Background

The African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) is a pioneering grantmaking foundation headquartered in Ghana. AWDF was founded by and for African women. Since 2001 we have awarded over 30 million USD in grants to support women’s rights organisations and feminist movements across Africa.

As a learning organisation, the generation of knowledge, its management and dissemination is critical to the work of AWDF. Knowledge produced in various forms within AWDF is important to the organisation’s mandate to raise the profile and visibility of the organisation and the work of African feminist and women’s rights organisations, movements and activists. AWDF disseminates knowledge to showcase the work of its grantees, facilitate information to strengthen that work, raise awareness of the issues they seek to address, to influence decision-making and donor priorities, and to mobilise greater public support for women’s rights in Africa.

 

Women with a demonstrated commitment to women’s rights are encouraged to apply. Please note that the post is based in Ghana and AWDF will not be responsible for any relocation or related costs for potential candidates.

Job Summary

The Knowledge Management Specialist’s role is to lead and coordinate the work of the AWDF Knowledge Management Unit- producing analysis, generating new knowledge around women’s rights in Africa, and collaborating to communicate the impact of AWDF’s work and the work of its grantees, advocacy and movement building partners. The unit coordinates also the documentation of organizational learning and knowledge generation within AWDF.The work of the unit is conducted in English, with selected initiatives in French.

To do this the Knowledge Management Specialist will work with colleagues to sustain a programme of knowledge generation and management initiatives (including documentation, archiving, building knowledge resources, co-developing and managing knowledge production by staff and external actors), and to grow the work of the Knowledge Management unit in line with the AWDF strategic framework and direction and with support from Senior Management. As a member of the AWDF staff team, the Knowledge Management Specialist will also engage in other cross-departmental activities of AWDF and on request will represent AWDF in external events.

The post requires experience in knowledge production around women’s organising, experience of working with African women’s organisations, an in-depth knowledge of African women’s rights issues and concerns, strong analytical, writing and editing skills. Experience of overseeing design and production of knowledge in different mediums and forms (written, audio, film, visual) is ideal.

Specific duties are as follows:

• Support the implementation and growth of AWDF’s Knowledge Management Unit activities in line with the AWDF organisational strategy

 

• Coordinate commissioning, repackaging and dissemination of knowledge materials around AWDF’s key areas of work for a range of audiences; and plan for dissemination in collaboration with the Communications Department

• Support AWDF’s internal knowledge management strategies, including building staff capacity for using AWDF’s knowledge tools, circulating information on issues of relevance to AWDF’s work and contributing to office learning activities.
• Liaise with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Unit and other departments to document, produce knowledge and disseminate learnings around AWDF’s work and impact, and that of its grantees.
• Liaise with the Director of Programmes and other departments to expand knowledge production activities including AWDF’s work on Futures research and other knowledge areas as identified by AWDF’s strategy and emerging needs.
• Sustain quality standards for external knowledge products by ensuring compliance with AWDF’s publications guidelines, and keeping guidelines updated in line with good practice in feminist knowledge production.
• Produce annual end of year report and activities report in collaboration with Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Unit, senior management and all departments.
• Manage AWDF’s physical Resource Centre and online resource library, keeping them updated and encouraging use of materials by AWDF staff and external users through outreach activities.
• Work across departments to support implementation of a new information management system
• Further develop and support ongoing work to sustain and grow AWDF’s network of African women knowledge producers in different domains (NGO, donor, academia, policy, design and creative sectors)
• Manage staff, consultants and interns involved directly in Knowledge Management Unit activities.
• Represent AWDF in external meetings and on external communications and advocacy platforms.
• Any other duties assigned in furtherance of AWDF’s strategy.

 

Knowledge and Experience

• At least 7 years work experience in human rights/ social justice/ rights-based development involving knowledge management and production.
• Expertise in producing knowledge on women’s rights concerns for NGOs/activist, policy and/or donor audiences. Experience of developing or managing information systems (for example, virtual or physical libraries or archives) and in using multiple communication and knowledge production formats (film, audio, visual/graphics) desirable
• Experience of working in African women’s rights, social justice or policy organisations
• In-depth understanding of feminism and strong commitment to social justice, women’s rights and social change in Africa essential

• Excellent communication skills (both written and oral) and strong editing skills
• Demonstrated capacity for analysis and for synthesizing complex information for different audiences.
• High level of proficiency in MS Office required. Experience of working with information management systems / databases and with WordPress and social media platforms preferred
• Excellent planning and programme management skills
• Ability to work independently and part of a team
• Ability to work democratically with diverse groups and people and commitment to AWDF’s feminist values
• Ability to work to work to tight deadlines.
• Ability to travel within Africa/ internationally essential
• Willingness to work flexible working hours, occasionally outside of regular working hours are expected

 

Qualifications

• Post-graduate degree in Gender, Women’s Rights, Knowledge Management or related discipline, ideally with a research component
• Working knowledge of French will be an advantage.

Qualified candidates should send a cover letter and CV of not more than 3 pages by email to: Human Resources Manager grace@africlub.net/awdf with ‘Application for position of Knowledge Management Specialist’ as the subject line.

 

Applications should reach AWDF no later than 5th June 2017.

 

Only short listed candidates will be contacted for additional information and interviews.

To download job description click HERE