“Meaningful community-centred connectivity” is a project under the Local Networks (LocNet) initiative, a collective effort led by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) and Rhizomatica in partnership with people and organisations in Africa, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean. It aims to directly support community networks and other community-centred connectivity initiatives while contributing to an enabling ecosystem for their emergence and growth. It is part of a multi-year, multi-donor strategy envisaged to address the human capacity and sustainability challenges, along with the policy and regulatory obstacles, that limit the growth of community-based connectivity initiatives.
Main purpose of the position
The LocNet team invites host institutions [1] in Africa who actively advocate for community-centered connectivity initiatives and policies that promote affordable, universal and equitable access to the internet to apply and nominate a candidate for the position of Africa policy coordinator for LocNet.
The candidate selected for this position would lead a six-month Africa regional-level coordination process to create enabling policy and regulatory frameworks for community-centered connectivity initiatives. The policy coordinator is responsible, from a contextualised and participatory vision, for following up on the policy actions promoted and/or facilitated by LocNet that are generated in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. Their main function is to develop consistent and clearly communicated policy responses to the most pressing challenges faced by community-centred connectivity initiatives in these three countries. This includes contributing to efforts through the development of analysis of key policy and regulatory issues, establishing and/or maintaining relationships with regional regulatory bodies and contributing to their processes, and engaging in capacity-building efforts for regulators and policy makers.
The candidate would work closely with support organisations and communities in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa to better understand the national policy and regulation and how to influence, interact with and comply with it, organise workshops with regional regulatory agencies, maintain a relationship with regional regulatory bodies, and create materials to promote community-centred connectivity initiatives. Finally, the coordinator may contribute to and promote a guide for regulators to support them in engagement on gender and gender mainstreaming in telecommunication spaces.
Start date: 1 July 2025
Responsibilities of the position
Primary responsibilities
- Accompany support organisations in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa to better understand the national policy and regulation and how to influence, interact with and comply with it.
- Coordinate and report the results of face-to-face and virtual meetings of LocNet partner organisations in the region regarding policy activities.
- Mentor support organisations in engaging and working directly with regulatory agencies and policy makers to address country-specific issues that create a more enabling framework.
- Support community-centred connectivity providers to align with existing policies and regulations, including country submissions, and upload country policy information on the online knowledge resource spaces maintained by LocNet.
- Coordinate the development of regional or national policy capacity-building courses in their region.
- Maintain collaboration and communication with the regional policy and regulatory bodies.
- Provide support to the LocNet communications associate for the dissemination of activities related to policy in their region.
- Provide support for the collection of data and information in the processes of systematisation, evaluation and documentation carried out for the LocNet policy wiki and/or monitoring, evaluation and learning framework.
- Motivate, through practical and visible actions and in collaboration with the gender area, the participation of women in policy activities, specifically by contributing to the development and promotion of a guide for regulators to support them in engagement on gender and gender mainstreaming in their regulatory work.
Secondary responsibilities
- Advocacy: Support project advocacy plans globally, and especially in their region.
- Fundraising and resource mobilisation: Assist the project team with the development of a multi-year strategy to continue the work of the project.
Qualifications, background and experience
The following qualifications, background and experience are expected from the individual candidate proposed by the host institution:
- Experience writing policy documents and commenting on policy processes.
- Experience with global and regional telecommunications policy spaces, processes and actors.
- Experience in convening and delivering training to policy makers and regulators, or other capacity-building processes and mechanisms which enable community networks, small operators or universal affordable access in Africa, is desirable.
- Experience advocating for policies related to “digital inclusion”, “rural development”, “rural connectivity”, “access development”, “community radio”, “community-centred connectivity initiatives”, “community networks”, etc. is desirable.
- At least three years of experience in project management, including reporting and people coordination.
- Technical experience in the deployment of community-centred connectivity initiatives and/or community networks is desirable.
- Track record as an inclusive network builder and team player.
- Ability to plan and think strategically, in particular to revise practices and suggest solutions to ensure efficiency of the implementation of the project.
- Capacity to work autonomously and proactively in a remote team setting.
- Excellent writing, documentation, filing and communication skills.
- Excellent written and spoken English.
- Ability to communicate in French would be an advantage.
Other details
Reporting: The position will report to the policy lead for the Local Networks initiative and work closely with other members of the project team.
Location: The applicant will work at a location within the region agreed with the host institution and preferably be from and living in the Africa region where the institution is largely based. Institutions with experience in regional networks will be given preference.
Remuneration and duration of contract: The host institution selected will receive between USD 12,500 and USD 18,000 depending on the experience of the candidate. These funds should cover a minimum 0.75 full-time equivalent, six-month contract for the Africa policy coordinator, who is expected to work from 1 July until 31 December 2025. While the 2025 contract would be for six months, there is a possibility for further time extension should funding allow.
A contract between the successful host institution and APC will be drawn up containing the specific terms and the disbursement process.
How to apply
Interested institutions should submit an application with the following information in English:
- A cover letter or proposal from the interested institution stating how it intends to host the Africa policy coordination of the project. It should state the name of the candidate who is nominated by the institution, the qualifications of the candidate, and their interest in the position. This cover letter or proposal should also include details on its organisational capacity, an organisational profile (including its legal registration, organigram and past experience in managing grants), how it will provide support to the regional coordinator, and a budget proposal outlining the way funds will be used.
- A CV of the candidate nominated for the position of regional coordinator. Institutions are encouraged to nominate women candidates.
- A completed due diligence form, which is available here.
- Three references for the candidate: names, relationship and contact details.
Information to be highlighted about the nominated candidate includes:
- Experience in relation to contributions, via written submissions, attendance, etc., to policy processes in the region.
- Experience in capacity building, particularly for regulators and policy makers.
- Experience in processes related to communication, connectivity and/or digital inclusion in community contexts.
- Experience in project coordination.
- Computer and internet skills.
- Where the candidate is based.
- Confirmation that the candidate is able and willing to travel frequently.
- Languages spoken and written.
- Why the candidate would like to be part of this project and is interested in this position.
- Why the candidate would like to work with the Local Networks initiative.
- Other information that might be of importance to our assessment of the application.
In order to apply, kindly fill in this online application form by 2 May 2025, 23.00 UTC.
Please note that only short-listed host institutions will be contacted.
[1] Host institutions can be non-state entities, particularly civil society organisations and non-profit organisations, who work closely with remote communities and practise a human rights-based approach. Regional entities with work around digital rights and rural connectivity will also be considered.
About APC
APC is a global network of civil society organisations whose mission is to empower and support organisations, social movements and individuals in and through the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to build strategic communities and initiatives for the purpose of making meaningful contributions to equitable human development, social justice, participatory political processes and environmental sustainability.
About Rhizomatica
Rhizomatica is a civil society organisation whose mission is to increase access to and participation in telecommunications by supporting communities to build and maintain self-governed and owned communication infrastructure. Rhizomatica's approach combines regulatory activism and reform, critical engagement with technology and the development of decentralised telecommunications infrastructure, and direct community involvement and participation.