Communications and Partnership Effectiveness Advisor at Cowater International

Cowater International - We provide program field support services for Global Affairs Canada in Nigeria.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Communications and Partnership Effectiveness Advisor

Location: Abuja (FCT)

Background

• In 2017, Canada launched its Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP), which targets gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.
• The FIAP recognizes that supporting gender equality (GE) and the empowerment of women and girls is the best way to build a more peaceful, inclusive and prosperous world. To do this, it supports targeted investments, partnerships, innovation and advocacy efforts with the greatest potential to close gender gaps and improve everyone’s chance for success.
• The six priority action areas selected are: 1) gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, 2) human dignity, which mainly concerns health and nutrition, education and humanitarian action, 3) growth that works for everyone, and that particularly targets climate-smart agriculture, green technologies and renewable energy, 4) environment and climate action, including both adaptation and mitigation in response to climate change, as well as water management, 5) inclusive governance, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and 6) peace and security, to promote peace processes and combat gender-based violence.
• In 2021-2022, Canada provided $152 million in international assistance to Nigeria, of which $98.95 million was from Global Affairs Canada. With over 100 operational projects and 102 partners, Nigeria is the seventh-largest recipient of Canadian international assistance. In Nigeria, Canada’s bilateral efforts aim to improve the quality of life for poor and marginalized people in Nigeria, particularly women and girls, through gender-responsive, inclusive, quality health care, including a focus on sexual and reproductive health, particularly for women and girls; improving participation, productivity, and economic empowerment of women and youth; and advance the rights and empowerment of women and girls. Canada also contributes to development results in Nigeria through its support to multilateral, humanitarian and global organizations. Many of these organizations have some of their largest programs in Nigeria.
• Global Affairs Canada (GAC) recognizes that all Canadian-funded projects and implementing partners in Nigeria have an impact in a particular context. In order to ensure that GAC-funded partners foster information sharing, collaboration, complementarity and lessons learnt, GAC encourages partners to adopt an open approach to sharing activities, lessons learned, contacts and outcomes, and leverage each other’s efforts to enhance aid efficiency and effectiveness in Nigeria, especially under the harmonization principle of the Paris Declaration 
• The Field Support Services Project (FSSP) is a GAC-funded bilateral development project. Its purpose is to provide administrative, technical, logistical and financial management support to Canada’s international development assistance programs in Nigeria in order to maximize the development results and impact of its program.
• The FSSP will contract the services of a local Communication and Partnership effectiveness Advisor on a part-time, as-required bases in response to GAC requirements for technical assistance in the area of Communication and Harmonization of work and outcomes between implementing partners and the government.

Responsibilities, Deliverables, Reports, and Deadlines

• The objective of the Communication and Partnership Effectiveness Advisor mandate is to support Canada’s international development assistance program in Nigeria to assess needs and enhance and optimize the communication between implementing partners of Canada-funded initiatives in the country.
• The role of the Advisor should help ensure effective and resource-efficient programming, with the ultimate goal of contributing to better and sustainable development results in Nigeria.
• The advisor is expected to assist in assessing the needs of partners, propose a 1-year plan to enhance, implement, monitor and adapt the plan to optimize communication and information sharing between partners and with the government of Nigeria on Canada’s activities in Nigeria, aligned with aid effectiveness principles.
• The Advisor will also support the development and ensure the effectiveness of a digital platform focused on communication between implementing partners.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Conduct a program analysis on the partners’ needs for information and preferences in communication with other stakeholders and provide an analysis of the needs and recommendations on best approaches to bridge the gaps.
• Proactively advise and recommend ways to enhance collaboration and communication between implementing partners, including activities. The advisor will also recommend, set and manage an effective, accessible and functional digital platform to exchange information and share best practices.
• Provide the support needed to develop a functional and dynamic digital exchange platform and support to partners to input. The advisor will provide short training and on-demand support for the use of the platform if needed.
• Provide advice on other products and approaches to be taken to enhance Canadian project's visibility with state and private sector actors, collaboration and complementarity amongst implementing partners, based on information gathered.
• Provide support in the development of learning/exchange activities for partners that respond to adult learning principles as well as for the coordination, organization and follow-up of Partners Forum activities.
• Any other tasks linked to communication and collaboration between development partners.

Required Qualifications and Person Specifications
Education:

• Minimum Undergraduate Degree (Master’s Degree or equivalent would be an asset) in Communication, Marketing or other related fields. Candidates with combined degrees will have an added advantage.

Minimum Experience:

• Minimum of 4 years of cumulative experience as senior advisor or officer in knowledge or partnership management for a portfolio of projects or a program (encompassing multiple projects).
• Development or maintenance of at least one collaborative platform with multiple stakeholders.
• Development and implementation of at least one communication strategy, with a digital component for an NGO, private sector or international organization.

Required Skills and Experience:

• Experience in providing advice and implementing strategies to use in reaching different audience groups across different channels.
• Experience in managing knowledge and information from different sources in an effective manner.
• Implement standards, tools and templates provided by HQ to effectively manage partnership and project development within the Myanmar Operational Hub to enhance/maintain UNOPS effectiveness as a provider of project services for sustainable results.
• Experience in conducting training and collaborative activities.
• Experience in an international development institution (public, NGO or private) is preferred. Ability to function effectively in multidisciplinary teams is essential.
• Strong mobilization skills
• Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural skills.
• Strong communication skills (writing and oral) to provide pertinent, focused and adapted advice and recommendations; and
• Commitment to teamwork and ability to build constructive and effective relationships.

Competencies:

• Superior listening, verbal, and written communication skills
• Strong knowledge and skills in digital collaboration tools, including slack and other possible options.
• Ability to deliver quality training and activities for stakeholders on a variety of topics.
• Good facilitation skills and ability to generate ideas from, and build consensus among, a wide variety of stakeholders.
• Client-oriented; and
• Demonstrated ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds and a professional commitment to promote perspectives on a culture of social cohesion and social inclusion.

Application Closing Date
27th March, 2024.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV and application letter to: [email protected] using the job title as the subject of the mail.