Advocacy Specialist
 Academy for Educational Development
 Location: New Delhi
 Last Date: February 4, 2011
 Email: indiaaedbcc@gmail.com (Reference: DevNetJobsIndia.org)

Position : Advocacy Specialist
Project : Behavior Change Communication for Improving Healthy Behaviors Program in India
Supervisor : IS Chief Technical Advisor

Project Summary
The AED Center for Global Health Communication and Marketing (CGHCM) works to bring about positive changes in the actions of individuals, communities, and institutions that will improve the health and well-being of vulnerable populations around the world. Through bilateral funding from USAID/India, AED’s India BCC-IHBP Task Order will focus on institutional strengthening for health communication at the national level and also in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The project will use evidence based approaches to design BCC strategies for HIV/AIDS, TB, MCH and FP/RH that reach to the community level and focus on individual and social change. Through advocacy and other community interventions, vulnerable communities will be empowered to address many health issues such as stigma, gender and rights.

Position Summary
The India BCC-IHBP Advocacy Specialist will contribute to advocacy for strengthening public, for profit and not-for-profit institution’s capacity for improved Behavior Change Communication. In doing so, s/he will strengthen the project’s advocacy at national level and help the state team’s advocacy through active engagement with policy makers, program managers, private sector stakeholders and Development Partners to achieve project’s four key results; work with the Institutional Strengthening and Advocacy (IS) Team Leader, Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) teams in Delhi and ISA Advisor in UP to coordinate design, implementation, and monitoring of advocacy initiatives; and provide support to the project teams in Uttar Pradesh and selected districts.

Essential Job Functions
Specific responsibilities include but will not be limited to:
• Assisting preparation of advocacy component of the projects work plans, supporting state level for the same and ensuring timely deliverables
• Assisting design and implementation of effective Advocacy plans and strategies for national level, consistent with the project Award Monitoring Plan (AMP), supporting the state team for the same and achievement of project deliverables
• Leading advocacy for Government acceptance and support to the BCC-IHBP project’s recommendations and plans for strengthening BCC in health systems
• Leading development and implementation of advocacy strategies aimed at improving financial, technical and human resource allocation as well as utilization for improved BCC in public health
• Leading the mapping of the functioning of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, National AIDS Control Organization, the Ministry of Women and Child Development, their IEC and technical departments and other relevant ministries, and their state and district counterparts in Uttar Pradesh with respective roles and decision making processes
• Facilitating and organizing studies, white paper generation and round table discussions to help government adopt evidence based BCC practices
• Providing support to the project to interact with the government on all matters related to issue based advocacy. Ensuring consistency in project advocacy approach and strategies at national and state levels.
• Developing functioning relationships at national level with the key decision makers, key opinion leaders, development organizations, local and international NGOs, alliances and networks working across the four program elements and support the project team at the state level in developing similar relationships
• Conducting landscape of existing stakeholders, alliances and networks at national and state levels
• Developing a consortium of voices from government and allied sectors at national level that emphasize the need for enhanced attention and priority to BCC in health programs and promote use of evidence based BCC strategies and tools. Support state team for the same.
• Designing media / policy briefs and facilitating organization of media events, and building capacities of government staff / agencies in the same.
• Contributing to capacity building of the State and District project teams in Advocacy.
• Leading the project advocacy for strengthening school curriculum across the program elements at national level and facilitating the same in Uttar Pradesh.
• Participating in documentation and dissemination of project interventions including reporting, advocacy related materials development and production, writing & presenting papers at state/national and global platforms, impact measurement, etc.
• Ensuring regular team updates and sharing on progress and plans under Advocacy component of the project.
• Assisting the IS Chief Technical Advisor in identifying short-term technical assistance needs and guide the identification of consultants and agencies that can effectively contribute to activities in the AWP
• Representing the project, as directed by IS Chief Technical Advisor and/or DCOP, in any working group, committee, or task force addressing Institutional Strengthening
• Performing other activities as determined by IS Chief Technical Advisor and/or DCOP

Qualifications
The ideal candidate will hold the following qualifications:

Essential
• Masters degree in Health Communication, Community Health, Health Administration, Business Administration, Social Work or equivalent degree from a reputed university/ institute
• Minimum eight years of relevant experience in MCH, TB, HIV/AIDS or family planning with international development programs, especially in –
o formulation and implementation of result oriented advocacy with government , donor agencies, development partners and other stakeholders
o development of partnerships and interaction with Ministries of Health, WCD and /or NACO on issue based advocacy
o establishment of alliances and networks of organizations for achieving an advocacy objective or leading an existing alliance from the front
• Familiarity with NRHM, NACP-III and/or RNTCP, especially the BCC strategy in each of these programs.
• Ability to design and develop media and policy briefs.
• Ability to use various platforms, gateways and approaches to advocacy
• Ability to effectively conduct business with senior Government officials at national and state level, especially in the MoHFW, NACO and MoWCD.
• Consultative and collaborative approach; ability to work with diverse groups and in a challenging environment.
• Excellent interpersonal and communications skills in English and in Hindi, including writing skills in English
• Experience and a high degree of competency using Windows-based computer programs
• Willingness to travel within and outside the country as per project needs

Desirable
• Experience of working with USAID funded projects
• Experience of working in Uttar Pradesh
• Ability to write and type in Hindi fonts
• Membership of networks/alliances at Global/National/State levels
________________________________________
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with a job.

AED is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women candidates are encouraged to apply. To apply, please write to indiaaedbcc@gmail.com and mention the position you are applying for. The last date for application is 4 February 2011.