MSF recruits 01 Advocacy Manager in Sierra Leone (m/f/x)

MSF Operational Centre Brussels is looking for an Advocacy Manager in Sierra Leone

CONTEXT

Following a harrowing history of civil war between 1991 and 2002, Sierra Leone – located on the Western Coast of Africa – is now relatively peaceful. That said, Sierra Leone remains one of the poorest countries in the world (exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic) and maintains among the highest global maternal and child mortality rates. There are also significant infectious disease risks, including Ebola, Lassa Fever and malaria. Access to quality healthcare is limited, with lack of skilled healthcare workers a key concern. As such, MSF OCB’s priorities in Sierra Leone are providing access to free and high-quality mother and child health care at primary and secondary levels, strengthening human resources for health, and responding to emergencies. Advocacy is a vital component of MSF OCB’s operational strategy.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Advocacy Manager is responsible for all advocacy activities in the Mission in line with MSF policies and values, following the Operational line and linked with the OCB Analysis Department. The Advocacy Manager is a member of the mission Country Management Team (CMT) and acts as a sparring-partner for all operational and medical teams.

The overall aims of the mission include:

• To reduce maternal and child (under 5) mortality and morbidity
• To build healthcare human resource capacity in the country
• To respond to emergencies as needed

In order to meet these aims, there are a number of priority areas for the Advocacy Manager in Sierra Leone, including identifying key barriers to and advocating for:

• The Free Health Care Initiative
• Access to quality, free of charge health care
• Reductions in three main delays resulting in high maternal and child mortality: delay in recognising the need to access care, transportation delays reaching a health facility, and delay in receiving
• Improvements to the availability and quality of Medical Supply
• Investment in Human Resources for Health: capacity building,

CORE TASKS

• Defining, implementing and coordinating all MSF advocacy activities, including responsibility for drafting advocacy strategies addressing medical-humanitarian priorities in relation to mission needs – ensure that advocacy components are included in project and mission operational strategies as member of the Country Management Team (CMT)
• Supervise the quality of field-level data collection (under MSF ethical guidelines) for operational and advocacy
• Monitor and compile regular updates on humanitarian aid system dynamics (NGO/Donor planning, Red Cross movement activities and positioning) to increase the leverage capacity and the national impact of MSF lobbying in line with operational plans, regular activities and medical-humanitarian advocacy
• Draft ad hoc lobbying points and internal/external reports in relation to main medical- humanitarian concerns while strengthening the integration of humanitarian affairs (analysis, critical reflection, contextual understanding) and operational communications.
• Advises CMT on perception related to positioning and operational strategy with a particular view on increasing local/national visibility and ensuring good acceptance for MSF projects/presence.
• Drafts regular situation reports for mission/Analysis Department as well as reports for external use in line with mission advocacy strategy.
• Plans and supervise, in close coordination with the Coordinator/HR department, the associated processes (recruitment, training, performance management, development and internal communication), of the staff to ensure both the sizing and amount of necessary knowledge

DATA COLLECTION – ANALYSIS

• Design and support the implementation of data collection systems with regards to the mission context (focus on national level with potential regional/global repercussions, and local developments in project locations), and medical-humanitarian issues, in order to provide reliable information for operational and strategic decision-making.
• Provide data and discourse analysis in support of the Head of Operations/Deputy to inform MSF positioning in-country (project-level and at national level), particularly in terms of political / operational environment (regulation frameworks, donor/aid agreements, trade and economic developments).
• Propose improvements in the methodologies and tools used, and provide trainings to field teams as required.
• Undertake actor mapping and stakeholders’ analysis on behalf of projects and mission, while providing guidance/support to Head of Operations/Deputy for the management of relations with local authorities, and strategic advice for national-level organizational

REPRESENTATION – COMMUNICATION

• Support networking needs by leading or participating representation duties in non-project locations (on delegation from the Head of Operations/Deputy), including with domestic civil society, professional groups (doctors’/nurses’ associations), and local academics/universities.
• Define, draft and review advocacy messages and targeting (including communications and dissemination strategies) to raise awareness of medical-humanitarian issues across MSF projects and at national level (transversal thematic).
• Link with other MSF sections in-country to develop common advocacy and/or communications
• On request/project basis, interact with the international MSF advocacy network to provide updated contextualized medical-humanitarian content (country-level information)
• Lead discussions, trainings, briefings, etc. on the country’s medical-humanitarian context, MSF principles, international humanitarian law, medical ethics, and advocacy activities/strategies to raise awareness of MSF locally recruited and international mobile staff on these
• Provide recommendations and be a propositional voice for opportunistic communications (unplanned) from operations/medical activities’ analysis.
• Undertake field assessments (in relation to data gathering/context analysis or exploratory missions) and other work-related traveling as required.

Expériences / Formation

Education:

• Academic background at Masters’ level (anthropology/social/political sciences, law, gender studies, protection)

Experience:

• Field humanitarian experience in similar contexts is required
• Advocacy experience with NGOs is essential
• MSF experience is a strong asset
• Strong interest or experience in global health issues or public health is an asset
• Good understanding of current humanitarian debates
• Campaigning organizational experience an asset

Competencies:

• Autonomous and self-organizing
• Excellent communication skills and team player
• First-rate writing skills
• Excellent research / analytical skills

Languages:

• Fluency (written/spoken) in English (C1) is essential

Salaire

• Expected starting date: 1 May 2022
• Contract type: 12-month fixed term contract (extendable)
• Based in Freetown, Sierra Leone
• Salary according to MSF-OCB field salary scale
• Family (couple only) position possible
• Adhere to the MSF principles and to our managerial values: Respect, Transparency, Integrity, Accountability, Trust and Empowerment
• Adhere to the MSF Behavioral Commitments

Comment postuler

Deadline for applications: 1 April 2022

How to apply?

Online applications to submitted by 1 April 2022 latest via the following link. When clicking on this link, you will be directed to our online application tool.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

MSF values diversity and is committed to create an inclusive working environment. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of disability, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, race, color or ethnic and national origins, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

The protection of your personal data is important to MSF. By submitting your application, you consent to MSF using your personal data. For more information, consult our privacy notice to job applicants.

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