Advocacy Specialist

CARE International in Vietnam is a Non-Government Organization representing the CARE International network in Vietnam since 1989. CARE in Vietnam’s Program Strategy is explicitly oriented around achieving impacts for particularly vulnerable and marginalised groups in Vietnam. To achieve this, we work with Vietnamese partners across sectors such as health services, rural livelihood development, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. We recognise that women’s empowerment is a critical pathway for poverty reduction and place women and girls from marginalised population groups at the heart of our programming efforts.

CARE in Vietnam is looking for an experienced and qualified Vietnamese to fill Advocacy Specialist position.

Position information:

Position title:        Advocacy Specialist
Unit:             Advocacy and Inclusion (A&I)
Reporting to:         A&I Team Leader
Contract:        One year with possible extension
Base in:                       Hanoi with travel to project sites as required

Position Summary:

The Advocacy Specialist is responsible for the quality design of new advocacy interventions, technical quality of implementation of advocacy initiatives, advocacy capacity building of partners, and ensures efficient coordination within the A&I and with other technical Units, Operations Unit. S/he actively contributes to select advocacy priorities for the two major Social Marginalized People (SMP) and Remote Ethnic Minorities (REM) programs of CARE Vietnam. S/he significantly supports the A&I Team Leader (AITL) on strategic programmatic processes, while still supporting the ANCP - NQ project. Working closely with the AITL, s/he ensures that REM and SMP programmatic priorities related to Advocacy are being advanced, and that advocacy coherence between the REM and SMP programs, compliance to advocacy technical standards, and an environment of sharing and learning are implemented adequately. 

Main duties

1.Quality of Programming
Responsible for:
At program level:

• Fully understand CARE Vietnam’s program strategy towards the long lasting and significant changes for the lives of SMP and REM, including the goals, impact groups, underlying causes of their vulnerabilities, pathways of changes, milestones of changes in the two Programs, etc.
• Identify Advocacy priorities of REM and SMP programs from the policy analyses
• Develop and implement CARE’s Advocacy plan in cooperation with other Units and partners
• Develop and implement individual plan, and the A&I unit’s plan
• Develop  standards, tools and guidelines on Advocacy technical approaches, which are drawn from Advocacy lessons learned/good practices
• Monitor that standards and guidelines are being followed
• Support Operations team to develop and monitor workplans
• Monitors context of operation of the SMP and REM programs in relation to Advocacy
• Monitors that Advocacy priorities for each program are being advanced

At Initiative level:

• Provide Advocacy technical support to initiatives/interventions
• Assess improvements in Advocacy interventions based on lessons learned and best practices
• Build capacity of staff and partners on Advocacy technical approaches
• Ensure Advocacy technical quality of new interventions
• Participate in the design of new interventions, ensuring  that they are aligned to CVN priorities and standards

Contributes to

• Ensure CARE’s Programming Principles, in particular gender and rights-based approaches, are incorporated into all initiatives.
• Ensure that programs aim to achieve lasting impact at broad scale with selected impact groups addressing underlying causes of poverty.
• Ensure that Programs are accountable to all stakeholders.
• The ongoing development of the program approach and priorities within CARE Vietnam
• Developing programmatic strategies and plans
• CARE Vietnam strategic processes
• Updating program designs

2.Communication
Responsible for

• Timely provide monthly technical reports to AITL and relevant Portfolio Manager(s) whose projects are technically supported on Advocacy
• Ensure regular smooth and clear communication with Operations/Initiatives on planning, adjusting and implementing Advocacy activities in a timely manner
• Actively search and provides regular updates on progress, on trends, new policies, new approaches relevant to Advocacy.
• Develop and/or provide direct technical inputs for all technical publications, materials and documentation relevant to Advocacy with quality assurance

Contributes to

• Regular internal communication on progress in strategic priorities.
• Develop and implements the communication strategies.

3.Coordination
Responsible for

• Build effective working teams at the A&I Unit and Advocacy sub-unit to ensure adequate information sharing, exchanges of technical approaches, their consistent application/ adaptation to intiatives, and constructive feedback among the teams
• Efficiently coordinate with other technical Units, Operations Unit and Shared Services Pool (SSP) in all agreed mechanisms
• Promote an open, diverse and participatory work environment, fully supporting colleagues to assume responsibility and accountability within the Unit and sub-unit
• Liaise with CI members and other COs on technical Advocacy approaches.
• Provide timely technical inputs and ensure quality technical reporting to donors
• Provide regular updates on the relevant technical area
• Coordinate with other Units and partners during the design of new interventions

Contributes to

• Regular reporting to SMT, CI, CA and donors
• Develop program level budgets
• Development of (technical Advocacy acvitivies) budgets for new interventions
• The efficiency of the new organizational structure

4.Resource Mobilization:
Responsible for

• Cultivate donors relevant to Advocacy area
• Provide intensive inputs in the development of proposals relevant to Advocacy

5.Representation
Responsible for

• Represent CARE Vietnam at relevant technical working groups, meetings, workshops and events
• Establish, maintain and strengthen positive working relationships with other institutions / partners and agencies particularly those working in the same technical area, upon request, outside the technical areas as well.

Contributes to

• Represent CARE Vietnam with donors, upon request

6.Knowledge Management
Responsible for

• Provide recommendations to improve technical quality of Advocacy initiatives drawing on lessons learned
• Develop learning and sharing mechanisms and plans within the Unit, and with other Units
• Ensure that Advocacy lessons learnt are being documented to maximize the impact of CARE’s initiatives and contribute to future program strategy and direction.

Contribute to

• Disseminate good practices/models for scaling up
• All initiatives adhere to CARE Monitoring and Evaluation Minimum Standards.
• Research initiatives
• Managing and conducting evaluations: technical coordination, methodology, technical implementation
• Coordinate research initiatives, working closely with the Knowledge Management unit

7.Partnership
Responsible for

• Nurture the identified strategic and non strategic partnerships on Advocacy
• Support and monitor the quality of partner’s performance on Advocacy
• Build the capacity of partners on Advocacy
• Partner mapping in Advocacy
• Select partners for new interventions on Advocacy

Contribute to:

• Implementation of CARE Vietnam’s Partnership Strategy
• Assurance of coherence in partnerships across programs

8.Compliance

• Ensure compliance with technical standards on Advocacy
• Ensure compliance with donor technical requirements on Advocacy
• Ensure compliance with CARE Vietnam’s procedures on Advocacy

Selection Criteria:

• Proven experience in Advocacy, Policy, Governance, Public Administrative or Legislation areas, preferred on having been working with the IGs and CSOs in Vietnam
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a collaborative management style
• A demonstrated commitment to high professional ethical standards and a diverse workplace
• Strong/solid communication skills both verbally and in written form in English and Vietnamese
• Excellent project, planning, change and time management capabilities
• Excellent analytical skills, judgment and decision making skills

Child Protection:

CARE International in Vietnam is committed to protecting the rights of children in all areas we work around the world. Applicants are advised that CARE International in Vietnam reserves the right to screen candidates to ensure a child-safe environment. Further information can be found in the CARE Vietnam child protection policy.

Interested candidates should send a full CV in English and stating the position title to email: [email protected]. Closing date to apply for this position: 28 February 2014

The short-listed applicants will be contacted for interviews. Please no telephone contact after submitting the application.