Vacancy title:
Governance Technical Advisor

[Type: FULL_TIME, Industry: Nonprofit, and NGO, Category: Management]

Jobs at:
Mercy Corps

Deadline of this Job:
Thursday, May 1 2025

Duty Station:
Kampala | Kampala | Uganda

Summary
Date Posted: Friday, April 18 2025, Base Salary: Not Disclosed

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JOB DETAILS:

Location: Kampala, Uganda

Position Status: Full-time, Regular

Salary Level: 10

Current Team Member: New position

Minimum Salary:  8,923,898/=

This position is contingent upon grant approval, contract signature and availability of funds

Safeguarding Risk Level : 3 - frequent contacts with participants, direct contact with children, access to sensitive data , and/or high level of accountability.

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is an international development organization that works in over 40 countries to promote community-led and market-driven development. With a strategic focus on countries in transition, Mercy Corps takes a progressive approach to supporting communities, entrepreneurs, governments and the private sector from relief to long-term economic growth. With a network of over 3,700 experienced professionals around the world, we are uniquely positioned to respond to complex environments and the needs of local communities.

In Uganda, Mercy Corps has been in operating since 2006 in Karamoja specifically in Kotido, Kaabong and Moroto; in Northern Region in Gulu; West Nile in Yumbe and Central region, specifically Kampala district. Mercy Corps offers technical expertise in Market Development, Gender, Peace and Conflict Management, Economic Empowerment, Food Security Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning, Agriculture and Agribusiness.

Mercy Corps has implemented and still implements multiple donor-funded projects her major donors including but not limited to DANIDA (Danish Government Overseas Aid), Austrian Development Agency, Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and private foundations.

Programme / Department Summary

The Preventing Extremism through Advocacy, Resilience, and Local Action (PEARL) Programme is a strategic initiative aimed at preventing and countering violent extremism (VE) in Uganda through institutional reform approaches.

Preventing Extremism through Advocacy, Resilience and Local Action (PEARL) programme seeks to ensure a stronger enabling environment for whole-of-society and whole-of-government approaches to Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE), addressing the identified relational, capacity, and resource-related barriers to effective PCVE implementation, as identified through consultations, assessments and previous engagement.  

Mercy Corps and its partner(s) will adopt a range of approaches to support sustainable change from the Action, leveraging past experience of PCVE programmeming across the East Africa region. This Action adopts an institutional strengthening approach rather than direct delivery, to build awareness and capacities in WoS-WoG approaches to PCVE across a broad spectrum or State and non-state actors, whilst also enabling the key actors responsible for leading and coordinating PCVE action in Uganda to more effectively play this role. Institutional strengthening and reform approaches focus on identifying and overcoming the barriers that often prevent institutions and the people within them from adopting new attitudes, behaviours and ways of working.

General Position Summary

The Governance Technical Advisor will provide strategic leadership and technical direction for the PEARL programme in Kampala and two districts in the Rwenzori region. As a core member of the programme’s technical leadership team, the Advisor will guide the design and implementation of governance-focused activities that advance prevention and countering of violent extremism (PCVE) through institutional strengthening. The role will involve close collaboration with the donor, government counterparts, and partners to promote evidence-based, locally driven approaches to PCVE. The Advisor may supervise technical staff contributing to the programme’s governance objectives.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Safeguarding Responsibilities

• Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work ·
• Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members ·
• Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options

Technical Responsibilities

Programme Delivery and Technical Assistance

Institutional Capacity Building

• Lead assessments of PCVE-related structures and capacities across MDAs to identify gaps, strengths, and support needs.
• Facilitate alignment of mandates, budgets, and policies with national PCVE strategies.
• Support high-level dialogues and policy engagement to promote coordination and strategy implementation.
• Provide targeted technical assistance and develop sustainable, long-term capacity-building plans for MDAs.
• Operationalise communication strategies, ensuring conflict-sensitive messaging and community-based approaches aligned with the Whole-of-Society (WoS) framework.

Capacity Strengthening & Collaboration

• Design and deliver training sessions using PCVE manuals to strengthen technical and coordination capacities of national and local actors.
• Facilitate community and local leader dialogues to support social reintegration and resilience.
• Support the co-design and implementation of evidence-based, context-relevant, community-led PCVE initiatives, particularly in the Rwenzori region.
• Collaborate with programme teams and government counterparts to co-create and deliver multi-sectoral PCVE governance initiatives.

