Job title: Principal Advocacy, RCCE and Social Mobilization Coordinator
Number of posts: 1 (one)
Grade: AU/P4 equivalency
Department: Directorate of Communication and Public Information
Supervisor: Head, Advocacy and Social Mobilisation
Duty Station: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Background:
The African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) is a non-profit organization established in 2005 with a mission to improve human health through the strengthening and expansion of applied epidemiology and laboratory capacity in partnership with Ministries of Health, Non-Governmental Organizations, international agencies, private sector and other public health agencies. AFENET has its headquarters in Kampala, Uganda with operations in more than 30 African Countries.
Officially launched in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in January 2017 as a specialized technical institution
of the African Union, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is Africa’s first continent-wide public health agency. Africa CDC envisions a safer, healthier, integrated and stronger Africa, where Member States are capable of effectively responding to outbreaks of infectious diseases and other public health threats. The agency’s mission is to strengthen Africa’s public health institutions’ capabilities to detect and respond quickly and effectively to disease outbreaks and other health burdens through an integrated network of continent-wide preparedness and response, surveillance, laboratory, and research programs. Towards meeting its mission, the Africa CDC will work with African Union (AU) Member States, WHO, and partners in the five geographic regions of the AU to strengthen their capacity in at least five strategic priority areas: (1) public health surveillance and disease intelligence; (2) public health emergency preparedness and response; (3) public health laboratory systems and networks; (4) public health information and technology systems; and (5) public health research and public health institutes.
The Africa CDC invites applications who are citizens of AU Member States to apply for the position of Principal Advocacy, RCCE and Social Mobilization Coordinator.
Job purpose:
The candidate in this role functions as the lead coordinator for Advocacy, Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) in support of the overall function of Emergency Management and Preparedness (EMP), disease outbreak and prevention focusing on the provision of technical policy, strategy, campaigns and advice.
The coordinator is responsible for coordinating, managing and evaluating programme activities within an assigned area of responsibility in consultations with Africa CDC HQ, Regional Coordinating Centre (RCC) and countries’ National Public Health Institute (NPHI), Ministry of Health Offices, and/or international counterparts on program needs within the area of RCCE, Advocacy and will create milestones on new policies and strategies to address national, regional and continental needs.
He/She will lead and coordinate all RCCE and Social Mobilisation (SB) officers at HQ and RCC to ensure effective programme coordination.
Major Duties and Responsibilities:
The Principal Advocacy, RCCE and Social Mobilization Coordinator shall;
- Provide technical leadership, coordination and managerial support within the Programme, ensuring that activities in RCCE and social mobilisation are carried out efficiently and effectively at HQ and Five (5) RCC’s Arican regions i.e. North, west, Central, East and South.
- Develop and propose technical RCCE health policies and strategies for implementation through collaboration with regional, NHPI and MoH Offices.
- Led a small team sf technical RCCE and SB staff, financial resources and practical work planning to optimize the deliverables in line with Africa CDC mandate.
- Manages the monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of the subject area of work of key performance indicators and reporting requirements and mechanisms to optimise the performance of Programme deliverables.
- Serves as the technical reference among the peer community, AU Offices, member states and other stakeholders at the technical levels in the respective area of expertise.
- Liaises with and utilises partnerships in other AU offices, member states, Donors, or research institutions in RCCE and advocacy to position the technical area of work and implementation into national, regional and continental policies.
- Represents the programme area of work at various meetings to advocate for RCCE.
- Coordinate RCCE interventions throughout the emergency management cycle from prevention, preparedness, response and resilience. This includes:
- Oversee the development, elaboration and implementation of the risk communication strategy and plan as part of the emergency preparedness and response in line with WHO flagships.
- Develop RCCE assessment tools and conduct RCCE assessments in member states.
- Support member states in the implementation of Regional and continental Frameworks on Community Engagements in collaboration with relevant teams in member states.
- Liaise closely with the HQ and regional counterparts to harmonise guidelines and tools for RCCE, ensuring coherence of strategy, materials and messages.
- Monitor and proactively counter false rumours and misinformation and address fears and concerns.
- Support national capacity building in conducting research/studies such as surveys to identify risk patterns that will generate evidence for effective policies and strategies.
- Work closely with communications and media teams to enhance advocacy and dissemination of information to the public.
- Support resource mobilisation for providing technical support to the member states.
- Perform any other related incident-specific duties as required by the functional supervisor.
- Develop RCCE policy briefs, notes, and Op-Eds, among others.
- Strong research, analytical, and development skills are required.
Qualification and work experience required:
Professional work experience
- Proven experience in developing and implementing risk communications strategies and plans.
- Proven experience in conducting RCCE assessments in communities and
- Prior working experience with health partners, recognised humanitarian organisations or other international organisations, including at country, regional and international levels.
- Management, leading teams and Project management experience.
- Management, leading teams and Project management experience is required.
- Extensive knowledge and experience in working on the African continent.
- Understanding and expert knowledge of the African political environment, culture and diverse norms, values, attitudes and perception
- Expert practical skills in RCCE and Social mobilisation, SBCC
Educational Qualifications:
- Minimum of ten (10) years of related experience, at the national and international level, in risk communication, health promotion, and emergency management, part of which working in disease outbreaks or health emergencies.
- Advanced university degree (master’s level or above) in social sciences, behavioural
- experience in project management
Required Skills and Competencies
- Functional
- Passion for community work and social justice
- effective negotiation, facilitation and consensus-building skills.
- Ability to work under pressure while producing results.
- Ability to make innovative proposals related to RCCE/SBCC.
- Tact, discretion and diplomacy.
- Knowledge or understanding of Africa CDC mandate and goals in the emergency incident management context.
- Result driven
- Exceptional writing and oral communication skills
- Personal
- Strong leadership and communication skills
- People management and result-driven
- adaptability and flexibility
- Attention to detail and fast learner
- Self-aware, confident with a positive attitude
- Discretion and confidentiality
- Problem-solving and initiation
Language Requirement
Applicants must be proficient in at least one of the AU languages (Arabic, English, French, Spanish and Portuguese). Knowledge of one or more additional African Union working languages would be an added advantage.
Tenure of Appointment
The appointment will be made on a fixed term contract for a period of one (1) year, of which the first three (3) months will be considered as a probationary period. Thereafter, the contract will be renewed annually subject to satisfactory performance and fund availability.
Gender Mainstreaming
The AU Commission is an equal opportunity employer and qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.
Remuneration Indicative basic salary of US$ 42,879 (P4 Step1) per annum plus other related entitlements e.g. Post adjustment 46% of basic salary (US$19,724.34), Housing allowance of US$ 26,208 per annum. Thus a total of U$88,811.34 per annum plus Gratuity of 15% of Gross Salary per annum.