Advocacy Lead

The Advocacy Lead is responsible for leading and coordinating the advocacy, policy influence and community accountability agenda of the EKN HIV Instrument Project.

The role works across project countries and partners to strengthen community voice, influence policy and systems change, support implementation of advocacy strategies and ensure that project evidence and community perspectives are translated into meaningful advocacy outcomes.

Working closely with government stakeholders, civil society organisations, community-led networks, implementing partners and project teams, the Advocacy Lead supports the creation of enabling environments that improve HIV outcomes for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), key populations (KP) and vulnerable communities.

The role serves as the project focal point for advocacy, policy engagement and community accountability and contributes to strengthening community leadership, social accountability and systems change across participating countries.

The Advocacy Lead is also responsible for leading implementation of the mothers2mothers Spokeswomen Programme across the EKN Project, ensuring that AGYW, Mentor Mothers and community representatives are meaningfully prepared, supported and engaged in advocacy, policy, donor and stakeholder engagement opportunities.

Key Performance Areas

Advocacy Strategy and Implementation

Purpose

Lead development and implementation of the project's advocacy agenda across participating countries.

Key Accountabilities

- Lead implementation of the EKN Project advocacy strategy and annual advocacy plans.
- Ensure advocacy priorities are aligned with project objectives and country contexts.
- Coordinate advocacy activities across participating countries and implementing partners.
- Support integration of advocacy approaches across project interventions.
- Monitor implementation of advocacy commitments, work plans and actions.
- Promote rights-based, gender-transformative and community-led approaches within advocacy activities.
- Support alignment between regional and country-level advocacy priorities.
- Ensure advocacy interventions contribute to sustainable systems change and community influence.

Policy Influence and Systems Change

Purpose

Influence policies, systems and practices that support project objectives and sustainable impact.

Key Accountabilities

- Monitor policy developments and emerging issues relevant to project priorities.
- Support development of policy positions, advocacy briefs and influence strategies.
- Facilitate engagement with policy makers, institutions and technical stakeholders.
- Promote use of project evidence and learning to influence policy and practice.
- Support policy dialogue, consultation processes and systems-strengthening initiatives.
- Contribute to development of advocacy positions informed by community experiences.
- Support implementation of national and regional advocacy priorities.
- Strengthen linkages between project learning and policy engagement opportunities.

Community Voice, Accountability, Community-Led Monitoring and the Spokeswomen Programme

Purpose

Strengthen community leadership, accountability and meaningful participation through advocacy, community-led monitoring and representation initiatives.

Key Accountabilities

- Support implementation of community-led monitoring approaches across the project.
- Strengthen participation of AGYW, KP and community representatives in project structures and processes.
- Support development and implementation of community feedback and accountability mechanisms.
- Promote meaningful community participation within Country Advisory Committees and other governance structures.
- Facilitate processes that ensure community perspectives influence project decision-making.
- Support partners in implementing community accountability approaches.
- Promote community ownership and leadership across project activities.
- Lead implementation of the mothers2mothers Spokeswomen Programme across the EKN Project.
- Identify and support development of spokeswomen from participating communities and countries.
- Coordinate opportunities for spokeswomen to participate in advocacy, donor, government, media and stakeholder engagement activities.
- Support development of spokeswomen leadership, advocacy and public engagement capabilities.
- Ensure community experiences and lived realities are authentically represented within advocacy and policy engagement processes.
- Work closely with the Communications Officer and country teams to maximise the impact of the Spokeswomen Programme.

Stakeholder Engagement, Networks and Partnerships

Purpose

Build and maintain strategic alliances and relationships that strengthen advocacy impact and influence.

Key Accountabilities

- Build and maintain relationships with advocacy stakeholders, coalitions, networks and civil society actors.
- Support engagement with community-led organisations and advocacy platforms.
- Facilitate collaboration among project partners on advocacy priorities.
- Represent the project in advocacy forums, coalitions, networks and meetings as delegated.
- Support development of strategic alliances that strengthen policy influence and community representation.
- Coordinate advocacy-related engagement activities across participating countries.
- Build relationships and opportunities that support meaningful participation of spokeswomen in advocacy, policy and stakeholder engagement platforms.
- Promote visibility and recognition of community leaders and spokeswomen within national and regional advocacy spaces.

Advocacy Communications, Evidence and Learning

Purpose

Translate project evidence and learning into compelling advocacy products and influence opportunities.

Key Accountabilities

- Support development of advocacy briefs, position papers, fact sheets, case studies and policy products.
- Translate project evidence, data and learning into accessible advocacy messages.
- Work closely with Strategic Information and Communications colleagues to develop advocacy content.
- Promote use of project evidence in external engagement and influence efforts.
- Support dissemination of project learning and advocacy achievements.
- Contribute to learning, reflection and adaptive management processes.
- Ensure communications and advocacy products reflect community priorities and lived experiences.

Advocacy Monitoring, Reporting and Project Support

Purpose

Ensure effective monitoring, reporting and accountability of advocacy activities.

Key Accountabilities

- Track progress against advocacy goals, commitments and work plans.
- Monitor advocacy outcomes and influence activities.
- Maintain advocacy trackers, reporting tools and implementation plans.
- Contribute to project reporting requirements and donor updates.
- Document advocacy achievements, challenges and lessons learned.
- Support project planning, review and adaptive management processes.
- Monitor implementation of advocacy action plans and commitments.

Key Deliverables

- Advocacy strategy implemented across participating countries.
- Effective policy influence and systems engagement initiatives.
- Strong community accountability and community-led monitoring processes.
- Effective implementation of the mothers2mothers Spokeswomen Programme.
- Increased participation of AGYW, Mentor Mothers and community representatives in advocacy and policy platforms.
- Strong advocacy partnerships and stakeholder networks.
- High-quality advocacy products and policy briefs.
- Effective use of project evidence to influence policy and practice.
- Accurate advocacy monitoring and reporting.
- Strengthened community voice within project governance and decision-making structures.

Qualifications, Experience and Competencies

Essential

- Master's Degree in Public Policy, Public Health, Political Science, Social Sciences, International Development, Human Rights, Law, Communications or a related field.
- Additional training in advocacy, governance, social accountability, policy analysis, community leadership, gender equality or rights-based programming.

Experience

Essential

- Minimum 8 years' experience in advocacy, public policy, social accountability, public health or development programming.
- Experience working with government institutions, civil society organisations and community structures.
- Experience developing and implementing advocacy strategies.
- Experience influencing policy, systems or practice.
- Experience facilitating stakeholder engagement and coalition building.
- Experience translating evidence into policy and advocacy messaging.
- Experience working within donor-funded programmes.

Preferred

- Experience in HIV, SRHR, AGYW, youth development, key populations or community health programming.
- Experience supporting community-led monitoring approaches.
- Experience developing community leadership or spokesperson initiatives.
- Experience working across multiple countries.
- Experience supporting localisation and systems-strengthening initiatives.

Reporting & Team Structure

- Reports to: Director: External Relations & Partnerships

Working Conditions

- Employment Type: Full time
- Location: Cape Town

Compensation and Benefits

- Competitive salary and performance-based incentives
- Comprehensive benefits (health, retirement, leave)
- Opportunities for growth, leadership, and professional development