Job Description
The Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) supports civil society organizations advocating for public health policies that reduce death and disease. We bring a proven advocacy approach and a global network of local partners, built on a 25-year track record of success across multiple issues in more than 60 countries. GHAI is an initiative of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
The Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) provides strategic support to advocates working to enact and implement laws that save lives, and is a leading policy advocacy voice on a range of issues including food policy, road safety, cardiovascular health, drowning prevention, civil registration & vital statistics, preventing epidemics, and reproductive health. Our history is rooted in one of the most successful public health campaigns – tobacco control. Building on the successes and lessons learned in the global fight against tobacco deaths, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids launched the Global Health Advocacy Incubator in 2014 to strengthen advocacy capacity to improve public health around the globe using a locally-led approach that is adaptable to culture, political context and issue area.
GHAI is seeking communications consultants with media advocacy expertise to support communications initiatives to advance policies and regulations that improve equitable and sustainable access to healthy and adequate food. Through its Food and Nutrition work, GHAI advocates for the reducation in consumption of ultra-processed products to decrease non-communicable diseases. GHAI supports civil society organizations to pass and implement key policies to develop healthier food environments, including: taxes on unhealthy food and beverage products; mandatory front-of-package nutrition warning labels; restrictions on marketing of unhealthy food and beverage products to children; regulating the supply of unhealthy products in public sector environments, particularly schools; regulating industrially produced trans-fatty acids (TFA); and sodium reduction policies.
GHAI works with and supports civil society organizations, providing technical assistance and capacity building in advocacy, communications and legal analysis. GHAI now seeks a communications consultant to help provide media advocacy expertise to country-level advocacy efforts across Africa.
This consultancy will be based in Africa; applicants must have current authorization to live and work in African country. Contracted communications consultants will report directly to the Food and Nutrition Communications Director, or their designee, and will collaborate closely with staff, consultants, and partners in Food and Nutrition, at GHAI headquarters in Washington, DC and in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, Ethiopia, among others.
The communications consultant will support civil society organizations in the design and execution of media advocacy strategies that support public health policy campaigns. The goal will be to create a media environment conducive to policy change by reaching the public, but especially influencers and key decision makers, through strategic communications support. Knowledge of/background in food policy would be an important asset.
Summary of Tasks:
• Facilitate development of a communications strategy to support policy advocacy campaigns with partners and assist in the implementation of the strategy, including facilitating ongoing communications coordination meetings.
• Develop communications materials (template press releases, op-eds, letters to the editor, digital resources) for coalition members to participate and engage in the public debate.
• Track media monitoring reports and, when needed, engage in rapid response to counter negative stories.
• Help organize and facilitate workshops and training sessions to help build partner communications capacity and spokespeople.
• Provide ongoing updates to GHAI on communications activities, including developing written reports and participating in planning/update calls with GHAI on an ongoing basis.
• Coordinate closely with GHAI in-country coordinators and GHAI Africa regional advisor.
Ideal Qualifications:
• Proven experience utilizing traditional and social media as a tool for policy change with a deep understanding of the elements of both campaign development and implementation paired with the ability to leverage the power of civil society to achieve policy change goals;
• A broad client-service centered approach gained from experience in media strategy, public relations, and/or particular experience serving NGO clients in a consulting relationship;
• Experience in advising coalitions or networks on development coordinated communications strategies;
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement media (including social media) and communications strategies in support of policy change and implementation;
• Keen ability to assess and identify areas for increased capacity and provide technical assistance and/or training, as needed;
• Strong program or project management experience. Fine attention to details, and ability to deliver project goals in a timely fashion;
• Flexibility, focused organizational skills, and good humor required to handle multiple tasks in fast-paced environment;
• Bachelor’s degree in communications or related field;
TIMELINE: Initial engagement will be for six months (December 1, 2023-May 31, 2024) with possible for renewal.
Level of Effort: this assignment is expected to require 40 hours of work per week, on average