Deputy Project Coordinator - Policy and Advocacy (PlayMatters)

The Deputy Project Coordinator - Policy and Advocacy will provide strategic and operational leadership for PlayMatters 3.0's policy influence, systems strengthening, stakeholder engagement, and scaling agenda. The role involves coordinating policy stakeholder engagements and ensuring alignment with project objectives, donor requirements, and government priorities to institutionalize Learning through Play within education systems in Uganda.

Responsibilities

• Lead implementation and periodic review of PlayMatters 3.0 policy influence and systems-strengthening plans
• Coordinate policy commitments across consortium and national partners
• Embed policy priorities in annual workplans, budgets, learning agendas, risk registers, and performance systems
• Monitor and share regular updates of emerging policy reforms and sector priorities
• Enable adaptive management by identifying opportunities, risks, and strategic priorities
• Develop annual policy influence and systems engagement plans aligned to project workplans and learning agendas
• Institutionalize Learning through Play in teacher development systems, policy frameworks, standards, curricula, and emergency guidance
• Produce policy recommendations, position papers, technical guidance, and strategic documents based on project evidence
• Support government adoption, ownership, and scaling of project innovations
• Analyse policy developments and advise project leadership on implications and opportunities
• Maintain an up-to-date stakeholder map and influence framework
• Cultivate high-level and operational relationships with Ministries of Education, district/local governments, teacher education institutions, development partners, and coordination platforms
• Facilitate government ownership in planning, implementation, learning, and scale-up
• Integrate PlayMatters tools, evidence, and recommendations into government systems and processes
• Represent the project in technical working groups, sector reviews, curriculum reforms, and policy consultations
• Coordinate stakeholder engagement plans and sustainable pathways for government-led continuation beyond project funding
• Translate research, MEAL findings, and implementation learning into policy products and advocacy messages
• Develop and disseminate policy briefs, technical notes, position papers, presentations, talking points, and advocacy materials
• Ensure timely evidence sharing via forums, conferences, policy dialogues, and technical groups
• Lead policy events including dialogues, workshops, dissemination meetings, and consultations
• Work with Research and MEAL to fill evidence gaps and generate products that support influence objectives
• Document quarterly briefs on systems change, policy influence outcomes, and scale achievements
• Coordinate consortium and national partner inputs to policy, advocacy, and systems-strengthening activities
• Align partner workplans and deliverables with agreed policy influence priorities
• Facilitate joint planning, reporting, learning, and accountability with system actors
• Build capacity of partners in policy engagement, systems thinking, stakeholder management, and advocacy
• Develop policy tools, guidance, and training to help partners and government use evidence for decision-making
• Build alliances with government agencies, teacher training institutions, civil society, development partners, and academia to advance Learning through Play
• Facilitate collective advocacy, learning exchanges, communities of practice, and policy dialogues
• Track progress against policy influence and systems-strengthening indicators; maintain engagement and influence trackers
• Formulate policy positions and recommendations based on research and evidence analysis
• Prepare reports, strategic briefs, and updates for project leadership, donors, and government
• Monitor implementation quality and delivery of policy and advocacy milestones
• Document stakeholder engagements, commitments, and policy change outcomes to inform adaptive management and donor reporting
• Document policy debates, changes in policies, and shifts in policy strategies and ensure relevant information is built into action plans and disseminated to project staff in a timely manner

Requirements

• MA degree from an accredited university in education, international development, social sciences, or related field
• At least 5 years of progressive experience in policy engagement, advocacy, education sector reform, systems strengthening, or public sector engagement
• Demonstrated experience working with government ministries, education institutions, development partners, and policy-making processes
• Strong understanding of education policy, teacher development systems, education-in-emergencies, and competency-based learning reforms
• Experience translating research and evidence into policy and programme influence
• Strong stakeholder engagement, facilitation, negotiation, and communication skills
• Proven ability to develop policy products, advocacy strategies, and influence plans
• Experience working in complex, multi-stakeholder programmes and consortium environments is highly desirable
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written

Skills

• Policy Engagement
• Advocacy Strategies
• Education Sector Reform
• Systems Strengthening
• Public-Sector Engagement
• Government Relations
• Education Policy
• Teacher Development Systems
• Education in Emergencies
• Competency-based Learning
• Research Translation
• Policy Influence
• Programme Influence
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Facilitation
• Negotiation
• Policy product development
• Multi-stakeholder Programme Coordination
• Consortium Management

Languages

English