Advocacy, Campaign and Policy Manager, LEARN at Save the Children

Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries. We save children’s lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Save the Children is working in Nigeria because one in five children in Nigeria dies before their fifth birthday. About 40% of children miss out on school and have to work to survive while nearly 2 million children have lost one or both parents to an AIDS-related disease.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: Advocacy, Campaign and Policy Manager, LEARN Job Id: 200002K2 Location: Abuja Reporting to: Director of Advocacy and Campaign Reporting to Position: Technical Oversight (Borno, Yobe and Ogoja FOs Advocacy and Campaign Coordinators) Grade: 3

Child Safeguarding

Level 3. The responsibilities of this post may require the post holder to have regular contact with children and young people. In the overseas context all posts are considered to be level 3 posts in view of potential situations which may allow staff unsupervised access to vulnerable children and young people.
As part of these responsibilities the post holder will support the establishment of child safeguarding systems, promote a culture of keeping children safe, and ensure that potential harm to children (by our own staff and/or as a result of how we do our work) is identified and addressed on an ongoing basis. The post holder should report and respond to interventions as determined by position related responsibilities identified in the Child Safeguarding Policy.

Scope and Role Purpose

This role will manage, coordinate and mobilize all advocacy, campaign and policy engagements for all projects and programs related to Learn, one of the three SCI breakthroughs, through collaborating and closely working with the other two breakthrough leads, Head of Education, Media and Communication Manager, Deputy Director/s of Program Operations, Project Managers, Field Managers, and Team Leaders – ensuring that there is an effective and coordinated team spearheading SCI Nigeria’s influence towards an accelerated positive change for all children, specially girls, to access quality, safe, inclusive, uninterrupted and free education.
S/he will work closely with the Head of Education and Chief of Parties at states on the implementation of the advocacy, campaign, media, social mobilization and communication strategies. S/he will work with the new business development unit to mobilize resources for advocacy, campaign and policy engagement components of all education related projects for maximum impact on children. S/he will ensure during proposal development that sustainability of the projects are well articulated and the project implementation are directed using both National and Sub-national advocacy strategies as appropriate. S/he will also be expected to contribute to the design, review and implementation of wider SCI Nigeria Advocacy, Campaign, Media and Communication Strategy and the CSP.
S/he will coordinate and oversee monthly, quarterly and annual advocacy reports that feeds into RO and donors report. S/he will work closely with CO and FO based Advocacy and Campaign teams to develop relevant materials, such as but not limited to policy briefs/briefing messages, concept notes, guidelines and undertake actions to create enabling environment and promote increasing government commitment and action on children’s rights to education.
S/he will lead on education policy analysis and support the design and implementation of the programme within the right based programming approach. S/he will be responsible for leading on the development and delivery of Advocacy, Campaign and Public Financing Strategy for Education/Learn.
Generally, s/he owns “Be the Voice” part of the Theory of Change for all “Learn”/education-related Strategic Goals in the Country Strategic Plan (CSP). In addition, s/he shall provide technical support, capacity building and technical oversight to FOs advocacy, campaign and policy engagement on education/Learn; networking and partnership building at a national level; and shall promote Every Last Child Campaign across the SCI Nigeria Country Program.

Key Areas of Accountability Advocacy, Campaign and Policy/Learn Strategy Design, Implementation, and Quality:

Develop, coordinate and manage Advocacy and Campaign Strategy/Learn, in order to influence relevant stakeholders and achieve education policy changes at national and State levels
Lead policy and research on Universal Basic Education, develop related policy briefs, key messages for influencing national and state policy reviews, processes and discussions
Contribute to the development of annual work plans, budgets, reports and document case studies and success stories on the relevant education/Learn related projects
Ensure maximum visibility of Every Last Child Campaign/Girls Education Campaign within Save the Children and externally across relevant platforms
Ensure that children are at the heart of advocacy, campaign and policy engagement/Learn, and they are an integral part of Save the Children’s campaigning work
Ensure proper documentation and dissemination of major activities, successes and learnings related to Every Last Child Campaign in Nigeria
Champion, promote, coordinate and manage the implementation of ELC/Girls Education Campaign Strategy in collaboration with Advocacy, Campaign and Policy Manager, Be Protected
Mobilize and build capacities of SCI Nigeria staff, towards delivering advocacy strategies through strengthening knowledge and skills/capacities to incorporate, align and integrate advocacy into their area of work
Monitor policy, political, economic and legal trends in the external environment and identify right opportunities to promote policy advocacy objectives, for engagement and influencing
In collaboration with the Head of MEAL, s/he shall develop MEAL framework, track, measure, monitor and evaluate the quality of integration and implementation of advocacy, campaign and policy components in education related projects; and ensures clear linkage between programmatic approaches and advocacy strategies

Strengthen Resource Mobilization, Networking and Partnership:

S/he shall represent SCI Nigeria in the UBE Act Amendment Technical Working Group, and shall create, nurture, strengthen and maintain strategic partnership with other key stakeholders in the education sector
Work with Media and Communication Manager, Head of Education, Project Managers and Advisors at the CO and Area Offices to develop case studies for the project and ensure that these meet Save the Children Child Safeguarding Policies (CSP)
In collaboration with the Media and Communication Manager, s/he will identify story ideas, develop compelling communications materials based on lessons learned and experiences for print and online media
Organise events on education issues, including symposiums, trainings, high-level seminars and conferences, including for the dissemination of important information, learning, reports, researches and messages
Develop and maintain a professional network for governance issues within Nigeria and within SC globally
Build the capacity of CSOs and support the development of strong civil society engagement in Every Last Child/Girls Education Campaign and SWOC Campaign
Build the strength of our campaigns through coalition building, effective networking and/or related activities as appropriate
Work closely with technical leads (TAs) to mainstream advocacy, campaign and policy engagement into programmes at national and subnational level and to ensure advocacy, campaign and policy engagement is based on evidence from Country Programmes
Explore opportunities to communicate about all education projects deliverables and its impact internally and externally, with a wide variety of state and national level stakeholders using innovative methods
Produce reports, position papers, briefing papers, policy advocacy messaging and presentations for internal and external audiences, as directed by the line manager
Act as SCI Nigeria’s representative at state and national level as required, mainly in events relating to education advocacy, campaign and policy engagement

Others:

Own and ensure the efficient integration the “LEARN” related objectives of the COVID-19 Advocacy, Campaign, Media and Communication Plan into the pandemic response programme
Perform other duties as assigned by the Director of Advocacy and Campaign

Skills and Behaviours (our Values in Practice) Accountability:

Holds self- accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved

Ambition:

Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to do the same
Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
Future orientated, thinks strategically
Build strong influencing networks among policy makers, donors and CSOs to push the UHC agenda.

Collaboration:

Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters
Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity:

Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
Willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity:

Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

Skills & Experience Essential:

Level of Education: Post Graduate
Specified Study Area: Development Economics, Education, Public Policy, Law, Development Studies
Desired Number of Years’ experience: 7 (in universal basic education advocacy with a focus on education financing, access, safety, quality, governance and enhanced voice and accountability)
Language Requirements: English - Excellent.
Ability to be strategic and proactive when required to be able to keep advocacy plans dynamic and aligned to new policy and political developments
Ability to clearly communicate and easily relate to federal and state authorities
Able to demonstrate positive attitude, diplomatic, negotiator, and team player
Experience of working in a multi-cultural environment and respect for diversity
Level of IT Expertise Required: Excellent
Profound knowledge in Nigeria governance and education systems and political terrains
Strong knowledge of global education policy goals and commitments
Ability to write strong position papers and policy briefings
Strong analytical framework to clearly articulate and communicate our policy positions
Comply with the requirements of Save the Children’s commitment to protect children in accordance with the Child Safeguarding Policy