Advisory & Technical Quality Assurance

• Provide timely, high-quality technical guidance to internal teams, partners, and stakeholders.
• Work closely with MEL and operations teams to conduct joint field visits, track implementation quality, and follow up on action plans.
• Contribute to the development of tools, guidelines, and training resources to support consistent and high-quality delivery.
• Promote uptake of best practices and ensure technical integrity across all governance-related PCVE activities.

Evidence, Learning & Innovation

• Participate in programme review meetings and communities of practice to capture lessons learned and best practices.
• Translate learning and evidence into practical guidance and recommendations for programme improvement.
• Lead or support operational research and testing of innovations to advance effective governance interventions in PCVE.
• Ensure inclusive participation and representation of community voices in programme design and learning processes.

Representation & Policy Influencing

• Support development of the programme’s policy and advocacy agenda in coordination with the country office strategy.
• Maintain strategic relationships with MDAs, donors, and other key stakeholders for visibility and policy influence.
• Represent the programme in technical coordination forums, promoting alignment with national and international PCVE governance initiatives.
• Identify and foster partnerships to advance joint advocacy and learning in PCVE governance.

Capacity Building

• Conduct capacity needs assessments for partners and internal teams on PCVE governance.
• Develop and deliver tailored training and mentoring plans to strengthen reporting, policy engagement, and implementation capacities.
• Support partners in improving quality of reporting and integrating PCVE governance into broader development planning.
• Coach colleagues on technical writing, analysis, and reporting related to PCVE governance.

Safeguarding Responsibilities

• Promote a safeguarding culture, integrating safeguarding into daily work and team practices.
• Ensure all activities consider and mitigate safeguarding risks, particularly when engaging with vulnerable communities.
• Encourage open communication and reporting through established channels, including the Integrity Hotline.
• Uphold Mercy Corps’ values and respect the dignity of all programme participants and colleagues.

Organizational Learning

As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient, and relevant to the communities they serve - we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Supervisory Responsibility

None

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Programme Manager

Works Directly With: Country Senior MEL Officer, Programme Team, Finance, Operations Department

Knowledge and Experience

• Master’s degree in a relevant field such as human rights, law, sociology, political science, international development, or a related discipline. A Bachelor’s Degree with significant relevant experience may be accepted in lieu.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience leading the design and implementation of governance-focused programmes related to the prevention and countering of violent extremism (PCVE), preferably in Uganda or the wider East Africa region.
• Strong understanding of the governance and PCVE context in Uganda, including knowledge of institutional frameworks, policy processes, and multi-sectoral coordination mechanisms.
• Demonstrated ability in programme design, monitoring and evaluation, and applying adaptive learning approaches for achieving sustainable impact at scale.
• Proven experience in capacity strengthening and technical assistance to government institutions and civil society organisations, including facilitation of high-level policy dialogues.
• Skilled in context, policy, and capacity analysis, with experience in influencing and advocacy at national or regional level.
• Experience promoting cross-cutting themes such as gender equality, social inclusion, and conflict sensitivity in governance and PCVE programming.
• Excellent interpersonal and representation skills, with a track record of building effective relationships with government, donors, and other stakeholders.
• Strong results orientation, excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, and the ability to present complex information clearly to diverse audiences.
• Experience working in multicultural teams and politically sensitive environments, with a high level of integrity and professional discretion.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our programme participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically
  to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Success Factors

The successful MEL Senior Officer will be bright, energetic, hard-working, and eager to learn.  S/he will take a deep personal interest in humanitarian and development assistance.  S/he will be attentive to detail and able to carry out assigned tasks in a timely manner and according to a very high standard of quality.  S/he will be creative and flexible, contributing to developing and encouraging new and innovative solutions, but at the same time will not have any difficulty in adhering to systems and procedures. S/he will strictly follow all protocols related to safety and security, and holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Mercy Corps’ values.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions  

The position is based in Kampla, Uganda. The location secure with access to most basic amenities.  

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all locations.  

Ongoing Learning 

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development  

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.  

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.  

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 60

Level of Education: postgraduate degree

Job application procedure

• Interested applicants must submit their Cover Letter & CV saved in 1 PDF document of no more than 5 pages by 1st May 2025.
• Please note that any application submitted that does not follow the above instructions will be automatically discarded.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
• Mercy Corps does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process. 
• Interested and qualified? click here to apply 

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