Plan International Ghana Internship Opportunity 2019

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And its girls who are most affected. Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge. We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 75 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.

 PLAN INTERNATIONAL IN THE WACA REGION

The ambition of Plan International in the West and Central Africa Region is to bring positive and lasting impact in the lives of 20 million girls by 2022, through consistently catalysing girls’ rights movements to achieve gender transformative changes at scale. This ambition is supported by five key areas of change, which reflect the need for focus and promote gender transformational change.

These are:

• Resourcing our ambition to deliver impactful programming and influencing
• Transforming our presence, strengthening our credibility and legitimacy
• Strengthening our operational excellence
• Developing our leadership, people and culture
• Strengthening our sponsorship

The WACA transformation business case represents a major shift in the way Plan WACA operates, contributes to Plan’s global ambition, and positions itself as the go-to organisation promoting child rights and equality for girls in West and Central Africa. These five areas of change are derived from Plan WACA’s situational analysis and are inter-dependent. Plan WACA recognizes that for its ambition to be realized it must be supported by an agile, networked regional office, which drives a multiplier effect on COs’ reach and effectiveness, enabling many more girls in the region to Learn, Lead, Decide and Thrive. Levering its significant resource base, history and experience working with children and communities, combined with deep-rooted community presence and government and donor support, WACA RO will bring together constituencies of girls, young women and boys to create an influential gender transformative movement to combat CEFM and harmful traditional practices such as FGM. Both these issues are addressed by the AYC and therefore provide an opportunity for engagement at national and regional levels. 

As a leader in the global movement for girls’ rights, our ambition is to take collective action so that 100 million girls learn, lead, decide and thrive globally. These ambitions require that we work in new ways and unleash our full creative potential. As part of this we are running innovation projects around the world, including, “The ‘Mobilising Plan International Alumni’ innovation project.

We are recruiting for 2 Alumni Network Facilitators (1 based in Ghana CO and 1 based at Niger CO), to lead the testing and further development of ideas for a Plan International Alumni Network that were co-created with former Plan International sponsored children and programme participants.

Plan International is seeking a proactive, motivated and skilled individual to join this project and lead on testing some ideas. The role will exist for 3 months. The Alumni Network Coordinator will work closely with the project team in the Country Office (Ghana or Niger), and through regular Skype calls with a member of the Global Innovation Team (based in the United Kingdom).

Dimensions of the Role & Accountabilities

The Alumni Facilitator will be responsible for leading the testing and further development of ideas for a Plan International Alumni Network for former sponsored children and programme participants (aged 18 to 24 and 25 and above). The Alumni Network Coordinator will:

• Build the alumni network - on board the current network of alumni to a new online platform / group, for example a private Facebook group
• Work with the Alumni Networks (Ghana and Niger) to decide what they want to test as an ‘alumni network’ offering on a small scale in the 3 months.
• Lead the prototype and pilot of ideas, with support from the Plan International Country Office, WACA HUB Sponsorship / Influencing teams and Innovation Team
• Support creating the vision for what a Plan International ‘alumni network’ can achieve.
• Lead tests and research as per an agreed test plan. For example, the tests may include activities such as:
• Trialling a platform to connect alumni
• Understanding what alumni want to advocate and campaign for gender equality, and their ideas for how to use media to do this in an effective way.
• Crowdsourcing ideas from alumni on global and country-specific problems and issues.
• Sharing opportunities with the group – such as local job opportunities, capacity building opportunities.
• Trialling collaboration with alumni virtually from another African country (if desirable).
• Creating an approach for how to grow the network and engage more Plan International Alumni.
• Engage and collaborate effectively with other youth movements in WACA for alignment and consolidated efforts to increase impact in the achievement of children’s rights and equality for girls.
• Analyse results and feedback from the alumni and share the findings with the project team.
• Share ideas and input to a proposal for how we can use media to engage more young people on gender equality

Key relationships

The role will report to Sponsorship Manager in Ghana or Niger, and will work closely with the, WACA HUB sponsorship, WACA Hub Influencing team and Global Hub Innovation Team (based in UK) via Skype and virtual meetings.

The role will act as the key point of contact between Plan International and the Ghana and Niger Alumni group who wish to take part in the network.

Technical expertise, skills and knowledge

Essential

• Former Plan International Sponsored Child or Programme Participant
• Fluent in English [French in Niger]
• Able to work in Ghana or Niger Country Office
• IT and digital skills (able to use Microsoft Office and social media channels)
• Strong communication skills
• Innovation mindset (curious, flexible, open to new ideas and changes in direction as required)
• Problem solving skills
• Passionate about gender equality and social impact
• Organised and proactive
• Leadership attributes
• Willingness and ability to travel in Ghana and Niger for field visits as required

Desirable

• Experience coordinating or leading a group or community
• Experience managing a small budget
• Interest in creating multimedia content (videos, images, animations)
• [Able to communicate in English - for Niger]
• [Able to communicate in French - for Ghana]

PLAN INTERNATIONAL’S VALUES IN PRACTICE

We are open and accountable

• Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
• Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
• Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.
• Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
• Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young people

We strive for lasting impact

• Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.

• Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.

• Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.

• Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.

We work well together

• Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
• Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
• Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
• Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

We are inclusive and empowering

• Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.

• Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.

• Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.

• Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.