Policy & Advocacy Coordinator

Since 1998, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has provided life-saving services to refugees and vulnerable local communities in Uganda.Currently, the IRC works in five refugee settlements in Uganda. The IRC also supports EVD work in SW districts of Kasese, Kagadi and Kyegegwa as well as in Uganda’s capital, Kampala. The IRC remains committed to forming strong partnerships with local and international organizations and ensuring that protection principles are integrated throughout all of its program sectors.

IRC is seeking a Policy and Advocacy Coordinator for a five-year project, “PlayMatters”, funded by the LEGO Foundation. This position will be a part of the larger PlayMatters initiative to increase play-based learning opportunities for nearly 1 million pre-primary and primary school aged refugee and host community children impacted by the humanitarian crises in East Africa and living in Ethiopia and Uganda. This project aims to build children’s social, emotional, cognitive, physical and creative skills through play in their homes, schools, and communities and will be implemented in partnership with War Child, Plan International, Ubongo, Behavioural Insights Team and Innovations for Poverty Action.

Job Overview

The Policy and Advocacy Coordinator will be responsible for ensuring IRC Uganda and relevant PlayMatters Consortium members identify, engage and influence key education policy and decision makers and other stakeholders in Uganda. This includes coordination and collaboration with government, UN and other humanitarian coordination decision makers, education implementing partners, and large-scale development initiatives to improve learning through play.

The Policy and Advocacy Coordinator will also be responsible for policy campaigning, review and analysis on a range of education policy areas including curriculum and teacher training related to Learning through Play (LtP) for preprimary and primary school children in Uganda with active engagement of relevant ministries and other key education stakeholders. The candidate will have excellent knowledge of the Ugandan Education policy framework, strategies, and priorities as well as demonstrable knowledge and understanding of the current policy reforms undertaken by the MOE.

The Policy and Advocacy Coordinator will report to the country level Senior Project Coordinator and work closely with the Regional Policy and Advocacy Advisor and the PlayMatters Project Director to develop key messages, communication materials and an engagement strategy for Uganda that will inform the day to day task of building relationships and defining roles and responsibilities. In doing so, the Policy and Advocacy Coordinator will ensure the type of engagement in design and implementation necessary to achieve joint priorities and objectives of providing play-based learning opportunities for all children.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Jointly work with the Regional Policy Advisor to conduct a stakeholder analysis and to develop a country-specific engagement and policy influence strategy that is continuously updated as contexts evolve and change.
• Update key messages and communications materials on play-based learning to reflect the country specific context and update as the context evolves.
• Collaborate with Regional policy Advisor to prepare evidence-based policy briefs, presentations, advocacy statements, talking points, training materials, and respond to meaningful advocacy moments with messages and materials related to the project, to help consortiummembers to engage in constructive dialogue with governments and other relevant stakeholders.
• Facilitate education actors’ engagement in project planning and ensure that is reflected in project documents such as the implementation work plan and learning agenda, as well as define clear roles and responsibilities of key education actors in achieving program objectives.
• Develop the capacities of IRC and consortium project staff in engaging with and influencing key education actors.
• Closely monitor and document policy debates, changes in policies, and shifting strategies and ensure relevant information is disseminated to project staff in a timely manner.
• Identify and keep abreast of appropriate opportunities and points of leverage where PlayMatters can influence, intervene or contribute to relevant policy processes.
• Review teacher training curricula and advocate with relevant institutions to include LtP methodology into training packages.
• Prepare key information ahead of project staff engagements with these key actors and ensure that action points are followed through.
• Track key events, forums and meetings in-country and work with PlayMatters regional team, key actors, and IRC Uganda staff to coordinate representation, attendance and sharing on PlayMatters.
• Act as project spokesperson on advocacy issues where appropriate and take part in relevant country advocacy, as guided by key stakeholders and present key messages on play-based learning to influence relevant MOE, and key education stakeholders.
• Contribute to relevant policy research, key studies and reporting at country level.