Summary
Date Posted: Wednesday, February 07 2024, Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
Consultant/Firm to conduct a Political Analysis of Media Outlets in Uganda
Uganda Climate Smart Jobs (CSJ) Market Development (MD) Programme
Climate Smart Jobs (CSJ) is a four-year programme funded by the UK's International Climate Fund. It consists of three major components: 1A - market systems development, 1B - Innovation funds, and 1C -Ecosystems Services. Component 1A seeks to sustainably increase agricultural productivity and ultimately improve the incomes of smallholder farmers (particularly women, refugees, and host communities). CSJ understands that smallholder farmers (SHFs) are extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change (particularly extreme weather events) and face numerous constraints. Mitigating these effects is central to the programme’s approach.

The constraints SHFs face in improving agricultural productivity and income levels include limited access to inputs for crops and livestock, poor soil and water management, limited access to an efficient distribution model for climate-resilient varieties, limited access to affordable extension services for both livestock and crop, weak engagement between Private Sector Actors (PSAs) and research institutions, high incidence of pests/parasites and diseases for crops and livestock, uncertainty in seasonality (unpredictable rainfall, prolonged dry spell, spatial distribution of rainfall), limited access to affordable on-farm mechanisation services), and weak market access and value addition.

CSJ intends to work with market actors to trigger change in the market system in a way that enables SHFs to gain increased access to affordable, quality input products and services, in turn increasing their incomes and ability to adapt and become resilient to the effect of climate change. Implementation of proposed value adding interventions will be carried out through nine work packages or thematic areas: soil restoration and management; climate-smart inputs and services; post-harvest handling and aggregation at the smallholder farmer level; linking smallholder farmers to local, regional, and international markets; scaling the commercial agent model; increasing women’s productivity and performance through access to targeted products, services and business opportunities; strengthening agricultural market performance by addressing unequal gender norms; innovations for refugees and refugee hosting communities and innovations to expand climate messages through media.
This ToR focuses on Work Package 9: Innovations for Media.

Background
As climate change has profound impacts on the agriculture sector, particularly for smallholder farmers in vulnerable regions such as Northern Uganda, there is a pressing need for effective communication strategies to ensure these farmers receive timely, relevant, and actionable information about climate change. Consequently, CSJ has dedicated a work package to enhancing climate change awareness through strategic engagement with media outlets in order to improve access to critical information for smallholder farmers. Currently, the media's coverage of climate change, particularly its impact on smallholders, women, and refugees, is insufficient. This gap in communication leaves these crucial groups without the necessary information to adapt and respond to climate shifts.

CSJ is implementing various interventions: such as establishing climate-smart desks, improving access to climate information, mentoring and training journalists, to address the gaps in information being provided by media to Uganda’s smallholder farmers. However, a clearer understanding of the political economy of the media sector is required so that we can effectively develop and tailor our interventions in a way that creates maximum impact for smallholder farmers.

Objectives of the assignment
The objective of this consultancy is to perform a political economy analysis of media companies (including radio, TV, print and online) in Uganda to understand the power dynamics that shape media ownership, control, and reporting. The analysis should illuminate who influences media narratives, particularly in relation to climate change reporting, and identify strategies to enhance media coverage that encompasses issues affecting smallholder farmers including vulnerable groups such as women and refugees.

Scope of work
The selected Consultant/Firm is expected to conduct a political analysis of major media outlets in Uganda, focusing on their alignment with climate change issues for smallholder farmers, including women and refugees. With a comprehensive understanding of who controls media narratives and their potential biases, CSJ will then be able to make informed decisions on where to invest resources.

The analysis will include the following tasks:
Map the landscape to better understand the actors in the media system.
• Map and profile the major media houses in Uganda, covering radio, television, print (including online) outlets.
• Outline ownership structures, affiliations, and funding sources for each media house.
• Document the reach and audience demographics for outlets to understand the scope of their influence

Analyse the power dynamics of media outlets, identifying key influencers, decision-makers, and political considerations relevant to climate change discourse in Uganda.
Assess political affiliations and the influence of media ownership on editorial policies and climate change reporting.
• Evaluate the level of editorial independence within media organisations and identify biases in content and presentation for climate change and vulnerable groups.
• Investigate the regulatory environment that governs media operations, focusing on how it impacts the reporting on sensitive subjects such as climate change.

Strategise for impactful engagement. Identify and evaluate opportunities to influence media outlets so they integrate more climate change reporting (including gender- and refugee- sensitive) into their operations.
• Identify opportunities for improving climate change coverage, emphasising gender-sensitive and inclusive practices.
• Determine what will be the most effective way to engage with media actors.
• Develop actionable recommendations for CSJ to leverage media for effective climate communication

Deliverables
• Inception Report outlining the proposed methodology and work plan.
• Draft Political Analysis report for review and feedback, no longer than 25 pages. This will include a draft PowerPoint summary.
• Final Report incorporating feedback and providing a comprehensive political analysis with recommendations for integrating gender-and refugee-sensitive climate change practices, no longer than 20 pages. Including updated PowerPoint.

Expertise and experience
The consultant team should collectively possess the following experience and expertise (note, this could be more than 1 person):
• Relevant academic qualifications in political science, gender studies, environmental studies, or a related field.
• Proven experience in conducting political analyses and integrating gender-sensitive practices in communication strategies.
• Familiarity with the Ugandan political landscape, media environment, and climate change discourse. An understanding of media operations, content creation, and dissemination processes.
• Experience in media content, with a strong ability to identify biases and underlying messages in reporting.
• Proven track record of conducting qualitative research, including stakeholder interviews, focus groups, and/or case studies.
• Sensitivity to cultural nuances and an understanding of the socio-economic context in Uganda
• Ability to navigate complex discussions with tact and respect for diverse viewpoints.
• Strong analytical and report writing skills.

Level of effort
We expect the level of effort for this TOR to be approximately 25 days of time for a Senior Expert. However, this LOE could be distributed amongst different levels of experience, approximating the value of the 25 days of senior level expertise.  

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 48

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Job application procedure
Interested and qualified? Click here to apply

All Jobs

QUICK ALERT SUBSCRIPTION