Communication Officer

JOB DETAILS

LOCATION: Tunisia

CONTRACT TYPE: In line with the Tunisia Country Office regulations and NSTC, and national law

JOB FAMILY: Program Management

ONE OXFAM GRADE: D     ZONE: 1

TEAM: Programs

SALARY: National, according to Tunisia salary scale

HOURS (FTE): Full time per National Staff Terms and Conditions (NSTC)

WORKING CONDITITIONS, BENEFITS AND SETUP

Oxfam offers attractive working conditions and benefit, in line with our National Staff Terms & Conditions (NSTC). Also, flexible working setup is applied following the Director and NA CLMT steer, hence agreed and announced ways of working.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Oxfam is committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organization.

Oxfam in North Africa (ONA) has a mandate to:

• Provide strategic leadership, management & accountability of and to Oxfam programs in the NA sub-region and relevant countries.
• Deliver sub-regional impact, develop partner relationships, brand and impact through relevant projects and influencing and advocacy work, public engagement and development programming.
• Connect, coordinate, convene -connect practitioners to sources of expertise within and across countries in the NA sub-region, convene people to share and exchange views, knowledge and learnings, and coordinate capacity development initiatives.
• Enable operational agility and efficiency.

Oxfam’s vision is a just and sustainable world. Inequality is multi-dimensional. Its different expressions are created and sustained by unjust systems that can affect anyone, anywhere. Their interaction is the root cause of discrimination, poverty and injustice. Oxfam has a one-program approach which aspires to put people and the planet at the center of all intentions and effort, fight against all forms of discrimination and violence, and support efforts combating the erosion of accountable governance.

TEAM PURPOSE:

Under the leadership of the North Africa Programs Management and Quality Lead (PMQL), the Program Team (PT) ensures alignments with Oxfam global, regional and NA subregion strategy, quality and partnership approaches across all programs and interventions. The PT is inclusive of all Program Managers and Project Leads and their respective teams. The team’s purpose includes the development of the programs strategic documents, plans and reports, the advancement and quality application and implementation of Monitoring, Evaluation Accountability and Learning (MEAL) framework, and mentoring and mentoring their implementation with other colleagues and partners. The team is also responsible for advancing Oxfam’s program portfolio, through the quality design and development of new project, leveraging on successes and lessons of existing and previous ones.

In addition, the Programs team works in close partnership with the Influencing, Advocacy, Campaigns & Communication team, the Business Development & Fundraising team and the Finance & Operation team, to ensure Oxfam One Program approach and align effort and aspired outcomes. The PT directly contributes to advancing the NA strategies, resources and working approaches.

In NA, we implement context-relevant projects with inequality as cross-cutting and seek to advance the role and capacities of national and local actors, support influencing and advocacy and knowledge-for-impact efforts, within and beyond the region.

JOB PURPOSE:

Under the direct line management of a Program Manager / Project Lead, and through technical support and guidance from the Matrix Manager (Media/Communication Lead), the Communication Officer is responsible for the development of effective and efficient communication plans, ensuring their implementation and the successful delivery of the agreed products. The Communication Officer works closely with the relevant project/s team members, and where relevant, coordinates, guides and supports their input and effort, to ensure alignment with the plans in place, and the fulfillment of goals and obligations. In addition, the Communication Officer is responsible for guarding and ensuring the sufficient and compliant application of Oxfam communication policies, steer and approaches, and for documenting, organizing and archiving the products of the projects and of the NA programs. Where agreed, the Communication Officer works directly with the Project’s partners, mentors and monitors their implementation in line with the project’s overall plan and obligations. Furthermore, the Communication Officer is expected to engage and collaborate with other MEAL, Learning and Media/Com Oxfam staff members, including by following up the capitalization and learning processes led by MEAL, and to contribute to the NA Program Team’s advancement, overall reports and plans. The Communication Officer also contributes, together with the Media/Communication Lead, to the strategic reflection on communication approaches and on their adaptability to the contexts and communities Oxfam works with. 

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

The Communication Officer is a member of the larger extended Program Team, and can be assigned to one or more projects, depending on the project needs, and/or the candidate specific technical expertise and overall competencies. 

