The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization that promotes children’s rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries

ROLE PURPOSE

The Project Coordinator is envisioned as a primary support to the Deputy Project Lead and to help assure the quality project deliverables at the county level.  They will play a vital role in ensuring that our advocacy efforts are strategic, evidence-based, and effectively contribute to progress in the milestones of the project. The functions of the role will include implementation of the county advocacy outcomes for the project that will ultimately result to political will and commitment towards refugee children’s holistic skills development.

The officer will map out key child participation forums at both county levels to ensure children voices contribute to the realization of the project’s objectives besides packaging information/research findings and developing appropriate communication channels for dissemination of information/research findings; project documentation and dissemination; capacity building, learning and knowledge management.

This position is contingent upon donor approval and funding.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY

Strategy development & implementation

• The project coordinator will provide leadership in advocacy, learning and policy support to the area office and offer support to ensure there is a coherent process linking the county and national level advocacy efforts for the project.
• Maintain an in-depth understanding of refugee education legal and policy reform initiatives at the County level.
• Ensures that all advocacy messages and documents are evidence-based and of high quality.
• In close collaboration with the project leads, the Head of Advocacy, the Education technical specialist, develop and implement county advocacy strategies for the project. that will seek to
•  Responsible for the delivery of an annual implementation work plan.
• Develop and implement relevant context specific strategies for effective child participation within the advocacy activities in collaboration with the field office teams and relevant staff at the country office.
• Support project leads in identifying policy and practice change, which would improve education outcomes for refugee children.

Advocacy and Communications

• In liaison with MEAL Officer support the county level monitoring and evaluation of advocacy-related objectives, mapping of key opportunities and events, organisation of Save the Children ‘moments’ and events related to the project
• Contribute to the development of advocacy materials – including policy briefs, position papers, press releases, Questions and answers and opinion pieces for county and national advocacy.
• Formulate, consolidate and support key policy and advocacy messages (including direct communication and advocacy) for the project to influence county and national government, donors and other implementing actors.
• Develop good knowledge of county government structure, political processes and key decision-making structures with regard to refugee and education issues at county level.

Building Partnerships 

• Identify local networks and coalitions and develop sustained partnerships/ alliances that are critical in the dissemination and/or application of research findings and/or learning to influence the policy and practice landscape with regard to refugee education issues.
• Representing Save the Children at strategic county forums, networking with strategic CSOs and other social movement processes that are relevant to Save the Children’s policy work including with regard to refugee education.  It also includes identifying and helping to identify and nurture refugee education ‘champions’ to support our advocacy agenda.
• Support area offices to build partnerships with communities and programme beneficiaries in establishing accountability mechanisms, capacity building and knowledge management.
• Support the capacity building of programme and field staff and key partners on advocacy through training, sharing best practices and supporting learning and knowledge management.
• Work collaboratively with external partners and stakeholders including government to align implementation efforts with broader project advocacy objectives.

Programme Management 

• Participate in Save the Children programme meetings and related sessions to draw out research-based advocacy messages in programmes.  Keep abreast of current research, national and donor policies and debates in Kenya, relevant to the project.
• In collaboration with programme managers, monitor and evaluate project activities within budgets, ensuring that indicators and methods are in place to allow evaluation of the achievements and develop regular reports on progress.
• Partnership and Stakeholder Engagement

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• At least 3 years’ experience in advocacy work, as well as contributing to the development and implementation of advocacy strategies. Experience working within Kenya Health systems is an added advantage.
• Excellent understanding of Kenya’s budget cycle and moments.
• An understanding of policy and legislative development processes at both national and county levels.
• Superior written communication skills, including the ability to translate complex arguments into accessible English for a non-specialist audience, and the ability to write articles that would be published in the mainstream press.
• Knowledge of the devolution processes, and its impact on the health sector.
• Excellent verbal communication skills, appropriate for high-level external representation (for example lobbying county governors, ministers, MCAs)
• Experience of developing advocacy strategies, knowledge and understanding of a range of advocacy techniques
• Experience of effective teamwork and outstanding inter-personal communication skills
• Experience of coalition building and working with civil society actors to deliver change
• Excellent understanding of Sustainable Development Goals, Vision 2030, policy and legal provisions in support of child survival.
• Fluency in spoken and written English and Kiswahili
• Commitment to Save the Children’s mission and values

Desirable

• An academic qualification with a minimum of Bachelor’s degree in Law, Political Science, Governance, International development, Community development or related field of study.
• Experience and training on policy and advocacy.
• Good knowledge of the refugee and education issues including the work of academic/research contacts, NGOs, UN agencies
• Good presentation and analytical skills.
• Great negotiation and persuasion skills.
• Experience of policy research, having written and published policy reports and briefings and evaluating evidence of their impact.