Communications, Outreach & Knowledge Management Specialist
The Global e-Schools and Communities Initiative (GESCI) is an international non-profit technicalassistance organization, established by the UN and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya which has amandate to advise and assist Governments in the socio-economic development of their countries through the widespread integration of technology for knowledge society development, especially in the education, skills training and community development areas.In particular, GESCI partners Governments in effective policy making for education provision with an emphasis on the systematic use and integration of technology. Currently GESCI works with 13 East and southern and West Africa Governments in leadership development programmes for policy-making for social, economic and knowledge society development.Effective communications and Knowledge Management are central to GESCI’s operations. The role is two-fold to cover the complementary functions of internal and external organisational communications, public relations, outreach and publicity on the one hand as well as the development and management of processes, tools and reporting mechanisms associated with knowledge creation, sharing and distribution on the other hand.Communications, public relations and publicity responsibilities:The primary function of this dimension of the role is to ensure consistency in organisational messages and to promote and maintain a positive organisational image. Several of these functions, especially those related to advocacy, donor relations and fund raising, will be carried out in close collaboration with GESCI staff responsible for Donor relations/fundraising.Develop and implement an organisational communications and outreach strategy which reflects GESCI’s strategic visionInitiate and maintain relationships with local, regional and international media outlets (radio and TV networks, newspapers, magazines) and establish positive associations with the public and mass media on behalf of GESCIUse a range of media to promote GESCI and its programmesAssist with the re-design of the GESCI website and update it on a regular basisMaintain and update GESCI’s social networking pages (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) with fresh dataCoordinate media and fund raising eventsDevelop press releases and publicity materials (including videos, photos) to promote GESCI news, events, services, products and achievementsDevelop and disseminate GESCI promotional materials (e.g. brochures, leaflets, programme fliers, marketing and recruitment materials)Take responsibility for the display of resources and stands during conferences and/or GESCI eventsPrepare documents for publication including the GESCI annual report and other periodic reports.Propose and manage advertisements on behalf of the organisationManage partner, stakeholder and programme beneficiary relationships Edit, design and print internal publicationsCollaborate with the relevant staff in the preparation of proposals and responses to donorsContribute to the development of innovative technologies and processes to help GESCI better serve its clientsAdvise on social media use for marketing and promotional purposes.Coordinate and facilitate GESCI networks and Communities of Learning.Knowledge Management responsibilities:Knowledge management is the explicit management of vital knowledge and information possessed by individuals in the organisation so that it is effectively shared and used by others in the organisation. The primary function of the KM dimension of the role is to facilitate and support improved knowledge utilisation, sharing and collaboration for cross-functional learning across GESCI programmes and teams as part of GESCI’s knowledge management system.Assist with developing a corporate knowledge management system and strategyImplement the Knowledge Management System and once established manage the on-going operation and enhancement. This includes developing GESCI’s corporate information and knowledge management inventory and consolidating GESCI’s repositories for more effective knowledge management and knowledge sharing Compile and maintain a detailed inventory of existing electronic and paper resources, and identify knowledge gaps and make recommendationsDevelop a policy for and implement document controlManage and maintain all GESCI information resources and associated contentEnsure the storing, archiving and taxonomical layouts of information resources are consistent across and throughout the organisation.Design and implement cataloguing systems, as well preserving the freshness and accuracy of catalogued itemsIn collaboration with the IT officer ensure that proper technology platforms are in place in order to distribute the findings from information gathering to the relevant individuals (This might lead to upgrades in hardware or software solutions used throughout the organisation)Identify, recommend and purchase appropriate Knowledge Management software tools as required, and track new standards and methodologiesDevelop innovative ways to promote knowledge sharing, coordinate with content contributors and subject matter experts to identify cross-practice content priorities, and work as part of a team to capture and codify materialsManage processes, tools and reporting associated with knowledge creation, sharing and deliveryEnsure all staff are aware of the centralised repository and are able to access and use itSolicit opportunities for teams to exchange information and share best practices, then document that knowledgeMonitor and report on the effectiveness of knowledge creation, sharing and utilisation. This appointment is a full time position for an initial duration of 2 years with a possibility of extension subject to satisfactory performance evaluations and funding availability.University level qualification in Communications, Media Studies, Marketing and/or Knowledge Management (R)MBA or Post-graduate degree in relevant field (D)Strong background in information/knowledge management (R)Excellent English (R)French as a second language an advantage (D)Extensive ( min 5 years) experience in knowledge management/communications, advocacy or public relationsExperience (min 3 years) in a senior communications management position dealing with both internal and external communicationsSome recorded experience on Knowledge ManagementCampaign management history in the not-for-profit sectorExperience on brand management both traditional and onlineGood knowledge of multimedia trends and tools Proficiency in content managementAwareness of knowledge sharing methodologiesExperience of information management systems and methodologiesKnowledge and experience of KM tools and platforms.Excellent writing skills and command of the English language.A working knowledge of French is an advantage.Excellent communications and technology skillsConceptualizing skills for creating promotional material (including newsletters, web copy, articles, video scripts, and other)Proficiency in media / press relationsUnderstanding of Knowledge Management, Organisational Behavior and Change Management processes and procedures Ability to coordinate and manage online networksStrong analytical and problem solving capabilitiesAbility to multitask and consistently meet deadlinesExcellent online and software skills (web, email, MS Word, Excel etc)Graphic design skills and experienceCreativity and visualization skillsGood interpersonal communication skills.
View the original article here
