Job Description
SCOPE OF WORK
Afghanistan Musharikat
COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTREACH SPECIALIST
Proposed Personnel
TBD
Position
Communications and Outreach Specialist STTA
Period of Performance On/About (From – To)
On/about April 2020
September 2020
Maximum Level of Effort
5 months
Project Background:
DAI is implementing the USAID-funded program Promote Musharikat across the five major population centers (Kabul, Mazar, Herat, Jalalabad and Kandahar), extending to all 34 provinces in Afghanistan. The project’s goal is to increase women’s equality and empowerment in Afghanistan and advance opportunities for women by strengthening a critical mass of Afghan women civil society leaders. This goal will be achieved through:
- Building constituencies among national, provincial and local activists and CSOs focused on promoting women’s equality and empowerment;
- Strengthening more effective advocacy for women’s equality and empowerment;
- Increasing awareness of, and support for, women’s rights in all 34 provinces in Afghanistan; and
- Increasing the effectiveness of civil society and GIRoA in the development and implementation of gender policies.
Role’s Purpose:
The Communications and Outreach Specialist STTA will have full responsibility for all USAID reporting requirements and will oversee the continued implementation of the project’s strategic communication plan in the remaining months of the project. This role will be responsible for all project communications deliverables, including those associated with special project activities concerning the peace process and all materials associated with the project final report. S/he will oversee a team of local Communications staff and will regularly liaise with the project’s regional offices and grantees to ensure adequate information regarding project, coalition, and grantee activities in the provinces is collected and reported. S/he will also ensure the project follows USAID Branding and Marking requirements.
Objectives and Duties
The Communications and Outreach Specialist will:
- Be responsible for writing accurate, detailed, and high-quality project reports, including weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports, the project final report, and compiling ad hoc information requests for USAID. Reports must ground project achievements in Afghanistan’s current political context, showcasing the project’s story rather than simply reporting routine results.
- Lead the project’s efforts to complete a robust program of final reporting, including but not limited to, success stories, eight individual coalition reports, coalition leadership profiles, and grantee reports
- Ensure that success stories, Promote e-newsletters, Musharikat’s Knowledge Management Portal (MKMP), and other ad hoc reports are executed according to the reporting schedule and written to USAID’s and DAI’s standards
- Supervise local Communications staff
- Provide communications guidance to Musharikat coalitions and grantees
- Develop press releases for coalition activities and achievements.
- Work closely with USAID to ensure compliance with Branding and Marking requirements
- Maintain project brochures, signs, posters, pamphlets, etc.
- Undertake any other assigned tasks relating to this SOW or the project and its objectives, as assigned by the COP.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Required:
- Bachelor’s degree (MA preferred) plus at least four years of professional experience with donor funded international development projects, at least two of which were providing communications and outreach support
- Experience writing and editing program reports for USAID, other USG clients, or other international donor agencies
- Familiarity with USAID’s work in Afghanistan and the ongoing peace process within Afghanistan
- Demonstrated ability to write nuanced reports that ground project achievements within the local political context, using PEA or similar methodologies
- Experience leading host country nationals to strengthen team cohesion and achieve project objectives
- Experience designing and implementing effective communications strategies
- Strong verbal and written English communications skills
- Ability to meet short deadlines
- Outstanding coordination and organizational skills
- Demonstrates proactive engagement with colleagues
Preferred:
- Experience designing, conducting, and/or managing integrated communications campaigns including social media platforms or mobile applications; experience engaging with local media outlets including radio, television, and print
- Experience with public events, ensuring that the project’s key messaging is highlighted in major events like conferences and summits
CONDITIONS OF WORK REQUIREMENTS:
Work and living facilities are in high security zones with frequent security drills and protocols and limited access to medical facilities. General work environment and living quarters requires ability to walk numerous flights of stairs on a daily basis. Security protocols require the individual in this position to be able to quickly climb multiple flights of stairs while wearing 30 lbs. of personal protective equipment, walk swiftly or run across uneven terrain without assistance, and enter and exit project vehicles without assistance.
