Communications Officer at Plan International

Job Description

The Communications Officer makes an important contribution to the design of PIU’s projects, ensuring that any Influencing or Communication that is necessary for project success is factored into the plan and budget, and aligning project activities to the Country Strategy. Additionally, the role is responsible for leading campaigns in support of project goals, which have the potential to change mindsets and behaviour for a wide variety of stakeholders.

The Communications Officer must bring significant technical expertise in the development of innovative influencing and communications strategies. The job holder is required to think both strategically and tactically to achieve PIU’s influencing targets.

The key challenge for this position is around creating content and developing communications materials that will effectively elicit changes in mindset and behaviour. This requires the job holder to:
• Fully understand project goals and have a good understanding of the key technical content and associated influencing agendas
• Identify and segment audiences, genuinely empathising with their unique interests and starting points
• Write &/or develop content (e.g., visuals) that engages and influences them
Demonstrate highly effective influencing skills both within and outside the organisation engaging and inspiring others to achieve PIU’s important goals

The position is not responsible for managing a budget but can influence the development of the
Influencing & Communications overall workplan and budget of around €100,000 annually and the Influencing & Communications component of project budgets
Level of contact with children

This position has been classified as “high contact”: Significant interaction with children
Key result areas:

KRA 1: Project Planning
• Support the development of Influencing & Communications Plans for a delegated portfolio of projects:
• Ensure a good understanding of PIU’s operating environment and the ways in which the achievement of our strategic goals is dependent on influencing others towards changed mindsets and behaviours
• Contribute towards stakeholder mapping and audience analysis, leading to the development of clear, measurable influencing targets and innovative strategies for driving change
Support the development of detailed implementation plans and budgets; ensure that there is clarity over what activities will be managed by the PD&Q team, and what will be managed by the Programme
• Implementation team
• In collaboration with MERL and Project Managers, devise effective monitoring frameworks that will support quality assurance of influencing / communications interventions and yield important insights on how to change mindsets and behaviours for the benefit of vulnerable children and youth (especially girls)

KRA 2: Materials Development
• Coordinate the design, development and roll out of campaign and project materials in line with the agreed Influencing & Communications plan:
• Ensure a good understanding of the Global Plan International Branding Guidelines; ensure a coherent and consistent brand image across all projects and ensure compliance with Donor visibility requirements
• Work with programme teams and partners to design, pre-test and roll out communications materials (such as documentaries, posters, flyers and brochures) for awareness creation and education
Support programme managers to commission high quality and creative photography and videography which captures the essence and impact of our work.
• Support programme and field teams in integrating documentation and communication to effectively draw lessons and change stories in line with the strategy
• Supervise the work of suppliers/ 3rd parties to support in research, interviewing, writing, editing, proofreading and distributing content for electronic and print communication

KRA 3: Outreach & Events
• Support the implementation of stakeholder engagement strategies and develop relationships to increase PIU’s profile amongst target audiences:
• Take part in planning public events and outreaches meetings in line with the Plan International Uganda strategic priorities; provide significant practical and logistical support to ensure smooth running
• Develop and enhance strong partnerships with community groups, leaders and other partners in the community and civil society for promotion of participation in social and behavioural changes supportive of programme goals
• Participate in strategic networks, including with government and partners, to promote the Plan
• International Uganda profile
• Represent Plan International with external stakeholders, at all times behaving in line with Plan International’s values and Code of Conduct (CoC) to give a faithful representation of the organisation

KRA 4: Ensuring Impactful Implementation
• Support the roll-out of Influencing & Communications plans; continuously monitoring effectiveness and impact, analysing learning and making adjustments as required:
• Take responsibility for the delivery of a delegated portfolio of Influencing & Communications projects and activities, this may include, but is not limited to press releases, speeches, newsletters, reports, success stories, videos, photography, infographics, tweets, blogs and Facebook posts, etc.
• Support the Communications Coordinator in managing scheduled content releases; ensuring high quality, timely, delivery against plan
• Participate in promoting Plan International Uganda’s visibility on existing Plan International Platforms (such as Planet and Media Bank) and approved social media sites
• Participate in monitoring, evaluation and learning reviews to appreciate which Influencing & Communications strategies gain traction with specific audiences and to prove and improve engagement

KRA 5: Team Collaboration
• Manage selected external consultants, but also collaborate in a trusted, effective way with colleagues across PIU:
• Successfully procure and manage communications contractors and freelancers, following procurement procedures
• Organise and coordinate colleagues (and consultants) engaged in events management or content creation projects; lead the team towards high standards of performance through clear roles & responsibilities and provision of appropriate support
• Participate in the Influencing & Communications team’s capacity building initiatives for staff and partners by providing expert training facilitation, coaching and guidance
• Foster an inclusive environment by implementation of policies and ways-of-working that provide for diversity and equal opportunities and utilisation of a leadership style that will drive employee engagement, in line with PIU’s Staff Engagement and Communication Approach
• Take responsibility for managing the finances associated with events or content development projects; at all times following PIU’s financial procedures and working to optimise value for money

KRA 6: Safeguarding, Gender Equality & Inclusion
• Ensure that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes but is not limited to ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.

ROLE REQUIREMENTS:
Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree required with preference in mass communications, journalism, community development, or related fields
• At least 3 years’ experience in similar role, preferably with non-governmental organisations
• Leadership Competencies
• Myself as a Leader
• Courageous in taking a lead, challenging self and others on their attitudes, assumptions, unconscious bias and behaviour; speaks positively about change and supports others in adjusting to it.
• Lasting Impact
• Focuses effort where it will make the best contribution to PIU’s purpose and strategic goals; takes the initiative to find new and better ways of doing work.
• Open & Accountable
• Holds self and others to account for what we have agreed, dealing with poor performance quickly, firmly and constructively; at all times acts in the best interests of PIU and her beneficiaries.
• Work Well Together
• Builds positive relationships outside their own work area, communicates clearly and persuasively with large and diverse groups of people; willing to compromise own preferences to achieve our broader purpose and longer-term impact.
• Inclusive & Empowering
• Appreciates the expertise and creativity of others; actively seeks out others’ views and incorporates their insights or perspectives into decision-making and action-planning.

Skills & Knowledge
• Takes responsibility for own performance and development: reflecting, seeking and listening to feedback, learning from mistakes, finding people or resources to help them learn, keeping knowledge and skills up to date.
• Critical Business Management Competencies
• Good understanding of the political, social, financial and cultural context within which PIU operates; with practical experience of implementing projects that effectively reduce inequality and change how power is used.
• Demonstrated expertise in designing and leading the impactful implementation of significant projects; utilising good practice in MERL to set targets and adaptively managing to ensure achievement of results
• Strong ability to analyse and interpret an appropriate range of data and evidence, both internal and external, using sound judgement to make balanced decisions, based on insights gained, or projection of trends.
• Experience of incorporating digital and technological solutions into plans and activities, to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of working practices, enhance communication and support innovation.
• Outstanding communication skills with an ability to deeply understand the starting position of an audience and produce compelling written and/or spoken communications that effectively influence others.
• Track record of leading a team to work effectively together, using negotiation and mediation techniques to manage conflict, and ensuring that diverse perspectives and viewpoints are welcomed.
• Critical Technical Competencies
• Special skill in InDesign/Illustrator/Photoshop is essential to be able design materials
• Experience with still photography, videography, and story writing style of communication
• Excellent communication and public relations skills with strong English language capability (written and oral) and ability to clearly communicate complex ideas and principles
• Experience hosting or working with donors preferred