Organisation: Restless
Development
Project Name: MasterCard
Foundation Driving Youth-led New Agribusiness and Microenterprise (DYNAMIC)
programme
Reports to: Programme
Manager
Duty Station: Abim, Kaabong,
Agago, Lira, Gulu, Lamwo, Kitgum, Pader, Uganda
Salary: Annual Gross UGX 39,555,138
Restless
Development is an international non-profit organization which is embarking on
becoming the global banner carrier for youth-led development; demonstrating at
the grassroots and policy levels that young people can and must play a lead
role in development. Over the past five years, Restless Development has more
than tripled the size of its budgets and programmes, and has been repeatedly
cited as a model of best practice in youth-led development by the World Bank,
DFID, UNICEF and others.
Working in
consortia with GOAL, Mercy Corps, VSO, the MasterCard Foundation Driving
Youth-led New Agribusiness and Microenterprise (DYNAMIC) programme will strengthen
systems and facilitate the creation of sustainable economic opportunities for
disadvantaged Ugandan youth. DYNAMIC’s overall goal is to increase the number
of young people who are in secure employment or self employment and to promote
effective and efficient agricultural market systems for youth. Through a
market-driven and holistic approach, DYNAMIC will engage an array of public and
private sector actors to increase access to goods, services, markets,
information and productive and social assets to increase productivity of
Ugandan agribusinesses and non-farm enterprises. DYNAMIC will reach 125,000
out-of-school youth aged 15 – 24 living in peri-urban and rural areas within
eight districts of northern Uganda over five years. Through an innovative,
market facilitation approach, DYNAMIC will promote long-term efficiency in
existing agricultural systems. Youth already engaged in on-farm activities will
move from subsistence to more productive and profitable farming. DYNAMIC will increase
the employability of Ugandan youth by facilitating access to demand driven
technical skills, knowledge and market information that directly respond to
business opportunities in the agricultural sector. In parallel, DYNAMIC will
link agribusinesses and microenterprises to market opportunities and diverse
stakeholders, and ensure they can utilize appropriate (formal and informal)
financial services. DYNAMIC’s design recognizes that youth are a diverse age
group requiring tailored interventions to fit their stage in life and
transition into the workforce. In particular, DYNAMIC will ensure that
participating youth, particularly young women, are engaging in appropriate,
safe, and productive economic opportunities.
Job Summary: The Youth
Engagement Officer will provide the technical backstopping to the peer models. The incumbent will take full responsibility of
capacity-building of youth throughout the project by offering oversight to the
delivery of the Peer Educator model.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
1.
Programme Implementation:
·
Oversee the recruitment and selection process for
peer educators which will involves developing selection criteria and materials,
advertising in the target communities and management of peer educator agreement
of responsibilities through formal MOUs
·
Work closely with other Dynamic team members to
organize foundation and topup trainings for peer educators
·
Manage peer educator outputs through monthly work
plans, regular support, supervision and mentorship visits
·
Ensure linkage of Peer educators to the oriented
private sector actors to identify and develop opportunities to engage youth
effectively in their businesses.
·
The incumbent will render support in the development
of programme progress reports
·
Work in liaison with peer educators to strengthen
youth groups by supporting registrations, networking and resource mobilization
·
Organize peer educator debrief to ensure learning
from each peer educator cohort is factored into the next
·
Support the youth-led market research to inform
program design, implementation and advocacy
·
Support the DYNAMIC evaluation and learning
component that will add to the body of knowledge on viable models to support
access to secure employment and self-employment for youth in Uganda
·
Ensure achievements and best practices in the Peer
Education model are documented and shared for programme learning and
improvement
2.
Management of peer educator welfare:
·
Provide discipline, care and guidance in an
approachable, supportive and helpful way to all the peer educators
·
Ensure peer educators adhere to the provided
policies and procedures governing the Dynamic Programme
·
The incumbent will mediate between the volunteers
and communities, when and if communication or programme related problems occur
·
Ensure peer educators’ relevant activity funds are
spent in accordance with donor and DYNAMIC guidelines
·
Ensure Programme Manager is aware of emerging issues
related to the work of peer educators
3.
Partnerships and relationship building:
·
Build and maintain working relationships with
District and sub-county government as necessary to support implementation of
the DYNAMIC programme
·
Support the establishment and maintenance of
relationships with target communities, and local government.
·
Ensure regular engagement of youth groups with youth
structures including the Youth MPs and National Youth Council
·
Ensure information on government programs is shared
with youth
·
Work closely with peer educators to ensure youth are
linked and represented in relevant networks such as farmers’ groups and
business associations
·
Ensure opportunities are created for youth and
policy-makers to dialogue and make joint decisions.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
·
The Restless Development Youth Engagement Officers should
hold Degrees in Development studies or other relevant field
·
A minimum of three years’ experience designing and
delivering youth engagement programmes
·
Past exposure and experience in Agribusiness and
Microenterprise
·
Broad knowledge and understanding of contemporary
development issues particularly those related to economic opportunities for
youth
·
Ability to analyse problems and make sound
operational decisions
·
Excellent organizational, written and verbal
communication skills
·
Prior experience working in a consortia type of
programmes
·
Past exposure and experience with Monitoring and
Evaluation systems and research, including participatory research approaches
·
Strong computer literacy with full knowledge of
office applications
·
Experience as a volunteer will be an added advantage
·
Prior experience working in Northern Uganda
All suitably
qualified and interested candidates are encouraged to send a completed
application, form, download
here and send it to: ugandajobs@restlessdevelopment.org, stating the
vacancy job title Uganda – Youth Engagement Officer.
Deadline: Monday 12th October 2015
by 5pm (East Africa Time)