| Type of role | Advocacy policy and research |
| Location | Various Countries |
| Partner organisation | VSO International |
| Application Closing Date | |
| Interview date | Rolling basis |
| Start date | As soon as possible |
| Mode of delivery | Working from home |
VSO is the world’s leading international development charity that works through volunteers to create a fair world for everyone. At VSO we pride ourselves on doing development differently. We fight poverty not by sending aid, but by working through volunteers and partners to create long-lasting change in some of the world’s poorest regions. We bring key stakeholders together to co-ordinate collective action, from local organisations to national governments. Our programmes in Africa and Asia focus on health, education and livelihoods, with an increasing emphasis on resilience, peace building, social accountability, gender and social inclusion. We’re not about delivering quick fixes, but instead we focus on long-lasting, sustainable change that will improve the lives of generations to come.
Role overview
Working from home – In this role, you will provide remote support (e.g. from your home) to VSO projects or partners on a part/full time basis for a set period of time. It does not involve on-site work in the project location and/or VSO office.
The purpose of this activity is ignite accountability and transparency mechanisms at the community, private sector and government level; and strengthened primary actor collectives’ advocacy efforts to better engage with system actors at the regional level. In addition, ensure primary actors voices start influencing socio-economic focused decisions made at district/regional/national spaces through enhanced and diversified advocacy.
You will be expected to work between 6-8 hours per week for one year.
Skills, qualifications and experience
The ideal candidate for this post is skilled in Advocating and lobbying for increased public investment in climate adaptation, agroecology, decent work and social protection infrastructure Influencing changes in systems and structures e.g., food, seeds and labor markets and green jobs. Conducting participatory social accountability, labor market, value chain and unpaid care assessments for evidence-based system changes. Next to this, you will be interpreting and reviewing relevant policies, evaluating options and making recommendations for new policies.
Essential criteria:
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in development studies, political sciences, Policy/Advocacy or other related business studies.
• Experience of Livelihoods programming within climate adaptation, agroecology and green jobs.
• 3-4 years of Experience in Policy and Advocacy, working within Agroecology, food security or green jobs.
• Proven experience in training and development of staff ensuring continuous learning.
• Proven track record in planning, developing and implementing organisational structures and sustainable improvements;
• Strong communication, documentation, report writing and presentation skills including excellent written and spoken English;
• Experience with ongoing advocacy initiatives in different development sectors in developing countries.
Competencies and Behaviour
At VSO we believe progress is only possible by working together. Whether you want to join us as an employee, or as a volunteer working in your own country, overseas or online, our selection process includes an assessment based on these core competencies:
• Ability to be open minded and respectful
• Ability to be resilient and adaptive to new situations
• Ability to facilitate positive change and build sustainable working relationships
• Ability to seek and share knowledge
Equal Opportunities
VSO promotes equal opportunities and values a diverse workforce.
Allowance
This is role is a remote role, expenses incurred in carrying out the assigned activities will be reimbursed (e.g. Internet, phone communications).
Some background about VSO
Much has changed since VSO started 60 years ago. We’ve gone from being a UK charity to a truly global development organisation. In 2016/2017 alone, we worked with over 7,000 volunteers from all over the world and from all backgrounds to deliver services that had an impact on the lives of almost 2.6 million people in the 24 countries where we work. Our programmes focus on the areas of health, education and livelihoods, with an increasing emphasis on resilience building, social accountability, gender and social inclusion. We believe progress is only possible when we work together and that strong partnerships are crucial to delivering positive change. That’s why we work with over 500 partner organisations, from local and national governments, to businesses, NGOs, funders, charities and community groups. Currently, over 30% of our people are recruited from within the country in which they work, and we continue to grow the share of community and national volunteers involved in our programmes. We also send increasing numbers of volunteers from one developing country to another. However, our vision has remained the same; to build a world without poverty.
If you’re interested in applying for this role, please download the job description for more information.
Once you’re ready to apply, click on ‘make an application’ below to complete the online form.
How to apply
Step 1
Complete the registration form below. When you have completed the form, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to our VSO Values self-assessment. This is a module designed to give you an insight into VSO’s ethos and provide you with an understanding of how your values align with ours, helping you to decide if you would like to join our organisation. The self-assessment module typically takes about 10 minutes to complete.
Step 2
After completing the VSO Values self-assessment, you can opt out or proceed with the application process. You will need to upload your CV in Word or PDF format detailing your employment and educational history, and any volunteering experience. Please note that you will need to complete the full application form in one go as you cannot save it to fill at a later time.
Step 3
When you have submitted your application, you will receive an email inviting you to complete two assessments which focus on how you process information and what your work approach is.
You will be shown instructions and example questions prior to the assessments to help you increase your familiarity with them. You will also have access to a short profile report on completion of the assessment. Your application will be reviewed by our Resourcing Team when you have completed these assessments.
Should you require any adjustments to be made to the application process due to a disability or any other circumstances, please email us at Recruitment@vsoint.org to discuss your requirements.
Step 1. Complete the registration form below
VSO has zero tolerance of abuse and exploitation of vulnerable people. We expect all our employees/volunteers to ensure we protect children, young people and vulnerable adults from harm and abide by our safeguarding policy (PDF).
