Job Detail

Reports to:

​Reports to the Senior Communications Advisor of MSF Austria (Head of Vienna Operational Comms Unit) for hierarchical matters and has a functional link with the MSF EA L&D unit and the MSF EA comms team.

Cooperation:  

The jobholder is a staff member of MSF East Africa and hierarchically linked to the Vienna Operational Comms Unit. S/he cooperates with the other Field Comms Learning coordinators, and MSF communications staff from all sections in the field. S/he cooperates and exchanges information with the L&D team in Nairobi.

Aim of position: 

The Field Comms Learning Coordinator – East Africa enhances the public communication capacities of MSF field communications staff and operational field staff by developing, organising, managing and implementing communications learning solutions across MSF missions worldwide, and with a special focus on the East Africa region. S/he is also promoting and contributing to the Field Communications Toolbox, the Field Comms e-Briefing and the Field Comms Community of Practice.

Replacement:               

During vacation and sick leave, the job holder will be replaced by the other members of the Vienna Operational Communications Unit.

POSITION BACKGROUND

The Vienna Operational Communications Unit, created in 2016 in cooperation with the OCG Operational Communications Unit, is the focal point and catalyst for learning, development and mentoring for MSF field communications. The unit is training and supporting communications staff across MSF missions with the aim to strengthen public communication in the places of intervention and contributing to its decentralization.

The unit offers a variety of trainings and other learning solutions to MSF communications and non-communications staff; the demand for support activities has been continually on the rise over the past years.

In 2021 a partnership was started with the MSF communications team in Dubai, focusing on learning opportunities in Arabic, particularly with the media houses in the gulf region. The strategic aim of the unit is to further grow a network of comms experts across the regions to allow for an increased and decentralized offer of learning solution for field communications, aiming at communications and operational MSF field staff.

This role will be the next expansion of this team, to strengthen the offer of training in the region, which was previously being provided by MSF EA communications colleagues, and other communicators in the region, using materials and techniques developed by the Vienna training unit.

The Vienna Operational Communications Unit runs its activities in an intersectional spirit, therefore good cooperation and regular exchange at all levels is necessary.

PLACE IN THE ORGANISATION

The Field Communications Training Coordinator East Africa reports to the Senior Communications Advisor of MSF Austria (Head of Vienna Operational Comms Unit) for hierarchical matters, and to the L&D EA in functional matters.

OBJECTIVES OF THE POSITION

Over the past years, the demand for support of field communications through trainings and other learning initiatives has seen a steady increase. The Vienna Unit is today the recognized focal point for the development of field communications staff within MSF, offering a variety of learning opportunities and tailored support. The aim is to harness communication skills of MSF field teams, increasing their awareness on how to use communications strategically and preparing them to interact with stakeholders including patients, authorities and the media.

With the development of MSF Eastern Africa, the section communications team has increasingly been providing communications training across the region. This position will strengthen this offer, at the same time as reducing the impact on the team in managing trainings.

The jobholder is contributing to the development and implementation of capacity building strategies and tools for MSF field communications, such as the communications trainings for operational and communication staff in the field, the Field Communications Toolbox and new learning and onboarding tools.

S/he is actively building networks of communications experts to plan, design and implement tailor made learning solutions for MSF missions and for field communications positions, not exclusively for but with a focus on the East Africa region.

TASKS & RESPONSIBILITIES

In close collaboration with colleagues in the Vienna Ops Comms Unit, the Operational Centers and other communications experts across MSF, the Field Communications Learning Coordinator – East Africa will assume the following responsibilities:

1. Drive the conception, development and implementation of trainings for field communications staff and operational field staff, including identifying needs across the East African region  

• Identify training needs across the region and coordinate the offer of communications training in the region – create a network across the region and maintain regular contacts to coordinate communications training for Eastern Africa, acting as the technical referent for communications training in the region.
• Develop, steer and organise Communications Trainings onsite or in virtual classroom. 
• • Organise trainings: Conduct needs assessments with the target groups; invite participants and liaise with them; identify, brief and coordinate facilitators; coordinate training preparations; brief field and L&D administrators on their tasks and support them, if needed; review and adapt content of training modules with facilitators.
  • Develop and adapt trainings: Contribute to the evaluation of needs and identification of objectives; identify and adapt content together with facilitators; identify and develop appropriate methodologies, when needed with input from L&D experts; review existing training modules and adapt them to new contexts and new developments; adapt existing training modules to a virtual classroom format.
  • Implement trainings: Liaise with field administrator and venue (if on site); choose platform and ensure participants have access (for virtual classroom); monitor timing and progress; decide upon ad hoc adaptations when necessary; facilitate some of the modules, if needed; take note of key points during discussions; provide logistical services for participants, referents, and facilitators; ensure participants evaluate the training.
  • Evaluate trainings and other learning solutions: Analyse evaluations and write final training report with input from facilitators; capitalise learnings; produce annual learning report for field communications.

2. Contribute to the management and revision of the Communications Toolbox

• Assume co-responsibility for the toolbox and its updates
• Contribute to a redesign of the toolbox, when necessary
• Adapt existing content of the toolbox according to new development and changes in cooperation with subject matter experts from across the MSF communications network
• Promote toolbox to key target groups
• Ensure the toolbox SharePoint site is functioning and malfunctions are fixed in a timely manner

3. Oversee and drive the e-briefing course for MSF field communications staff

• Promote the briefing tool at OC and field levels, especially among new comms staff
• Act as focal point for e-briefing users and assure their follow up during the course
• Liaise with hosting of platform Tembo and users when necessary
• Evaluate e-briefing use by target group on a regular basis 
• Propose, drive and oversee changes and adaptations to the e-briefing

4. Drive and animate the Field Comms Community of Practice

• Promote the Community of Practice among the target group
• Design and organize webinars with subject matter experts for the Field Comms Community
• Facilitate debates on the Field Comms Forum on Teams
• Identify topics of interest for the target group and promote them in an adequate manner

5. Enhance the field communications learning and development path

• Propose new communications, capacity building tools and produce them with support from within the communications network.                                                                          

6. Close collaboration, exchange and support with communications colleagues

• Regularly liaise with Operational comms and MSF EA communications team, including during the planning process’ and strategic discussions, sharing opportunities and learnings where relevant.
• Provide cover for communications colleagues in the region, as requested and according to availability.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Senior communicator with three to five years of experience in communications for MSF, including time spent in operational communications and in the field.
• Solid interest in training, with experience in training senior staff, in the tasks as described above. 
• Strong interpersonal and organisational skills, with the ability to plan, project manage and collaborate with stakeholders across the organisation. 
• Exceptional communications skills, technical expertise and the ability to negotiate with senior stakeholders. 
• Ability to travel to host trainings, mainly in the region, up to 30% of the time, with a flexible approach to working hours during that time. 
• Fluent English with exceptional writing and oral skills, French is an asset. 
• Strong commitment to MSF values and ethics.
• Essential, Experience working in East Africa.