Advocacy and Communications Officer

Job Title: Advocacy and Communications Officer
Location: Gaza City

MAP’s Mission: Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) works for the health and dignity of Palestinians living under occupation and as refugees. MAP is the leading UK charity delivering health and medical care to those worst affected by conflict, occupation and displacement in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) and Palestinian refugee camps of Lebanon.

Job Purpose To support the communication and visibility of MAP’s programmes and campaigns, local and international advocacy priorities, and media relations in Gaza
Hours 35 hours per week
Salary ILS 95,856 per annum
Reporting to Senior Programme Manager (Gaza) with dotted line to Director of Advocacy and Campaigns (UK)
Key Internal relationships Advocacy and Campaigns Team (London), Gaza Team, West Bank Team, Fundraising Team (in London)
Key External relationships AIDA advocacy network, OCHA Humanitarian Country Team advocacy leads, UN agency meeting partners, other health service providers and humanitarian and human rights organisations, journalists, external comms suppliers
Contract One year, with possibility of extension

This job description does not form part of your contract of employment and can be amended from time to time as the needs of the organisation require.

1.Duties and key responsibilities

Communications and media

• Coordinate the work of external communications suppliers including photographers, videographers and producers and commissioned journalists working with MAP
• Write stories, blog posts and other communications outputs for MAP’s digital channels
• Conduct and write up interviews with staff, partners and service users and collect case studies – including photography and simple video – to demonstrate MAP’s impact and highlight key advocacy issues
• Help develop and maintain MAP’s media databases (local media coverage and local journalist contacts).
• Identify opportunities for news stories, help pitch them to journalists and help coordinate responses to media requests.
• Identify opportunities to work with partners and community members to co-produce communications products and initiatives, and gather feedback on outputs
• Translate materials and review translations provided by external suppliers
• Ensure visibility of MAP and local partners in programme communications.
• Support collection and creation of stories, case studies and other materials for fundraising
• Occasional public speaking at community and other events as required

Advocacy and Campaigns

• Maintain good working relationships with health service providers, and local and international partners, in close coordination with Gaza team other colleagues.
• Participate in meetings with key advocacy partners and others, specifically AIDA advocacy, local and international human rights and humanitarian organisations, and UN agencies, and help maintain ACT’s good working relationships and coordination of activities with them
• Help organise, coordinate and brief virtual meetings for advocacy targets (e.g. UK parliamentarians, officials etc) on an array of subjects – including where possible MAP’s partners
• Support the development and updating of ACT’s internal monitoring and evaluation system
• Assist in the development of campaign actions, digital campaigns content and other ACT outputs and strategies.
• Brief advocacy targets, journalists, donors and others on the situation in Gaza and MAP’s response as required

Research

• Monitor Palestinian and regional media in English and Arabic and provide regular briefings to UK colleagues on health-related and political developments in Gaza
• Monitor patterns of policies and behaviours which impact health in Gaza, to help inform ACT’s (and other teams’) understanding and activities
• Conduct and write up interviews in a sensitive and timely manner with partners, community members and others (including health workers, patients and those impacted by rights violations), to inform reports, briefings and other advocacy outputs
• Help collate data from programmes (e.g. information on needs and impact) to inform communications and fundraising outputs
• Identify opportunities to collaborate with partners and service users in participatory research initiatives and the co-production of outputs

2. General Responsibilities

• Support the mission, ethos and values of MAP.
• Carry out other associated duties as may arise in line with the broad remit of the position.
• Support and promote diversity and equality of opportunity in the workplace.
• Work collaboratively with others in all aspects of our work.
• Represent and be an ambassador for MAP.
• Be flexible and carry out other associated duties as may arise, develop or be assigned in line with the broad remit of the position.
• Maintain and improve competencies through continuous professional development.
• Abide by organisational policies, codes of conduct and practices.
• Treat with confidentiality any personal, private or sensitive information about individual organisations and or clients or staff and MAP data.

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PERSON SPECIFICATION

Experience

• Relevant experience in a communications, advocacy and research role
• Experience of networking with NGOs, UN agencies and media
• Experience in photography and producing or overseeing production of short videos is desirable
• Quantitative and qualitative research skills, in particular interviewing
• Familiarity with key organisations providing and/or advocating for healthcare to Palestinians in the oPt is desirable

Skills and abilities

• Sensitive approach to interviewing, guided by principles of consent and dignity
• Strong social media and IT skills
• Ability to produce good quality still images.
• Excellent written and spoken English and Arabic
• Strong appreciation of risks facing MAP and the need to adhere to agreed policy guidelines in communications.
• Strong time management and prioritization skills

Knowledge and training

• Undergraduate qualification in political science, communication, advocacy or related field, or equivalent work experience
• Good understanding of the political contexts affecting access to healthcare in Gaza. Understanding of international law is desirable.
• Good understanding of issues relating to health and health systems for Palestinians in the oPt is desirable

Personal attributes and other requirements

• Collaborative and supportive approach to work
• Commitment to anti-discriminatory practice and equal opportunities.
• An ability to apply awareness of diversity issues to all areas of work.
• Commitment to the values and ethos of MAP.
• Able to work flexibly in emergencies and otherwise.

Education/training

• BA degree in in communication or humanitarian law or a related field.
Personal attributes and other requirements

•Able to work flexibly in emergencies and to meet specific deadlines including someevenings and weekends.