Uganda: Program Officer, National Association Of Women Judges

Jul 14, 2020 | International Development Law Organization
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International Development Law Organisation (IDLO) with funding from the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida), is implementing the Community Justice Programme (CJP) 2018-2023, which seeks to enhance the accessibility, quality, and sustainability of justice services delivered for rural, vulnerable and marginalized communities in Uganda. It focuses on legally-empowering grassroots communities and enhancing the capacity of duty bearers within the justice, law and order sector (JLOS) at the national and community levels to provide the citizens, particularly the most vulnerable, with quality legal knowledge, legal aid, and other justice services to uphold their basic rights, challenge their grievances in an equitable manner, and obtain effective justice remedy and compensation from both formal and informal justice mechanisms. As an implementation approach, IDLO is partnering with a number of institutions (state and non-state) including professional associations who are actors in the justice sector.

The National Association for Women Judges in Uganda (NAWJU) is one of the organizations/institutions that IDLO is in the process of partnering with to support the Judiciary to strengthen gender expertise in the administration of justice. Through a two-year intervention, IDLO seeks to support NAWJU to 1) strengthen its operational capacity, 2) provide mentorship support and capacity building opportunities to its members and associates; 3) effectively participate in gender justice reform processes, and 4) enable learning through linkages with peer women judges associations in the region and globally. Activities will include training to judicial officers in procedural handling of cases involving women and girls; publication and dissemination of copies of the Judiciary Gender Policy and other gender-related legal tools; research on the increasing trend of defilement cases in the country; and facilitation of peer learning opportunities for judicial officers both at national and international level.

National Association of Women Judges in Uganda (NAWJU)

The National Association of Women Judges in Uganda (NAWJU) is a membership organization comprised of judicial officers from the lower and upper bench (Judges, Magistrates, and Registrars) who are committed to enforce women's rights and increasing women's access to the legal system under the Judiciary. The Association was established in 1994 as a branch of the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) and has since spearheaded advocacy in the advancement and promotion of gender equality especially improving access to justice for women and children. It operates on the premise that, through informed leadership, members can be catalysts for social transformation. NAWJU believes that, as leaders at different levels, its members have the opportunity to effect change through decision-making processes in and outside the bench.

The International Development Law Organization (IDLO)

The International Development Law Organization (IDLO) is the only international, inter-governmental organization exclusively devoted to promoting the rule of law and sustainable development. IDLO works to enable governments and empower people to reform laws and strengthen institutions to promote peace, justice, sustainable development, and economic opportunity. The Republic of Uganda became the 37th member party of IDLO on October 4, 2019, and subsequently entered into an agreement with IDLO in March 2020 which paves the way for IDLO’s rollout of various programs in support of Uganda’s development agenda in a number of areas including access to justice.

The Assignment

IDLO and NAWJU seek to engage a national expert to be seconded to NAWJU to fill the position of a Program Officer. The embedded NAWJU Program Officer will be responsible for the day to day management at the NAWJU Secretariat, supporting the Association to strengthen its coordination capacity, effectively participate in gender justice reform processes, provide mentorship support to its members, strengthen the capacity of judges/magistrates, and create learning linkages with peer women judges associations in the region towards ensuring women’s effective participation in running of formal justice processes. Moreover, through the development of a resource mobilization plan and a business continuity plan for the Association, the Program Officer is expected to contribute to the sustainability of NAWJU activities in the future.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Under the overall supervision of the IDLO Program Manager –Uganda (Gender and Civil Society component) and the President of NAWJU, the embedded Program Officer will:
2. Support day-to-day implementation of the activities in the NAWJU project, including work planning, budget management, events management, monitoring, and reporting, of all activities under the IDLO-funded Project, and ensure that results contribute to the CJP and in accordance with IDLO processes and procedures.
3. Coordinate with the IDLO Program Manager – Uganda (Gender and Civil Society Component) in overseeing the work of other short-term consultants with specific assignments.
4. Carry out research to provide substantive input into the development of new proposals, concept notes, briefing notes, donor narrative reports, and mission preparation among others.
5. Engage, coordinate, and follow up with development partners to fundraise and secure resources for NAWJU.
6. Provide technical programmatic and institutional support to the NAWJU Secretariat as necessary including the development of relevant policies and programme documents.
7. Coordinate with the Program Manager - Gender and Civil Society in the management of financial and administrative matters with respect to the IDLO-NAWJU partnership.
8. Advice and document lessons from policy dialogues to inform future engagements and assist in the dissemination of tools developed by NAWJU within the Judiciary.
9. Report regularly to the IDLO Program Managers on program updates including, but not limited to, preparation of monthly Program reports and specific updates as necessary.
10. Perform such other duties as may be assigned by the IDLO and NAWJU.

