National position

Location: Kampala, Uganda 

Reports to: Regional Director, East Africa office

Duration: 1-year renewable

Type of contract: Fixed-term

Deadline to apply: 5th April 2024 

Expected starting date: As soon as possible 

About ASF

Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF), founded in 1992 in Brussels, is an international NGO specialising in promoting access to justice and the protection of human rights. The organisation fights against injustices in our societies and promotes the principle of the rule of law based on human rights.

ASF is looking nationally for a suitably qualified candidate to fill in the position of a Project Coordinator - Civic Space to be based in the Kampala office.

Key Responsibilities

The Project Coordinator is tasked with the responsibility for the overall coordination and implementation of the ASF project "Empowering Civil Society and Enhancing Civic Space through Regional Networks" (hereafter: civic space project) in Uganda and Tanzania. In particular, the Coordinator will be responsible for the following specific duties:

Project management

• Lead the development of work plans and operational forecasts for the civic space project, in Uganda and Tanzania;
• Design and supervise implementation of activities under the civic space project and particularly provide support to project partners in Uganda and Tanzania;
• Prepare financial reports and accountability on implemented activities;
• Ensure the project adheres to frameworks and all documentation is maintained appropriately;
• Develop appropriate strategies for project risk identification, assessment and mitigation;
• Ensure ASF’s visibility throughout the projects’ management cycle;
• Travel domestically and internationally, as required.

Project Coordination 

• Coordinate the establishment of a community of practice on civic space;
• Coordinate capacity enhancement activities of and support to civil society organizations and media institutions;
• Coordinate the establishment and capacity building of a pool of lawyers, and allow them to provide support where necessary.
• Supervise research processes and outputs to ensure they are high quality and relevant;
• Define strategies of stakeholder coordination, including project partners, lawyers and duty bearers, including through the organisation of national and regional dialogues;
• Present project’s results with and in collaboration with key partners by conducting advocacy on behalf of the project, by identifying possibilities for cooperation with key stakeholders and by participating in national, regional and international meetings;
• Ensure smooth coordination and cooperation among the team of staff and experts contributing to the project, as well as the co-implementing and associated project partners, by guaranteeing coherence and overall coordination of all components of the project;
• Oversee all project evaluations and surveys to ensure they are comprehensive and relevant.

Legal /Technical support

• Provide oversight in the management and analysis of all data collected;
• Advise project partners about the monitoring and legal actions to take from the incidents reported;
• Organise the dissemination of the preliminary findings, receive and compile comments and finalize the report;
• Monitor developments in the situations of civic space and provide analysis to inform ASF interventions.

Knowledge management

• In coordination with the Research and Learning Manager, support monitoring activities on civic space;
• Implement M&E tools and reporting on data collected during ASF and partner activities;
• Assist the Knowledge Manager and the Strategic Litigation Manager in analysing data;
• Centralize, store and archive all relevant documents informing the implementation of the projects;
• Integrate lessons learnt, recommendations and best practices into the project management cycle and into the formulation of new programmes.

Job profile 

Education/Degree

• An advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in law, human rights, international relations, social sciences or related area is required.
• A first-level university degree in similar fields in combination with five additional years of qualifying relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work experience

• A minimum of five years of progressively responsible professional work experience in the area of human rights in Tanzania and/or Uganda is required.
• Experience in the management and coordination of programmes/projects in relevant area is required.
• Work experience in establishing and maintaining working relationships with civil society organizations is required.
• Work experience in conducting and/or coordinating research, monitoring and advocacy activities in the human rights field is desirable.
• Work experience in the development or accompaniment of trainings is required.
• Experience in managing grants and in financial reporting is desirable.

Knowledge and skills:

• Full proficiency of the project management cycle
• Strong coordination skills
• Strong writing and analytical skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Ability to work in a multicultural team
• Significant knowledge of the human rights situation in Tanzania and/or Uganda, and a willingness to develop expertise on the other country;
• (IT proficiency) -Understanding and ability to use full Microsoft Office package

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in Kiswahili are highly desirable.