Job Description

With over 70 years of experience, our focus is on helping the most vulnerable children overcome poverty and experience fullness of life. We help children of all backgrounds, even in the most dangerous places, inspired by our Christian faith.Come join our 34,000+ staff working in nearly 100 countries and share the joy of transforming vulnerable childrens life stories!Employee Contract Type: Local - Fixed Term Employee (Fixed Term):Application Deadline:19th July 2024The Southern Africa Regional Advocacy and External Engagement Lead plays a pivotal role in driving World Vision's Our Promise strategy forward by spearheading faith-based social justice advocacy, championing human rights, and cultivating strategic partnerships across the Southern Africa region and globally. This dynamic role is dedicated to integrating advocacy seamlessly into programmatic efforts, ensuring that the voices of children and communities are amplified and heard at local, national, and global levels. By forging impactful relationships with governments, regional advocacy bodies, and other stakeholders, the role leads the charge in advocating for policies and initiatives that directly benefit vulnerable populations. Additionally, the incumbent serves as a powerful ambassador for World Vision in various forums, raising awareness and mobilizing support for key issues that are vital to the well-being and empowerment of children and communities. Furthermore, the role collaborates closely with national office advocacy counterparts to strategically position national offices for increased income, impact, and influence, leveraging collective efforts to effect positive change on a larger scale.Major ResponsibilitiesStrategic Leadership

• Provide leadership and direction to the Advocacy and External Engagement teams in National Offices (NOs) to ensure NOs are receiving the appropriate support to maximize their impact on Child Well-Being.
• Ensure support and technical leadership to the Child Protection Advocacy (CPA) working with the Child Protection and Sponsorship Lead, the Citizen Voice and Action (CVA) work, and the National Office Campaign Coordinators for the ENOUGH campaign.
• Lead orientation and capacity building of the advocacy and campaign teams in the National Offices.
• Support the successful implementation of the Advocacy annual operation and resource allocation plans for National Offices
• Support effective implementation of advocacy and campaigns strategies and policy agenda for Southern Africa focusing on the new partnership strategy our Promise 2030
• Ensure successful launch, implementation of the ENOUGH campaign in Southern Africa, and working closely with the regional office key functions
• Ensure key policy and advocacy issues in regional technical guidance and NO technical programs are adequately addressed
• Provide oversight to major policy and advocacy initiatives in the region and ensure compliance with WVI advocacy and campaigns standards, protocols and policy.
• Engage and support in regional strategy execution and measurement processes
• Ensure coordination, implementation and reporting of strong NO campaigns across the region

National Office Engagement and Support

• Develop close relationships with National Office Advocacy leads and senior leadership to ensure that the work of the Advocacy and External Engagement Teams is connected and responds to the National Offices (NOs) needs.
• Ensure that the key child participation, advocacy issues in each NO are known, clearly articulated and the support plans are designed and implemented to support the NO in addressing these issues
• Ensure that in every fiscal year (FY), the advocacy needs of the NOs are identified and integration and funding requests reviewed and prioritized, and the plan for the FY communicated to the NO so they are aware of the level of support that is feasible
• Work closely with the Regional Leader to see how the additional needs might be met and solicit for high level strategic input in enhancing child wellbeing outcomes within the Advocacy, Gender Child Protection and all the Technical Programmes
• Manage compilation of child participation, advocacy and External Engagements - both policy compliance updates and emerging lessons and best practices to disseminate to Senior Leadership
• Support National Offices with the local to Global linkages to amplify childrens voices and participation at all levels, ensuring valuable field evidence informs national and global mechanisms
• Coordinate strategic engagement with regional institutions including the AU, SADC, Joining Forces Alliance, Children Rights Network in Southern Africa and HEA related bodies

Campaigns Management

• Support sustainability plans for the It Takes a World to end violence against boys and girls across the countries in WV SAR
• Support NO level operationalization of the ENOUGH Campaign through NO strategy and programmes.
• Coordinate documentation of best practices and evidence related to WVs advocacy work and campaign in Southern Africa
• Ensure that childrens voices are represented through local level advocacy efforts and local-national-global linkages
• Coordinate regional level campaign events and ensure WVs leadership teams participation in related fora
• Coordinate efforts in resource mobilization for the ENOUGH campaign as well as related advocacy themes
• Ensure ongoing monitoring and reporting for the ENOUGH campaign in Southern Africa.

