Position Title:    Advocacy Coordinator 

Place of work:   Islamabad and Lahore, Pakistan

Department       Influencing and Enabling (I&E)

Reports to:         Head of Policy and Advocacy

Manages:            None

Travel:  Occasional, Need-based 

Team Description

WaterAid is an international non-governmental organisation based in the United Kingdom and established since 1981. The country programme of WaterAid in Pakistan has been in operation since 2006 and under an MoU with the Ministry of Interior. Our mission is to transform lives by improving access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in the poorest communities. It supports local organisations and governments to set up low cost and sustainable WASH solutions that can be managed by the community. WaterAid also seeks to, collaboratively with other sector partners, influence policies of the government to protect the right of poor people to safe, affordable water and sanitation services.

WaterAid Pakistan closely works with the government to provide technical assistance for WASH service delivery, to enable effective legislation and trigger behaviour change among people to enable sustainable WASH service delivery. WaterAid is seeking services of an Advocacy Officer with the following purpose and responsibilities while providing support to other programmes.

Job Purpose

The role involves operational leadership with strategic insight for smooth implementation of I&E programme activities. The Advocacy Coordinator shall be responsible for the implementation of advocacy and policy activities and for informing, influencing and documenting influencing and enabling work. Working closely with Head of Policy & Advocacy, he/she will coordination national and provincial advocacy for influencing decision-makers to recognise and practice human rights to water and sanitation through improvements in policy and practices; enabling people to articulate their demand for water and sanitation services as well adopt positive WASH behaviours, coordinating with government departments, political stakeholders, civil society, and private sector to gain support for WAP campaigns and advocacy initiatives and deliver awareness and behaviour change campaigns.

Key Responsibilities:

Policy and advocacy support

·         Provide strategic advice and support in development and implementation of advocacy strategies and corresponding activities to achieve WASH-related policy and regulatory change at the national and provincial level.

·         Identify and analyse key gaps and opportunities in the external public policy and service delivery environments where WaterAid’s programmatic and advocacy interventions can have a high impact and bring about progressive change.

·         Meet with, and present WAP work to, relevant government entities (ministries, departments and institutions), civil society organisations and private sector.

·         Support in developing and implementing the roadmap for advocacy initiatives, which influences legislation and policy-making at federal, provincial and district levels.

·         Ensure coordination and appropriate linkages between advocacy & policy work and various models and approaches being implemented by rural and urban programmes.

·         Support implementing partners and provincial teams in developing and aligning project activities with policy and advocacy agenda for the province

Plan and implement campaigns and events 

·         Lead in managing seminars, workshops, dialogues and stakeholders meetings on major advocacy issues to create awareness among and enhance political ownership of WASH issues.

·         Provide technical support and work with WaterAid Media Fellows to highlight key themes and messages for awareness-raising as well as influencing decision making.  

·         Support and facilitate advocacy, BCC and communication teams in developing customised tools, messages and material for the campaigns.

·         Support in developing contents for designing relevant IEC materials including posters, flyers, kits, radio programmes, video-documentation, interactive theatres, etc 

·         Work with communication, BCC team and media fellows to develop advocacy material for digital and social media campaigns.  

·         Build and maintain strong networks of relevant media contacts across the country in partnership with media fellows. 

Knowledge Management 

·         Keep abreast of policy and advocacy developments in WASH and ensure that these are considered in the development and implementation of the programme.

·         Identify key areas for research on relevant policy issues and opportunities to implement such research in collaboration with programme and technical staff and WASH sector partners.

·         Manage processes for sharing lessons and drawing out experience from programmes implementation, including synthesising learning, and responding to policy opportunities emerging from WAP programme work in collaboration.

·         To liaison with colleagues across relevant teams to help produce consultation responses, reports, blogs, briefings, articles, and other materials on this programme of work or other related policy areas. 

General responsibilities

·         Contribute to the organisational strategic planning process and participate in the planning, development of work plans and programme monitoring evaluation and reporting (PMER) activities.

·         To maintain clear and adequate records of work done and to produce reports on work programmes and activities as required by management.

·         To contribute to team meetings and organisational priorities and to participate in supervision and appraisal meetings.

·         To carry out administrative tasks necessary to comply with the job description. 

·         To abide by all organisational policies, codes of conduct and practice, and to work within a framework of equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice. 

Person Specification

Knowledge

Essential:

-          Master’s degree or professional qualification in behavioural sciences/ communication/social sciences

Desirable

-          Post graduate degree in relevant subject e.g. communications, behavioural sciences, developmental sciences. Post graduate degree in relevant subject e.g. communications, behavioural sciences, developmental sciences.

Experience

Essential:

-          Minimum least 5 years of experience in policy advocacy, communication projects and campaigning in the social sector

-          Excellent knowledge of community participation approaches

-          Proven experience in water and sanitation sector in Pakistan context.

Desirable

-          Significant experience of community based public health projects

-          Experience of working with partner organizations (NGOs or local government).

-          Experience of research methodologies & documentation of best practice

Knowledge and Skills.

Essential:

-          Strong analytical and communication skills

-          Working knowledge of digital communication and social media campaigning. 

-          Excellent interpersonal, writing and oral presentation skills

-          Excellent communication skills and ability to work collaboratively

-          Excellent computer skills including working knowledge of communication software

-          Excellent command over English language and strong analytical and report writing skills 

Desirable

-          Good understanding of community management and the integration of water supply with sanitation and hygiene 

-          Knowledge of media planning, ad agencies work 

-          Ability to communicate in local languages