Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN)

Terms of Reference

The International Youth Speak Out Project

A Project of the Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network with technical support from
Advocates for Youth

Position: Programme Officer (Part-time) with responsibility for JYAN/iYSO

Project
Reports to: Director of Policy, Advocacy & International Affairs/Executive
Director

1.0 Background
The Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN) is a youth-led advocacy
organisation working towards increasing participation of young people in the
policy decision-making processes that affect them. The JYAN also promotes
healthy lifestyles among young people through the support and design of
behaviour change initiatives aimed at bringing about such. The JYAN pays close
attention to advocacy relating to the Government of Jamaica’s (GOJ) National
Youth Policy and other policies impacting youth development. Through capacity
building, public education campaigns and youth-led advocacy, the JYAN is
intent on increasing youth participation and involvement in policy-making
decisions that support improvement of youth sexual and reproductive health, care
and protection from violence, while creating opportunities for education, training,
employment and entrepreneurship. The organization also works towards the
implementation of culturally-specific youth initiatives that consider the influence
of music and the society on youth development.

In May 2008, the network was registered as an independent, not-for-profit youth

organization, and November 28, 2008 saw the discontinuation of technical and
financial support from the USAID/JA-STYLE Project. While the network has
employed project related staff to manage the JYAN Global Fund Youth Sexual
and Reproductive Health and HIV and AIDS Initiative, the network in keeping
with its Strategic Plan of 2008-2010 now seeks to establish an efficient secretariat
that will galvanize existing and new advocacy efforts for the development of
Jamaica’s youth. As such the JYAN seeks to engage the services of part-time
Programme Officer with responsibility for the iYSO Project to provide technical
and logistical support to the smooth running of the network’s IYSO Project in
partnership with Advocates for Youth.

The JYAN with technical and financial support from Advocates for Youth has
recruited and trained an eight-member sexual and reproductive health (SRH)
Council and now requires a Programme Officer who will be responsible for
ensuring that the Council advocates on issues such as improving access to
treatment and care for HIV positive youth; increasing youth access to sexual
health education, contraception, and condoms particularly among most at-risk
populations; and, preventing maternal mortality and morbidity among young
mothers.
The Programme Officer will be expected to provide technical and administrative
support to all the activities being spearheaded by the JYAN SRH Council. S/He
will also be required to perform other administrative duties for the JYAN. This
may include ensuring the smooth and timely transfer of information from the
network to its partners and members as well as managing information coming
into the network. He/she will execute his/her duties in collaboration with other
staff, officers, members and volunteers of network.

2.0 Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

The Programme Officer will be responsible for the coordination, planning, design
and implementation of the following activities:

2.1 IYSO Project Initiatives (2011)

Meetings & Conventions

• Identify two JSTAR council members to participate and present at the
One Voice Summit as well as attend meetings with policymakers during
the visit in late March/early April in Washington, D.C.
• Identify two JSTAR council members to participate and present at Urban
Retreat as well as attend meetings with policymakers during the visit in
September 2011 in Washington, D.C.

Public Relations & Community/Partner Mobilization

• Identify at least eight blogs or articles that will be published in the iYAN
newsletter.
• Recruit at least 100 young people to join the iYAN.
• Recruit at least five student organizations to engage in the council’s
advocacy efforts.
• Engage council members in at least eight media opportunities.
• Meet with at least five compatible youth-serving/youth-led, adolescent
reproductive and sexual health organizations to identify points of
collaboration in Jamaica.
• Select one council member to take point in posting at least five emails to
the iYSO listserv each month.
• Participate in the ongoing iYSO listserv that includes council members
from four iYSO countries.

Public Education
• Produce and submit two videographies, one by March 2011 and the
second by September 2011. The new footage should tell stories of young
people’s experiences and challenges illustrating the importance and
urgency for increased funding and improved policies that support
reproductive health and access to family planning services for youth in
Jamaica.
• Monitor council members’ on Advocates’ youth activist website, Amplify
to blog at least once per month.
• Monitor council member’s blogs during four week-long blog-a-thons
hosted on Amplify: International Women’s Week in March, World
Population Week in July, International Youth Week in August and World
AIDS Week in November/December.
 • Host a campus tour visiting four parishes/regions in Jamaica: Mandeville,
St. Ann, Montego Bay and Kingston. The tour will include video
screenings, Q&A, and participating in an action that will support the
council’s advocacy efforts.
• Develop a quarterly iYSO Newsletter highlighting the work of the council
including JYAN partnerships with other SRHR youth organizations and
policy updates and successes.
• Develop a publication called "Good Practices in providing SRH including
HIV/AIDS Services for Youth in Jamaica" that includes research framed
to inform policy and programming at the national, regional and
international levels by creating a profile for youth-friendly pharmacies and
clinics.

