Apply by 13th October 2026 at 5:00 PM (E.A.T)
About Restless Development
Restless Development is a global non-profit agency. We support the collective power of young leaders to create a better world. We are independently registered and governed in nine countries (India, Nepal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, UK, USA, Zambia and Zimbabwe) bound together by our vision for youth power. We run youth-led programmes to tackle the issues that young people care about the most. We also coordinate the
Youth Collective, a growing network of over 4000 local youth civil society groups and organisations in 185 countries.
Our approach to safeguarding
Restless Development considers the welfare and protection of children, young people and vulnerable adults to be an organisational imperative with primacy over the success of programmes or strategic objectives.
About YIGA
Promoting Youth Inclusion in Governance and Decision-making in Uganda (YIGA) is supported by the Royal Danish Embassy under PACER and runs through December 2027. Restless Development leads the consortium with Media Challenge Initiative (MCI) and Karamoja Youth Effort to Save the Environment (KAYESE). Building on implementation in Karamoja, the project is expanding to Arua, Terego and Madi-Okollo in West Nile, alongside activities that bring regional youth priorities into national discussions.
YIGA addresses the information gaps, limited opportunities and institutional barriers that prevent young people from influencing decisions about their communities. It helps young people understand local government planning and budgeting, gather evidence on public services, and raise their priorities with elected representatives, officials and community leaders. At the same time, it helps these leaders involve young people in decisions and respond to their concerns through practical action plans and regular follow-up.
In West Nile, this includes training Youth Accountability Advocates and youth councillors, supporting community barazas and Youth Leader Connect meetings, and monitoring service delivery with local governments. MCI’s Youth Information Hub+ combines a physical hub in Arua and Karamoja, mobile and digital engagement approaches and digital resources with civic films, radio, storytelling and media literacy activities. Evidence from both regions will inform the State of Youth Civil Society in Uganda report and National Youth Working Group discussions. Throughout, YIGA seeks to turn informed youth participation into decisions and services that better reflect young people’s needs.
About the Role:
The Advocacy Officer will lead and support YIGA’s advocacy and youth engagement efforts, working closely with young people, youth structures, local government leaders, elected representatives, community leaders and project partners. The role will support young people to raise their priorities, use evidence to influence decision-making and advocate for improved public services and youth-responsive governance.
The Advocacy Officer will also support the documentation and use of evidence and learning from the project to strengthen advocacy at local and national levels. This will include supporting Youth Accountability Advocates and youth councillors, facilitating engagements with decision-makers, and contributing to platforms that bring youth priorities into wider policy and governance discussions. The role will work closely with the Programme Team and consortium partners to ensure that YIGA’s advocacy activities contribute to meaningful youth participation, stronger accountability and practical responses to young people’s priorities.
Job title: Advocacy Officer
Location: Kampala, Uganda
Project coverage: West Nile, with coordination across Karamoja and relevant national programme activities
YIGA Level of Effort: 50%
Salary: UGX. 23,542,380 Gross Per Annum
Preferred start date: As Soon As Possible
Duration: 1 year, renewable depending on funding and performance
Direct Reports: Young Leaders, where applicable
Expected travel: Regular domestic travel, particularly Karamoja & West Nile and other programme locations as required.
Key responsibilities
1. Advocacy Strategy and Implementation
- Lead the day-to-day implementation of YIGA’s advocacy activities in line with the project advocacy strategy, workplan and targets.
- Identify specific youth priorities and governance issues that require advocacy and support the development of clear advocacy objectives, messages and influencing approaches.
- Map and analyse relevant decision-makers, duty bearers, influencers and other stakeholders to inform advocacy and engagement efforts.
- Develop advocacy action plans, engagement plans and activity schedules and follow up on agreed actions.
- Track advocacy commitments made by decision-makers and support youth structures to follow up on these commitments.
2. Evidence-Based Advocacy and Policy Influence
- Work with young people and project teams to gather, analyze and package evidence on public service delivery and issues affecting young people.
- Translate evidence and youth priorities into advocacy briefs, issue papers, policy recommendations, talking points, presentations, case studies and other influencing materials.
- Identify relevant district and national policies, plans and processes where YIGA evidence and youth priorities can be presented and influence decision-making.
- Support youth representatives to monitor service delivery performance, prepare for and effectively participate in meetings with elected leaders, technical officers and other decision-makers to present their evidence for action.
- Monitor policy and governance developments relevant to YIGA and identify opportunities for youth engagement and influence.
