Regional Policy Coordinator

Regional Policy Coordinator

More Inclusive and Equitable Social Protection

For The Marginalized Workers in ASEAN

Job Purpose

Oxfam has long experience of working on labour rights and social protection issues in Southeast Asia. In line with the Oxfam country strategic plans, Oxfam partners are implementing a 5 years regional  program, funded by the Belgian Development Cooperation (DGD) ,  for better social protection for  workers in the informal economy in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. The program aims to effectively advocate for their rights to social protection and focuses on the organization of  these workers,  their capacity strengthening, the creation of national and regional platforms and on effective campaigning. It will make use of the opportunities created by the ASEAN Framework and Action Plan for the Implementation of the Declaration on Strengthenng Social Protection, and will be embedded in the Oxfam ‘Even-it_up’ campaign.  It pays special attention to financing of social protection and effective coverage of women and informal workers.

The Regioanal Policy Coordinator will work under the supervision of the Voice for Change Program Manager (V4C PM) in Cambodia. She/he will support the V4C PM in managing and implementing the regional Social Protection program. She/he is expected to provide high quality support to Oxfam program teams and to partners in 3 countries (Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam) regarding the design, implementation and monitoring of evidence-based advocacy strategies, while ensuring programme coherence and contribution to the Oxfam global campaign ‘Even-it-Up’.

The key responsibilities are

• Developing and socialising analysis with regard to social protection, in particular related to social protection of workers in the informal economy, to adequate social protection of women and to financing of social protection measures in view of reduced inequality.

• Support for the effective advocacy and campaigning on social protection and related issues through supporting the country teams and partners to identify the advocacy issues, to develop effective advocacy strategies, to monitor the planning and execution of the advocacy plan, and to strengthen the teams’ capacity to support partners for advocacy and campaigning, in line with the program’s objectives.

• Adding value through facilitating research and networking, and by linking the partners’ work to Oxfam’s national, regional or global campaign and advocacy efforts where appropriate.

• Ensuring effective use of monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) specific to advocacy and influencing and for more adequate reporting, through support to the country teams and partners.

• May be required to represent Oxfam to governments, local partners and networks and alliances and may need to deal with influential senior external contacts or supporters at national level as required by the V4C PM and as per the OI confederation guidelines.

• Ensure that the advocacy campaigns and initiatives are in line with Oxfam country strategies and OI strategies and guidelines.

• Keep abreast and provide the strategic analyses of new emerging issues and trends related to social protection and workers’ rights to influence external stakeholders.

• Maximising synergy with other programmes – Oxfam programmes and others -  for increased impact.

MAIN DUTIES

1. To support content development:

1. investigate, analyse and socialise key information with regard to social protection in the ASEAN region:

2. collect, read and understand key documents related to social protection and identify key issues relevant for this programme.  Connect and discuss with key resource persons.

3. identification of research topics to strengthen evidence based advocacy.

4. present and explain the findings to partners and country teams, discuss, build consensus and fine-tune in view of effective advocacy

2. To assist the programme teams and partners in the development of evidence-based advocacy strategies:

1. Support in data gathering, power and stakeholder analysis, resource mapping, gender mainstreaming, media strategies, identification of influencing opportunities, workplan development, etc;

2. Coordinate with any identified consultants and facilitation of appropriate research

3. Lead in the use of analysis, identify and propose advocacy issues and influencing opportunities.

4. Coordinate, advise and support the Oxfam teams and partners in advocacy planning and implementation where required.   

3. To facilitate and/or support networking and alliance building in view of participation in, or support to the program’s advocacy:

1. Develop and/or strengthen existing relations with relevant government bodies, trade unions, academia, and other civil society actors or friendly media

2. Provide coordination support to the program’s regional networks, or with Trade Unions or other relevant regional stakeholders, alliances and coalitions

4. Support to programme management (including: synergies, reporting, MEL, coordination & coherence

1. Cooperation with other Oxfam programme teams, in particular, gender, labour rights and fiscal justice and advocacy and influencing

2. Work with Funding Coordinator for new funding opportunities and funding mobilizing for her/his respective program areas and develop funding proposals  

3. Arrange regional learning exchanges within the program to maximize existing resources;

4. Support to monitoring, evaluation and advocacy impact assessments of the program especially at the regional level

5. Document good practices in advocacy and ensure that these are circulated internally and externally

6. Prepare narrative quarterly and annual reports of the regional component implementation

Technical Skills, Experience & Knowledge

• University qualification in a relevant field, social science, human rights, law etc.

• At least 5 years’ experience working in the field of labour rights, human rights or social rights, with a focus on advocacy and influencing.

• Good experience, knowledge and understanding of effective advocacy, including power analysis, media work, lobby, campaign designing and coordination

• Knowledge of labour and social protection rights in informal economy including its gender dimensions, and of social, economic and political policies in ASEAN, in particular in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam

• Training, facilitation and coordination skills

• Some experience in research and data gathering

• An understanding of and commitment to gender equity, grassroots empowerment approaches

• Proven ability to develop relationships with partners and other actors

• Ability to positively influence institutions and stakeholders.

• Knowledge of project cycle and results-based management

• Ability to work on his/her own initiative, to build on and develop the job, combined with the ability to work effectively as part of a team

• Fluency in written and spoken English language

• Willingness to travel frequently, sometimes on short notice.

Deadline of application

Interested candidates should apply for this job by sending their applications and CV to [email protected] with the title “Regional Policy Coordinator” by 5 pm on August 20, 2017.