Youth Advisor -Uganda Youth and Adolescents Health Forum (UYAHF)

Job Title: Youth Advisor

Organization: Uganda Youth and Adolescents Health Forum (UYAHF)

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda (with part-time travel to the field)

About Us

Uganda Youth and Adolescents Health Forum (UYAHF) is a dynamic youth lead and youth serving health and human rights organization driven by a very strong passionate for the health and well-being of adolescents and young people. UYAHF is a legally registered organization that was established in August 2013, to advance and promote quality and improved health and well-being for adolescents and young people with specific emphasis on the promotion of Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, Enhancing Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women and Girls, and promotion of Youth Livelihoods through; entrepreneurship and skills development.

Since its establishment, UYAHF has partnered with various central government agencies like; ministries of health, education, gender, National Population Council, local governments, communities, other NGOs and health systems in Uganda to address access barriers to Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services for adolescents and young people. Recently, UYAHF partnered with three other NGOs/ implementing Partners (IPs) and formed a consortium which was awarded a 5year grant/donation by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This project is to implement USAID Uganda Family Planning Activity (UFPA) with the overall aim of enhancing better reproductive health behaviors to improve pregnancy timing and better child spacing. Under this activity, UYAHF is taking lead of the youth component/engagements.

Job description 

Job summary

The Youth Advisor (USAID/FPA) will support technical strategy, program design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation & learning (MEL) and ensures technical quality of USAID/FPA’s Adolescent and Youth SRH program component and meaningful youth participation and engagement(s). You must be passionate about expanding sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people in Uganda. You will work closely with the project’s technical director in Uganda and other technical advisors, project staff, and project implementing partners to support the Adolescent and youth SRH programming. The position will play a key role in advancing the project’s adolescent and youth sexual reproductive health needs, strategy and support the design, implementation and evaluation of adolescent and young people involvement in the project.

Key duties and responsibilities 

Leadership & management, programming, oversight & supervision, coordination & collaboration, reporting and communication

1. Oversee the development, review and submission of annual, quarterly, and monthly work plans, log frames and budgets for the USAID/FPA project’s adolescent and youth SRH portfolio and ensure these technical program tools are shared appropriately within two weeks of the deadline.
2. Work with the project officers to coordinate planning and implementation of the project’s adolescent and youth SRH activities, including preparation and timely sharing of relevant key activity documents such as concept notes
3. Compile, review and submit monthly, quarterly and annual project performance and progress updates and reports focusing on the adolescent youth components of the project. These reports must be submitted a week in advance before the deadline.
4. Coordinate with the youth officers and the MEL contact person to compile Adolescent and Youth SRH MEL reports on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis and disseminate/ share these reports with USAID PFA project team to enhance evidence for advocacy and learning. Draw a schedule for sharing MEL reports with the project team and partners.
5. Identify and map youth champions that the project will work with at district level and develop a desegregated database of all young people reached on a monthly basis.
6. In coordination with the program team, manage and coordinate the flow of information between UYAHF and USAID/Uganda FPA project technical staff and leadership
7. Coordinate with the youth officers to attend district and ministerial level weekly and monthly engagements, including DHT meetings, MHC cluster meeting, gender and Adolescent health technical working group meetings to champion the FP needs of adolescents and young people.
8. Participate in program meetings with the USAID/FPA team on a weekly and monthly basis.
9. Document and share success stories and achievements every month in the form of blogs, articles, videos etc.
10. Support the project’s program team in development of technical program tools and strategic documents every month, especially those relating to adolescent and youth SRHR. Including but not limited to knowledge summaries, position papers, surveys, policy briefs, blogs, articles, commentaries, work plans, communication and advocacy tools etc.
11. Work in liaison with the project SBBC team to identify, map and develop a database for youth related strategic media channels including TV and Radio programs and establish contact with key personnel who can provide social behavior change information to young people to advance their demand for family planning.
12. Perform any other duties assigned by the supervisor.

