Uganda: Consultant - Innovation Center Marketing and Communications - Uganda

Project Location(s): Yumbe, Bidibidi settlement and Rhinocamp settlement

Background:

Uganda is Africa’s largest refugee hosting country and one of the top five worldwide. As of January 2018, Uganda hosted 1.3 million refugees, most of whom have fled South Sudan’s conflict and unrest and settled in Uganda’s West Nile region. Cities and towns have sprung up overnight in remote communities of Bidibidi settelement. Cities and towns need stronger markets in order to support livelihoods of refugees over the long term. While livelihoods programming of development actors has focused on agriculture, it will take more than agriculture and income generating activities (IGAs) to build a diverse, sustainable economy that not only supports refugees but also integrates the host community. An Innovation Centre concept was originally fostered from the ReHope Pilot to develop alternative employment opportunities for refugee settlements. BRIDGE program aims to develop an Innovation Centre concept that improve access to employment and entrepreneurship through focus on social enterprises and technology. The project has a number of partners from the private sector to community-based organization to international NGOs that should work in strong coordination with one another. Two Innovation Centres have been built in Bidibidi refugee settlement. The first focuses on agriculture as a platform for developing farming as a business and off-farm microenterprise. The second focuses on technology and social enterprise to engage new opportunities for employment, with support around digital literacy, linkages to employment through a skills mapping and job placement platform, and engagement of existing and new social enterprise concepts that offer employment while also solving social challenges. The third innovation centre is based in Rhinocamp and focuses on agroforestry.

Purpose / Project Description:

Each Innovation Centre will support a start-up mindset engagement in agriculture, technology, environmental protection and social enterprise development through an interactive, collaborative space. Each Innovation Centre aims to develop its own revenue streams which potentially could, in the future, support the operations of the Innovation Centres over the long-term. A key activity for all three Innovation Centres is to develop a central brand and business model for the operations of the centres, responding to community needs, and defining key operational costs and potential revenues streams to support the long-term running of the centres. Each business model will sketch our revenue scenarios over a three-year operational period by the end of the BRIDGE project. The concept should stay responsive to what the surrounding communities require.

We’re looking for a Innovation Center Marketing and Communication consultant to work on the following objectives, activities and deliverables.

Consultant(s) Objectives:

• Develop a marketing and communication strategy for each Innovation Center
• Work together with Human Centered design consultant to assess the role of the center to the community. The results of the assessment should be included in the marketing and communication strategy.
• Develo a central brand for three Innovation Centers that fits into the needs of the community

Consultant Activities:

The Consultant(s) will:

• Identify target group and work with HCD consultant to identify the role of the Innovation Centers for the communities.
• Develop a marketing and communication strategy for the Innovation Centers
• Presentation of initial strategy for feedback from the Mercy Corps team
• Develop and test branding and promotional materials within the community of the Innovation Centers
• Work together with the Business Development consultant and include the marketing strategy in the business model of each center.

Consultant Deliverables:

The Consultant(s) will:

• Branding and promotional materials designed according to marketing strategy including a central brand for all Innovation Centers
• Presentation of marketing and communication strategy
• Marketing and Communication strategy report for each Innovation Center

Timeframe / Schedule:

October-November

The Consultant(s) will report to:

Program Manager BRIDGE

The Consultant (s) will work closely with:

Program team, Innovation facilitators, BRIDGE Partners

Required Experience & Skills:

Mercy Corps is looking for one or multiple consultants who together meet the requirements below:

• Minimum 8 years of experience in Marketing and Communication, including experience working in Uganda and particularly West-Nile
• Bachelor’s degree required. M.A, M.S., M.Sc., or equivalent in Marketing, Communication, International Development, Business Administration or related field is preferred
• Demonstrated success in marketing products and services in a refugee setting
• Demonstrated experience in developing communication strategies for businesses / Ngos etc
• Solid understanding of the current refugee situation in Uganda
• History of working effectively and respectfully with host country government, private sector, INGO and NGO partners in complex environments.
• Excellent analytical, research, writing and concise and compelling communication skills;
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

Apply Here