Sierra Leone: Learning Facilitation and Communications Officer

Background

Montrose has been contracted to support the Monitoring, Evidence Learning and Review (MELR) of the DFID Saving lives in Sierra Leone (SLiSL) programme. SLiSL seeks to save women’s and children’s lives by improving the quality, availability and accessibility of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health services. The programme’s purpose is to achieve a sustainable step-change in health outcomes for under-fives, adolescents, pregnant women and mothers. The five-year programme is divided into two phases: Phase 1 is from October 2016 to September 2018, and Phase 2, from October 2018 to March 2021.

Phase 2 will be implemented across all districts of Sierra Leone through a range of partners including a United Nations (UN) consortium comprising United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), and the World Health Organisation (WHO); and a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) consortium led by International Rescue Committee and including Crown Agents, Concern Worldwide, CUAMM, Goal Sierra Leone, Marie Stopes Sierra Leone (MSSL), Restless Development, and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH Global).

This job description outlines work to be covered during Phase 2 of the SLiSL.

Purpose of the Position

The Learning Facilitation and Communications Officer will lead the development and dissemination of learning and knowledge products to be disseminated by the project across various channels. Please see the section on specific roles and responsibilities below for more information.

Specific Roles and Responsibilities

The Learning Facilitation and Communications Officer will:

• Attend meetings and take detailed minutes. Distil and write up lessons learnt.
• Produce lessons learned briefs, success and human-interest stories, fact sheets and policy briefs.
• Provide peer support to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) counterpart in the development of HMIS bulletin.
• Approach appropriate external websites to promote MELR knowledge products.
• Support the preparation for lessons learned presentations at partner and steering committee meetings and technical working groups.
• Support the preparation for presentations to be made at universities, local national or regional events.
• Organise learning events.
• Track number of enquiries (requests for information) received from beneficiaries.
• Track number of end users who ask questions and are interested in exploring the data further.
• Carry out survey of targeted users who utilise MELR products.
• Track number of citations of the knowledge products (e.g. MoHS department citing the evidence as a reason for changing their programme approach).
• Track number of citations of academic papers.
• Support the overall communications efforts of the MELR team through proof-reading, editing and formatting of documents.
• Manage all document storage including Dropboxes and other knowledge management tools.
• Stay abreast of all SLiSL activities and identify communication opportunities.
• Liaise with Communication Officers in partner organisations.
• Support the design and development of a MELR website.
• Regularly update and maintain as required, the MELR website.

Essential Skills and Qualifications

• High level writing skills for development of various products including reports, factsheets, technical bulletins, policy briefs, web content etc.
• Good knowledge management experience.
• Data visualisation skills.
• Excellent theoretical understanding of communications.
• Understanding of quantitative and qualitative data analysis including evidence of in depth participation in these.
• Knowledge of the Sierra Leone context is preferred.
• Knowledge of the development sector is essential and knowledge of the health sector is advantageous.
• Masters level degree in Communications or related studies.
• Three or more years’ experience in various communications roles in the development sector.
• Experience working in Sierra Leone or other Anglophone West African country is advantageous.
• Interested candidates must be currently based in Sierra Leone.

If you meet the above qualifications and are interested in this opportunity, please submit a detailed CV together with a covering letter explaining how you are suited for the position at hruk@montroseint.com.Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until a suitable candidate is identified.