Job Title / Policy & Research Co-ordinator for the All Party Parliamentary Group for Africa
Salary / £27,000 to £30,000 pro rata (depending on experience)
Position / Maternity cover (Part-Time- three days a week)
Reporting to / Head of Programmes & Operations
Leave allowance / 25 days pro rata plus a few days between Christmas and the New Year
Location / RAS Offices and Parliament

Introduction

The Royal African Society (RAS) is the UK’s leading Africa organisation and has a global reach. Now more than 100 years old, we are an independent, not-for-profit membership society that works to foster a better understanding of Africa and its relationship to the rest of the world. Based at SOAS, part of the University of London, the RAS promotes Africa,particularly in the spheres of business, politics, academia, arts and culture.

RAS works with a wide range of stakeholder groups to increase understanding of Africa. These include academia, business, cultural communities, the diaspora, analysts and policy-makers.By supporting the All Party Parliamentary Group for Africa (Africa APPG), the Royal African Society works at UK parliamenton African and pan-African matters to promote African led-development agendas and promote mutually beneficial and positive relationships between the UK and African countries.The RAS supports theAll Party Parliamentary Group for Africa(AAPPG), providing it with both a staff member to coordinate the APPG’s activities, and RAS’ advice, expertise and contacts.

The APPG is one of the largest and most active All Party Parliamentary Groups, with over 205 Members. Founded in 2003, it brings together MPs, Peers and policy makers with an interest in Africa. The APPG’s activities include briefings and meetings with leading figures working on African issues, research inquiries andpolicy reportsand arranging delegations of members to African countries. The APPG also publishes a regular Westminster bulletin'Africa in Parliament'and works as part of the informal coalition ofInternational Development APPGs.

The agenda of the APPG depends on the interests and choices of the Officers set at the AGM. Recently it tends to have focused on broad structural issues that affect the continent as whole. A list of current working themes is available on the website.

Job Overview

The maternity cover for the permanent Africa APPG Research and Policy Coordinator will be responsible for managing RAS’ relationships with policy makers. This will primarily involve coordinating the AAPPG, with the aim of increasing understanding about Africa within Parliament. The role will also involve strengthening RAS’ relationships with Government Departments and African High Commissions and Embassies, as well as African Diaspora leaders, ensuring they are fully integrated across all of RAS’ activities.

The Coordinator will be managed by theHead of Programmes & Operations at RAS. He/she will split his/her time between the RAS Office in Gordon Square and Parliament, working under the direction of the Co-Chairs of the AAPPG.

Primary responsibilities

Parliamentary activities, meetings and policy work

  • Organising and delivering public and private meetings at Parliament on key focus and inquiry areas either independently or with select partners.
  • Managing the follow up policy work from the Africa APPG’s recent and ongoing inquiry into future trade arrangements between the UK and African countries in the interim and post-Brexit period (i.e. Parliamentary debates, PQs and meetings).
  • Work with the inquiry committee to ensure the policyrecommendations of the report are taken forward by the APPG to relevant Government officials and ministers in attempting to influence future trade arrangements of the UK with African countries. Monitoring of policy developments.
  • Begin work for subsequent enquiry- topic to be decided. This may involve writing a report, commissioning essays and arranging oral evidence sessions and written submissions depending on the method for the inquiry.
  • Organising other activities including parliamentary debates and annual delegation if required.

Administration and compliance

  • Ensuring all standards for APPGs set by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards are adhered to by the group. Responsibilities here include arranging the AGM for 2016-2017 and producing an annual expenditure and income statement.
  • Keeping attendance records and minutes of meetings held and the APPG’s finances to be recorded in the annual report.
  • Managing a RAS intern for one day a week in parliament

Communications and networks

  • Managing the APPG’s communications, including updating the website and managing the Twitter account and ensuring the APPG contacts are recorded in Salesforce and the mailing list on Mailchimp are kept up to date and fully utilised.
  • Drafting and circulating the regular (bi-weekly during sitting periods) Africa in Parliamentbulletin and monitoring parliamentary activity of relevance to the APPG.
  • Reaching out and fostering relations with African civil society groups, institutions and think tanks across the continent to encourage and support such organisations to feed into the APPG’s policy work.Ensuring the Africa APPG is a group that “listens” to a variety of stakeholders but is never used as a tool for lobbying of private interests.
  • Liaising between the Chairs of the AAPPG, Officers and the Group’s membership and RAS
  • Supporting RAS activities as required including updating and implementing the new Salesforce database into the APPG’s work.

Fundraising and partnerships

  • Leading on core fundraising for the APPG and seeking out beneficial fundraising and partnership opportunities to add-value to the work of the APPG.
  • Working with other relevant groups and organisations in Parliament to ensure activities in Parliament on Africa are coordinated, including supporting the loose coalition ofAPPGs on International Development.
  • Working with the rider RAS team to continue strengthening the RAS and APPG partnerships with Government Departments and Embassies.

Person Specification (E = Essential & D = Desirable)

Skills & Abilities
Excellent and versatile communication, relationship-building and interpersonal skills / E
Excellent and versatile writing skills / E
Excellent organisational and project management skills / E
Ability to relate confidently and positively in a parliamentary environment and at a senior level / E
Ability to work both independently and as part of a team / E
Ability to be impartial within a political working environment / E
Ability to absorb and process new and sometimes technical information quickly / E
Personal Attributes
Commitment to the values and ethos of the Royal African Society / E
Good understanding of UK parliament and policy-making processes / E
Confident in working on own initiative with a creative approach / E
Good knowledge of African issues and the international politics of Africa / D
Knowledge and interest in global political-economy / D
Confident networker and social media user / D
Experience
Experience of carrying out independent research projects / E
Experience of planning meetings and events / D
Degree or Post-Graduate in a relevant subject area / D
Experience of working in UK Parliament and/or of advocacy and campaigns work / D
Experience of institutional fundraising within a small organisation / D

To apply, please email with your CV and a covering letter explaining why you think you are suitable for the job addressing the points in the person specification above.

The closing date for applications is 5PM on Tuesday 8th November 2016. If shortlisted, you will be notified by Friday 11th November 2016.

Candidates should have the right to live and work in the UK and must be available for interviewon Tuesday15th November 2016. Expected start date isWednesday 4th January 2016, or as soon as possible thereafter.

N.B. Due to the large number of applications we usually receive, we will only be contacting applicants shortlisted for an interview.