Communication Specialist for the Fertilizer Deep Placement and Micro Dosing Scaling Up Project
Background
The Fertilizer Deep Placement and Micro Dosing Scaling Up Project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development’s Mali Mission (USAID/Mali) to scale up adoption of two fertilizer-based technologies in Mali, namely Fertilizer Deep Placement (FDP) on rice and Micro Dosing (MD) on millet and sorghum.
The project focuses on the country’s Feed the Future (FtF) zone of influence, specifically the regions of Segou, Mopti and Sikasso. Its goal is to contribute to “Improved food security and incomes of smallholder farms and rural agro entrepreneurs in Mali”. The project’s Strategic Objective (SO) is “Increased cereal crop productivity through the promotion and dissemination of innovative fertilizer based technologies for targeted commodities (rice, millet, sorghum) in Mali.”
IFDC is the sole project implementer and works in strategic partnership with FtF USAID-funded project partners including ACDI VOCA Cereal Value Chain (CVC) Project, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid-Tropics (ICRISAT), and the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (AVRDC) of Mali. The project also works in close collaboration with public and private technical field-based institutions operating in the target areas.
The project supports various actors along the targeted rice, millet and sorghum value chains. Main stakeholders include producers, agro-input dealers, rural entrepreneurs, private sector actors involved in fertilizer production and distribution, research and extension institutions, as well as government technical bodies responsible for formulating and implementing enabling policies for a productive agricultural sector.
FDP MD Position Summary
The communications officer for the USAID FDP MD project will be responsible for designing and implementing the project’s communication and outreach strategy. He/she will be based in Mali, and will work under the supervision of the USAID FDP MD Coordinator, also based Mali.
The communications officer will also work 1 day / week for the IFDC/ NWAFD office, under the direct supervision of the Division Director.
Tasks for FDP MD (80% of the time)
Develop and disseminate a regular stream of communications materials documenting project progress and achievements in targeted region (Ségou, Sikasso, Mopti, and Tombouctou). These may include, but are not limited to:
Stories from the field (success stories, case studies, etc.)
Project briefs
Innovation fact-sheets
Fact sheets on lessons learned
Photographs and Videos
Identify, in consultation with the FDP MD team, the most appropriate channels (radio, print, web, social media, others) to target each stakeholder group, e.g. donors, partners and potential partners, development professionals, policy makers.
Develop and implement a social media strategy, in consultation with the FDP MD management team and the Head Quarter. Lead the project’s efforts to raise profile via social media, with regular posts, forwards etc.,.
Provide regular updates and stories from the field.
Coordinate dissemination of the quarterly newsletter through MailChimp.
Coordinate local radio programs targeting grass roots stakeholders.
Maintain and continually expand the project’s mailing list.
Coordinate, in consultation with the project’s Management team, compilation and editing of material for the  annual report
Develop and regularly update the FDP MD project events calendar, including forthcoming events, field activities, crop calendar, training programs etc.
Design and disseminate communication materials (blogs, press releases, articles in local media etc) in support of specific events organized by FDP MD/IFDC.
Develop linkages with information-sharing platforms within and beyond Mali, to raise the project’s profile globally.
Build a collection of high-quality photographs and videos documentaries on IFDC project work in Mali (FDP MD and other projects), taking photographs himself/herself and identifying, contracting and supervising consultants if necessary.
Prepare detailed captions for all photographs, including name of photographer, date, place, detailed activity description and names of people photographed (where possible and relevant). Wherever possible, collect additional information on the themes/ areas/subjects photographed, for potential use in an article or photo-essay.
Ensure that the photo collection is shared with communications staff and backed up at IFDC-headquarters.
Develop good working relationships with key media in all target region in Mali.
Oversee planning and implementation of communications events, such as conferences, speeches, briefings, etc. in target regions.
Develop and exploit synergies with communications staff in other IFDC projects in NWAFD.
Coordinate the visualization, scripting and production of short videos on FDP MD project (achievements, interviews with partners etc) in English and French.
Follow up on feedback from readers/ target audiences, assist in answering queries – in consultation with project staff as needed – to ensure dialog.
Any other assignment that the supervisor deems necessary for the success of the project or contribution to the work of IFDC as a global institution.
Supervision
The communications specialist will report to the projects Coordinator. He/she will work in close collaboration with the Head Quarters. 
Tasks for IFDC/ NWAFD (20% of the time)
The Communication Specialist shall contribute to the communication activities of the Division under the direct supervision of the Division Director.
Principal tasks and responsibilities are the following:
Promoting project activities among the project stakeholders (e.g., civil society, policy makers, private sector) through press releases, articles, promotional materials, and others
Developing and maintaining a network of contacts in the scientific and general media to encourage the dissemination of technical information and success stories, and prepare responses to articles that appear in national media
Maintaining a constant monitoring of information relevant to the project in various sources, including Internet, newspapers and journal articles
Contributing to promoting IFDC activities in collaboration with the HQ Division Communication Unit
Ensuring adequate sharing of information on project activities among project staff and stakeholders, as well as with other relevant IFDC projects and offices
Performing other related duties as required.
PLACE OF WORK:
The Communication Specialist shall be based in Bamako but should be available to travel within and outside the country as required by his employment.
Interested applicant should send a Letter of application and an updated curriculum vitae to the following address:  hsanon@ifdc.org
Dead line: Application should be sent not later than 22, January, 2015.  Only selected candidate will be called for a face-to-face interview.