CONTEXT

The BBC Media Action uses media and communications to reduce poverty and promote human rights in developing countries. To achieve this, Media Action partners with civil society, local media and governments to:

Produce creative programmes in multi-media formats which inform and engage audiences around key development issues. Priority objectives might aim to shift social norms and/or shape behaviours to achieve positive impact for development goals.

Strengthen the media sector through building professional capacity and infrastructure.

In late 2011, BBC Media Action was assigned a Global Grant from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) to deliver media for development projects in 14 different countries over 5 years. These projects will focus on the themes of Governance, Health and Resilience & Preparedness. The health projects will focus on maternal and child health and are running in five countries; Bangladesh, India, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.

Bangladesh has made substantial health gains over the past three decades. However, whilst empirical studies have recorded marked declines in infant and under-5 mortality, the same rate of improvement has been found lacking in relation to neonatal deaths. Furthermore, maternal deaths, whilst showing significant improvements still require a consistent rate of decline to achieve MDG 5 by 2015. Steady progress needs to continue and mass media campaigns have been shown to deliver positive outcomes in the context of various health-risk behaviours. Mass media and community interventions can improve access to information about available services and preventative healthy action, and can increase wider social acceptance of interventions through behaviour change communication strategies.

Bangladesh has a developing media environment, particularly in television and mobile, and the Trust has developed good relations with broadcasters, mobile phone companies and development partners. 

The Bangladesh country office will be delivering a portfolio of projects from the end of 2011 as well as the Dfid health project there are also governance, livelihoods, disaster resilience, and climate change projects. The office is seeking to consolidate this portfolio ensuring activities are delivered to time, on budget and to the highest standards, in accordance with BBC editorial values as well as Media Action methodologies.

Overall Purpose of Job:

The Programme Manager Maternal and Neonatal Health will be the senior person in charge of managing and delivering the DFID Global Grant health project. They will report to the Head of Project and will support the Head of Project in the planning, delivery of the project offering specialist health knowledge in the field of maternal and neonatal health. The responsibilities will include providing specialist support to all outputs including TV, radio, mobile services.  They will be closely involved in the development of content for TV production, working with the advisory group and product specialists to ensure that core messages are effectively woven into all media outputs. 

The role requires excellent knowledge of public health issues in Bangladesh, specifically those of maternal and neonatal health.  

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

1. To work with all teams to develop the content of media outputs in line with government priorities, and key agreed communication strategies
2. To support TV department in the design of scripts and other content for TV programmes
3. To set up and support the advisory group, liaising with a range of stakeholders including DFID, NGOs, government departments, working as a bridge between product teams and subject specialists
4. To work closely with the research and learning team to identify key research questions and shaping formative research, which will in turn feed into the product development.  Enabling and supporting product teams and agencies to incorporate essential communications priorities.
5. Support product teams to understand the social and behavioural barriers to the uptake of positive behaviour by women and their families, in maternal and neonatal health
6. To work with the Head of Project to effectively report on progress to DFID and internal stakeholders.
7. Train and advice all project staff on issues around maternal and neonatal health, distilling any key research for easy dissemination
8. Other tasks or responsibilities, as directed by the Head of Project

Skills, Knowledge and Experience Requirements:

1. Experience in a senior project management position with demonstrated capacity to effectively manage a large-scale complex project implemented by a diverse team,
2. Experience of public health related work in an international development context, experience of maternal and child health work specifically
3. Experience in public health communications
4. Strong writing and communication skills, with experience of writing progress reports to donors as well as demonstrated experience in communicating and networking with donor organizations and other stakeholders.
5. Excellent spoken and written English
6. Ability to work on own initiative and organize time effectively within a range of often conflicting deadlines to deliver a busy programme of work to an agreed strategy.
7. Advanced qualification in a relevant discipline (for example, public health, anthropology or medicine).

Desirable:

1. Experience in the use of traditional media e.g TV and radio and/or digital and interactive technology e.g web and mobile in behaviour change communications.

COMPTENCIES

Strategic Thinking – Can identify a vision along with the plans that need to be implemented to meet the end goal. Evaluates situations, decisions, issues, etc. in the short, medium and longer-term.

Analytical Thinking – Able to simplify complex problems, processes or projects into component parts, explore and evaluate them systematically. Able to identify causal relationships, and construct frameworks, for problem-solving and/or development.

Decision Making – Is ready and able to take the initiative, originate action and be responsible for the consequences of the decision made.

Imagination/ Creative Thinking – Is able to transform creative ideas/impulses into practical reality. Can look at existing situations and problems in novel ways and come up with creative solutions.

Planning and Organisation – Is able to think ahead in order to establish an efficient and appropriate course of action for self and others. Prioritises and plans activities taking into account all the relevant issues and factors such as deadlines, staffing and resources requirements.

Resilience – Can maintain personal effectiveness by managing own emotions in the face of pressure, set backs or when dealing with provocative situations. Can demonstrate an approach to work that is characterised by commitment, motivation and energy.

Influencing and Persuading – Ability to present sound and well-reasoned arguments to convince others. Can draw from a range of strategies to persuade people in a way that results in agreement or behaviour change.

Communication – The ability to get one’s message understood clearly by adopting a range of styles, tools and techniques appropriate to the audience and the nature of the information.

Applications: Interested applicants should send their CVs along with Cover Letter detailing (in 1000 words or less) how their qualifications, skills, abilities and experience meet the specific requirements of the role, as outlined in the job description. Please send applications to HR, BBC Media Action, Dhaka at applications@bd.bbcmediaaction.org mentioning the position in the subject field. The deadline for receiving applications is 28 February 2012.

The BBC is an equal opportunity employer.