UNICEF Job in Uganda- Project and Campaign Manager for "Ureport"

Closing Date: Sunday, 12 June 2011

Job Location: UNICEF Kampala, George Street, Kampala

OVERVIEW:

UNICEF Uganda is looking for an experienced project manager and communications/campaign specialist based in Kampala, Uganda to work on an innovative national campaign that engages communities, and specifically youth and youth organizations, in reporting on service delivery and other critical community issues.

The candidate must be comfortable handling all aspects of the campaign, including: 1. engaging youth organizations, community-based and faith-based organizations, including building their capacity and supporting efforts to integrate Ureport into their general work and effectively utilize the data; 2. developing a strategy for effective usage of Ureport information, focusing on ensuring that reports are directed to appropriate duty bearers and officials at the local level for follow-up; 3. working with government counterparts including Ministry focal points, MPs' offices, and Local Government to constructively engage them in the campaign; 4. coordinating with UNICEF T4D and software developer teams to advise them on modifications to the existing web platform (both public-facing and administrative); 5. working with the Communications section at UNICEF to design and run both national and subnational communication campaigns across all media outlets (print, radio and TV, as well as strategies for reaching venues of community activism and dialogue); 6. coordinating with other similar campaigns, such as the National Democracy Institutes 'Contact your Parliamentarian' initiative and Twaweza's 'TracFM', to harmonize roll-out; 7. monitoring the Ureport administrative website and supervising the monitoring and communications activities of the partners (youth, community and faith-based organizations); 8. updating the Ureport website regularly with new content; 9. training new partner focal points on how to monitor the website, as needed; 10. devising and implementing strategies to integrate Ureport information into programmatic aspects of UNICEF and Government of Uganda work; and 11. conducting monitoring, analysis and evaluation aspects of the project.

PURPOSE: UNICEF Uganda needs a skilled project manager and communications/campaign expert to take a system currently being piloted to a full-blown national campaign with a concrete strategy to reach into communities, gather relevant information, and use it to empower them to address local issues as well as use this information to exert influence on local, regional and national stakeholders as part of a larger governance and accountability strategy. The manager is also expected to ensure information collected feeds into UNICEF and the Government of Uganda's programmatic goals: to provide the best possible environment for children to stay alive, safe and learning.

SCOPE OF WORK: Below are the key tasks to be completed: 1. Manage and increase the network of Ureporters via partner organizations' focal points and through outreach with new and potential partners. Provide trainings and support to new focal points as necessary. 2. Assist partner organizations to routinely monitor incoming messages and provide targeted SMS feedback to Ureporters, and ensure integration of Ureport information into larger partner work. This will include daily quality assurance and spot check monitoring of the website, and partner performance. 3. Monitor the reporting behavior of Ureporters and if necessary, modify implementation with a focus on ensuring the highest possible response rates are achieved and attrition is limited. 4. Develop strategy to ensure that data is fed to relevant stakeholders and followed up on; this will include mapping key duty bearers and 'channels of influence', developing mechanisms to feed them relevant data, and creating accountability measures to encourage follow-up. 5. Engage political and service delivery structures to design their involvement in the overall Ureport initiative as well as specific campaigns. 6. Working with guidance from the Communications section at UNICEF, design and implement a national communication campaign across all media outlets (print, radio and TV, as well as strategies for reaching venues of community activism and dialogue) 7. Gathering user feedback, and working with T4D team, provide software programmers with requirements for modifications to the SMS system, administrative site and public website. This may include addition of voice mail/voice recording system to the current SMS and web tools. 8. Prepare regular packaged information for program sections within UNICEF, and government partners; provide regular analytic reports to UNICEF. 9. Routinely update content on the Ureport website, and develop advocacy and publicity materials as needed.

EXPECTED/KEY DELIVERABLES: 1. Develop 'content bundles' to be provided to media outlets, programme sections, and government and NGO/CBO counterparts. (Weekly) 2. Public website content updated, including Stories and photos gathered from Ureport focal points. (Weekly) 3. Updated Phase 1 Implementation plan (End of Month 1), including: a. Ureport expansion and member retention strategy, including detailed plan on incentives, user feedback and communications b. Accountability and advocacy strategy, including detailed plan on usage of data and other Ureport information gathered c. Recommendations for use and integration of Ureport data and other information into traditional UNICEF programming d. M&E strategy, including detailed plan to use RCTs developed with the UNICEF e. Revised Budget 4. Technical Ureport platform recommendations for software modifications / new functionality (End of Month 2). 5. Assessment of initial Ureport system uptake and usage, and partner engagement, with lessons learned and clear recommendations to strengthen the project. Analysis should be both quantitative and qualitative (End of Month 3). 6. Report on first round of political and service delivery provider engagement, including lessons learned and recommendations. (End of Month 4). 7. Midterm report, summarizing project findings and recommendations. This should include quantitative and qualitative analysis of system uptake and usage, any impacts seen or measurable at this stage, and human-interest stories. This should be of publishable quality, and expected to be shared with UNICEF HQ / regional offices and other development partners. (End of Month 5)

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE REQUIRED: It is required that the project/campaign manager has:

* at least 3 years progressive experience with demonstrated results as a project manager
* experience with a high-level communications campaign across multiple mediums, with national brand recognition
* experience working with community based organizations
* experience engaging with political structures, civil society pressure groups, and other channels of national influence
* fluency in written English; excellent communication skills It is highly recommended that the project manager have:
* understanding of community-based channels of influence, community-based communication and development, participatory rural appraisal (PRA) methodologies, and/or ethnographic research
* knowledge of Ugandan national and local government, health, education and water/sanitation structures.
* experience with monitoring and evaluation
* experience giving user-based feedback to the development of software applications
* at least 2 years of experience in East Africa and lives in region
* fluency in at least 1 Ugandan national language It is advantageous for the project manager to have:
* previous experience with SMS-based campaigns, mobile phone or other technology applications in Africa
* experience working with development actors: donors, UN agencies, government ministries
* knowledge of environment in which UNICEF operates, and understanding of the constraints of working in a developing-world environment Additionally, the project manager must be:
* willing to travel (sometimes on short notice) to work with partners in the field, directly with end-users, in sometimes challenging conditions
* willing to live in Kampala, Uganda

TO APPLY Send letter of interest, CV and any relevant sample work (links or attachments) to jobst4d@gmail.com and cayado@unicef.org Applications must be received by 12 June 2011