Job Summary
Under the supervision of the Regional Director in Nairobi and in contact with the Director, Communications in Ottawa (Canada), the Communications and Public Relations Officer acts as a communications expert, increasing the visibility of the IDRC and its research partners in the Sub-Saharan Africa Region. The incumbent participates in developing and implementing the regional communication plan associated with the Centre's communication strategy, organizes communications and public relations activities, develops and presents communications products intended to share the results of research funded by the Centre; and represents IDRC at various functions.
Primary Duties or Responsibilities
Management and Promotion of Communication, Information and Knowledge
- Assists the regional director in implementing the Centre's communication strategy by developing a regional communication plan.
- Organizes information dissemination on the Centre's strategy and activities.
- Periodically meets with program officers to discuss major projects that could benefit from potential public outreach on a case-by-case basis.
- Establishes the link between the IDRC and research institutes; donors; UN agencies; NGOs; public administrations; sub-regional, regional and international agencies related to the Centre's activities in the sub-regions from all viewpoints; and regularly informs them of the IDRC's activities and strategy in the region.
- Conceptualizes, develops and uses an IDRC Alumni directory.
- Makes presentations or represents the Centre at selected meetings, conferences, workshops, national and international seminars, and reports on them.
- Coordinates relations with journalists and the media in general and responds to their information requests.
- Prepares various documents intended for the media, press releases, articles, brochures and other written documents for information purposes, and obtains the required approvals from the Regional Director or the concerned program officers.
- In collaboration with the Program Management Officer, the Research Information Officer and program officers, manages the ROSSA-specific website, particularly with regard to producing and updating regional content.
- Participates in overall communication activities implemented by the Centre's Communications Division.
- Participates by telephone in the Communications Division's monthly meetings as well as the annual strategic communications meeting at IDRC headquarter.
- Develops, organizes and implements knowledge sharing activities and communication training for regional employees to strengthen the region's culture and communication capacity, both internally and externally.
Promotion and Diffusion of Research Results
- Assists the Regional Director and program officers in their research results promotion activities among decision makers.
- Coordinates organization of IDRC communications activities to promote important research results or to encourage scientific research and the spirit of innovation in the region.
- Organizes, in close collaboration with the Ottawa communications group and affected program officers, visits to project sites by Canadian government and non-government personalities.
- Systematically reviews, with program officers, projects likely to influence the decisions of the key regional stakeholders.
- Develops and implements projects to promote research results among regional decision makers.
- Participates in the promotion of the research results from regional institutions supported by the IDRC.