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Our development solutions turn ideas into impact by bringing together fresh combinations of expertise and innovation across multiple disciplines. Our clients include international development agencies, international lending institutions, private corporations and philanthropies, and national governments.

We are recruiting to fill the positon below:

Job Title: Stakeholder Management & Communications Expert – Delivery Support Unit, Borno State Government

Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Reports To / Supervisor: Head of Delivery Support Unit
Contract Duration: February – March 2022
Type of Contract: Naira Based Contract
Time Frame: To work for a probationary period of 30 – 50 days (February to March 2022) with possibility of a 1-year extension.

Background

• The Borno State Government (BoSG) has developed a 25-Year Borno State Development Framework (BoSDF). There is substantial ambition to follow through on the aims of the BoSDF and in November 2020, the BoSG finalised and presented a 10-year strategic implementation plan that provides a roadmap to achieving these objectives, – the “2020- 2030 Strategy for Transformation of Borno State”. This strategy centres around 9 overarching policy pillars, each with various Strategic Transformation Initiatives (STIs) which cut across multiple government authorities within the state.
• The Government of the United Kingdom, in partnership with PERL-ARC, seek to support the Borno State Government to implement its development priorities as outlined in the BoSDF through the creation of a Delivery Support Unit (DSU) to provide prioritization, data collection and management, monitoring, coordination and capacity building functions.
• The DSU’s overarching objectives are to track delivery of the State Government’s priorities to ensure that state-level plans translate into real-world benefits to citizens, and to support the Pillar Executing Agencies in identifying and unblocking delivery challenges.
• The DSU will also provide high-quality briefings on progress towards achieving the priorities, and advice on issues that need resolving.

Its key functions are to:

• Support prioritisation across Borno State Government to ensure the state’s resources are deployed effectively and appropriately to the area’s most likely to achieve impact.
• Provide strong and objective analytical work, supported by clear data from delivery unit and data management teams, identifying when specific policy deliverables are “off track”, providing informed options and adjustive / corrective measures.
• Provide continuous capacity and capability support to the key ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) tasked with delivering the STIs and cross-cutting priority policy pillars.
• Ensure strong coordination across the Executive, as well as between government and international partner frameworks, to support the Borno State Government in achieving the priority policy pillars.
• Support strong accountability and management mechanisms between the Office of the Borno State Governor and Honourable Commissioners delivering the STIs, to achieve key objectives for each priority policy pillar.

Duties and Responsibilities
At this stage, there are four Priority Policy Pillars the DSU will focus on:

• Human Capital Development (STI 4 – Access to Education)
• Leadership in Agriculture
• Healthy citizenry
• Sustainable Environment.

Under the direct supervision of the Head of the Delivery Support Unit, the Stakeholder Management & Communications Expert will undertake the following key functions:

• Working with the Head of the DSU and other members of the team to design and implement a fit-for-purpose
• Stakeholder Management Strategy and Implementation Plan for the BDSU. This will involve an in-depth analysis of all the key stakeholders across sectors in Borno State, their needs and the most appropriate medium for engagement based on contextual realities.
• Developing and implementing a targeted Communication Strategy based on a good understanding of the communication needs of the BDSU and its key stakeholders; rapidly engaging with, socializing, and communicating the purpose and role of the BDSU with Government and other key stakeholders
• Working with members of the BDSU to design and implement collaborative processes to build and maintain relationships with key Stakeholders. This is to ensure that the BDSU receives the much-needed support from its key stakeholders.
• Designing and maintaining of a BDSU website with links to appropriate BDSU social media handles to give visibility to the activities and achievements of the Unit.
• Developing communication products including press releases, result flyers, newsprint articles, social media posts/articles on BDSU activities and results.
• Designing and implementing a feedback mechanism for periodic evaluation of the effectiveness of the BDSU and its activities.
• Developing and deploying a skills development plan for strengthening state-level capacities in the fulfilment of their Stakeholder and Communications function.
• Producing bi-weekly progress reports on the implementation of a Staff Skills Development Plan.
• Liaising effectively with staff of the BDSU to implement the Stakeholder and Communications Plan.
• Supporting the Head of BDSU to quality assure BDSU reports and produce snapshots of progress in the implementation of the BoSG priority areas
• Impact of Results:
• The role will directly contribute towards the implementation of the Borno State Development Plan.

Skills and Qualifications
Education:

• A minimum of First Degree in Mass Communication or related fields.

Experience:
Essential:

• At least Ten (10) years of relevant and demonstrable professional experience, either in government, private sector, or academia, in the field of communications and stakeholder management;
• Strong experience in building, managing, and influencing complex multi-stakeholder relationships and dynamics, coordinating interagency initiatives, and working with multiple and diverse levels of partners;
• Experience in working with a team of ambitious and high performing individuals towards a vision;
• Experience in conducting quality-driven research and policy-level analysis;
• Experience in preparing high quality policy briefs and guidance notes for use by senior policy makers;
• Strong verbal and written communication skills;
• Ability to work under pressure, to tight deadlines, and in demanding and/or austere conditions;

Desirable:

• Experience working in Borno state, with familiarity of its languages, culture, and context (political, economic, social, environmental).

Competencies
Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain a range of complex stakeholder relationships, including with senior government officials to drive progress in the face of a range of competing views and priorities.
• Tact, sensitivity, and an ability to manage complex, highly sensitive matters discreetly and effectively.
• Ability to think conceptually and flexibly, capacity to adapt, innovate, and propose multiple options;
• Highly developed communication, networking, and negotiation skills, to inspire, lead and develop a high performing and ambitious team.
• Ability to liaise and work effectively in a team of national and international staff in a dynamic, highly political and environment.
• Highly developed and demonstrable problem-solving and analytical skills that can be deployed flexibly across a wide range of business.
• Demonstrate integrity by modelling the Borno State Government’s values and ethical standards.
• Display cultural, gender, religious, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
• Ability to incorporate gender into all aspects of work including planning, managing, operations, database development, reporting and M&E.
• Treat all people fairly.

Functional Competencies:

• Willingness to mentor civil servants in their tools, techniques, approaches, and experiences, as part of wider initiative to support capability building of the Borno State Government.
• Experience in overseeing programme implementation and monitoring and identifying evidence-based remedial measures to address delivery challenges.
• Superlative stakeholder engagement, demonstrated through humility and the use of diplomatic language, in a manner that builds relationships and esteem of key partners.
• Understanding of activities (and their impact) of Programmes led by national and international humanitarian and development partners in Borno State.
• Ability to “see the bigger picture”, most notably by having a complete and holistic understanding of how various activities interact to achieve a high-level objective(s).
• Ability to use data to support analysis and produce high-quality communications products
• Experience in managing collection and storage of data, to support tracking of policies and create holistic understanding of real-world impact of relevant pillar-specific policies across Borno State.

Language requirements:

• Essential: Fluency in English, written and spoken.
• Desirable: Fluency in Borno languages.

Assessment Type:

• Shortlisted candidates should expect to undertake an interview based on their experiences, and an assessment to examine their competencies and technical skills.

Remuneration Competitive
Firm Details Available on Request.

Application Closing Date
28th January, 2022.