Capacity Building Coordination

• Contribute to the development and implementation of an integrated regional capacity building plan and project models informed by regional priorities, strategy and capacity assessments.
• Share/facilitate access to programming resources and appropriate learning and support opportunities for national offices. These may include active involvement in training, engagement of trainers, establishing institutional links, identifying opportunities for staff exchange or mentoring.
• Ensure that advocacy and external engagement core competencies and capacity requirement at national level (including advise and support in recruitment and induction of leadership where requested) is developed and applied
• Promote peer to peer learning in and across the region to promote collaboration, teamwork and enhance multi-cultural learnings among advocacy staff

External Engagement

• Coordinate strategic engagement with regional institutions including the AU, SADC, Joining Forces Alliance, Children Rights Network in Southern Africa and HEA related bodies
• Build strategic partnerships with civil society, donors, Governments and corporations, UN entities and other organizations to enhance collective response to child well-being
• Strengthen partnership and collaboration with faith-based organizations at National and Regional Level to influence and monitor policy implementation to enhance child well-being.
• Support regional and national leadership in articulating policy positions and enhancing the visibility of WV in their respective countries
• Represent WV in global, regional and national advocacy and campaigns events, conferences, fora, seminars and technical working groups

Resource Development and Cross- Sector Collaboration

• Explore potential funding sources for advocacy work and ENOUGH campaign
• Collaborate with the SAR Resource Development Team (RDT), NOs and SO to support resource development
• Ensure the inclusion of a resource development target in key advocacy and campaign staff JDs
• Provide technical assistance for advocacy and campaign design work in the region
• Work with Support Office, GC advocacy & campaigns team, NO teams, and other regional ministry functions to ensure that grants and other specially funded initiatives incorporate advocacy and ENOUGH campaign elements
• Provide support in development of multi-country proposals.
• Act as a strategic link and focal point for connecting National Offices, Support Offices and Global Center for mutual support.
• Actively participate in WVs inter-sectoral (advocacy, HEA, Environment and Climate Change etc) learning events.
• In times of emergency responses, support activation of an advocacy response group, support messaging and advocacy support to NO

Knowledge, Skills and CompetenciesRequired Professional Experience

• Masters degree in Political Science, International Relations, Public Policy, Development Studies or related area
• Minimum of 5-8 years of experience in advocacy, public policy, or external relations, preferably within the nonprofit sector or international development context
• Strong understanding of social justice issues, human rights principles, and advocacy strategies in the Southern Africa region
• Significant experience in multi-NGO environment and in coalitions on policy issues in relation to poverty eradication, complex humanitarian emergencies and governance
• A minimum of 5 years practical experience in advocacy practice and influencing policy at national and regional levels
• Proven track record of successfully designing and implementing advocacy campaigns, including engaging with policymakers and influencing policy change.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to effectively articulate complex issues and build consensus among diverse stakeholders.
• Fluency in written and spoken English, required . Proficiency in other languages spoken in the Southern Africa region (French and Portuguese specifically) is an asset.

Preferred Experience, Knowledge and/or other Qualifications

• Able to solve complex and rapidly changing operational challenges in todays dynamic and connected business environment.
• Ability to cope under significant pressure while maintaining healthy work life balance
• Ability to effectively communicate and negotiate with key internal and external stakeholders while maintaining effective working relationships with varied stakeholders of different academic, cultural, gender, denominational etc. background
• Strong analytical, organizational, problem solving, time management and cross-cultural skills
• A proven track record of delivering consistent, quality results with accountability and integrity
• Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and concisely, in English, both orally and in writing, and lead presentations, and effective meetings
• Preferred experience includes a proven track record of effectively managing matrix teams in a virtual environment, utilizing virtual collaboration tools to drive successful project outcomes
• Digital dexterity mind-set supported by strong digital literacy

Advocacy and External Engagement Specific Preferred Experience Knowledge and/or Other Qualifications

• Ability to provide solid feedback to field offices (FO) and global centre (GC) staff in policy analysis
• Ability to work with and guide consultants in research and policy analysis
• Experience working in child protection, including child protection program design, implementation and monitoring, staff training and coaching
• Experience of developing and managing the implementation of Rights-Based approaches, including faith-based ones
• Experience of managing empowering partnerships and other relationships
• Experienced in managing research projects and documentation
• Good understanding of SAR priority sectors (WASH, Health/Nutrition, Livelihoods, Education), their key advocacy successes and how to influence the development and execution of related policies
• Experience in managing national and international campaigns

Travel and/or work environment accommodations

• 30% domestic/international travel is required
• Ability to travel within the region as needed and work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends to accommodate advocacy activities and events.
• Virtual/hybrid work team environment

Applicant Types Accepted: Local Applicants Only

World Vision International