Plan International Sierra Leone

Job Announcement (1 Position for nationals only) 

4-11-22 Communications Officer

Plan International is an independent non-profit development and humanitarian organization that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion, and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, our supporters, and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.




We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national, and global levels using our reach, experience, and knowledge.

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 75 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.

We are currently seeking to recruit:

Title:                 Communications Officer

Grade: C2

Location:          70 % in operational Areas & 30% in Country Office  

Department:     Integrated School Feeding Programme

Reports to:       Communication Coordinator

SUMMARY OF THE POSITION

children’s rights and equality for girls. We engage people and partners to:

• Empower children, young people, and communities to make vital changes that tackle the root causes of discrimination against girls, exclusion, and vulnerability.
• Drive change in practice and policy at local, national, and global levels through our reach, experience, and knowledge of the realities children face.
• Work with children and communities to prepare for and respond to crises and to overcome adversity.
• Support the safe and successful progression of children into adulthood

Plan International Sierra Leone has been approached by the Government of Sierra Leone (The Ministry of Basic and Secondary School Education (MBSSE) to implement school feeding activities in Bo, Kailahun, Port Loko, Tonkolili, Bombali, Moyamba, and Western Rural Area under the Integrated School Feeding Programme (ISFP). The overarching outcome is to improve accessibility for 344,162 children, particularly girls in the seven targeted districts. The goal is to: 1) Improve access to education for girls and boys through provision of food and Non-food items, 2) Improve women’s livelihoods, participation, and market accessibility in agri-business, and 3) Cultivate an enabling environment that promotes gender awareness and child protection.

To support this, thought-out and well-written success stories can demonstrate Plan International Sierra Leone’s capacity and effectiveness in achieving impact, and Centre the voices of girls in the work that we do, this ultimately leads to increased funding from donors and sponsors, more opportunities for the Country Office, and better support for girls.

The Communications Officer is responsible for developing and delivering communication contents for internal, external, and donor visibility in order to fulfil the ISFP project communication goals.

DIMENSIONS OF ROLE

The Officer will be supporting the production of evidence-based/impact communication materials that engage, capture attention, connect, inform and inspire donors and partners to support Plan International Sierra Leone’s goals and capture the voice of girls at the centre of our work. The main focus of the Officer will be the Integrated School Feeding Programme (ISFP). The Officer will be responsible for ensuring the visibility of the project in implementation sites and communicating its impact on social media and local media. S/he will support on developing human interest stories and monthly briefs to strengthen donor relationships.

In addition, S/he will support the development of communications collateral (success stories, donor documents, and capacity statements) that will showcase Plan International Sierra Leone’s impact. S/he will be supporting in producing and/or updating digital materials and disseminating information through social platforms. S/he will also monitor information from social media sources synthesize and share main points with the Country Leadership Team and strengthen the positioning of Plan International Sierra Leone on social networks in Sierra Leone, WACA, and Plan Global.

ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Monitor print and social media for mentions of Plan International Sierra Leone and other topics of interest to the organization, and flag for attention when necessary to the ISFP Team Leader and Communications Coordinator
• Monitor external information sources and high-level reports (from MBSSE, WFP, FAO, etc.) and synthesize and share main points/outcomes with key staff in the CO, CNO, MBSSE, etc.
• Develop content on ISFP for social media, local and national media
• Collect human interest stories, success stories, and case studies
• Develop monthly briefs, especially on women cooperative groups, safeguarding and child protection activities to inform and inspire donors and partners
• Develop and/or update materials for Plan International websites, Workplace, and other electronic information-sharing platforms and upload as appropriate.
• Daily monitor news, trends, and events with potential impact on programming
• Regularly provide high-resolution, good-quality digital images on Plan International Sierra Leone’s work.
• Support the creation of visibility items for the ISFP program
• Support the development of communications collateral (success stories and capacity statements) that will showcase Plan International Sierra Leone’s impact and efficiency
• Support in arranging/facilitating international media visits
• Support on training for staff and on the development of success stories, capacity statements, technical briefs, case studies, etc.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

Internal:

Liaise with the communications department and project team.

Interact with program participants for content collection

External:

Journalists, photographers, media/communications officers from other NGOs, government, etc

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, SKILLS, AND KNOWLEDGE

Education/Professional Background:

Essential

• A minimum of first degree in Communications Studies, Public Relations, Journalism, or relevant field. Additional studies or a short course in Project Communications could be an added advantage.
• Strong creative writing and editing skills
• Experience in media relations
• Knowledge of project visibility best practices
• Good knowledge and experience in handling a camera
• Strong corporate social media understanding (Facebook and Twitter) and ability to navigate political sensitivities
• Strong understanding of safeguarding in relation to media
• Willingness to learn
• Strong team building and motivational skills, willingness to learn, try and iterate new approaches

Desirable

• Knowledge and experience in design software and WordPress
• Understanding of school feeding projects
• Experience working in the development sector
• Good knowledge and experience in creating engaging video content including editing
• Strong understanding of print, radio, television, and social media

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

The incumbent will be based in Freetown with regular travel to programme areas.

LEVEL OF CONTACT WITH CHILDREN

Mid contact: occasional interaction with children

GENERAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Child Protection (CPP) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.

Ensure staff understand Plan International’s commitment to driving a feminist agenda within the organization, and the ambition for gender equality and gender transformative leadership is embedded in our value-based leadership framework.

PLAN INTERNATIONAL’S VALUES 

We are open and accountable

• Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
• Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
• Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.
• Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
• Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organization for all children, girls & young people.

We strive for lasting impact

• Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.
• Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.
• Focuses resources to drive change and maximize long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.
• Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.

We work well together

• Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
• Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
• Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners, and communities.
• Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

We are inclusive and empowering

• We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential
• We respect all people, appreciate differences, and challenge equality in our programs and our workplace
• We support children, girls, and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives.

Applications: 

Last date for submission of Application (CV and cover letter) is: 17th November 2021 by 5:00 pm

Your application should include:
·         A cover letter
·         A comprehensive CV including details of two referees, one of whom should be your current of 

           most recent supervisor

  Send applications to the below link:

Sierra-Leone.Recruitment@plan-international.org

Only short-listed candidates shall be contacted. References will be taken and background and anti-terrorism checks will be carried out in conformity with Plan International’s Safeguarding Children and Young People’s Policy.

Plan International follows an equal opportunity policy and actively encourages diversity welcoming applications from all especially women and people living with disability.

Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early.