Advocacy, Communications and External Engagement Manager

Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic leadership
-Lead and manage the WV Zimbabwe (WVZ) Advocacy, Communications and External Engagement Department; lead advocacy & Policy engagement based on strategic priorities and Campaigns for World Vision.”
-Ensure WVZ’s communication strategy and plan are aligned with WV’s broader communication strategy (Africa and Global), with a particular focus on impact-based initiatives and further leveraging our digital and social media footprint. Review, align and implement WVZ national advocacy, communication and external engagement strategy as needed;
-Ensure that our advocacy, communication and external engagement interventions can contribute to our overall resource development strategy and revenue generation.

Advocacy
-Develop an advocacy and campaigns strategy and policy agenda for the country focusing on the National Office strategy
-Coordinate documentation of best practices and evidence related to WVs advocacy work and campaign Ensure that children’s voices are represented through local-level advocacy efforts and local-national-global linkages
-Build strategic partnerships with civil society, donors, governments and corporations, UN entities, and other organizations to enhance collective responses to child well-being.
-Resource Development and cross-sector collaboration
-Explore potential funding sources for advocacy work and WV campaigns.
-Work with the Support Office, Regional Advocacy & campaigns, and other regional ministry functions to ensure that grants and other specially funded initiatives incorporate advocacy and EVAC campaign elements.
-Provide support in the development of multi-country proposals.
-Act as a focal point person for external and media engagement on child protection and gender issues, which may require profiling and advocacy interventions In times of emergency responses, support messaging and policy briefs in collaboration with the region

Research and Analysis:
-Support assessment and research activities to gather information and analysis that would inform policy and advocacy briefing documents, assessment reports, and research papers;
-Support the process of gathering information on the key National advocacy themes – from WV Zim’s programs, other humanitarian actors, communities in the province, and other primary and secondary sources- to inform advocacy products and tools;

Communications
-Ensure a yearly communication and digital platform action plan with deliverables in place.
-Ensure increased communications focus on stories and publications that effectively communicate “evidence of impact” in alignment with the national strategy and resource development plan and priorities
-Engage local and international media around stories and issues that pertain to WV’s core focus on children and their well-being
-Ensure there is an effective and coordinated use of relevant social media platforms by WVZ based on a plan
-Ensure more field-based staff receive basic training and support so they can more effectively capture information and visuals that can be used across our various communications platforms – focus more on “telling the story from the field” and ensure the voices of children are heard
-Review and enhance internal communications using relevant internal platforms (with a primary focus on staff, AC, SO and Regional partners and other key stakeholders)
-Build an executive communications plan for the National Director to ensure the ND is known, heard and engaged in two-way dialogue with staff
-Coordinate, monitor and manage reputational risk narrative and brand issues associated with the organization;
-Facilitate a process of continuous learning on appropriate communication systems, methods, and tools suitable for WVZ.
-Support the National Director and other senior staff to serve as key spokespersons and can be positioned as opinion leaders on relevant topics and issues

Public and External Stakeholder Engagement
-Lead WVZ, national government, and partner engagement, representing WVZ in key internal and external forums, including relevant government entities, partners, and other stakeholders. This will be done in coordination with the Resource Development Department (RDD) Provide strategic direction for business development to pursue advocacy funding through support in the development and implementation of the external engagement plan as well as via identification of resources, key stakeholders and relationship building and management;
-Work with the RDDE Unit to develop advocacy-related capacity statements and funding proposals.

Mentoring and Coaching
-Lead, manage and provide capacity building support to staff in the ACE Department by ensuring clear goals and accountabilities are established and achieved;
-Ensure individuals’ performance and development needs are met and staff are high-performing and engaged;
-Identify capacity gaps in NO in advocacy communications and public engagement with SLT and Region to address them.
-Champion/Facilitate advocacy and communications training within field-level programs