ROLE REPORTS TO

Program Manager

MATRIX MANAGER

NA Media & Communication Lead

ROLES REPORTING TO THIS POST

n/a

BUDGET RESPONSIBILITY

n/a

GEOGRAPHICAL SCOPE

North Africa

IMPACT

Internal and External

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

Internal stakeholders: NA Director and SMT, NA team, SWANA Regional Platform, Partner Affiliate/s, Executing Affiliate/s (EA) related department and staff.

External stakeholders: Oxfam extended network of partners, and project specific partners, service providers, relevant Institutional and Official parties, and others (per need and request).

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Communication planning, production and dissemination:

• Together with the relevant internal stakeholders, develop a comprehensive, compliant and safe communication and dissemination strategy and plan for the assigned project/s, and facilitate and monitor its successful implementation, in line with Oxfam participative and feminist approach and donor’s policies and obligations.
• Craft compelling material for communication, dissemination and publications, based on the data, analysis, information and lessons gathered by the project and MEAL teams, through project or Oxfam reports and plans, or media or social media outlets (including but not limited to: stories, factsheets, briefings, statistics, etc.).
• Work closely with the Program Manager and the Media&Com lead to ensure their input and sign off on all project related communication reports, plans, products, etc., and lead on their dissemination, per agreed and approved plans.
• Directly contribute to the production of the project’s plans, reports and other materials, in line with Oxfam and donor’s obligations.
• Prepare the relevant and most effective information and materials to be shared during learning sessions, workshops and events, with staff, partners, or others.
• Where relevant, directly contribute to high-impact media and communications products to help raise Oxfam’s profile and raise the voices of the people we work with.
• Conduct direct interviews with staff, partners and beneficiaries and produce high impact stories, for use in the national, sub-regional and global markets media and social media outlets.
• In coordination with the Media/Com Lead, guide and advise the program staff to ensure sufficient compliance with the relevant Oxfam global policies and steer on branding, approvals and sign off, risk assessment, etc.
• Develop communication monitoring plans (indicators, tools and reporting calendar) for the assigned projects, in coordination with the MEAL team.
• Monitor and evaluate the impact of the communication and dissemination plan, media activities, coverage and reach, etc. and provide regular analysis to the managers and team.
• Support the management and monitoring of Oxfam’s social media outlets and platforms.
• Contribute to updating North Africa information on internal social platforms, and to any NA products, and their dissemination.
• Support partners in strengthening their communication capacities by identifying training, coaching, and learning events and resources.
• Support the project team in advancing their communication understanding and skills, hence contributions.
• Engage and take an active part in project team meetings, and contribute to the sufficient implementation of the project, in respect of the Communication component (present results, give recommendations, suggest solutions).

Strategic and community-centered communication:

• Contribute to the strategic reflection on communication for the assigned projects and for NA, including audience and context analysis, and ensure that messages, formats, languages and channels are adapted to the realities and needs of each target group.
• Support partners and communities, in particular women and groups that are marginalized or under-represented in public discourse, to access communication spaces and to express their own narratives and priorities, in line with Oxfam’s feminist, participatory and partner-led approach.
• Identify, test and promote alternative and accessible channels and formats of communication, adapted to local contexts, languages and levels of access, and complementary to institutional and digital media.
• Ensure that people’s voices and experiences are represented ethically, with informed consent, dignity and safety, in line with Oxfam’s safeguarding and content gathering guidelines.
• Assess communication-related risks for partners, communities and staff and propose adapted and do-no-harm communication approaches.
• Regularly review and adapt the communication plans based on feedback from partners and communities, lessons from implementation and changes in the context, and contribute to team reflection on what works and what does not.

