DAI
POSITION: Communication Specialist
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: March 2024 – August 2027
BASE OF OPERATIONS: Lilongwe, Malawi
GRADE: 8
POSITION REPORTS TO: Chief of Party
1. Project Background
Through the Malawi Governance for Solutions (GfS) Activity, USAID seeks to build on the incremental gains in decentralization and associated service delivery improvements, with the understanding that to make the significant leaps now required for Malawi to meet its own development goals—in the face of a fast-growing, young population—a bold, adaptive, and sustainable approach is required. To successfully remove critical bottlenecks and diffuse effective governance practices, DAI will deploy a locally driven approach—Facilitate, Catalyze, and Scale—drawing on Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) as a core methodology.
Through the Facilitate, Catalyze, and Scale approach, DAI will help local stakeholders to tackle
the root causes of service delivery failures through best-fit solutions and offer demonstrative
models based on positive deviance. Through both process-oriented facilitation and the
provisions of technical support and grants, GfS will foster stable, resilient, and more self-
reliant partnerships that best position local communities to address their own challenges and
contribute to the trajectory of Malawi Vision 2063.
2. Objectives of the assignment
The Communication Specialistwill support the MEL Manager in managing aspects of Communication, Learning, and Adaptation, and will lead in the development and dissemination of GfS communication products. S/he will engage activity stakeholders in collecting and analyzing results and lessons emerging from activity implementation and use this knowledge to help develop a comprehensive learning agenda, to inform adaptation, and to develop GfS learning notes, success stories, and project outreach materials. S/he will manage all internal and external communications promoting collaboration and effective knowledge exchange among activity implementing partners and external stakeholders, including conducting an annual pause-and-reflect workshop.
3. Tasks & Responsibilities
The Communication Specialist will work collaboratively with other members of the GfS team to
help communicate progress against Project objectives and expected results.
The Specific responsibilities include:
- Oversee the maintenance, updating, and project use of the Branding and Marking Plan
- Develop and implement a Communications and Outreach Strategy to ensure GfS ability to
reach target audiences with the appropriate messages and media. - Comply with USAID requirements for Branding, Marking and Communications, obtaining
all appropriate approvals and using required formats - In collaboration with GfS team, develop Success Stories for inclusion in Monthly Reports
and manage the editing process of delivering reports. - With MEL Manager, develop Learning Agenda and track progress against learning questions
including in Pause-and-Reflect sessions - Compile and document lessons-learned and technical materials of benefit to project
stakeholders and USAID - Responsible for all internal and external communication, including response to ad hoc
requests from USAID and development and production of project reports - Support capacity building in learning and communications practices for activity
beneficiaries and partners. - Serve as the chief editor ensuring all communication materials are pristine and manage the
editing process within the team.
4. Qualifications
- At least 7 years of experience in a combination of CLA and communication roles
- At least 3 years’ communications experience
- knowledge and ability to use written communication in developing news releases, feature
stories, policy briefs, fact sheets, short films, media relations, press releases, medispots,
success stories and scripts that effectively transmit information. - Experience in Donor funded project especially USAID
- Familiarity with local governance programming is a plus
- Proficiency with desktop publishing and graphics
- Excellent verbal and written English
- Bachelor’s Degree or higher in a communication related field.
Method of Application
- Eligible candidates meeting the above requirements should submit their application with a
cover letter and an up-to-date detailed CV giving names and contact information of three
referees. The cover letter and the CV should be submitted not later than 21 February, 2024
through the link: https://fs23.formsite.com/OLJTgx/mwkm4fqqf4/index - Only shortlisted applicants will be acknowledged and invited for interviews.
- DAI is an equal opportunity employer.