Purpose

The European Partnership for Democracy (EPD) is recruiting a Consultant to serve as the Project Officer of a ‘Civil Society Secretariat’ to be established in the context of ‘The Charter Project Africa’, an initiative co-financed by the European Union. The Civil Society Secretariat will be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and serve as a link between pan-African civil society initiatives, on the one hand, and organs and processes of the African Governance Architecture (AGA), on the other hand. It will provide services to members of the project consortium as well as partners engaged in the project, such as youth and civic initiatives. The primary focus will be on offering strategic advice on engaging with the African Union, particularly with AGA organs and the AGA Secretariat, and on supporting advocacy on improving the implementation of the African Charter for Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) across African Union member states.

Background information about the project

The Charter Project Africa is a multi-partner, multi-country initiative with a distinct pan-African approach. It aims to contribute to stronger systems of democratic governance in African Union member states, supported by the African Governance Architecture (AGA) and enshrined in the African Charter of Democracy, Elections, and Governance (ACDEG). The project aims to empower civil society across Africa in representing citizens at the continental level, working with the AGA, and promoting democratic governance in the African Union member states through the usage of civic tech.

The project aims to empower civil society across Africa in representing citizens at the continental level, working with the AGA, and promoting democratic governance in AU member states. It will support civic initiatives, particularly those led by youth, in their ability to leverage knowledge, data, and technology to analyze, monitor and promote the implementation of the ACDEG. It will also facilitate collaboration between African Union policymakers, national decision-makers and civil society organizations to jointly address challenges to democratic governance.

The project has eleven target countries: Botswana, Benin, Cabo Verde, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, and Zambia

The project is being implemented by a consortium of six organisations: European Partnership for Democracy (lead), Africtivistes, Code for Africa, Democracy Works Foundation, Goree Institute and ECDPM.

Responsibilities and objectives

The Consultant will support the work of the ‘Civil Society Secretariat’ to be established in the context of ‘The Charter Project Africa’. He/she will work under the management of EPD and in close cooperation with all other Consortium members. His/her work will be overseen by a second colleague based in Addis Ababa – the Civil Society Secretariat Coordinator.

– Coordination

• Coordinate and ensure a regular flow of information among consortium partners on all project activities (in collaboration with the EPD Technical Advisor);
• Enable and support collaboration between consortium partners on joint activities.

– Project management

• Support and monitor the implementation of relevant EPD activities;
• Provide logistical support for activities implemented by consortium partners in Addis Ababa and vis-à-vis the African Union in general;
• Prepare financial reports and supporting documents for any activities and costs in Addis Ababa.
• Oversee the implementation of grants disbursed by EPD in the context of the project;

– Advocacy

• Support the creation of policy briefs, blogs and other written products planned for within the project and required by consortium partners;
• Lead on the creation of multimedia content developed in the context of the project (e.g. podcasts, video interviews/blogs, etc.);
• Maintain an overview of digital and technological solutions utilised in the project and promote the engagement of African Union decision-makers with these solutions.

– Communication

• Maintain an overview of all public communication by consortium partners and ensure complementarity between them;
• Monitor the outreach & engagement strategy and develop a communication plan for the project;
• Develop guidelines, templates and content on carrying out a continental (social media) campaign, targeted to citizens and decision-makers on issues relevant to the project;
• Collect and document research, policy positions, and/or visual material produced by consortium and project partners and transform them into communications material.

– Duration

• The assignment will be from 1 October 2021 to 30 June 2024.

– Salary

• The remuneration for this position shall be in accordance with EPD’s payment scale for international consultants and appropriate to the Consultant’s level of qualification and experience. These will be determined in the context of the recruitment procedure. Please note the successful candidate will sign a consultancy agreement with EPD, in line with EU procurement rules.

• Previous experience in project management is required, management of projects with multiple consortium partners is considered a strong asset;
• Previous experience in overseeing and leading complex advocacy and communication campaigns is required;
• Previous experience in initiatives employing digital technologies to strengthen democracy is considered a strong asset;
• Previous experience in pan-African civil society initiatives is considered a strong asset;
• Good knowledge of African Union institutions is required, previous experience with the African Governance Architecture and any of its organs is considered a strong asset;
• Full professional proficiency in English and French required.