West Africa regional coordinator for the HCDExchange Community of Practice

Position type: Contract consultancy; a maximum of 200 days between October 2020 and October 2021.
Hiring Manager: Director, HCDExchange
Location: Anywhere in Francophone West Africa
Salary: Commensurate with experience
Date posted: September 4, 2020
Date applications due: 5pm September 20, 2020 (EAT time)
Desired start date: As soon as possible

Background

The HCDExchange is a community of implementers, funders, designers, evaluators and youth committed to advancing learning and practice related to the integration of human-centred design (HCD) and adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) in low-resource settings, with a particular focus on countries in Sub Saharan Africa and South Asia. The HCDExchange aims to elevate young people’s agency, and systematically transform sexual and reproductive health outcomes for adolescents.

In 2018, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation funded a convening in Tanzania bringing together people and organizations working at the intersection of HCD in ASRH. This gathering showcased best practices, generated interest, and resulted in the launch of working groups to advance this field. More importantly, those involved started to see themselves as a community with a shared agenda.

In 2020, this same set of funders is supporting the next phase of this work — the HCDExchange — a community built on a collaborative model and dedicated to (1) establishing a supportive infrastructure, and (2) facilitating commitment amongst key actors. Our vision: a democratized (inclusive of diverse participants), localized (contextually relevant), and mutualized (jointly owned) HCD+ASRH field. During this phase, we are accelerating the development of a robust, efficient, and transparent HCD+ASRH field by increasing access to learning and networks and generating evidence about good practices, models, and effectiveness.

Learn more about the HCDExchange »

Purpose of the West Africa regional coordinator

As an integral member of HCDExchange team and an experienced ASRH/HCD thought partner, in your capacity as the West Africa Regional Coordinator, you will lead our strategic entry and grounding and grow the visibility of our work in Francophone West Africa. As a French-speaking African professional with ties to the global ASRH community, you will passionately make connections for the HCDExchange and provide opportunities for current and new partners and actors, particularly, but not limited to, French speaking West Africa. You will increase the voice of youth in health programming and youth-focused reproductive health services and organisations. You will champion the value of HCD approaches and the mission of the HCDExchange.

Roles & responsibilities

• Demonstrate purposeful management skills, ensuring high quality and timely outputs and building and sustaining momentum for the HCDExchange in Francophone West Africa
• Listen to and engage with HCD/ASRH organisations, practitioners, government, think tanks, youth and academic institutions in Francophone West Africa 
• Build up the HCD/ASRH ecosystem/community of practice in the Francophone West Africa region and inspire commitment to investing in and advancing the intersection between HCD+ASRH 
• Coordinate and support HCDExchange activities focused on Francophone countries including convenings, youth engagement, and communication outreach
• Establish, support, and advance the Francophone activities of the HCDExchange Youth Leadership Hub
• Connect Francophone members of the HCDExchange with Anglophone members, plan and execute events and activities so that Francophone member contributions and assets are valued. These include monthly thematic technical exchanges (webinars) hosted in French, targeting HCD/ASHR actors from the Francophone West Africa region. 
• Coordinate Francophone HCD/ASRH online and in-person technical and learning tools and field-based learning tours
• Solicit content, create and curate it for evidence on the influence and value, success and failure of, HCD in the context of ASRH programming in West Africa. 
• Ensure that the Francophone contributions and resources are built/translated for the broader HCDExchange community 
• Champion HCD/ASRH innovations and design sprints to enhance collaboration opportunities between Francophone ASRH, HCD practitioners and youth actors to generate evidence and contribute to the HCDExchange’s learning agenda 

Skills and experience

Required skills and experience

• 8+ years of experience in sexual and reproductive health and family planning programming, with at least 2 years in ASRH program design or policy
• Strong regional connections with the ASRH community, particularly in Francophone Africa. Ability to connect French-speaking Africa to the wider ASRH/HCD community
• A national of/based in Francophone West Africa 
• Excellent written and spoken English and French skills
• Commitment to youth involvement and experience with youth programming, and empowering youth voices and actions in Francophone Africa
• Demonstrated experience managing projects with local and regional staff and activities
• Strong facilitation, communication, and people skills
• Knowledge of/experience applying HCD principles and methods and/or experience with social and behavior change approaches

Skills and experience that provide an added advantage

• Experience with communities of practice highly desirable

Language

The candidate must be fully proficient in both French and English

Application process

To apply, please visit HCDExchange.org/apply and submit your CV and a short cover letter outlining why you’re an excellent candidate for this role.

The application deadline is 5pm on September 15, 2020 (EAT time). Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.