Job Title:  Advocacy Officer

Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is part of the Lutheran World Federation Department for World Service (LWF-DWS), an international humanitarian and development agency. LWF Uganda works to reduce people’s vulnerability, supporting them to realize their potential, to build on their assets, and to respond to their own problems and needs. LWF Uganda currently has five areas of operation in Pader, Kitgum, Adjumani, Katakwi, Sembabule, Kampala and Kamwenge Districts.

Job Summary: The LWF Advocacy Officer will be responsible for delivering coordinated and integrated advocacy intervention with delivery of other programs, and to reinforce delivery of impact on the ground, bringing priorities from the grass-roots into the Universal Periodic

Review (UPR) process, and wider advocacy; also in aligning this project with rights-based approaches at community level; ensuring in the long-term that local people and communities are able to access their fundamental rights, and meet their needs, not through service delivery by external actors, but by structural changes where duty-bearers (national and international) hold themselves accountable and ensure implementation.

Key Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Conduct mapping of actors, coalitions and alliances and build/strengthen networks at national level to position LWF and partners as leading actor on fundamental rights in UPR coalition/alliance.
• Empower local partners so that they can follow up and translate UPR recommendations into measurable concrete lives changing policies, legal instruments and actions on the ground.
• Works closely with the coalition, alliance with other key local partners, agencies, organizations,  churches, run in-country workshops to inform about UPR process and produce alternative reports where the LWF’s priority themes are reflected.
• Provide on-going support to ensure sustainability of coalitions/ alliances. Ensure that LWF and partners carry out capacity-building and dissemination of learning to strengthen effectiveness in this work.
• Technically support local level actors to participate with input into UPR process and play role in ensuring implementation at local level.
• Support country coalitions/alliances to submit incisive, specific alternative reports reflecting thematic priorities; including working with government on preparation of state’s report.
• Actively facilitate the coalition/alliances to run side events to raise profile of thematic issues.
• Conduct written and oral interventions at HRC sessions to ensure recommendations reflect LWF’s priorities.
• Conduct complementary advocacy/lobbying by partners in other arenas (e.g. Missions, key governments, international institutions, etc.)
• Support National level coalitions/alliances to work with duty-bearers to ensure implementation of UPR recommendations (or those from previous UPR cycle)
• Support in the Monitoring and Evaluation of the impact of implementation.
• Report on national and local impact and disseminate stories.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience: 

• The ideal candidate should preferably hold a Bachelor’s degree in Humanities, law or other relevant field. Master or higher qualification in the relevant field is an added advantage.
• A minimum of three years’ experience in designing and implementing activities related to advocacy
• High levels of political and human rights skills.
• Excellent track record of inputting into and delivering on successful policy & advocacy strategies within the humanitarian framework.
• Good knowledge of key issues in the development and emergency sectors, ideally in: sustainable livelihood opportunities for marginalized groups, particularly women and children among refugees and rural communities with emphasis on gender inequalities. Other issues include Refugees, resilience and social protection, Environment/climate change, land rights.
• Past experience of lobbying within political and government sectors.
• Prior experience of producing policy materials for varied audiences.
• Excellent communications (oral & written .English), presentation, interpersonal, influencing and negotiating skills for engaging with a wide variety of contacts.
• Possess the ability to communicate complex messages in an accessible manner for varied audiences.
• High conceptual and analytical skills and ability to think and operate innovatively.
• Excellent administration and organisational skill and ability to optimise independent use of time against variable workload.
• Ability to manage resources.
• Flexible approach to working hours and ability to travel both in-country and abroad.

How to Apply for the job: 

All suitably qualified and interested applicant is invited to send her/his application via email to recruitment@lwf.or.ug mentioning the title of job applied for in the email subject field. Only motivated applications that address the stipulated duties and meet the required qualifications, sent together with a CV, will be considered. Please provide references, salary expectations and earliest date available.

NB: Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Applicants who do not receive any response within three weeks of the closing date should consider their application unsuccessful.

Deadline: 6th April 2015

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