Avis de recrutement d’un spécialiste de la communication, Côte d’Ivoire

Avis de recrutement d’un spécialiste de la communication, Côte d’Ivoire

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK

Human Capital, Youth and Skills Development Department (AHHD) Avenue Jean-Paul II, 01 BP 1387 Abidjan 01, Côte d’Ivoire

E-mail: To: a.m.sylla@afdb.org and cc: n.gningue@afdb.org ; f.docgnewongue@afdb.org

TERMS OF REFERENCE – RECRUITMENT OF A COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST (INCLUDING DIGITAL COMMUNICATION, SOCIAL MEDIA AND TRADITIONAL MEDIA)

 

BACKGROUND :

1. The African Development Bank (The Bank) is the premier pan-African development institution, promoting the economic growth and social progress across the continent. The Bank delivers financial and technical support to Regional Member Countries (RMCs) through transformative projects that will significantly reduce poverty and bring inclusive and sustainable economic growth. In order to sharply focus the objectives of the 10-Year (2013–2022) strategy and ensure greater developmental impact, five priorities, also known as High 5s, have been identified for scaling up and accelerating the Bank’s delivery, namely: Feed Africa, Industrialize Africa, Power Africa, Integrate Africa and Improve the Quality of Life for the People of Africa ;

2. To improve the quality of life for the people of Africa, the Jobs for Youth in Africa Strategy (JfYA) was approved in 2016 with the objective of creating 25 million jobs and equipping 50 million young people with skills to enhance their employability and entrepreneurial success by 2025. With a focus on young women, the JfYA strategy will support countries in their efforts to strengthen youth entrepreneurship to stimulate youth employment and economic development. Linked to this, the Bank also runs the Boost Africa Program, which seeks to provide financing for high growth potential start-up companies in Africa and strengthen entrepreneurship ecosystems for start-ups ;

3. As part of these activities, the Bank has created the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab (IEL) and the Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi Donor Trust Fund (YEI MDTF) under the Human Capital, Youth and Skills Development Department (AHHD). The objective of the Lab is to support youth employment and entrepreneurship in Africa by strengthening the capacity and operational reach of Enterprise Support Organizations (ESOs)—i.e., business incubators and accelerators and financial intermediaries, including fund managers operating at all stages of the startup investment cycle—from seed/angel to exit, and various other intermediaries supporting entrepreneurship. YEI MDTF supports the African entrepreneurship ecosystem through three main pillars: 1) business development services to youth-led start-ups and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through ESOs; 2) Entrepreneurship ecosystem-related research and studies; and supporting government policy and regulatory reforms to create an enabling environment for youth-led start-ups and MSMEs to grow.

PURPOSE AND DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT :

4. The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab (IEL) and the Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi Donor Trust Fund (YEI MDTF) wish to hire an experienced Communication Specialist with in-depth digital communication experience and a passion for community engagement to set up, implement and manage their respective communication strategies. The Communication Specialist will be responsible for connecting the Lab and YEI initiatives with our online clients and for getting the message across about entrepreneurship in Africa and the Lab and YEI’s work in support of entrepreneurship development across the continent. The ideal candidate will have excellent written skills and working experience in both digital communication and more traditional communications, including in print media communications, and multimedia production ;
5. The Communications specialist will work under the supervision of the Coordinator of the Jobs for Youth in Africa (JfYA) strategy, in collaboration with the Communication and External Relations Department (PCER) and the AHVP Front Office, to provide the following services under the Assignment:

GENERAL :

1. Implement the communication strategy to build a lasting connection with the Lab and YEI’s target audience ;
2. Collaborate with the AHVP Principal Digital Content and Events Officer and the Bank’s Communications and External Relations Department to select and oversee communication/publication service providers retained by the Bank ;
3. Assist in fact-checking and copy-editing all written and digital communications ;
4. Participate in and contribute to AHVP Complex digital content team meetings.

COMMUNITY ENGAGMENT / DIGITAL COMMUNICATION :

1. Act as the focal point for the Lab Community – using primarily digital media to engage with that community ;
2. Research and write digital and non-digital content that will engage Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab clients, partners and interested parties ;
3. Plan and monitor the Lab and YEI’s presence on social media and oversee our social media accounts ;
4. Launch optimized online campaigns to increase Lab branding and awareness and to create and maintain high levels of client / user interaction ;
5. Keep abreast and lead on digital community engagement channels (e.g. website, blogs, emails and social media) to ensure brand consistency in addition to preparing e-newsletters, writing regular blogs, etc.

PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT :

1. Integrate all marketing channels, such as social media, search engine optimization or SEO, content marketing, email, print and digital marketing ;
2. Set targets and measure return on investment and key performance indicators for audience growth, audience profile, audience engagement, content reach, engagement by content type, leads, response rate and quality, as well as track negative feedback, etc. ;
3. Make use of a variety of web analytics tools (Google Analytics, WebTrends, etc.) to measure performance of digital marketing efforts and over guidance on how to refine communications outreach based on analysis ;
4. Collaborate with the Bank Communications Department and occasionally outside designers to improve user experience on Lab & YEI MDTF social Medias and other platforms.