Documentation of products, capitalization follow-up, archiving and contribution to other projects:

• Document the products of the assigned project/s (reports, studies, publications, factsheets, stories, visuals and videos) and maintain a register of products (title, project, date, language, status, usage rights).
• Organize, classify and archive the project and NA products in a structured and easily retrievable system (folder structure, naming and version conventions), in line with Oxfam and donor requirements.
• Develop and keep up to date the project’s plans for documentation, monitoring and archiving of products (what is produced, by whom, when, and where it is stored), in coordination with the Program Managers and the MEAL team.
• Follow up the capitalization and learning processes led by the MEAL team (tracking deliverables and timelines, collecting inputs), and ensure that the resulting products are properly documented, validated and disseminated.
• Support the project team and partners in identifying and highlighting achievements and lessons which are linked to the project objectives, outcomes and aspired impact, through communication products.
• Manage the project’s photo, video and testimonial files, ensuring that informed consent, safeguarding and data protection requirements are met.
• Contribute to the communication and documentation of other NA projects and regional initiatives, as agreed with the line manager and the Media/Com Lead.

Other:

• Apply Oxfam leadership values, actively contribute to improving the team and office culture.
• Ensure understanding and alignment with Oxfam policies, compliance and steer with regards to all areas of work within the delegated lines of liability and authority.
• Contribute to internal staff capacity building sessions relevant to Communication and documentation. 
• Contribute to Communication related recruitment process, when needed. 
• Actively attend and engage in NA staff meeting, as well as all other relevant sessions and workshop.
• Contribute to the advancement of NA strategic direction, and the office’s plans, reports, and products.

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

Oxfam is seeking a dynamic professional Communication Officer with the following traits: Initiative, decisiveness and consistency; Self-Awareness and mutual accountability; and Solution-oriented and agility. 

In addition, the following skills and experiences are part of this job requirement:

• A relevant bachelor’s degree OR equivalent level of professional and work experience, with similar type of organizations.
• At least 8 years of experience with progressive levels of professional responsibilities and proven experience in quality communication activities, and in the planning, implementation, monitoring, and successful and compliant closure of communication and documentation work within projects. 
• Good knowledge and understanding of the North Africa, especially in Morocco, Tunisia and/or Egypt, socio-economic contexts, civil society field and the development area of work.
• Solid experience in developing communication plans and monitoring tools, and in organizing, classifying and archiving information and products (documentation, product registers, file management systems). 
• Demonstrated experience in strategic communication beyond content production, including audience and context analysis, adaptation of messages and channels, and communication for social change.
• Experience working with communities or grassroots partners on participatory and inclusive communication approaches.
• Good understanding of ethical communication, informed consent, safeguarding and do-no-harm principles, including in restricted civic space contexts.
• Ability to communicate in the languages, registers and formats adapted to different audiences, and to translate technical content into accessible forms.
• Good understanding of the MEAL (monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning) functions, approaches and tools, and of capitalization and learning processes; direct experience in MEAL is a plus. 
• Solid experience in drafting stories and articles, conducting interviews, and drafting media briefs.
• Solid experience in managing and handling social media outlets.
• Solid skills in coordinating and facilitating processes that require the involvement of, and/or interaction between, a collective or a team.
• Solid writing skills, and experience in developing quality plans and drafting reports.
• Experience in risk assessment, and in contributing to the development of prevention and mitigations plan, together with the team and partners.
• Proven experience in directly engaging with, and mentoring and supporting diverse types of partners, stakeholders and colleagues, in areas related to communication. 
• Commitment to adhere to equity, diversity, gender, child safety and staff health and wellbeing principles.
• Commitment to Oxfam’s safeguarding policies to ensure all people who come into contact with Oxfam are as safe as possible.
• Demonstrated ability to work under pressure, prioritize, meet deadlines, and hold self and others to account.
• Willingness and availability to conduct field visits and travels, as required.
• Excellent Arabic and English skills (reading, speaking, writing); a good command of French, is a plus.

Desirable:

• Experience in being part of a multi-cultural and multi-disciplined team.
• Commitment to Oxfam’s overall aims and policies and experience of promoting gender equity and diversity and the interests of marginalized people in all aspects of Oxfam’s work.
• Ability to demonstrate an openness and willingness to learn about the application of gender/gender mainstreaming, women’s rights, and diversity for all aspects of development work.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Most importantly, every individual in Oxfam needs to be able to:

Live our values of INCLUSION, ACCOUNTABILITY, EMPOWERMENT, COURAGE, SOLIDARITY and EQUALITY (read more about these here)

Ensure you commit to our ORGANIZATIONAL ATTRIBUTES (including adhering to the Code of Conduct):