Communications and Outreach Consultant – RTI-International

USAID/Zambia Expanding Water and Sanitation Project

Background

The purpose of the recently awarded USAID Expanding Water and Sanitation Project (USAID Expanding WASH) is to professionalize WASH services, to promote accountability for reliable and high-quality WASH services, and to enhance the enabling environment for private sector engagement (PSE) in service delivery in Zambia. Implemented by RTI International, this project will incorporate a series of interventions that support and strengthen sector governance and enhance public-private partnerships for improved WASH service delivery in a manner that: i) institutionalizes market-based WASH service delivery through financially sustainable and inclusive management models; ii) increases accountability of WASH service providers, policymakers, and civic leaders; iii) supports policy and regulatory reform; and iv) increases private sector participation. These interventions together will provide increased access to safe water, improved sanitation, and enhance the capacity of Zambian government, private sector, and civil society organizations.

Role

The USAID Expanding WASH Project seeks an experienced Communications and Outreach Support Consultant with a proven record of success providing high quality stories, articles, speeches, social media and other communications and outreach products USAID or other donor funded programming. The Consultant will work part time, and remotely as needed, together in coordination with the Chief of Party and other project staff as required to prepare, draft, edit and manage the communications and outreach portfolio. The candidate will report on a daily basis to the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Director and overall, to the Chief of Party.

Communications and Outreach Responsibilities

·       Develop communications and outreach mechanisms and materials to raise the profile of USAID Expanding WASH activities and their results, including planning and conducting project and media events; creating communications products for a range of stakeholder needs; and managing content for the USAID Expanding WASH microsite.

·       Write, edit and finalize press releases, speeches summaries, fact sheets, presentations, social media posts and other communications materials to highlight project successes and challenges.

·       Help prepare web and success stories, and content for use in U.S. Government (USG) publications.

·       Help provide guidance to the program team on document formats, including branding and marking in accordance with USAID policies.

·       Work with team members to ensure project communications and branding guidelines and best practices are followed by Consortium members.

·       Develop and update a project Communications Plan to communications and outreach and maintain a project events and communications calendar.

·       Help coordinate with operations and technical teams to support events, preparing relevant materials and promotional materials to advance project initiatives.

·       Support technical activities related to social behaviour change communications campaigns with communications and social media outreach.

·       Draft success stories and inputs for USAID, draft and edit program reports, including quarterly, annual and other ad hoc reports as needed.

·       Help manage media and photo archives and communications-related contract deliverables.

Qualifications

·       Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in journalism, communications and outreach

·       Bachelor’s degree in international development, communications, environment, or other relevant field

·       USAID or other donor communications experience required, including experience preparing communications plans.

·       Excellent communications skills (both written and verbal).

·       Strong photographic skills preferred.

·       Excellent attention to detail, able to meet deadlines and produce quality documents.

·       Excellent Microsoft Office skills (Word, PowerPoint, Publisher).

·       Zambia experience preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

·       Ability to work effectively in a multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary team.

·       Fluent and superior English written and verbal communication skills, including expertise writing and editing reports and communications products for a USAID audience.

·       Able to work effectively with the Microsoft office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Adobe.

Minimum Expected Deliverables

 

1.     Develop Project Communications Plan. Due July 15, 2022

•       Revise as needed

2.     Develop project factsheet. Due July 1, 2022

3.     Review, edit, and provide suggestions for quarterly report. Due July 8, 2022.

4.     Support development of content for project microsite. Due July 30, 2022

•       Update as needed and requested

5.     Support writing and editing of project blog on work to date, the challenges in the WASH Sector, and how the project will overcome them. Due August 15, 2022

6.     Support development of project impact and/or success story. Due September 15, 2022

Place of Performance :
The consultant will perform most of the work from their home, and thus shall be required to work with the team via video chat software such as Zoom, Teams, or Skype.

Travel costs associated with transit from the consultant’s home within Zambia to the project office in Lusaka will be included. If the consultant can travel to Lusaka from their home, they will be encouraged to do so.

Application Guidelines:

All applications/proposals must be emailed to [email protected]. Please quote “Communications and Outreach- Consultancy” on the subject line. All applications are due June 12, 2022, at 5:00 PM Lusaka time.