Democracy, Human And Civic Rights Programme Officer

TECHNICAL SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

Education and professional qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in law, Human Rights, Political Science, Governance, Public Policy, International Relations, Development Studies, Social Sciences or a closely related field.
  
• A postgraduate qualification in Human Rights Law, Constitutional Law, Governance, Democracy, Peace and Conflict Studies, Public Policy or a related discipline is an advantage.
  
• Relevant training in civic-space monitoring, HRD protection, digital/physical security, strategic litigation, mediation, safeguarding, research ethics or project management is desirable.
  

Technical and transferable skills

• Ability to design and manage democracy, human-rights and civic-space programmes using theory of change, results-based management, adaptive management and participatory MEAL.
  
• Advanced policy and legal analysis, including interpretation of legislation, regulations, court decisions, institutional mandates and political developments into accessible policy asks.
  
• Strong security risk management for civic actors, including safe convening, protection planning, digital safety, data responsibility, consent, confidentiality and do no harm.
  
• Demonstrated advocacy, coalition strategy, campaign, public mobilisation, media engagement, strategic communication and influencing skills.
  
• Strong research, evidence synthesis and knowledge management, including commissioning and quality-assuring reports and briefs.
  
• Ability to facilitate sensitive multistakeholder dialogue, mediate competing interests and maintain principled engagement with state and non-state actors.
  
• Strong analytical, conceptual and political-economy thinking; ability to convert complex context analysis into practical, risk-informed strategy.
  
• Excellent written and oral communication, facilitation, negotiation and representation skills for communities, policymakers, media, donors and specialists.
  
• Strong project, budget, grant and partner-management skills, with meticulous planning, prioritisation, documentation and follow-through.
  
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively across multidisciplinary and geographically dispersed teams and with actors holding different identities and levels of power.
  
• Ability to gather, validate and apply learning, promote innovation and communicate evidence to influence decisions.
  
• High self-awareness, initiative, resilience, discretion, integrity, personal energy and flexibility, including willingness to travel regularly.
  

Knowledge

• Deep knowledge of Kenya’s Constitution and Bill of Rights, governance/justice architecture, devolution, electoral and political context, and national, regional and international human-rights frameworks.
  
• Strong knowledge of freedoms of expression, information, association, assembly, privacy and digital rights and threats including restrictive laws, surveillance, internet disruption, misinformation, intimidation and reprisals.
  
• Knowledge of HRD protection, strategic litigation, access to justice, public participation, media freedom, digital civic engagement, gender justice and intersectional exclusion.
  
• Knowledge of Kenyan civil society, movements, WROs/WLOs, youth groups, media networks, independent commissions, oversight and justice institutions.
  
• Knowledge of donor programme quality, safeguarding, partnership, grant and risk management; familiarity with Danida programmes is an advantage.
  
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Kiswahili.
  

Experience

• At least five years’ progressively responsible experience designing, managing and delivering democracy, governance, human-rights, civic-space, access-to-justice, media-freedom or related programmes in a national/international NGO, civil-society, human-rights institution or comparable setting.
  
• Proven partner and coalition management and capacity strengthening with HRDs, social movements, women’s rights and youth-led actors and marginalised communities.
  
• Demonstrated research, policy/legal analysis, advocacy and campaigning with measurable policy, practice, accountability or participation outcomes.
  
• Experience engaging government, legislatures, independent commissions, justice institutions, media, donors and regional/international actors in politically sensitive contexts.
  
• Experience managing grants, budgets, consultants and donor reporting and using MEAL, risk analysis and learning for adaptation.
  
• Demonstrable political astuteness and ability to build trusted relationships without compromising independence or safety.