Job Title:  Advocacy Officer   

Organization: Shared Action Africa

Project: Arising for Reproductive Justice for Refugee Girls

Location: Nakivale and Oruchinga Refugee Settlements, Uganda

About US:

Shared Action Africa targets refugee populations and host communities under its integrated family planning project implemented in Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Isingiro District in Uganda. The settlement hosts over 130,000 Refuges from Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, and South Sudan. The project aims at improving access to modern short-term, long-term and permanent family planning methods for and men of reproductive age in Nakivale refugee settlement and host communities in Isingiro district in Uganda. To achieve its objectives, the project will collaborate with, peer agencies, health facilities and community based organizations that provide complementary services (financial and energy) to improve access family planning services by refugee populations and host communities in Nakivale Refugee Settlement.

About Project:

Shared Action Africa is implementing a project “Arising for Reproductive Justice for Refugee Girls” in Nakivale and Oruchinga Refugee Settlments in Isingiro District in Uganda. The two settlements host over 140,000 Refuges from Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, and South Sudan.  The advocacy project aims increasing access to youth friendly SRHR services by the adolescents and young women in Nakivale and Oruchinga refugee settlements in Isingiro district in southwestern Uganda.  To achieve its objectives, the project will collaborate with other likeminded organizations to form an advocacy alliance that will lobby for the establishment of youth friendly spaces where SRHR services can be provided to adolescent girls and young women.

The Advocacy and Communications Officer will report to the Programs Director, with a dotted line to the Director Finance and Operations.

Job Summary:  The Advocacy Officer will contribute to Shared Action Africa’s vision and strategies focused on advocacy and communication. Working with the Programs Director; the Officer is responsible using different platforms and avenues to increase access to Sexual and Reproductive health to women of reproductive age, particularly adolescent girls and young women in rural and refugee settlements.  The Officer will strengthen the designed linkages and relationships with key Shared Action Africa Uganda donors, partners, decision-makers, and influencers, monitoring relevant SRHR trends to identify opportunities to shape the advocacy work of Shared Action Africa Uganda.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support the Communication and Advocacy interventions of Shared Action Africa
• Support the development and review of the Shared Action Africa’s Communication and advocacy strategies
• Coordinate the implementation of the Arise for Reproductive Justice for Refugee Girls Project in Nakivale and Oruchinga Refugee Settlements
• Support engagements with partners, consortiums, coalitions, and technical working groups to which the Shared Action Africa is a member or lead partner
• Represent Shared Action Africa in relevant advocacy platforms and forums.
• Support the participation in high-level advocacy-related communication activities of Shared Action Africa staff members
• Support processes of policy analyses on critical topics and trends in sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people in Uganda, Africa, and the world over
• Support the drafting and updating of Shared Action Africa public- face materials for communication and advocacy
• Support communication and advocacy capacity-building efforts for the Shared Action Africa and its partners
• Contribute to the development of content for the communications materials for the organization such as brochures, blogs, website, opinion columns, in-house magazine, case studies, articles, reports, and any other documentation required.
• Support the production of materials for advocacy, communication, and media purposes through country visits and desk-based research, including drafting or inputting into reports, briefing papers, submissions to government consultations.
• Planning publicity strategies and campaigns for youth empowerment; writing and preparing presentations and other kinds of documentation to popularize the work of the organization.
• Track and analyze development policies and advocacy environment and recommend strategic opportunities for Shared Action Africa’s engagement.
• Manage reporting requirements of Shared Action Africa’s policy and advocacy-related grants.
• Work with the supervisor to identify, cultivate, expand, and regularly update the network of key political allies, including Uganda government agencies, key lawmakers, staffers, advocates, NGOs, multilaterals, and the private sector to advance the policy and advocacy agenda of Shared Action Africa and its partners.
• The Officer will also assist in the management of fellows and interns on the advocacy team.
• Any other duties as assigned by his/her supervisor

Experience

The Communications and Advocacy officer has experience in formulating and implementing organizational policy strategies. S/he should demonstrate a commitment to the cause either through previous jobs’ experiences or any other activities related to our mission. S/he has a solid track record in representing organizations before different for a. S/he is proactive, creative, outspoken, optimistic with interest in SRHR and sustainable development and a passion for making a difference, with a preference for achieving outcomes in collaboration with others. S/he has a results-oriented approach and proposes ways to innovate and continuously improve our communications products, practices, channels, and messaging.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

Essential:

• Bachelor’s level qualification in relevant field (e.g. communications, humanities, environment);
• At least three years of working experience in SRHR policy analysis, lobby, and advocacy activities both nationally and locally
• Has experience in implementing sexual and reproductive health programs targeting the youth.
• Track record in policy analysis, writing and editing articles, website content, reports, and press releases.
• Ability to quickly understand and absorb new topics, issue, and disciplines and distill relevant advocacy strategies from them.
• Experience in stakeholder mapping and strategizing according to policy objectives of different projects.
• Ability to deliver oral presentations to various audiences.
• Excellent communication and project management skills; team player and facilitator.
• Excellent command of written and spoken English and able to operate in two or more local languages.

Job offer:

• Reporting to: Programs Director
• Full time: 40 hours per week
• Contract duration:  3months probation and 1-year contract with the intention of extension
• Location: Nakivale and Oruchinga Refugee Settlements

How to apply

To apply for the post, please send a letter of application stating your motivation and the skills that you would bring to this specific post along with your resume / CV by email to info@sharedact.org stated “Application for the position of Advocacy Officer” in the email subject line.

Deadline: 20th October 20222 by 5:00pm

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