Advocacy Officer

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Description

Job Summary

The Advocacy Officer will provide strategic leadership in policy, advocacy and program related learnings at Local government level and ensure that the learnings from local government level inform national level legal and policy advocacy. The role will include; development and implementation of local government advocacy initiatives focusing on nutrition and other thematic areas of focus for the organization that ultimately results to political will and commitment towards nutrition.The Officer will also map out key participation forums at both local and national level to ensure community voices contribute to the realization of the project’s objectives besides packaging information/research findings and developing appropriate communication channels for dissemination of information/research findings; project documentation and dissemination; capacity building, learning and knowledge management. This role will also support additional advocacy activities from the other projects within the field office and national level on need basis.

 Engagement

• Program Manager: Direct line manager
• Community structures
• Beneficiaries: Information sharing, Sensitization.
• Local governmental and non-governmental partners: exchange of information, coordination, training, supervision, influence on choice of technical options.
• OPM: Updates and collaboration of implementation, information sharing.
• Local representatives of international aid organizations: exchange of information

Key Duties & Responsibilities

 Essential Job Duties:

Strategy development and implementation

• The Advocacy Officer will provide leadership in advocacy, learning and policy support to the area office on Nutrition and WASH and ensure there is a coherent process linking the district and national level advocacy efforts.
• Maintain an in-depth understanding of key budgetary cycle moments, law and policy reform initiatives at the local government and national level.
• Ensures that all advocacy messages and documents are evidence-based and of high quality.
• In close collaboration with Nutrition, WASH and FSL Coordinators, Communications Coordinator and the Head of Advocacy, develop and implement local government advocacy plans that will seek to draw synergies in integration of Nutrition, and WASH and other relevant sectors.
• Responsible for the delivery of an annual advocacy implementation work plan.
• Develop and implement relevant context specific strategies for effective community participation within the advocacy activities in collaboration with the field office teams and relevant staff at the country office.
• Support Program Manager in identifying policy and practice change, which would improve nutrition related outcomes.
• Support budget advocacy and budget tracking to improve public investment in Nutrition.

Advocacy and Communications

• Lead the Local Government level monitoring and evaluation of advocacy-related objectives, mapping of key opportunities and events, organization of ACF’s moments’ and events.
• Linking to international process and in collaboration with field office staff and technical Coordinators oversee the development of advocacy materials – including policy briefs, position papers, issues papers, press releases, Questions and answers and opinion pieces for county and national advocacy.
• Develop good knowledge of Local Government structure, political processes and key decision-making structures and how to influence them on issues related to Nutrition and WASH, resource mobilization. Conduct power mapping to identify and engage key influencers in Local Governments for increased resource mobilization and allocation to Nutrition interventions.
• Lead the production and/or contribute to the development and dissemination of policy briefs/IEC fact sheets and county profiles to get Nutrition on District and national agenda,
• Build systems for research, analysis and documentation that underpin evidence based advocacy and influencing at local government level. This will include undertaking audience research and knowledge services mapping to inform communication and advocacy work.

Building Partnerships

• Identify local networks and coalitions and develop sustained partnerships/ alliances that are critical in the dissemination and/or application of research findings and/or learning to influence the policy and practice landscape. This includes representing ACF at strategic forums, networking with strategic CSOs and other social movement processes that are relevant to ACF work.
• Support area offices to build partnerships with communities and program beneficiaries in establishing accountability mechanisms, capacity building and knowledge management.
• Support the capacity building of program and field staff and key partners on advocacy through training, sharing best practices and supporting learning and knowledge management.

Programme Development & Management

• Participate in proposal development processes, in particular liaising with relevant Technical staff and program staff to ensure that advocacy approaches are integrated within and contribute to the achievement of project results and objectives and that sufficient funds are budgeted for implementation.
• Participate in ACF program meetings and related sessions to draw out research-based advocacy messages in programs.  Keep abreast of current research, national and donor policies and debates in Uganda, relevant to advocacy for Nutrition

   Supervisory Responsibilities:

     N/A

  Fiscal Responsibility

 Budgeting: Together with the PM, Manage the advocacy Programs budget, ensuring effective    collaboration and resources, Ensuring adherence to

Requirements

Skills and Experiences

• An academic qualification directly related to Law, Political Science, Governance, International development or Community development.
• At least 3 years of experience in advocacy related work, as well as contributing to the development and implementation of advocacy plans. Experience working within the nutrition sector is an added advantage.
• Highly knowledgeable on Nutrition Governance including Public Investment in Nutrition and related matters
• Understanding of Uganda’s budget cycle (both at local government and national level) and moments.
• An understanding of policy and legislative development processes at both national and local government levels.
• Good written communication skills, including the ability to translate complex arguments into accessible English for a non-specialist audience, and the ability to write articles that would be published in the mainstream press.
• Knowledge of the Local Government processes, and its impact on the health/nutrition sector.
• Excellent verbal communication skills, appropriate for high-level external representation (for example lobbying
• Experience of developing advocacy plans, knowledge and understanding of a range of advocacy techniques
• Experience of effective teamwork and outstanding inter-personal communication skills
• Experience of coalition building and working with civil society actors to deliver change

• Experience in policy and advocacy.
• Good knowledge of the nutrition and health field, including the work of academic/research contacts, NGOs, UN agencies
• Good presentation and persuasion skills.

Others/Extra Details

 Physical Demands

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with interruptions.
• To travel to the field, the employee must attest to a level of physical fitness capable of enduring physically difficult, highly stressful situations which may include the necessity to walk long distances, to eat a limited diet and/or to reside in potentially uncomfortable housing or tents.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 Working Conditions, Travel and Environment

• The duties of the job require regular job attendance at least five days per week. Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as required by contact with the missions, mission security, or other obligations.
• Must be able to travel as required for standard domestic and international business travel as well as to the missions if appropriate. While visiting the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well is to infectious diseases.

Gender Equality Commitments & Zero Tolerance to Abuse

• Foster an environment that reinforces values of people of all genders equal access to information.
• Provide a work environment where people of all genders must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.
• Promote a safe, secure, and respectful environment for all stakeholders, particularly for children, beneficiaries, and members of staff.
• Help to prevent any type of abuse including workplace harassment and sexual abuse and exploitation.
• Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sex orientation, disability, religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status.
• Value and respect all cultures.