International Communications Advisor (Re-advertised)

Terms of Reference
International Communications Advisor

ABOUT US

With more than 30 years of experience, CowaterSogema is Canada’s global leader in management consulting services specializing in international development. We have managed the implementation of over 800 projects in more than 80 countries around the globe for clients such as DFID, DFAT Australia, the World Bank and Global Affairs Canada. We work with governments, partner organizations, communities and civil society to design and implement sustainable solutions that generate lasting social, economic and environmental impacts. Our adaptive approach to management has led to our award-winning work and recognition as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies in 2017 and 2018.

BACKGROUND

CowaterSogema is seeking to recruit a highly qualified individual to support communications activities for the Aus4Equality|Gender Responsive Equitable Agriculture and Tourism (GREAT) Program.

The GREAT Program is a flagship initiative of the Australian aid program in Vietnam – it commenced in November 2017 and will run for five years (2017 to 2021). The Program seeks to promote women’s economic empowerment (WEE) in the ethnically diverse north-west region of Vietnam. The primary beneficiaries are women living in the provinces of Son La and Lao Cai, while an overarching emphasis is placed on the inclusion of women from ethnic minority communities as these provinces are home to twelve and twenty-six ethnic groups respectively.

The objectives of the Aus4Equality|GREAT Program are:

• Objective 1 – Empowering local women: Women living in local communities have increased capacity, space and choices to beneficially engage with agriculture and tourism businesses.
• Objective 2 – Inclusive businesses partnerships: Selected private sector actors within the agriculture and tourism sectors innovate to profitably and sustainably trade with more women entrepreneurs and operate in gender sensitive ways.
• Objective 3 – Improving sector governance and policy: Government agencies reinforce policies, and enact plans, regulations and services that enable more inclusive socio-economic development.

Key approaches applied by the program include: Market system development (MSD), Partnership, Adaptive Management, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI), Women’s Economic Empowerment and Innovation. The program will partner with approximately 50 partners to deliver results, including private sector actors, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and research institutions.

The Program has two funding schemes, with grants for non-business partners up to 90% of project costs and grants for private sector partners up to 49% of project costs.

To support GREAT’s communication objectives, we are seeking to recruit an International Communications Advisor. 

SUMMARY OF ASSIGNMENT

The Advisor will provide strategic recommendations and support for GREAT’s communications activities to create a high level of awareness of the GREAT Program with both beneficiaries and stakeholders and ensuring visibility of Australian Aid funding. The Advisor will also support GREAT’s Communications Specialist with engaging and impactful English content for the Program’s communication channels including website, social media, mass media, newsletters, brochures and flyers.

SPECIFIC TASKS

• Review GREAT’s Communications Strategy and provide strategic recommendations to ensure:
  
  • Content and approach are highly creative, engaging and creates impact with the target audiences both in Vietnam and Australia.
  • Distribution channels are clearly identified to maximise reach.

• Prepare case studies, sectors profile and other content in English including:
  
  • Specific approaches of GREAT eg. addressing access to finance.
  • Specific dimensions of Women’s Economic Empowerment eg. access to services, sharing workload.
  • Biographies of women leaders and beneficiaries.

• Edit content translated from Vietnamese including:
  
  • District profiles that include a summary of GREAT projects.
  • Case studies of individual GREAT projects.

DELIVERABLES

• Strategic recommendations on communications activities.
• Development of an editorial calendar for coming six months in conjunction with GREAT team.
• Approximately 3 sector profiles for GREAT website that can be re-purposed for other communication channels.
• Case study format and approximately 5 project case studies.
• Biography format and approximately 10 short bios on women leaders and beneficiaries.
• Article on GREAT approach.
• Article on a dimension of Women’s Economic Empowerment.
• 7 district profiles of approximately 1000 words edited.
• 5 project case studies of approximately 500 words edited.

REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Journalism, Marketing or similar.
• Minimum 10 years direct experience in copywriting, communications, marketing and public relations.
• Experience working in the development sector within Vietnam or South East Asia.
• An understanding of women’s economic empowerment and the tourism and agriculture sectors is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver high quality content to tight deadlines.
• Native level English speaker.
• A candidate living in Vietnam with an appropriate working permit is preferred.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Please submit your proposal to [email protected] [1] by 5 pm (Hanoi time) 26 July 2019 specifying the position you are applying for in the email title. 

The proposal should include:

• Cover letter addressing the selection criteria (maximum 2 pages)
• CV of applicant (maximum 4 pages)
• A budget inclusive of any taxes with the daily rate of the Advisor clearly specified.  Travel costs do not need to be budgeted. Renumeration should be in line with DFAT’s Aid Advisor Renumeration Framework.  https://dfat.gov.au/about-us/publications/Documents/adviser-remuneration... [2].