Civil Society: Mutual Accountability Project
SCOPE OF WORK
Title: Media Manager
Location: Kathmandu, Nepal with field travel, as required
Level of Effort: Full-time
Background
Equal Access International (EAI) (www.equalaccess.org), an international not-for-profit that works in Asia and Africa, helps communities drive sustainable and transformative change through a proven participatory media, technology, and outreach model. By designing solutions with communities, EAI designs, implements and assesses projects that are locally-owned and culturally resonant. It builds communication ecosystems that take root and thrive, create platforms that elevate marginalized voices, and build locally-led movements that shift power, inspire normative change and promote creative, positive, and innovative solutions to social issues.
Purpose
In Nepal, EAI is as an implementing partner on USAID’s Civil Society: Mutual Accountability Project (CS:MAP) which aims to foster a more legitimate, accountable and resilient Nepali civil society capable of advancing public interest. The objectives are to: 1) strengthen an enabling environment for civil society and media, 2) improve civil society and media capacity for effective policy advocacy and government engagement, 3) ensure more coordinated and effective civil society and media oversight of public resource use and public service delivery, and 4) strengthen organizational capacity and sustainability of CSOs working in USAID priority sectors to advance local solutions. CS:MAP is a five-year project effective from April 4, 2016 until April 3, 2021.
Based in Kathmandu, the Media Manager will work in close coordination with and report to the CS:MAP Media Director. The Media Manager will provide implementation level leadership for CS:MAP media activities on objectives 1, 2 and 3 at the federal and sub-national level, and will be overall responsible for reviewing and providing technical support in media policy development and reform; and in the quality assurance of all media products and campaigns that CS:MAP will produce or lead. Specifically, the Media Manager will have the following duties and responsibilities:
Duties and Responsibilities
Policy development support
Engage periodically in the review of media policy and legal documents at all three tiers of Nepal’s government; document comprehensive and robust analysis of the same with sound recommendations for necessary next steps;
Meet, as necessary, with partner CSOs engaged in strengthening the enabling environment for media and CSOs, both as a means of providing technical support, and for getting updated on latest developments;
Provide support in the design, implementation, and monitoring of media self-regulation mechanisms by CS:MAP partners.
Media production for advocacy and oversight
Provide technical support to media partners in relation to their utilization of different formats of media content across a number of media platforms as tools for advancing their advocacy efforts;
Provide quality assurance for media products developed on CS:MAP by reviewing for consistency in messaging, technical soundness and complementarity;
Support the design of messages drawing on findings from a public perception baseline survey such that messages highlight the positive role of the media in informing the public, and build public confidence in media role;
Support coordinated and coherent dissemination of public outreach messages through CS:MAP media products including through the radio, SMS, IVR and social media, as necessary;
Work in close coordination with the CS:MAP outreach team based in Nepalgunj in identifying and incorporating methodologies for improved coordination and integration, and provide guidance in ensuring that facilitated radio listening sessions generate feedback to radio production;
Support partner radio stations to lead co-production and broadcasting of a 30-minute interactive radio series that will improve citizen awareness of available social accountability mechanisms, including the local level planning process, social audits, public expenditure tracking, and RTI, to encourage citizens to act;
Implement a robust SMS and IVR platform to support outbound messaging on relevant social accountability mechanisms that the series promotes. Inbound messages will provide SMS listener surveys that will constantly tailor the radio series to audiences;
Coordinate with the SSMK youth radio production team based in Kathmandu in integrating relevant issues to encourage youth engagement in social accountability and solicit youth feedback on social accountability via SMS/IVR.
Digital engagement through the use of ICTs and campaigns
Provide dynamic leadership to the SMS My Voice campaign to include radio, IVR, social media and MeroReport, with each campaign targeting specific priority areas for input, such as anti-corruption or minority inclusion, with the aim of increasing youth participation in local governance;
Coordinate and support increased utilization of MeroReport as a platform to link communities to CSOs, media and journalists working at the sub-national and federal levels; to engage them in cross-sectoral oversight of public service delivery; and to promote awareness of social accountability mechanisms such as RTI, citizen charters, public hearings, and social audits as means of generating demand for information;
Ensure that MeroReport serves as a vibrant space for sharing and deliberation on cross-sectoral governance issues, arising from the implementation and utilization of social accountability tools; results from the use of the Good Governance Barometer (GGB); the implementation of the SMS My Voice campaign; to monitor actions from civic engagement platforms like the Listening Discussion and Action Groups, Common Assemblies, and Partnership Forums; and initiatives like anti-corruption campaigns or good governance initiatives, driven by local groups;
Directly engage with and mentor journalists trained by CS:MAP on investigative journalism, advocacy monitoring and oversight, and public interest reporting to regularly post articles and stories supporting evidence-based reporting;
Edit and finalize articles submitted by trained journalists, community reporters, community action researchers, CSO representatives and citizens, to ensure that they are of an acceptable standard, align with CS:MAP priorities, and stay away from highly sensitive or controversial content.
Training, capacity development and networking support
Design and deliver training and mentoring for media partners and local journalists on advocacy monitoring and oversight, investigative journalism, public interest reporting and journalist safety and security, covering topics like responsible and ethical reporting, engaging constructively with government officials on sensitive issues, raising the voices of women and minorities, and using technology and new media to mobilize advocacy and monitoring/oversight;
Support joint advocacy and oversight actions by CSO-Media coalitions at the sub-national level.
Other
Other tasks as required and assigned by the Media Director – Civil Society: Mutual Accountability Project (CS:MAP).
Requirements
A master’s degree in journalism, or IT, with at least three years of experience in media content development, journalism, or ICT4D related projects; or, a bachelor’s degree with more than 5 years of hands-on experience in one or more areas outlined above.
Strong understanding of issues related to governance, civil society and media policy and legal framework, advocacy and media development.
Understanding of IVR, social media platforms, and media program production and content development, with the ability to link information technology and new media to governance.
Strong understanding of Nepal’s media policy and legal environment, including recent developments; combined with sound understanding of international principles that govern media policy and operation.
Excellent training, mentoring and coaching skills.
Ability to understand and analyze changing political scenario and issues and ensure that content design takes such changes into consideration.
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to independently lead and participate in key meetings.
Excellent English language skills with the ability to independently draft, edit and finalize reports and analyses.
Reporting
This position reports to the Media Director – Civil Society: Mutual Accountability Project (CS:MAP).
