Communication specialist for Federal Government of Somalia

Position title: Communication specialist (External Advert)

Duty station: Mogadishu, Somalia (with frequent traveling to Somalia regions)

Reporting to: Office of Prime Minister, Somalia

Duration: 4 months with possibility of extension

Contract type: Full time

1. Background

Through funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the government of Sweden has been supporting the secondment of high-capacity Somali experts to a range of national institutions in Somalia for several years. This work has sought to support the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) in the implementation of the Somali National Development Plan (NDP), as well as institutional capacity development more broadly.

As is well understood by those working in Somalia, government institutions have limited capacities to carry out their mandates following decades of conflict. By helping to provide highly qualified Somali experts to weakened government institutions, this programme seeks to boost their capacity to function and implement government policy. While the provision of experts under a single programme will not remedy all of the capacity constraints faced by the government, this programme will help to build the core competencies necessary to achieve longer-term and more ambitious development goals in the years ahead.

The Somali Experts Secondment for Institutional Capacity Building (SES) will facilitate the placement of 50 Somali experts within key government institutions at the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and Federal Member State (FMS) levels, in line with government needs, Swedish development priorities and the results of needs assessment data generated by other relevant donors. In addition, a top-up salary will be provided for 50 local Somali civil servants already working in the selected key government institutions or recent university graduates who will be taken in as interns attached to the diaspora experts. The planned 50 diaspora and local experts and 50 civil servants and interns will be apportioned between different institutions based on extensive discussions with Sida, FGS, FMS governments and other donors providing capacity-building programmes to these institutions. The programme is complementary to the previous Sida-funded secondment programme and the retention and/or restructuring of secondments of experts inherited from the previous programme will be based on the outcomes of the technical capacity assessment of government institutions carried out by SES during this reporting period.

2. Essential Functions

The Prime Minister has established a National Coordination Committee on COVID-19 as high-level coordination structure overseeing preparedness and response activities of the COVID-19 outbreak, members of the committee include representatives from the chamber of commerce, Somali Medical Association, Religious leaders, and civil society associations, the committee also works with number of sub working groups. The committee is led by the Prime Minister of Somalia, with Federal Minister of Finance and Federal Minister of Health and Human Services participating, the National committee have now also proposed eight sub working groups to ensure that the undergoing efforts are managed to some level of standard and well-coordinated.

The Communication Specialist is the front-line contact for the National Coordination Committee on COVID-19 of the Federal Government of Somalia. S/he communicates the government response vision to the public, he/she shall also support the government in building relations with the national and international partners.

S/he builds relations with the media and disseminates accurate information through timely and Support social media coverage of the awareness raising activities throughout the crisis.

3. Core Competencies and Skills

The Communications Specialist will be responsible for spearheading strategic initiatives and planning, coordination, management and delivery of the National Coordination Committee. S/he will work with both external and internal audiences and stakeholders and deliver on key communication initiatives for coordination awareness of accurate information around COVID-19, bolstering the government’s information campaign efforts whilst debunking superstitious and harmful narratives.

4. Major Responsibilities:

3.1 Strategy in Communication

• The overall planning, organization, and direction of the National Coordination Committee communication strategies, public information activities and the government’s response measures with the media.
• Write press releases and prepare interviews for the different stakeholders on the response mission.
• Build and oversee a team of communication team and give them necessary policies, guidelines to the media houses and different media departments of the Government.
• Develop and implement the National Coordination Committee external and Internal Communications guidelines, policies, and action plans.
• Review and give oversight to all external communications, including articles, social media, and ensure compliance with approved guidelines.
• Develop, direct and deliver a communications and advocacy strategy with measurable outcomes, and ensure effective monitoring/evaluation and reporting.
• Manage the communication of risk issues to protect the reputation of the government.
• Prepared informative and far-reaching information and messages development and disseminations especially to the communities in rural areas.
• Reinforce strategic communication support to overall COVID response stakeholders including the international partners.

3.2 National Coordination Committee Public Engagement Communication

• Produce and regularly update on the crisis fact sheets
• Combining Health and medical information with religious guidance on what defines the daily routine of most Somalis.
• Develop and regularly update common messages that combine health and medical information regarding COVID-19 with religious guidance (e.g. impact on COVID-19 on religious gatherings, Friday prayers, Ramadan, Islamic funerals, travel and hajj).

3.3 Media Communication

• Develop a phased, country-wide dissemination plan through networks of different media houses by producing audio tapes recorded by well-known sheiks (religious leaders) representing Somalia’s five Federal Member States and the Benadir Region to convey these messages to the Somali people. **
• Develop and maintain key media list/contacts both locally and internationally and build strong relationship with media.

3.4 Advocacy in Communication

• Work closely with all stakeholders in all sectors in an effort of ensuring advocacy messaging is leveraged through communication channels.
• Monitor al-Shabaab propaganda campaign concerning COVID-19 to develop and adjust specific messages aiming to debunk misinformation, countering stigmatization and incitements to hatred aggravating conflict.

3.5 Crisis Communication

• Develop crisis communication plan including protocols on how the government should deal with the media during crisis. Liaise with national and international media, providing them with information and assistance required.

3.6 Internal Communication

• Develop a structured framework for communicating internally and establish the desired outcome for strengthening engagement within the committee.
• Develop an internal communication action plan for the National Coordination Committee, with the aim of consolidating the leadership’s engagement with the OPM staff.

4 Qualifications: Education, Technical Skills and Experience

• Degree in media, journalism, communications, public relations or related field in humanities from a recognized institution and five years of experience in managing communications at a senior level. Having a postgraduate degree with similar experience will be preferred.
• High level interpersonal skills including the ability to build relationships internally and externally, excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, as well as negotiation skills
• Ability to lead and manage a team of communications professionals
• High skills in research, editing and report writing; Website and social media management experience and excellent journalistic and photographic skills.

5 Achievement indicators

Job execution will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Level of results achieved, according to Terms of Reference, Plans of Action, Project Descriptions, Budgets.
• Level of adherence to deadlines, and ensuring that proposals, concept notes and reports are submitted according to established MEL standards, in line with donor and FGS requirements and with high quality.
• Level of support to Programme Staff and Government institutions involved in Somalia.
• Information management and sharing- efficient, timely and updated.
• General contribution: policy development, programmes development etc.
• Flexibility and ability to adjust to changes and new requirements.
• Level of personal contribution in supporting colleagues, teambuilding and a healthy, positive and creative work environment.

6 We offer

• A challenging and rewarding potfolio of responsibilities within a forward leaning and innovation team
• Commencement: ASAP
• Salary and benefits according to general directions CAPACITY INJECTION MECHANISM (CIM) ‘’A guideline to effect the administration of engagement and employment benefits and conditions of Capacity Injection Mechanism appointments for the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS)’’.