Website Practical Action
Communications Associate
About the role
The purpose of the role is to support to the overall communication, branding, and profiling related activities of Practical Action in Nepal, including implementation of the communications strategy and specific communications plan of the projects. The post holder will support in content collection, management, production of communication materials and assist in managing the digital platforms of Practical Action in Nepal.
About you
You have willingness and enthusiasm to work in challenging and difficult situations. You have a proven experience in communications/journalism related works. You have experience of writing blogs, articles and case studies for websites and social media. You understand photography, videography, and use of editing tools.
Why join us?
The opportunity to work for an organisation that is making a positive difference to the lives of people worldwide, a friendly and supportive culture, working with values driven and highly engaged colleagues, work life balance and flexible working – these are just some of the reasons we think Practical Action is a great place to work.
In addition, we offer the following benefits in addition to the Social Security Fund benefits in Nepal:
- Annual holiday entitlement is 18 days in addition to public holidays
- Agile working arrangements
- Baby care room, flexible lactating hours for new mothers and appropriate arrangement for childminders
About us
Practical Action is a change making organisation that works in unconventional ways. We put ingenious ideas to work so people in poverty can change their world.
We do things differently, so answers that start small can grow big – bringing people together in bold collaborations, using innovation and knowledge to build futures free from poverty and help shape a world that works better for everyone.
Additional information
We treat all applications for employment fairly regardless of gender, race, religion, ethnicity, nationality, caste, tribe, belief, age, marital status, pregnancy, caring responsibilities, sexual orientation, or disability.
Practical Action is committed to safeguarding and protecting children and vulnerable adults and as such candidates will be subject to pre-employment checks including criminal checks and terrorist financing.
To ensure that Practical Action meets its obligations of safer recruitment, appointment to posts within Practical Action will be subject to a satisfactory criminal check. Criminal checks will be conducted for all roles.
The successful applicant must already have the right to both live and work in Nepal and should be willing and able to travel.
ABOUT US
We are an international development organisation putting ingenious ideas to work so people in poverty can change their world.
We help people find solutions to some of the world’s toughest problems. Challenges made worse by catastrophic climate change and persistent gender inequality. We work with communities to develop ingenious, lasting and locally owned solutions for agriculture, water and waste management, climate resilience and clean energy. And we share what works with others, so answers that start small can grow big.
We’re a global change-making group. The group consists of a UK registered charity with community projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America, an independent development publishing company and a technical consulting service. We combine these specialisms to multiply our impact and help shape a world that works better for everyone.
OUR AIMS
We help people find solutions to some of the world’s toughest problems, made worse by catastrophic climate change and persistent gender inequality. Our aims are to:
- Make agriculture work better for smallholder farmers, many of them women, so they can adapt to climate change and achieve a good standard of living
- Help more people harness the transformational effects of clean affordable energy and reduce avoidable deaths caused by smoke from indoor stoves and fires.
- Make cities in poorer countries cleaner, healthier places to live and work.
- Build disaster resilience into the lives of people threatened by hazards – reducing the risk of hazards and minimising their impact on lives and livelihoods.
HOW WE WORK
We work on holistic solutions that change systems and have a framework to help us achieve our
aims:
- Analyse the root causes of a poverty and vulnerability
- Define the change at scale we need to make
- Develop activities along three complementary paths: Demonstrate, Learn and Inspire.
– Demonstrate that our solutions are sustainable in the real world
– Learn by capturing evidence and adapting our approach
– Inspire wider support to multiply our impact.
OUR ORGANISATION
Practical Action is an unconventional, multi-disciplinary change making organisation
- A highly innovative community development charity operating in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Practical Action community projects use ingenious ideas to design, test, refine and prove new ways to overcome poverty and disadvantage and then ‘open-source’ knowledge of what works so that it can be implemented at a greater scale by others.
- A world-class consulting operation that helps socially responsible business, government policy makers and other development organisations. This draws on learnings from our own development work as well as the combined brainpower of a roster of over 2,000 expert consultants. Practical Action Consulting helps to extend the reach of our influence by providing the best advice to others, whose work can make a bigger difference.
- A well respected specialist development publisher. Practical Action Publishing brings together development practitioners, researchers and thought leaders to create publications that stimulate discussion, strengthen peoples’ capabilities and inspire sustainable change.
