Communication Officer Palladium

Project Overview and Role:
As part of the UK’s International Climate Finance commitment, FCDO in Kampala is implementing a Climate Smart Jobs (CSJ) programme, focusing on Northern Uganda.

The Climate Smart Jobs programme will support large-scale job creation for Uganda’s growing population. In recent years, insufficient economic growth has meant a rising proportion of the working age population are not working, and hourly earnings have been falling. This means providing jobs and improving incomes is a high priority for the British High Commission (“BHC”) in Kampala.

The CSJ programme, will target the agri-business sector since the British High Commission believes that improving productivity and/or incomes in agriculture is the most promising prospect for delivering inclusive and equitable economic growth and job opportunities. Three-quarters of the Ugandan population derive their income from agriculture, and agrobusinesses contribute 60% of total output in the Ugandan manufacturing sector.

At Impact level, the British High Commission’s vision is that the Climate Smart Jobs programme, will seek out innovative, technology-based solutions to issues for agriculture in Northern Uganda and scale them in the most efficient ways possible. Higher agricultural productivity, commercialisation of farming and improved net trade in agro-processing products will then accelerate the process of economic transformation in Uganda. It will release young men and women for wages employment into towns, stimulating demand for non-agricultural products and inducing off-farm wages jobs in services. Uganda would be set on a green growth trajectory where businesses, jobs and Gross domestic product (GDP) are no longer held back by unsustainable land management practices, slow onset change and extreme climatic events.

The CSJ programme is funded by the UK’s International Climate Fund. A key priority for the CSJ programme is to help Ugandans adapt to and mitigate the impact of climate change, and jobs created must be resilient to changing climatic conditions. The Ugandan population’s dependence on agriculture, combined with changing climate patterns and unsustainable land management, contributes to Uganda’s position as the 12th most vulnerable to climate change globally. The Ugandan agriculture sector’s exposure to pests, diseases, rains, floods and drought spells is projected to increase in incidence and severity under climate change[1], and thus without adaptation climate change will make economic transformation for Uganda near impossible.

Uganda’s prospects for economic growth and poverty reduction are also closely dependent on sustainable management of its natural capital base. Environmental degradation is a significant problem, leading to a loss of 27% up to agricultural GDP[1]. The CSJ programme therefore promotes sustainable land management practices alongside targeting climate adaption and improved incomes.

The Climate Smart Jobs programme builds on the UK-funded Northern Uganda – Transforming the Economy through Climate Smart Agriculture (NU-TEC) programme. The NU-TEC programme:
• directly financed ~£19 million (UGX 88 billion) of investment into Ugandan agri-businesses and unlocked a further ~£103 million (UGX 484 billion) of investment by Ugandan companies.
• supported Ugandan agri-businesses to generate an additional ~£115 million (UGX 541 billion) of sales.
• enabled ~170,00 households in Northern Uganda to increase their income by at least 15%, benefitting around 900,000 individuals.
• enabled ~2.2 million individuals to better adapt to the effects of climate change through diversified income sources and enhanced access to climate information, markets, inputs or finance.
The geographic focus of the Climate Smart Jobs programme is the Northern Region of Uganda and the refugee-hosting district of Kiryandongo (“Northern Uganda”). Activities undertaken must thus incentivise results to be achieved for households in Northern Uganda where possible. This geographic focus is not exclusive, however, so the CSJ may take advantage of some opportunities to achieve results in other parts of Uganda when opportunities in Northern Uganda are weak. The sectoral focus will be the agriculture sector, and related supporting industries or value chains.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
The main objectives of the Communications Officer are as follows:
•
Support the creation of compelling content, including articles, blog posts, social media content, and multimedia materials.
• Support the production of vodcasts on the programme.
• Support the development and implementation of a comprehensive social media strategy aligned with CSJ-MD vision and objectives.
• Promulgate and develop followers, likes and engagement on our social media platforms.
• Stay up-to-date with social media trends and opportunities, making recommendations for improvements and enhancements of the project’s online presence.
• Assist in organising and coordinating events, workshops, and campaigns related to the programme.
• Collaborate with the Communications Manager to monitor and evaluate the impact of the communication initiatives.
• Work with different members of the Climate Smart Jobs – Market Development implementation team to generate new ideas and innovative strategies.
• Collect and package stories of change from project areas, partners, and beneficiaries.
• Monitor press releases that relate to Climate Smart Jobs
• Amplify opportunities for positive public release.
• Assist in the maintenance and update of the knowledge hub and ensure timely information dissemination.
• Support the preparation of detailed quarterly media activity reports.
The Communications Officer will be expected to collaborate with team members to ensure consistency and alignment of messaging across different channels. She or He will Stay up to date with current events, trends, and developments in the field of climate change.

Required Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in communications, journalism, international development, or a related field.
• Experience with Camera work, video and audio editing is required.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Knowledge of communication techniques and tools, including social media platforms, content management systems, and multimedia software.
Excellent research and analytical skills, with the ability to gather information from diverse sources.
• Creativity and ability to generate engaging content for different audiences.
• Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to handle multiple tasks and meet deadlines.