3. Youth-Led Advocacy and Capacity Strengthening
- Train, mentor, and provide hands-on support to Youth Accountability Advocates, Youth Councillors, and other youth structures on advocacy, accountability and engagement with decision-makers.
- Facilitate youth-led advocacy sessions, community barazas, Youth Leader Connect meetings and other platforms for dialogue between young people and duty bearers.
- Support young people to develop advocacy messages, identify appropriate targets and plan practical advocacy actions.
- Coach youth representatives on how to present evidence, communicate their priorities, and effectively engage decision-makers.
- Document and share successful youth-led advocacy approaches and lessons for replication across YIGA implementation areas.
4. Stakeholder Engagement
- Establish and maintain working relationships with district local governments, elected leaders, community leaders, civil society organisations, youth led organisations and other relevant stakeholders.
- Organise and facilitate stakeholder meetings and dialogue sessions between youth and decision-makers.
- Facilitate youth leaders and community structures to follow up with stakeholders on agreed actions and commitments and document progress.
- Support the project to identify strategic partnerships and platforms that can increase the visibility and influence of youth priorities.
- Represent YIGA in relevant advocacy, governance, youth and policy forums as assigned.
5. Organizational Advocacy, Communications and Visibility
- Support Restless Development Uganda’s wider advocacy priorities, campaigns, policy engagement, consultations, forums and influencing activities at local and national levels, as agreed with the line manager.
- Work with the Communications team, programme teams and consortium partners to develop and disseminate advocacy messages, media briefs, talking points, position papers, success stories and other relevant communications materials.
- Provide evidence, analysis, youth perspectives and learning from YIGA and other programme activities to inform organisational advocacy, communications and influencing work.
- Identify and support opportunities to connect YIGA’s youth-led advocacy and learning with wider organisational priorities, networks, coalitions, media and other influencing platforms.
- Represent Restless Development in relevant advocacy, governance, youth and policy forums, and support the documentation and communication of advocacy outcomes, emerging issues and programme learning.
6. Monitoring, Learning and Reporting
- Maintain an advocacy tracker to monitor planned activities, stakeholder engagements, commitments, policy opportunities and advocacy outcomes.
- Track changes resulting from advocacy interventions and document evidence of influence, including changes in decisions, plans, budgets, services or practices.
- Work closely with the MEL team to develop and track advocacy indicators and outcomes.
- Prepare timely advocacy activity reports, updates and learning briefs.
- Contribute to the State of Youth Civil Society in Uganda report and National Youth Working Group discussions by providing relevant evidence, analysis and field learning.
- Identify what is working, emerging challenges and opportunities for improvement, and use these learnings to strengthen ongoing advocacy approaches.
7.Other Responsibilities
- Support Restless Development Uganda’s wider organisational advocacy, youth engagement and programme delivery activities.
- Other duties that may be assigned from time to time, including occasional work on weekends for which Time Off Lieu (TOIL) can be taken.
Qualifications and Experience
- A Bachelor’s degree in Development Studies, Social Sciences, Public Policy, Political Science, Governance, Communications, or a related field.
- At least 3 years of relevant experience in advocacy, policy engagement, youth participation, governance, accountability, or a related area.
- Demonstrated experience working with young people and youth-led structures, preferably within a development or civil society organisation.
- Good understanding of local governance, civic participation, accountability and advocacy processes in Uganda.
- Practical experience engaging local government officials, elected leaders, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.
- Strong skills in advocacy planning, stakeholder engagement, facilitation and influencing.
- Ability to collect, analyze and translate evidence into clear advocacy messages, recommendations and influencing materials.
- Strong report writing, communication and documentation skills.
- Ability to facilitate training, dialogue sessions and youth-led advocacy activities.
- Commitment to youth participation, inclusion and safeguarding.
Desirable
- Experience working in West Nile and/or Karamoja, or with communities in similar contexts.
- Knowledge of Uganda’s local government planning, budgeting and service delivery processes.
- Experience supporting youth-led advocacy, social accountability or citizen engagement initiatives.
- Experience developing advocacy briefs, policy recommendations, position papers, case studies or other influencing materials.
- Experience working with media, communications or digital platforms to amplify advocacy messages.
- Experience working within a consortium or partnership-based programme.
- Knowledge of current youth-related policies, governance frameworks and development issues in Uganda.
To Apply
Please submit your CV and a cover letter that provides tangible examples of how your skills, knowledge, and experience will support your ability to perform the key priorities outlined in the above job description (using no more than 750 words)
