We are recruiting volunteers to assist with social media and blogging in the run-up to and at the 5th Data for Policy conference, which is taking place virtually between 15th and 17th September 2020.
This is an opportunity to use your skills to help us deliver an interdisciplinary conference, happening online for the first time, and to network with some key people and organisations working at the interface of data science and policy.
Beyond the Conference, we anticipate that further opportunities will arise to support the social media and communications strategy of the Data & Policy open access journal, which is published in association with Cambridge University Press. We’re therefore interested in applications both from those seeking a short-term volunteering opportunity and those with a longer-term interest in a position that involves social media and communications more broadly. Similar opportunities may be possible with Data for Policy.
Responsibilities
As part of a volunteer team working with the Conference organisers, you will undertake the following responsibilities.
Act as an ambassador for the Conference and helping us meet overall objectives:
- Create a lively persona and appropriate tone for the Conference
- Ensure awareness of the programme and how to join sessions
- Enhance the participants’ experience through social channels
- Boost the overall awareness and following of the Conference
Use the Data for Policy Twitter account in a creative and conversational way:
- Write engaging posts that remind participants about upcoming sessions
- Reflect upon sessions in progress and link to conference papers and other materials
- Engage with Conference delegates: answer queries, retweet posts, stimulate discussions
- Identify and follow key participants and use relevant handles and hashtags to capture attention
Contribute to the Data & Policy blog and promote engagement with other channels:
- Write, edit and post blogs that preview and reflect upon the day’s events
- Preparing video clips for sharing on the Data for Policy YouTube channel
- Post blogs and daily updates to the Data for Policy LinkedIn and Facebook accounts
- Encourage feedback through a survey about the Conference
Success Measures
- Positive feedback from delegates
- Engagement demonstrated by Twitter and blog analytics
- Responses to the Conference survey
Behaviours and Attitudes
- Able to act on own initiative
- Collaborative: ability to hand over responsibilities to others according to timetable
- Excellent time-keeping
- Confident, professional manner
- Flexibility and ability to adapt to changing situation
- Ability to solve problems as they arise
Skills Knowledge, Experience and Qualifications
- Educated to degree level (essential), ideally in a technical subject (desirable)
- Strong knowledge of social media platforms including but not limited to Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube (essential)
- Strong communication skills, verbal and written (essential)
- Design skills: the ability to identify, edit and adapt images for effective social media use (essential)
- Experience building a social media and communications strategy (desirable)
- Experience writing blogs and press releases (desirable)
- Experience editing and producing video and animation (desirable)
- Interest in data science and public policy (desirable)
- Experience of Conference participation, in any capacity (desirable)
- Experience of volunteering, especially in social media or communications capacity (desirable)
Time commitment
Approximately two weeks before the Conference, there will be training and induction, followed by estimated 2-4 hours required promoting the Conference and creating interest on social media.
During the Conference days estimated 6-8 hours per day, earliest start 08:30, latest finish 21:30 (London times). Before the Conference, there will be additional hours for training and induction. After the Conference, there may be further opportunities to work on evaluation
After the Conference there will be further hours required for evaluation and reflection activities.
Benefits of volunteering
You will gain valuable experience in fast-paced social media communications and be able to access the full Conference programme. Volunteers will also receive a gift from our partner organisation Cambridge University Press.
Application process
Please send a one-page CV and a brief cover letter outlining your suitability for the role to team@dataforpolicy.org by 21 August.
Context of role
The Data for Policy Annual Conference is the premier global forum for interdisciplinary and cross-sector discussions around the impact and potentials of the digital revolution in the government sector.
Each year we host around a hundred speakers after a thorough peer-review process hosting key global stakeholder views from across prestigious academic institutions, government departments, international agencies, non-profit institutions, and businesses. Adjusting to a virtual format this year, the fifth International Conference will run as a single-track over three days, with a mix of plenary panels, keynote talks and short presentation sessions, featuring speakers from more than 30 countries. There will also be live discussions and networking opportunities across the three days.
Data for Policy was established in 2015 and is an independent non-profit initiative registered in the UK as a Community Interest Company. It is supported by a large number of key stakeholders, including prestigious academic institutions, government departments, international agencies, non-profit institutions, and businesses.