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

Send applications to Jaevion Nelson, Director of Advocacy, Policy & International

Affairs – jaevion@j-yan.org

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