADP partners for the planned CAADP activities and events.
• Developing promotional materials to pitch the planned events to media and to ensure they are appropriately disseminated through available channels to grow participation and engagement in CAADP. This includes content to sustain and maintain an active and vibrant online presence through existing Policy LINK social media and website channels.

Support Policy LINK communication needs, including communication with USAID RFS, Bilateral Missions, and other external parties. This may involve but not be limited to:

• Supporting project-wide Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) and reporting activities to capture, evaluate, produce and disseminate learning, research, and results to targeted audiences, ensuring strong technical content, clear messaging, and presentation. This includes CAADP reports, stories for the Policy LINK website, activity reports, and project reports to USAID.
• Working closely with Policy LINK MEL team, the manager will promote the use of (internal and external) knowledge management platforms, tools, products, and approaches in CAADP processes, and where applicable provide inputs to strengthen project-wide knowledge management initiatives, ensuring these platforms are updated and populated with key learning materials.
• Support the development and implementation of the Policy LINK learning agenda to ensure that learning and knowledge products are designed for and disseminated to key project audiences.

Carry out any other relevant duties as may be required, as part of Policy LINK’s communications team, including communication support to Policy LINK’s Kenya Program.

Supervisory Responsibilities

S/he may supervise specific deliverables of specialized communications vendors, including for videography, data visualization, photography, event production, graphic design, and technical report writing.

Qualifications

• Master's degree or equivalent experience in communications, international relations, public relations, policy, or related field.

Experience

• Minimum seven years of experience in a high-profile communications role, including designing communication, press and marketing strategies, oversight and design of strategic communication activities, and multi-media and multi-stakeholder platforms.
• Significant experience in project management, policy change, and advocacy (at national, regional and continental levels), preferably with a focus on agriculture, trade, or economic development.
• An understanding of CAADP and national, regional, or continental policy processes is preferred but not a must.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with demonstrated experience in working with diverse stakeholders and senior leadership at institutional, national, and continental level.
• Excellent oral, written, design, and interpersonal communications skills, with demonstrated ability to write high quality reports and briefs.
• Experience using different communication tools and channels for advocacy and to create awareness, enhance stakeholder participation and commitment, and build greater impact.
• Experience working with USAID-funded projects will be an added advantage.