PIP & Community Engagement Coordinator

The Sustaining Gains & Continuing Services for Smallholder Farmers (SGCF) Project is designed as a 12-month consolidation initiative that brings together selected results, relationships and delivery structures established under CG and BRIGHT into one focused project implemented by GOAL Uganda in partnership with Agriterra. The project will ensure continuity of support to smallholder farmers, FOs, cooperatives and other local actors across the 14 districts of Elgon, Rwenzori and Kigezi, while working closely with district local governments, private sector partners, financial service providers and implementing partners up to August 2027. The project will build on good practices, networks, community and household / farmer-led planning processes developed by CG and BRIGHT. The SGCF Project will focus on preserving gains already made, sustaining critical services, consolidating relationships with farmers and institutions, and generating practical learning for the next EKN programme design. 

The PIP & Community Engagement Coordinator will lead Pathway 1: Support to the Implementation of PIP, Vision and Action Plans under the SGCF Project. The role will focus on consolidating and supporting follow-up of household PIPs, Community Visions and Community Action Plans developed under Common Ground and BRIGHT, ensuring that these remain practical tools for prioritisation, implementation, accountability and learning during the 12-month consolidation period. The Coordinator will work closely with GOAL technical teams, local implementing partners, district local governments, community structures and MEAL staff to coordinate PIP/CAP reviews, PIP harvesting workshops, seasonal reviews, CAP follow-up, participant data validation and learning.

• Lead planning, coordination and technical oversight of Pathway 1 activities, ensuring alignment with the SGCF workplan, targets, results framework and consolidation purpose.
• Coordinate participatory reviews of household PIPs, Community Visions and CAPs, working with implementing partners, Community Visioning Committees, PIP actors, community leaders and district local government representatives.
• Support communities to identify realistic PIP/CAP priorities for follow-up within the 12-month project period, including priorities linked to sustainable land use, farming systems, markets, finance and Farmer Organisation support.
• Coordinate PIP harvesting workshops and seasonal PIP/CAP reviews to capture progress, lessons learnt, challenges, community feedback and agreed follow-up actions.
• Provide technical backstopping to implementing partners and community structures on PIP, Community Vision and CAP follow-up, including selection and implementation of co-funded CAP priorities.
• Work with MEAL and MIS teams to validate participant records, PIP community data, CAP information and community structures inherited from Common Ground and BRIGHT.
• Ensure Pathway 1 activities are inclusive, accountable and safeguarding-sensitive, with active participation of women, youth, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
• Coordinate with Pathway 2 and Pathway 3 teams so that priorities emerging from PIP/CAP reviews inform technical trainings, Learning Groups, restoration activities, market linkages, finance linkages and FO support.
• Supervise and support implementing partners in activity planning, field delivery, documentation, reporting, output verification and resolution of implementation challenges.
• Document lessons from PIP/CAP implementation and provide timely inputs to monthly, quarterly and donor reports, including progress against targets, challenges, learning and recommended follow-up actions.

• Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness Management, Agricultural marketing, Rural Development with a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Rural Development, Community Development, Natural Resource Management or a related field.
• At least 7 years of relevant experience in rural development, community engagement, farmer-led planning, livelihoods or agricultural resilience programming, preferably in Uganda’s highland regions of which 5 years must be at a senior technical level.
• Practical understanding of Participatory Integrated Planning, community action planning, household resilience approaches, farmer mobilisation or similar bottom-up planning processes.
• Knowledge of sustainable land use, soil and water conservation, farming systems and crop management practices relevant to smallholder farmers in highland contexts.
• Experience working with local implementing partners, community structures, farmer groups and district local governments.
• Strong facilitation, coaching, communication, public speaking and community mobilisation skills.
• Good report writing, documentation and learning skills, including ability to capture lessons, progress, challenges and community feedback.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate safeguarding, gender equality and social inclusion into community-level activities.
• Knowledge of relevant local languages in the project areas, such as Runyakitara, Rutooro, Rukonjo or Lugisu, is an added advantage.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently to rural and highland communities across the project regions.

At GOAL we welcome people of all abilities and want to ensure that our hiring and interview process meets the needs of all applicants. If you require a reasonable accommodation to make your application or interview experience a great one, please just contact our Recruitment Team at recruitment@ug.goal.ie

GOAL is an equal opportunities employer and has values and behaviours framework which defines our code of conduct. Any candidate offered a job with GOAL will be expected to adhere to the following key areas of accountability.

• →Comply with GOAL’s policies and procedures with respect to safeguarding, Code of Conduct, health and safety, data protection and confidentiality, do no harm principles and unacceptable behaviour protocols.
• →Report any concerns about the welfare of a child or vulnerable adult or any wrongdoings within our programming area.
• →Report any concerns about inappropriate behaviour of a GOAL staff or partner.

Children and vulnerable adults a must be safeguarded to the maximum extent from deliberate or inadvertent actions and failings that place them at risk of abuse, sexual exploitation, injury, and any other harm. One of the ways that GOAL shows this on-going commitment to safeguarding is to include rigorous background and reference checks in the selection process for all candidates.

Established in 1977, GOAL is an international humanitarian agency and works with the most vulnerable communities to help them respond to and overcome humanitarian crises, and to assist those facing poverty and exclusion achieve greater resilience and well-being. GOAL envisions a world beyond humanitarian crises where poverty no longer exists, where vulnerable communities exposed to shocks and stresses are resilient, where barriers to well-being are removed and where everyone has equal rights and opportunities. 

First operational in Uganda in 1979, the current GOAL Uganda country programme focuses on Health, (including WASH, Health Accountability and Nutrition); and a market-based systems approach to improving agricultural livelihoods and WASH. GOAL Uganda mainstreams gender, child protection, social behavior changes and resilience strategies across all programming. GOAL uses a mixture of direct implementation and partnerships with national and international civil society organizations, local government, the private sector and communities to give effect to our mission.