Job Description
Position Title : Programme Learning Specialist
Duty Station : IOM Somalia in Nairobi*, Kenya
Classification : Professional Staff, Grade P3
Type of Appointment : Special short-term graded, Nine months with possibility of extension
Estimated Start Date : As soon as possible
Closing Date : 24 January 2019
Context:
The Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) programme in Somalia (Somalia Stabilization Initiative) is primarily a community-based, small grants initiative implemented in close coordination with the donor, with communities in priority areas, and with all levels of Government, particularly newly formed District Administrations and regional state institutions. The overall objective of the programme is to support the political transition of Somalia towards a functioning and stabilized Federal State through activities that promote good governance, consolidation of the federal structure, and a receptive environment to respond to emerging political contingencies.
Under the overall guidance of the Programme Manager/Chief of Party, and in coordination with the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Officer based in Nairobi, the successful candidate will serve in an advisory/resource person capacity as well as management capacity responsible for execution and facilitation of the learning agenda and learning processes. S/he will work closely with OTI Deputy Country Representative (DCR), OTI Senior Transition Advisor (STA) and the M&E Officer to develop and execute programme learning processes.
Core Functions / Responsibilities:
Programme Level Analysis & Learning
In consultation with Programme Manager, M&E Manager and OTI DCR/STA, identify, develop and facilitate processes to generate, capture and apply the team’s learning to ongoing programming and for future stabilization programming.
Develop and maintain the programme’s Learning Agenda, an evolving compilation of questions the programme seeks to answer or better understand through action, monitoring and evaluation and reflection. Ensure the questions are clear; the proposed means of learning is appropriate to the nature of the question and any resultant product appropriate to intended audience – whether the programme itself or programme stakeholders. In anticipation of programme close-out and handover, work closely with Programme Manager/COP and OTI DCR/STA to ensure the Learning Agenda and associated efforts are designed to meet the ongoing learning needs of the programme as well as programme stakeholders and legacy-learning needs.
Design, facilitate and conduct programme-level analyses of programme performance. Allowing the team to pause and reflect through consultative, participatory processes.
Design and facilitate processes through which the programme team captures knowledge, identifies learning and applies this learning to on-going programming (i.e. adapts the ongoing programme based on learning). These processes may include but are not limited to periodic Lessons Learned reflections, Cluster reflections, processes to capture the tacit knowledge of local/national staff of a specific geographic area or type of intervention; systematic collection of other data to inform decision-making.
Ensure feedback loops – both vertical and horizontal – are sufficient to inform ongoing programming and are closed. Alert and advise the COP, OTI DCR/STA and M&E Manager when feedback loops are incomplete and advise on how best to ‘close’ these feedback loops to ensure programme adaptation informed by learning and ongoing analysis.
Identify types of evidence and knowledge necessary to adequately answer the programme’s learning questions, balancing the purpose of the learning against available resources.
Foster and contribute to an effective learning culture within the team: ensuring intellectual honesty, openness and willingness to learn from ‘failure.’
Produce learning and knowledge capture products and identify the best means of communicating learning to different audiences to include but not limited to programme development staff, operational staff on the team, USAID and other stakeholders.
Activity Level Analysis & Learning
Review knowledge and evidence generated through the Activity Cycle to identify learning for application to ongoing activity development.
Support and facilitate processes that enable the programme team to make more explicit their learning and knowledge generated through activity implementation and activity evaluation.
As a member of the SSI team and when time allows, provide feedback on concepts and active ideas under development.
In consultation and coordination with the M&E Manager, provide feedback and suggestions to better capture learning through Activity FERs.
External Reporting (See discussion of key considerations)
Contribute to regular and ad hoc reporting as requested by the Programme Manager/COP.
Key Relationships and Collaboration
To be effective the PLS, an advisor and manager of processes (rather than people), will need to establish and maintain collaborative relationships with key members of the SSI team:
Collaborate closely with the M&E Manager, to ensure the Learning Agenda and programme
M&E plan are complementary and sufficient to support SSIs learning needs.
