Communications and Engagement Manager – MyJustice II, Myanmar

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT/TEAM

The British Council’s reputation as a trusted and innovative supporter of social and political development in Myanmar is well-established. We work with a variety of local partners across the spectrum of civil society, from large, well-known and well-funded local NGOs to networks of human rights defenders. We have excellent relations with international donors, especially the European Union, DFID and other international organizations. 

The British Council has been implementing the European Union (EU) funded MyJustice Programme in Myanmar since August 2015. MyJustice is a very successful access to justice programme delivering interventions in six Regions/States and across 64 townships in Myanmar, in cooperation with 47 local and international partners. The implementation of the first phase of MyJustice came to an end on 30 November 2019.

The European Union Delegation in Yangon, Myanmar has entrusted the implementation of its follow-up programme, Deepening Access to Justice in Myanmar (MyJustice II) Programme (ACA/2019/041-444) to the British Council. This post will support activities under MyJustice II programme. The MyJustice II Programme, to the value of Euro 19.8 million, has an implementation period of 60 months and an overall objective to: Improve access to justice for women, the poor and people living in vulnerable situations, in Myanmar. The inception phase of MyJustice II is set to commence on 1 January 2020.

WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING AND WHY

The role is aimed at managing and supporting the delivery of the communications and engagement portfolio of MyJustice II. This will include managing external communications to showcase programme achievements as well as supporting implementation of public engagement initiatives, including campaigns, to contribute to the programme goal of deepening access to justice in Myanmar.

Our approach to delivering MyJustice II is built on the valuable lessons and experiences we have gained since delivering large scale and complex access to justice activity in Myanmar since 2015. Our approach is founded on the understanding of the unique socio-cultural context and history of the country as well as the prevailing political economy. MyJustice II will take a community driven and participatory approach to access to justice that empowers beneficiaries to seek justice and strengthens capacities of legal/justice service providers to better serve people’s justice needs. We aim to balance local context knowledge, with globally recognised evidence about successful programming in the justice sector. Particularly in conflict-affected and transitional settings, problem driven and adaptive approaches to programming, enables targeted interventions focused on specific local justice issues faced by people in their communities, rather than ‘institutional development’ approaches, or those based on technical system-wide solutions. MyJustice II will build upon the foundations laid during MyJustice, with an increased focus on the implications and intersection between justice claims and responses and Myanmar’s ongoing efforts towards peace and development.

WHAT IS INTERESTING ABOUT IT

The media landscape in Myanmar is complex – on the one hand new media opportunities, including social media, have opened up and on the other control over media and public opinion continues to be exercised in various forms. Engaging on an issue like justice in this context involves strategic and pragmatic choices. MyJustice has built a very effective portfolio of engagement with media and public opinion makers to ensure that justice is a talking point. The ‘growing soft power of media, artists and influencers’ has been acknowledged at the highest levels of government, with an assertion that ‘creative industries have a huge role to play in promoting peace and resolving the pressing problems of today’. Multi-media campaigns such as Pyaw Kya Mal, that reached over 20 million people; digital resources such as The Sun, the Moon and the Truth (Season 2) a serialsed drama and the Lann Pya mobile application and associated FaceBook page and chatbot; innumerable film, animation and photo products, to document the change brought about by MyJustice, have taught the programme valuable lessons on how to push the boundaries on what is possible in the public domain and engage audiences on a complex issue such as justice. Efforts such as these will continue to be a strategic focus in MyJustice II.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• At least seven years of progressive experience of working with media/programmes on justice, peace, conflict or human rights issues
• Track record of publications in Myanmar or English
• Experience with translating content into multiple platforms including print, social media, mass media and audio-visual media
• Three-five years of programme management experience
• Sound understanding of the media landscape in Myanmar and the political economy of Myanmar
• Ability to look at a problem from multiple angles and find appropriate solutions

To apply, please visit: https://tinyurl.com/MYA-MC-0059e