Deliverables:

The Program Officer shall deliver the following outputs:

1. A proposed plan of action, with clear milestones, timelines, and proposed methodology (to be submitted within 30 days from the start of the assignment).
2. Monthly reports to the NAWJU President and the IDLO Program Manager, Gender and Civil Society (based on a template to be agreed upon by IDLO and NAWJU) detailing tasks undertaken.
3. Resource mobilization plan and funding concepts notes/proposals.
4. Any tools developed including institutional policies and strategies as assigned by NAWJU President.
5. Final report documenting work done for the entire duration and institutional lessons learned.
6. Business Continuity Plan.
7. Any other deliverables/outputs as may be agreed with the IDLO and NAWJU.

The Program Officer will, at all times be guided by these terms of reference and will:

• Carry out the services and perform his or her tasks with reasonable care, skill and in an efficient, and professional manner;
• Observe strict confidentiality;  and
• Be guided by these terms of reference.

Estimated timeframe:

Twelve (12) months with the possibility of renewal subject to satisfactory performance, continued need for services by IDLO and NAWJU, and availability of funding.

Ideal Candidate Profile:

This assignment requires a skilled professional with an appropriate mixture of expertise in law, gender, program/project management, and resource mobilization. The ideal candidate shall demonstrate optimal performance and experience in administration, legal research, gender mainstreaming, qualitative analysis, report writing, and presentation. Specifically, the ideal candidate must have the following qualifications and experience:

1. Hold a Bachelor of Laws Degree or a degree in Gender Studies.  A post-graduate degree in the relevant field will be an added advantage.
2. Must possess a strong understanding of gender equality and experience in gender mainstreaming in access to justice programming.
3. Have at least 5 years of professional experience regarding rule of law, gender, and governance sector reforms including in developing gender justice training tools and delivering trainings on gender mainstreaming/integration.
4. Have demonstrated experience in resource mobilization
5. Possess demonstrable extensive knowledge of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda 1995 (as amended), comparative constitutional law, and international law.
6. Experience in legal research, analysis, and writing, particularly in the field of Gender and Rule of law.
7. Experience and administration in areas related to judicial reforms is an added advantage.
8. Possess experience in basic financial management for projects.
9. Possess a strong work ethic characterized by a desire to achieve results.
10. Strong problem- solving skills, with a high degree of personal and professional organization.
11. Ability to multi-task in a high-pressure environment, respond rapidly to ad hoc requests, meet tight deadlines, and ensure diplomacy and tact when engaging with prominent public figures.
12. Computer savvy including the ability to navigate basic programs with proficiency and be able to utilize social media applications to aid her/his work.

Terms and Conditions

Terms and conditions will be set according to the program implementation needs. Candidates should possess the ability to work and travel within and outside of Uganda.

In the interest of making the most effective use of resources, only the short-listed candidates will be contacted during the selection process.

Disclaimer

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the Contractor assigned to this work. This may not be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The Director-General of IDLO reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities or even to cancel the recruitment to meet business and organizational needs as necessary.