Minimally Required Job-Specific Competencies:

• Country Specific Public Health System: Foundational knowledge of Uganda’s public health systems especially sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health.
• Adolescent and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Programs and Services: Strong up-to-date knowledge of adolescent development, family planning and reproductive health principles, policies, and programmatic practices and services, including program strategies and monitoring frameworks, and the latest professional developments in AYSRHR, including related issues such as child marriage, adolescent pregnancy, comprehensive sexuality education, youth participation and leadership.
• Training Design, Development and Delivery: Foundational knowledge in development of key program tools and models and approaches, advocacy tools and materials, training materials and ability to deliver training to diverse groups.
• Research Writing and Editing: Foundational knowledge of writing, analyzing and publishing research results through reports, and other advocacy tools like; blogs, articles, policy briefs and position papers, action plans and implementation guidelines among others.
• Data Processing: Foundational knowledge of data processing.
• PC Applications: Foundational knowledge of MS. Office package and internet applications.
• Global Health System: Deep knowledge of the SRHR ecosystem with a global, national health and community engagement context, with a focus on Adolescent and Youth Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights.
• Program and Project Planning and Management: Deep skills in program and project management and planning to fulfill performance objectives, including the timely implementation and reporting of donor-funded program activities.
• Technical Assistance: Proven skills in providing short-term technical assistance to complex health and development programs.
• Interpersonal skills: Skilled in developing productive relationships with varied stakeholders, including colleagues, partners, governments and clients.
• Self-awareness and personnel development: Committed to growing as a leader and as a professional.
• Presentation Skills: Proven ability to communicate effectively on a range of topics related to AYSRHR to small and large groups.

Key Job Outcomes: 

• Driving technical excellence: Support the project teams to develop, implement, monitor and evaluate client-centered Adolescent Youth Sexual Reproductive Health (AYSRH) interventions that are solidly grounded in national evidence and meaningful youth engagement. Ensures AYSRH needs are mainstreamed across USAID/FPA activities, as appropriate.
• Strengthening AYSRH programming: Provide technical assistance and build capacity of USAID/FPA team in understanding unique AYSRHR issues and concepts and ensure these lessons are translated into implementation of the project among all partners including district partners where the project is implemented.
• Keep abreast of the latest evidence on AYSRHR (and adolescent and youth empowerment, as needed) and disseminate across the project team and all partners working on the USAID/FPA project.
• Resource Development: Works with the project’s technical director, Advisor and other project team members to develop, review, and roll out tools, resources and training to improve AYSRH programming.
• Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL): Works closely with MEL team to monitor and evaluate AYSRH activities/services impact, capture performance and results and promote the use of data for decision-making to strengthen the project.
• Reporting and Communications: Provides accurate and timely reporting and updates on the adolescent and youth SRH interventions and projects’ progress and challenges.
• Engagement: Supports USAID/FPA Technical Director and the project team on AYSRH to cultivate and strengthen positive, productive relationships with ministry of health, ministry of gender, districts and other CSO and community partners.
• Represent UYAHF and the project on authorization of the UYAHF Team Leader and Chief of Party in relevant AYSRHR interagency working groups and conferences at national and international level.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• The applicant should hold a Masters degree in public health, global health, gender studies or related field and with a minimum of 5 years of work experience in program/project management. Experience working with NGOs will be an added advantage.
• You should have at least 5 years of relevant work experience in the field of project coordination, program leadership, management and programming. Must have practical skills in project activity oversight & supervision, coordination & collaboration, reporting and communication with relevant knowledge in sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equality, human rights and youth empowerment.
• Proficient in use of Microsoft packages i.e Word, Excel, power point and other computer programs & software, including familiarity with appropriate use of the internet.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills in English, additional ability to speak any of the local languages.
• Demonstrates adaptability and flexibility in all aspects of working with ability to work under pressure.
• Self-driven/self-starter, good at multi-tasking and innovative with ability to work as part of a team and support others in their work.
• Ability to prioritize work according to importance and deadline while meeting tight and conflicting work demands including deadlines.
• Pro-active with excellent intrapersonal and interpersonal skills, flexibility, resourcefulness in problem solving and strong leadership skills.
• A critical and analytical thinker who enjoys establishing and maintaining relationships.
• Have experience in co-creation and facilitating trainings
• Willingness to travel nationally and internationally to participate in work related meetings, conferences and trainings.
• Women and young people are highly encouraged to apply for this role.

Offer package

Highly competitive remuneration based on position

To work 40 hours a week from Monday to Friday

With the above in your possession, please submit your resume/CV (3 pages Max) with a one pager of motivation/cover letter and two reference letters, to: info@uyahf.com and Cc: jnakkazi@uyahf.com before Friday 26^th February 2021. Only successful candidates will be contacted for interviews. Please note that late and incomplete applications will not be considered.