Background: The Muslim Civic Education Trust (M-CET) was established on June 29, 1999 to enable Kenyan Muslims to meaningfully participate in the search for a new Republic through engagement in the New Constitution dialogues during that time.
Additionally, M-CET also aimed at to educating the largely non-Muslim Kenya Government on its insensitivity to genuine Muslim disaffection with the system’s social injustices. One key injustice was in the accessibility to educational opportunities for Kenya Muslims.
In 2014, M-CET decided to grasp this particular nettle by creating its own organ of advancing the cause of Kenya Muslim education.
It formed an inter-racial, inter-sectarian body to be called Kenya Muslim Education Trust (K-MET) with the express mission of creating academic assistantships such as scholarships and bursaries and other resources to advance Kenya Muslim’s education.
This is the first time in East African history that Asian, Arab, Swahili, Somali and other African leaders of different Muslim sects have come together to address a common cause on the education of young Muslims of all gender.
As a long-term organization, M-CET has over time compiled facts and key data needed to tackle the education problem of the Muslims.
Moreover, M-CET field personnel have maintained personal relationships with its target population, and have the essential real life experience in dealing with contextual realities.
Therefore, in order to build a solid community foundation and focus M-CET operations and programmes, the organization is now seeking to engage a communications expert who will support the design and implementation of its communication strategy for its work.
Scope of Work
M-CET seeks to recruit a communication expert to develop and design a sustainable communication and advocacy strategy for its programmes that aims at providing educational assistance to potential underprivileged Muslim children.
The overall objective of this consultancy will be to generate awareness of the work of M-CET and establish an excellent communication and advocacy strategy that will enable M-CET to reach its goals and objectives.
The consultant is expected to work with and support the M-CET Board of Trustees in achieving the following:
Develop a multi-media communication and advocacy strategy that will identify specific objectives for raising awareness amongst the target audiences within Kenya and outside.
Build a concise work plan with clear deliverable outcomes, indicators and tools for the implementation of the strategy
Implement the strategy over a six months and up to year period, periodically working closely with the Board M-CET Communication/advocacy Strategy Needs
In quickly assessing the communication needs of M-CET, one recognizes that a lot of work has been done already and what remains is the facilitation of these processes for maximum productivity.
What will be critical for the communication consultant to provide at the very beginning is the essential support to the Board of Trustees on matters related to publicity/outreach/advocacy and in utilizing its resources and capitalizing of promotional opportunities that will benefit the organization.
And to frame a general picture of what may become immediate communication needs of M-CET; the following list is intended to provide examples of important tasks that are currently being discussed by the M-CET Board of Trustees:
Preparation and dissemination of newsletter to donors, donor reports, education and community awareness, where appropriate, to support Board on timely and effective responses to M-CET inquiries individual or public;
Creation of communication and visibility materials and database with key documents, and production of relevant publications,
Ensuring M-CET active connections to social networks and provide updated information on fund-raising activities, and other relevant activities locally and via stakeholders in the diaspora;
Dissemination of information and publications; assistance at public events such as: press conferences, briefing sessions, interviews, etc.
Collection of information, and extraction of data and preparation of content for the M-CET Website and other outlets
Arrangement of briefings and regular meetings, with donors, supporters, national and international media, workshops, press briefings, report launches, etc.
Required Skills and Experience
M-CET Board of Trustees will only consider a consultant who must have the following:
Have a strong track record of development and delivery of creative internal and external communications plans;
Have experience in change communications across diverse project and programmes;
Be able to turn complex language/issues into appropriate messaging for a range of audiences and have experience delivering communications products using a variety of channels;
Have strong interpersonal skills and experience of working with a range of professionals consisting M-CET Board;
Have the gravitas and credibility to engage with target communities and audiences; and
Experience in producing communication products in a variety of formats and languages
How to Apply:
The consultant should prepare a detailed proposal outlining their approach, with a budget and timeline, examples of relevant work and your CV / credentials to:
The Secretary of the Board of Trustee, M-CET, Mr. Mohamed Bwika
via e-mail: bwika@m-cet.org
by Tuesday 31st August 2015