Advocacy Officer,
USAID Solutions for Peace and Recovery,
Bukavu, DRC
Company Profile:
MSI, a Tetra Tech Company, is a Washington, DC metro area international development firm with a 35-year history of delivering development results across the world. Our core expertise is in the fields of monitoring and evaluation (M&E), institutional development, public sector management, governance and anti-corruption. MSI has implemented projects in 90 countries around the world such as Jordan, Morocco, Lebanon, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Colombia, and Mexico. As one of the leading companies in our field, MSI has partnered with organizations across all sectors of international development to support clients ranging from large bilateral and multilateral donors such as USAID, the World Bank and the UNDP to national and local governments, NGOs, think tanks, foundations and universities. For more information on MSI, please visit our website at www.msiworldwide.com.
Project Summary:
The goal of the Solutions for Peace and Recovery (SPR) program, implemented in eastern DRC (North Kivu and South Kivu), is to increase social cohesion through inclusion of women and marginalized groups in community-based conflict analysis, prevention, resolution, and recovery. SPR provides USAID/DRC with the ability to respond to dynamic, time-sensitive, and/or unique opportunities to reinforce peace and prevent or assist in the recovery from conflict in areas that are strategically important to the stability of eastern DRC. Three hypotheses support the SPR’s approach towards achieving the project goal. First, if communities in eastern Congo are enabled to analyze conflict, they will develop processes that will produce effective solutions. Second, if Congolese women and marginalized groups are given the skills and opportunities to participate in community-based decision-making, their participation will result in better and more sustainable solutions. Third, if community decision-making is inclusive and participatory, it will result in better solutions and greater social cohesion. These hypotheses or theories of change drive SPR project objectives:
Community stakeholders identify and accept and solutions to specific drivers of conflict,
Participatory solutions are implemented, and
Resources for community development are more inclusively allocated.
Position Summary:
The advocacy officer, based in Bukavu, South Kivu, will support all aspects of SPR advocacy work, including mobilization of and capacity-building for peace actors and their efforts to develop advocacy strategies and approaches that solicit government actions to minimize conflict in Eastern Congo. The position will oversee advocacy support actions in South and North Kivu as well as actions to apply pressure on national actors who have the potential to positively influence outcomes in the East. The advocacy officer will report to the Deputy Chief of Party, Technical as his/her functional line manager.
**Please note: this position is open to DRC locals only**
Responsibilities:
Work to identify advocacy opportunities and strategies within existing and future project technical work under the projects three technical components and work alongside component staff to implement advocacy activities.
Support mapping of peace and advocacy actors and actions in North and South Kivu as well as actions at national level that affect the two provinces.
Support Kivu peace actors to work with provincial and national parliamentary actors to organize hearings on conflict in target areas to which provincial and national level parliamentarians would be invited.
Support and provide input into ongoing advocacy initiatives in South and North Kivu and at national and Great Lakes regional levels targeting conflict transformation.
Monitor and report on all peacebuilding and conflict-sensitivity programming as required by supervisor.
Organize capacity-building sessions in advocacy strategies for SPR partners and other Kivu peace actors.
Facilitate the development of SPR’s advocacy strategy.
Support the coordination of an SPR “Peace Prize” competition among peace and development committees supported by SPR.
Support SPR leadership in organizing regular meetings between government officials and South and North Kivu peace advocates.
Support the organization and mobilization of peace actors in preparation for using international days as advocacy opportunities, i.e. all international days relevant to SPR objectives, including Sixteen days of activism against violence against women, International Women’s Day, International Youth Day and International Peace Day.
Perform other duties as required.
Qualifications :
Minimum of five (5) years of relevant work experience.
Experience in advocacy strategizing, advocacy training and in managing or providing support to advocacy campaigns.
Experience in working with civil society organizations and coalitions, message development and use of media for effective message dissemination.
Bachelor’s degree in communication, international development, politics and government, or related field required, advanced degree (MA, MPA, MS, MBA) in a relevant field preferred.
Strong attention to detail and organizational skills required.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office skills (Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint).
Ability to work in multi-cultural environments and build effective working relationships with clients and colleagues.
Fluency in French and Swahili required.
Only candidates who have been selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls, please.
MSI is an EEO/AA/ADA Veterans Employer.
To apply: Please visit our website, www.msiworldwide.com