JOB PROFILE
Responsible to: Communications Specialist
Grade: 4
Line Manages: NA
Unit: Business Development and Programme Quality
Location: Kathmandu, Nepal
Purpose, Scope and Relationships
The purpose of the role is to support overall areas of communications to achieve Practical Action’s change ambitions and business growth in Nepal. The Communications Associate shall report to the Communications Specialist.
The scope is to be responsible to
- Support to the overall communication, branding, and profiling related activities of Practical Action in Nepal, including implementation of the communications strategy and specific communications plan of the projects.
- Support in content collection, management, and production of communication materials
- Assist in managing the digital platforms of Practical Action in Nepal
- Support to produce timely and high-quality knowledge products and collaterals.
The key working relationship is with Business Development and Programme Quality team, International Communications Team, Thematic leads, Head of Programme Delivery, Project/Award Managers
Job Functions and Responsibilities:
Support to strengthen organisational communications and the organisation’s
profile
- Support team in the implementation of the communications and profiling plan of the organisation.
- Suggest innovative ways to enhance communication efforts and reach a wider audience.
- Support in designing branding strips, presentations, collaterals etc.
- Support team in desk research and development of drafts for the required communication materials.
- Support in developing content for the marketing materials and the Annual Report.
- Basic design and layouts to ensure effective visual communication.
- Maintain an inventory of the organisation/project’s features in different media (newspapers, television etc.).
- Works closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) team to develop drafts and design the learning products.
Support in the delivery of project communications requirements
- Support the Business Development and Communications Officer (BDCO) to organise visits and do interviews to develop in-depth case studies highlighting the organisation’s achievements, beneficiaries, and impact.
- Work closely with the project team to gather information and draft stories from the field to create captivating content for websites, blogs, and social media platforms.
- Translate and transcribe basic organisational documents, project reports, and communications materials as needed.
- Work closely with the project team to develop and design project-related communication materials (project brief, brochures, publications, IECs etc.)
Managing digital media and monitoring results
- Support in developing a digital media plan.
- Generate creative ideas to enhance social media engagement and growth.
- Support in developing the content for the website.
- Support to curate, schedule, and publish content on social media platforms to maintain an active online presence.
Managing media and external relations
- Assist in preparing and updating the media list, monitoring the media, and maintaining relationships.
- Support in developing press releases.
- Support in developing a database with details of media and external networks in different change ambitions.
- Assist in developing collaterals/materials for external engagement and marketing.
Monitoring of communications activities
- Monitor social media engagement and assist in developing an engagement strategy.
- Generate regular reports on social media effectiveness and engagement for management review.
- Develop a dissemination plan for the communication products and monitor dissemination.
- Maintain an inventory of communication products with regular update.
Organisational Policies, Safeguarding and Code of Conduct
- Ensure that all involved acting on the organisation’s behalf is aware on Safeguarding Policy, Diversity and Dignity in the Workplace Policy, Code of Conduct, Fraud policy and Whistleblowing policy.
- Ensure beneficiaries whom we work with are aware of the safeguarding policy including the reporting lines when appropriate.
- Be responsible that anyone acting on our behalf has signed up to the Safeguarding and Code of Conduct policies.
- Ensure our ethics and values, as set out in our Code of Conduct and related policies,
including safeguarding, are embedded in team culture and well modelled by others. Ensure that reporting structure are well promoted and respond to all concerns appropriately. - Responsible for gender responsive behaviour in all actions and decisions. Ensure non-discriminative behaviour based on gender, age, sex, race, ethnic background, culture, disability, nationality, religion, and marital status. Is sensitive and adaptable to gender and social inclusion.
PERSON PROFILE
To be successful in the role, the ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate:
EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE
- At least two y ears of work experience in communications/journalism related works
- Experience of writing blogs, articles and case studies for websites and social media
- Understanding of photography, videography, and use of editing tools
- Skills to priortise task and meeting deadlines.
- Ability to work with cross-functional teams, and multi-disciplinary team.
- Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills. (Both English, and Nepali)
BEHAVIOURS & MOTIVATIONS
The most important practical behaviours, for role success are:
- Completing
- Collaborative
- Creative
- Dynamic
Qualifications: Bachelor Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, Marketing, or any discipline preferably in development related subjects.
Closing date for applications: 10 October 2023
Submit a cover letter along with the duly filled standard application form to hr@practicalaction.org.np
Supporting documents
Standard Job Application Form
Job Profile-Communications-Associate