Communications and Outreach Specialist Job at Development Associate, Inc

[Jobrib]

Job Title: Communications and Outreach Specialist – West Africa Staple Foods Markets Programme  

Employer: Development Associate, Inc. (DAI)

Location: Africa

Location Details: Based in Accra, Ghana – with travel to Burkina Faso, Niger and Nigeria

Department: Private Sector Development

Division: Economic Growth

DAI is an employee-owned global development company. For 40 years, we have worked on the frontlines of international development, tackling fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governments, and instability. Currently, DAI is delivering results that matter in some 60 countries. Our integrated development solutions turn ideas into impact by bringing together fresh combinations of expertise and innovation across multiple disciplines—crisis mitigation and stability operations, democratic governance and public sector management, agriculture and agribusiness, private sector development and financial services, economics and trade, HIV/AIDS and disease control, water and natural resources management, and energy and climate change. Our clients include international development agencies, international lending institutions, private corporations and philanthropies, and national governments.

Objective of the programme: – The focus of the programme is on providing support to the production and trade in staple food markets between Ghana and Burkina Faso, and between Nigeria and Niger. The programme will work to enable policies that allow for equitable and efficient regional market development and will aim to tackle the cause of multiple market failures by deploying carefully targeted interventions across the region. The anticipated outcomes of the five year project are; better business models for agricultural production; better business models for agricultural marketing and; agriculture and trade policies and regulations rationalised and improved. – The programme consists of two main activities; 1) Challenge fund to provide finance to innovative business models in food production and marketing and 2) Policy Facility to provide evidence, analysis and advocacy for policy and regulatory reform.

Duties and Responsibilities:

•   Design and implement a knowledge management and communications strategy based on evidence that identifies how innovative communication technologies can be used to deliver results under the programme

•   Communicate lessons, objectives and results to relevant stakeholders in the UK and West Africa (in English and French)

•   Build relations with government, media and related stakeholders

•   Use different technologies such as twitter, Facebook, SMS,  and radio to provide consistent and communication updates on the project

•   Set up and manage an external website

•   Drive strategic branding of the project to promote project visibility and impact

•   Act as a project spokesperson

•   Monitor results and develop case studies

•   Keep programme team up to date on key news, events, information relevant to the programme in West Africa

Requirements:

•   10 years' experience in developing and executing successful Knowledge Management and communication strategies

•   Strong ambition to use innovative information and communications technologies to change behaviour in West Africa in the area of making markets work for the poor and improve well-being of participants in the staple food value chain

•   Master's degree in Communications or Journalism

•   Marketing and Branding experience

•   Ability to develop strong stakeholder relationships

•   Sound knowledge of issues related to  economic/agricultural development in Africa

•   Experience in effectively using different communications media including social media

•   Experience in working with high profiled government officials

•   Ability to work across a number of cultures and countries

•   Excellent written and spoken English and French is essential

•   Experience in working on donor funded projects

•   Good networks in West Africa

Project Location: The Project will be based in Accra, Ghana with travel to Burkina Faso, Niger and Nigeria

Length of the project: 5 years

Anticipated Project Start date: October 2013

Apply to this job