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Job Title:   Advocacy Officer – SHE SOARS Project   

Organisation: Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights (YCSRR)

Duty Station:  Kenya, Uganda or Zambia

About US:

The Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights (YCSRR) is an international organization of young people (ages 18-29 years) committed to promoting adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health and rights at the national, regional and international levels. We are volunteers from all over the world, with a small team of staff based in Ottawa to support us in this mandate. We are students, researchers, lawyers, health care professionals, educators, development workers, and most importantly, we are all dedicated activists.

Together, we work to ensure that the sexual and reproductive rights of all young people are respected, guaranteed and promoted, and strive to secure the meaningful participation of young people in decision-making that affects the lives of young people and adolescents. We do this through advocating, generating knowledge, sharing information, building partnerships, and training young activists.

About the SHE SOARS! Project:

SHE SOARS! (Sexual and reproductive Health & Economic empowerment [SHE] Supporting Out of school Adolescent girls’ Rights and Skills [SOARS]) is a seven-year, Global Affairs Canada-funded project. SHE SOARS is a multi-stakeholder project working on the areas of sexual and reproductive health and rights and economic empowerment in Kenya, Uganda and Zambia. As part of YCSRR’s mandate, our focus will be to strengthen the capacity of youth-led organizations in the region & deliver on youth-led SRHR advocacy and meaningful youth engagement and empowerment across the project. In light of our key principles of co-leadership, co-ownership and co-creation, our intervention will be to improve effectiveness of youth-led organizations’ capacity to advocate for evidence-based, accountable and equitable SRHR policies, legal frameworks and services.

Job Summary:  The YCSRR is seeking services for an Advocacy Officer consultant on the SHE SOARS! Project, to be based in one of the three implementing countries of Kenya, Uganda or Zambia, for an initial duration of twelve months, with a possibility of renewal. The individual will oversee the strategic planning, execution and implementation of advocacy, outreach and policy goals of the SHE SOARS Project in collaboration with the SHE SOARS Youth Advisory Board, SHE SOARS! partner organisations as well as YCSRR membership, secretariat and Board of Directors.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Advocacy Coordination (85%)

• Develop and facilitate the process of identifying program and advocacy priorities in collaboration with the Youth Advisory Board, Program Manager, YCSRR membership, secretariat, and implementing partners.
• Map policy and legal gaps on SRHR and MYE policies.
• Support youth from the region to draft reports, statements and submissions, for both local and international advocacy.
• Lead on the creation of capacity building materials/workshops on SRHR and MYE.
• Conduct analysis on trends / issues related to ASRHR in the project areas, with a view to informing advocacy strategies and partner support.
• Identify and foster relationships with other key policy and advocacy stakeholders (youth-led or youth-centred networks/coalitions, civil society organisations, governments, donors, etc.)
• Identify opportunities for external engagement and lead on the planning of advocacy activities and/or campaigns.
• With the support of the programme manager, develop advocacy-orientated partnerships.
• With the support of the programme manager, co-design the development, delivery, monitoring and evaluation of the SHE SOARS! Project advocacy strategy.
• Support data collection and the research and monitoring of relevant policy, decision-making or other commitments related to adolescents and youth sexual and reproductive health and rights.
• Coordinate advocacy and communication strategies with the Communications Officer.
• Support the facilitation of YCSRR communications related to the SHE SOARS project and advocacy-related information, including drafting content for newsletter, website and social media.
• Support the review of project work plans to ensure that the project advocacy plan is streamlined in consultation with Youth Advisory Board, YCSRR secretariat and other stakeholders.
• Support the development of youth-led, substantive sexual and reproductive health rights and services and inclusive programming to be implemented with partnering organizations.
• Represent the Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Right’s project across public engagement activities and with external partners to promote the advocacy goals of the SHE SOARS! project as well as the YCSRR and other stakeholders’ work around SRHR.
• Ensure there is information flow on advocacy messaging and objectives between partner organisations, membership and other stakeholders.
• Evaluate the impact of advocacy and policy strategies.

Program Management Support (15%)