Collaborate closely with the OTI DCR/STA with responsibility for the Programme Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning portfolio.
Collaborate closely with SSI and OTI staff managing the programme’s Research and Analysis efforts, to ensure data, knowledge and information collected through those activities is aligned
with the Programme’s learning needs and is available in timely and accessible formats to inform programme decisions.
Establish and maintain collaborative, peer relationships with all members of the SSI programme team to enable and allow the PLS to serve in a peer-advisory capacity on learning matters.
Use of Programme Systems and Procedures
Secure and maintain an understanding of and facility with the OTI Web-based Data Base (WBBD).
Understand the capacity of OTI’s Data Analysis Team (DAT) to request resources and support as needed to advance programme learning.
Develop an understanding of OTI’s approach to Programme Performance Management, inclusive of Activity & Programme Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning, formal PPM processes and Pause/Reflect-Learning Processes.
Knowledge, Skills & Competencies
Secure and maintain firm grasp and understanding of the SSI strategy, goals and objectives and Regional Engagement Plans; develop an understanding of how programme learning is essential to both iterative programme/strategy design and handover/close-out.
Secure and maintain firm grasp and understanding of political and security context in Somalia, in particular areas relevant to the SSI Programme.
Facilitation skills and experience are essential. In particular, a successful candidate will be able to facilitate learning processes among a team of peers towards surfacing, capturing and applying learning to on-going programming.
Familiarity and comfort with full range of evidence and knowledge: a successful candidate will be familiar and comfortable with not only empirical evidence but also contextual evidence, theoretical and tacit knowledge. In particular, a successful candidate will be able to assess what types of evidence and knowledge are most relevant and feasible towards answering a specific learning question and be flexible enough to adapt when/where the ideal or best-case resources and assets are not available.
Learning orientation: a successful applicant will have demonstrated learning orientation, including but not limited to a growth mindset, curiosity and ability to inspire and foster others to learn by example and influence rather than formal authority.
Required Qualifications and Experience:
Education
Master’s degree in Political or Social Sciences, International Relations or a related field from an accredited academic institution with five years of relevant professional experience; or
University degree in the above fields with seven years of relevant professional experience.
Experience
A minimum of 1 year of work experience with USAID programmes, preferably with the Office of
Transition Initiatives (OTI)
Experience in project monitoring, evaluation, and learning;
Strong analytic and organizational skills; strong creative and innovative thinking skills;
Proven ability to work effectively in a complex collaborative environment, including government stakeholders.
Languages
Fluency in English is required. Working knowledge of French and/or Spanish is an advantage.
Note
With frequent travel to Somalia and possible relocation to Somalia if and when the situation is conducive.
Desirable Competencies:
Values
Inclusion and respect for diversity: respects and promotes individual and cultural differences; encourages diversity and inclusion wherever possible.
Integrity and transparency: maintains high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct.
Professionalism: demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges.
Core Competencies – behavioural indicators level 2
Teamwork: develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimize results.
Delivering results: produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner; is action oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes.
Managing and sharing knowledge: continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge and innovate.
Accountability: takes ownership for achieving the Organization’s priorities and assumes responsibility for own action and delegated work.
Communication: encourages and contributes to clear and open communication; explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way.
Managerial Competencies – behavioural indicators level 2
Leadership: provides a clear sense of direction, leads by example and demonstrates the ability to carry out the organization’s vision; assists others to realize and develop their potential.
Empowering others & building trust: creates an atmosphere of trust and an enabling environment where staff can contribute their best and develop their potential.
Strategic thinking and vision: works strategically to realize the Organization’s goals and communicates a clear strategic direction.
Other:
Internationally recruited professional staff are required to be mobile.
Any offer made to the candidate in relation to this vacancy notice is subject to funding confirmation.
The list of NMS countries above includes all IOM Member States which are non-represented in the Professional Category of staff members. For this staff category, candidates who are nationals of the duty station’s country cannot be considered eligible.
Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.