JOB PURPOSE:

The Civic Space & Digital Rights Officer will be responsible for the implementation of the Re-centering the Civic Internet through Partner Engagement that looks to enhance digital freedom of expression and freedom of information. The role will be under the Governance and Accountability Programme which involves work to promote, protect and advocate for civic space freedoms as well as Tax Justice. The key areas of focus for this role will be to implement specific Civic Space projects through effective project management approaches, supporting partners to strengthen organizational capacity so as to deliver high quality and impactful civic space and digital rights projects/programmes, to establish and maintain linkages with other thematic and programmatic areas as well as with relevant state and non-state actors at national, regional and global level. The Civic Space & Digital Rights Officer will be required to implement campaigning and influencing strategies, support in the undertaking of research and monitoring, evaluation and learning as well as ensuring that the programme mainstreams gender and active citizenship. The Officer will also contribute to resource mobilization for financing of the projects to ensure that the Civic space programme is fully resourced and sustained.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Project Management, Implementation and Resourcing – 30%

• Ensure that plans and objectives contribute to the broader country programme strategy and particularly on Civic Space and Digital Rights, as well as involve collaboration with other programmes.
• Effective, timely and quality delivery of project activities and deliverables.
• Continuously monitoring implementation of the project activities including budget tracking and prepare monthly and periodic reports for sharing with Oxfam management, development partners and stakeholders.
• Ensure continuous coordination with the MEAL Advisor in implementing the monitoring and evaluation components of projects (for Oxfam and partners) and documenting the lessons learnt for their application, quality assurance and for adjustments to the project where necessary.
• Support in initiating new programme/project strategies that help achieve impact on the project activities in close collaboration with Oxfam staff and other stakeholders.
• Work with other Oxfam project/programme staff and partners in developing new programme/project interventions and fundraising for project or programme financing.
• Perform any other tasks related to the project which maybe advised by the management from time to time.

Partnership management, coalition building and support – 40%

• Brokering, networking and managing partner relations with project partners, strategic partners, coalitions, networks and Governments and Assemblies in the project areas.
• Support the partners in delivering the project targets and objectives including MEAL support, monitoring of partner project activities, review of work plans and budgets, facilitating linkages, learning as well as reporting.
• Maintain regular communication and positive relationships with other Oxfam staff, project partners, people we work with and stakeholders.
• Ensure and coordinate regular monitoring, quality, review and timely submission of partner narrative and financial reports.
• Ensure compliance of Oxfam and donor requirements on project delivery and reporting by partners.

Research, knowledge generation, campaigns and policy influencing – 25%

• Implementation of specified components of the project under the Governance and Accountability Programme that include Civic space protection, digital rights and freedoms, and active citizenship.
• Through technical guidance, to support relevant research, policy analysis, and lobbying on the realization of the rights to freedom of expression and information taking into consideration gender, inequality and active citizenship.
• Continuously scan the external environment and maintain a broad network with potential partners to identify project opportunities to expand support partners on the Civic space protection and influencing and campaigning strategies and activities.
• To support the design and implementation of public offline and digital campaigns relevant to the programme.
• To coordinate with the Communications and MEAL advisors on the documentation of the programme and partner information, learning and case stories for programme visibility and fundraising.

Human resource management – 5%

• Manage consultants and researchers as required, in accordance with Oxfam policy and procedures.

Person specification

Most importantly, every individual at Oxfam needs to be able to:

• Live our values of INCLUSION, ACCOUNTABILITY, EMPOWERMENT, COURAGE, SOLIDARITY and EQUALITY (read more about these here)
• Ensure you commit to our ORGANIZATIONAL ATTRIBUTES (including adhering to the Code of Conduct):
• Be committed to our feminist principles, and to applying them in your day-to-day behaviour and your work. Be ready to keep learning, with accountability to those who experience oppression as a result of their identities, such as their gender, race/ethnicity, disability, class, or LGBTQIA identity.”
• Be committed to undertaking Oxfam’s safeguarding training and adhering to relevant policies, to ensure all people who come into Oxfam are as safe as possible.

Technical skills, knowledge and experience

Skills

• Professional/technical qualifications – a bachelor’s degree in law, human rights, international relations, political science, media, communication, or other relevant field.
• Demonstrated ability to multi-task between direct project implementation and partner management with positive outcomes.
• Proof of ability to work independently to deliver project outcomes and results as well as any other tasks that maybe delegated from time to time.
• Proven ability to analyse complex contexts, monitor change and translate this analysis into problem solving strategies that can be communicated in developing appropriate plans which have impact.
• Proven analytical and conceptual thinking, high level research, project management knowledge and skills and experience in using participatory tools and methodologies for assessment, programme identification, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills including strong negotiation skills with diverse teams.
• Great partnership building skills including facilitation and networking skills.
• Fund raising, donor reporting and budget management skills.
• Ability to gather and apply lessons learnt and to communicate this learning effectively to influence others in action – both internal and external audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively and sensitively with different value systems and cultures.
• A high level of self-awareness, initiative, sound judgement, personal energy and flexibility.

Knowledge

• Knowledge and/or experience in implementing human rights, freedom of expression and/or democratization issues in Kenya.
• Experience in national, regional and international mechanisms for promoting and protecting human rights.
• Good knowledge of and experience in developing advocacy and campaign strategies and plans and successfully achieving external impact and change.
• Strong programme management and quality knowledge, with the ability to ensure consistent quality against standards and to implement effective monitoring and evaluation systems to assess and adjust performance.
• A strong understanding of the civic space, gender, women’s rights, development issues and the political and economic context of Kenya.
• Commitment to and good knowledge of working with networks, coalitions, and a partnership approach across the spectrum of Oxfam’s work, including innovative approaches to capacity strengthening.
• Fluency in English with knowledge of Swahili an added advantage.

Experience

• At least 3 years’ experience in designing, managing, and delivering on civic space, digital rights or human rights programmes.
• Proven experience in working in complex, dispersed organizations with evidence of facilitating and integrating a specific area of expertise across a wide network, contributing to vision setting and implementation with impact, some level of decision-making and the delivery of agreed results.
• Politically astute, with high impact influencing and persuasive skills and personal gravitas to gain respect and build and maintain strong, credible relationships, with internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong organizational and personal management skills, with ability to prioritize work issues to meet deadlines with minimal supervision and adjust to constantly changing situations while maintaining focus on delivery and follow-through.
• Demonstrated experience in managing partners including effective oversight and capacity building as well as mobilizing and organizing marginalized communities and groups to influence positive change in their lives.
• Demonstrated experience in managing and working with researchers and consultants including developing strong terms of reference and effective supervision.

Essential

• Self-Awareness: Ability to develop a high degree of self-awareness around own strengths and weaknesses and impact on others.
• Agility, complexity and ambiguity: Ability to scan the environment, anticipate changes, are comfortable with lack of clarity and deal with a large number of elements interacting in diverse and unpredictable ways
• Mutual accountability: Ability to explain our decisions and how we have taken them based on our organizational values.