• With the overview of the Project Manager, the Advocacy Officer will contribute to the country specific planning, implementation, and reporting of the project.
• Ensure project learning is generated and documented and shared within the project with the support of the Project Manager.
• Communicate with partners and program staff to ensure relevance and quality of activities.
• Support Program Manager in timely production and submission of project reports and other knowledge products in accordance with donor & partner requirements.
• Support relationship building with in-country, grassroots, youth-led organisations and co-ordinate with other relevant stakeholders to build strong partnerships based on principles of co-leadership, co-ownership and co-creation.
• Support YCSRR members as well as the Youth Advisory Board in the planning, implementation and evaluation of activities, including training, events, conferences, etc.
• Perform other duties, as directed.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• YCSRR is an organization of young people under 30 years old. Only applicants below 30 years old are eligible for this position.
• The YCSRR is committed to decolonizing SRHR practice and to allow young people from targeted countries to lead on the projects that affect them. The applicant is to be based in Kenya, Uganda or Zambia and will work remotely.
• Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights recognizes the contributions and critical perspectives that individuals from minority groups and communities that face systemic exclusion bring to our team. People including, but not limited to, those from the following groups are encouraged to apply: women; mothers; single parents; immigrants; people of colour; lesbian, bisexual, gay, two spirit, transgender, gender non-conforming, queer, and questioning people; intersex people; people with disabilities; and those marginalized on the basis of class or caste.
• The ideal candidate has strong advocacy and policy knowledge related to sexual and reproductive health and rights and/or experience working with youth and adolescents living in one of the three implementation countries (Kenya, Uganda and Zambia). As well, the individual will have cultural awareness and experience with youth-led and/or community-led initiatives in one of the three implementation countries.
• The consultant will have experience of designing and mobilising campaigns, and has an interest in youth-centered issues and share values that are aligned with our Principles and Values. As an Advocacy Officer consultant, you will be expected to represent YCSRR and our Ps&Vs, which may include advocating for the engagement and rights of marginalised communities in the space you attend.
• The working language of the YCSRR is English.
• Efficient written and oral communication skills in English
• Demonstrated SRHR related advocacy skills including data and policy analysis, report writing, critical thinking, outreach, networking, planning and monitoring. These skills can have been developed through either education or work experience.
• Demonstrated success in implementing and managing advocacy or policy campaigns
• Experience analysing, developing and drafting policy, advocacy and/or research documents
• Demonstrated success in establishing partnerships and building rapport with stakeholders
• Proven experience developing and using social media and technology to improve communication with targeted groups
• Experience of project deliverables, time management, budgeting and working with partners
• Ability to work in a fast paced environment and manage deadlines with minimal supervision;
• Proven ability to work autonomously and in a remote-based setting
• Experience and/or knowledge of one or more of the following areas: gender; sexual and reproductive rights; comprehensive sexual education; public health; adolescents and youth; minority rights; rights-based initiatives and/or community development
• Strong commitment to the principles of anti-oppression practices and demonstrated commitment to YCSRR principles and values
• Demonstrated capacity to work both in a self-directed manner and collaboratively with other staff and stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability working in multicultural work environments
• Detail-oriented with strong time management and organizational skills
• Willingness and ability to travel within the region (Kenya, Uganda and Zambia)

Desired

• Involvement in a youth-led and/or social change initiative, organization, or network;
• Experience working in local/national government, intergovernmental or international NGOs;
• Knowledge of the issues surrounding youth and adolescent social and economic empowerment;
• Experience working with volunteers and with remote teams;
• Experience in innovative approaches to advocacy design;
• Familiarity with Results Based Management.

What We Offer

• Remuneration for this position is CAD $30,000 for the 12-month consultancy, paid in monthly installments ($2,500 CAD per month). We also provide an allowance to be used for a benefits plan, and paid leave;
• A flexible and youth-friendly work environment;
• Capacity building and professional development opportunities;
• A safe(er) space for youth leadership, advocacy, and activism.

Location and Conditions of Service

• The initial duration of this consultancy is 12 months, with possibility of extension;
• This is a full-time commitment (37.5 hours per week);
• The YCSRR is committed to decolonizing SRHR practice and to allow young people from targeted countries to lead on the projects that affect them. The applicant is to be based in Kenya, Uganda or Zambia and will work remotely;
• Given the international location of staff, members and partners, the individual will have to be occasionally available to attend meetings outside regular business hours.
• The successful candidate is expected to start in January 2022.

How to Apply:

All interested candidates should fill out this form Click Here

The application form includes the following sections:

• Principles and Values
• CV Upload
• Equal Opportunity Monitoring
• Application Questions
  • Tell us why you are interested in being the advocacy officer for the She Soars project. [150 words max]
  • Please list and describe the occasions in which you’ve successfully designed and led an advocacy strategy. [200 words max]
  • How has your experience prepared you for this role as Advocacy Officer? You can talk about your lived experience, your work experience, or any other experiences that you consider relevant. [350 words max]
  • What does meaningful youth engagement mean to you? Please talk about an instance where you have advocated for young people’s rights/SRHR. [150 words max]
  • Please describe your experience with SRHR advocacy, both at the local level and/or at the international level [200 words max]
  • Final Questions

Feel free to prepare your answers to the written questions in a separate document and then fill in the form. We also accept video and audio responses, to be submitted through the google form. If you have any questions or concerns do not hesitate to contact us by email and we will respond promptly. Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence, applications@youthcoalition.org.

No late or incomplete applications will be considered. Unfortunately, due to the volume of applications received, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview. We will not be able to provide individual feedback on applications.

Deadline: 2^nd January 2022

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