TRADITIONAL MEDIA :

In collaboration with the AHVP Principal Digital Content and Events Officer and the Bank’s Communications and External Relations Department :

1. Draft success stories, press releases, web article, op-eds to showcase the Lab and the YEI’s work ;
2. Write media advisories, briefs, talking points related to the Lab and the YEI ;
3. Reach out to regional and international media to publicize the work of the Lab and the YEI in terms of engagement and development impact.

KEY DELIVERABLES :

6. The deliverables under this assignment are :

• A Communication plan for the implementation of the Communication Strategy for the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab and YEI MDTF. The plan will be produced within 6 weeks of the start of the assignment and will be updated on an ongoing basis. The plan will include a budget for the Communication and Digital activities and proposed key performance indicators and how they will be measured ;
• Monthly reports outlining achievements in implementing the strategy and reaching Lab and YEI partners and beneficiaries. This will include monthly statistical analysis on Web use, client engagement through the various social media channels, observations and recommendations to improve outreach and client engagement, etc. ;
• Prepare recommendations and make proposals for improving outreach ;
• After 4 months, the successful candidate will write an initial report assessing the use of digital tools and practices used by entrepreneurs, startups and ESOs, that will include recommendations on improving their use of those tools. The report will be updated on an ongoing basis and a final report will be produced and revised during the last month of the assignment.

ESSENTIAL SPECIALIZED SKILLS / COMPETENCIES :

7. The position is open to nationals of one of the Member Countries of the African Development Bank Group, with proven experience in communication including digital communication and community engagement.

The consultant should have the following profile :

1. Seven years of proven work experience as a communication specialist, including digital communication and community engagement experience with demonstrable achievements in researching, writing, designing and implementing successful digital communication campaigns. Proof of this must be provided in form of concrete examples and portfolios ;
2. Excellent command of the English or French language with internet savvy. Proof of excellent writing skills for the internet must be provided in form of links to published work ;
3. Excellent spoken, written and reading communication skills in English or French (and professional use of the other) including excellent presentation skills for Lab community engagement ;
4. Solid knowledge of online marketing tools and best practices ;
5. Demonstrable experience with social media, email campaigns and SEO/SEM and CRM software. Management of a social media footprint of note a distinct advantage. Fluency in web analytics tools (such as Google Analytics, NetInsight, WebTrends) ;
6. Familiarity with graphic design platforms like Canva and the Adobe Suite is an added advantage ;
7. Experience leading the production of, or overseeing the production of, innovative and contemporary digital storytelling ;
8. Experience in business development and/or entrepreneurship in Africa and/or in a developing/emerging market context. Applicants should cite concrete examples to show they have this experience ;
9. Experience working in international development including donor agencies, international organizations such as the United Nations or development banks, non-profits, NGOs, etc. and/or experience working with international and/or transnational corporations ;
10. Excellent analytical and project management skills ;
11. Ability to adapt to high-pressure, fast changing situations ;
12. Excellent interpersonal skills and situational mindfulness – gender and culturally sensitive team player ;
13. Possess a valid passport and willing and able to travel.

The Consultant shall demonstrate appropriate qualifications and skills necessary for the assignment as described above. The candidate will have an MBA or M.Sc. in Digital Marketing and/or Journalism, Digital technologies or equivalent along with requisite job experience.

TIMELINE AND ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA :

8. The expected assignment is for 12 months once renewable based on the consultant performance and budget availability. The consultant will be offered a lump sum contract. No additional benefits or allowance will be paid. She/he will be responsible for her/his own health insurance and accommodation costs. The Bank will cover costs of any required missions and provide per diems in accordance with rules governing consultant mission travel ;

9. The consultant is expected to finalize all deliverables by the end of the contract ;

10. The duty station for this assignment is Bank Headquarters in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire; it may, however, be remotely based as long as COVID 19-related travel restrictions and Bank staff work from home apply. The successful candidate must have a secure, reliable and fast broadband internet connection to implement her/his duties virtually ;

11. The African Development Bank hereby invites eligible individual consultants to indicate their interest in providing the above-described services. Interested individuals must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services including a CV, a description of similar assignments and a list of references to work undertaken over the past 4 years to be sent by e-mail to the addresses mentioned below ;

12. Eligibility criteria, establishment of the short-list and the selection procedure shall be in accordance with the African Development Bank’s Rules and Procedures for the Use of Corporate Consultants. Please, note that interest expressed by a consultant does not imply any obligation on the part of the Bank to include him/her in the shortlist.

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SHORT LIST :

13. A shortlist of three to six individual consultants will be established at the end the request of expressions of interest. The consultants on the shortlist will be judged on the following criteria on the basis of their updated resume :

a.	General Qualifications based on the Terms of Reference	30
b.	Experience in the specific assignment	50
c.	Experience with international institutions	10
d.	Language Capacity	05
e.	Working knowledge of the Africa Region	05

14. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted and will be asked to participate in skills assessment exercise ;
15. Expressions of interest must be submitted or sent by e-mail to all the addresses mentioned below no later than January 20, 2022 at 23:59 PM (GMT) and specifically mentioning “Expression of Interest_Communication Specialist_first name last name”.

For the attention of:	Copy to:
Ms. Aida Mademe Sylla	Ms. Ndeye Absa Gningue
	E-mail: n.gningue@afdb.org
Email: a.m.sylla@afdb.org
	M. Francois Docgne-Wongue
	Email: f.docgnewongue@afdb.org