Platform Trainer (Uganda) At Farm Radio International

Reports to: Regional Radio Craft Team Lead; Platform Stakeholder Engagement Manager

Works closely with: Manager, Radio Craft, Country Program Manager/Representative, Project Officers, Digital Innovation Team, Knowledge Management Team, Radio Network Services, Finance Department

Start Date : June 6, 2022, for one a year contract with possibility of renewal

ORGANISATIONAL CONTEXT:

In January 2022, with support from the IKEA Foundation’s Agricultural Livelihoods Portfolio, FRI started implementing the “Dialogue and Knowledge Communication Platforms in Uganda” project to provide leadership to the development of radio-based e-extension platforms that offer farmers and rural communities sustained, high quality e-extension services. Centered on a regular weekly or bi-weekly radio magazine offered by 12 Ugandan radio stations, the e-extension platforms will be supported and sustained by a wide range of stakeholders, including public policy makers, knowledge partners, extension service providers (public and private sector), civil society organizations, development project proponents, sponsors and advertisers, as well as radio station management.

Farm Radio International is a Canadian non-profit that has been working since 1979 to harness the power of radio to meet the needs of small-scale farmers. FRI works with more than 1350 radio organizations located in 38 African countries to fight poverty and food insecurity. With the benefit of FRI resources and training, our broadcasting partners deliver practical, relevant, and timely information to tens of millions of farmers. We also work with a range of partners to implement radio projects that address specific development challenges and community needs. FRI has been active in Uganda since 2007. FRI has implemented over 15 projects in Uganda with dozens of partners reaching every corner of the country with powerful interactive radio projects.

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

• Plan and Execute Platform Training for the project specifically (80%)
• Support design and training activities of other FRI projects in Uganda when appropriate (10%)
• Support Radio Network and Radio Resources activities in Uganda (5%)
• Other support to Farm Radio (5%)

a) PLAN AND EXECUTE PLATFORM TRAINING FOR THE IKEA FOUNDATION FUNDED PROJECT

Under the supervision of the Regional Radio Craft Team Lead and the Platform Stakeholder Engagement Manager to ensure that all Platform Training activities are planned and executed effectively and to the highest standards.

Design and Capacity building

• Plan, deliver and evaluate Platform Agenda Setting Processes, resulting in e-Extension agendas that are relevant to the particular contexts of each area/geography served by the e-Extension Platforms.
• Plan and deliver training – in-station, in-person and from-a-distance – for all key stakeholders in the project including radio production teams, public extension officers, knowledge partners and subject matter specialists, and other stakeholder groups using FRI’s latest design and training methods and tools. In doing so, the Platform Trainer will:

-Assess the skills and training needs of the radio production and e-extension teams, extension officers, and other key stakeholders, and develop training plans that meet the needs of each group

-Ensure that design documents and in-station training plans are discussed and reviewed with the Radio Craft Team Lead

Coordinate with other Digital Services Providers

• Integrate digital services into the radio-based e-Extension Platforms .
• Identify and engage Digital Service Providers in the development and implementation of the services of the e-Extension Platforms.Collaborate with FRI’s Digital Innovation (DI) team to ensure that all interactive components are planned, implemented and monitored, including Uliza polling questions

Quality Assurance

• Monitor radio programs and offer follow up information to the stations using appropriate channels of communication (Uliza log, etc)
• Liaise with FRI’s Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning Team to ensure radio programs are planned, monitored and evaluated

  b) SUPPORT DESIGN AND TRAINING ACTIVITIES OF FUTURE FRI PROJECTS IN UGANDA

In collaboration with the Radio Craft Officer in Uganda as well as the Regional Radio Craft Team Lead

Program design and capacity building

• Support the planning, delivery and evaluation of radio program design workshops and in-station training for radio stations implementing future projects in Uganda using the latest design and training methods
• Ensure that radio program design documents and in-station training plans are discussed and reviewed by the Radio Craft Team Lead
• Assess the skills of the radio station involved in projects (before and after the training)
• Provide distance coaching to radio stations involved in projects
• Support project radio station(s) to adapt and use FRI’s broadcaster resources

Quality Assurance

• Monitor radio programs and offer follow up information to the stations using appropriate channels of communication (Uliza log, etc)
• Link to Farm Radio Technical Groups & Specialty Teams
  • Collaborate with FRI’s Digital Innovation (DI) team to ensure that all interactive components of all projects are planned, implemented and monitored, including Uliza polling questions
  • Liaise with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning team to ensure radio programs are planned, monitored and evaluated

c) SUPPORT NETWORKING ACTIVITIES IN UGANDA

In collaboration with the Manager of Radio Network Service and the RC Team Lead**

• Support the Radio Network Service in subscription and distribution activities in Uganda
• Monitor the use of FRI resources and services by Network members in Uganda
• Support impact project stations to adapt and use radio resources

d) OTHER

• Collaborate with other teams and departments towards the success of projects in Uganda
• Contribute to annual work plans and budgeting activities
• Contribute to knowledge sharing activities

QUALIFICATIONS

• 5+ years experience in interactive and participatory training, facilitating and coaching
• 5+ years experience in Radio and/or Communication programming
• 3+ years experience in project management and reporting

SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES

• Strong capacity for facilitating participatory, multi-stakeholder initiatives
• Excellent communication, writing and presentation skills in English
• Ability to speak at least one Ugandan language, more than one language is an asset
• Strong capacity to support quality radio program delivery from a distance
• Knowledge of Agricultural Extension
• Ability to foster collaboration
• High level of knowledge related to principles of gender equality, women and girls’ empowerment preferably in the agricultural and food security sector
• Self motivation and ability to work independently, yet contribute to a team effort
• Willingness to travel according to health and safety protocols
• Strong capacity to work with ICTs including the Windows package (google hangouts, google calendar, word, excel, powerpoint, whatsapp, telegram, etc.)