Advocacy & Lobbying

• Write a policy brief including recommendations for the Jamaica country
delegation to negotiate at the United Nations General Assembly Special
Session on HIV/AIDS in June in New York City. The policy brief will be
disseminated to members of the delegation in Jamaica and presented by
Advocates in New York.
• Provide a technical team of volunteers to support the council to investigate
government spending on SRH generally and SRH and youth specifically
in the 2010/2011 fiscal year and compare those for 2011/2012 financial
year.
• Assist in the planning and execution of the JYAN Lobby Day 2011,
including facilitating the participation of at least ten young people
(including JSTAR members) to meet with policy and decision makers on
youth SRHR issues with focused attention on teen mothers, young people
living with HIV/AIDS (YPLHA) and other vulnerable communities.
• Examine the impact of the Health, Family Life and Education (HFLE)
curriculum in secondary schools. Lobby for a more comprehensive
approach to the policy through continued discussion with the relevant
officials and policy makers within the Ministry of Education.
• Organize at least twelve meetings with policy makers to (1) present the
research findings of the council and (2) advocate increased funding and
support for sexual and reproductive health services for youth. These
meetings are aimed at reinforcing the importance of and the need for
substantial budgetary support for youth-specific policies.

Monitoring & Evaluation

• Provide monthly reports, a mid-term report, and a final narrative and
financial report.
• Participate in regular check-in calls with Advocates for Youth.

3.0 Outputs/Deliverables
§ A comprehensive and detailed work plan within two (2) weeks of
assuming responsibilities.
§ Successful hosting of monthly meetings and other initiatives by the JYAN
SRH.
§ Detailed and comprehensive Monthly Technical (including collation of
individual council member reports) and Financial Reports.
 § Successful implementation of activities under the IYSO Project.
§ Implementation of further training opportunities for JYAN SRH Council
members or involvement in already existing opportunities.
§ Close supervision of the JYAN SRH Council through the provision of
technical, logistical, and financial support for their activities.
§ Advocacy Initiatives around issues of comprehensive sex education, access
to condoms and contraceptives, the feminization of HIV, and the
importance of integrating HIV and reproductive health as well as related
issues.
§ Effective and efficient coordination of council members’ participation in
local, regional and international fora addressing Youth Sexual and
Reproductive Health and Rights.
§ Integration of youth leaders into Advocates for Youth’s iYAN.
§ Plan and execute at least two (2) outreach activities spearheaded by the
Council. Strengthen youth mobilization efforts to maximize outreach
through the council.
§ Increase in number of media opportunities for council members and their
participation in such in collaboration with the Sex Ed Project.
§ Efficient compilation and dissemination of newsletter to youth activists
§ Participation in regular check-in calls with Advocates for Youth.
§ Meeting Notes and Action Plans prepared for meetings attended.
§ Other communication and logistic duties as outlined in Specific Tasks

4.0 Minimum Qualifications and Skills Required

§ Associates Degree in Social Sciences, International Relations, Political
Science, Business Management or Youth Development or related field;
§ At least two years relevant experience in youth development, with at least
one year experience related to SRH;
§ Highly computer literate and skilled with Microsoft Office products
(Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access) and with E-mail and Internet
applications;
§ Familiarity with traditional and new media;
§ Good understanding of policy advocacy;
§ Good written and oral communications skills;
§ Attention to detail, ability to handle multiple tasks and prioritize them;
§ Excellent organizational skills;
§ Willing to address the needs of most at-risk populations including young
people living with HIV/AIDS;
§ Willing to expand professional skills to assume other duties within Project;
§ Excellent interpersonal skills;
§ Ability to work with a team as well as on own initiative;
§ Ability to organize meetings and take cogent notes.

Deadline for Submission

Friday, January 28, 2011 at 3:00 PM

*** Applications may close early if the suitable/ideal candidate is

identified/selected.