STRATEGIC LEARNING LEAD – USAID NAWIRI

Monitoring & Evaluation Nairobi, Kenya

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Description

Location: Nairobi, Kenya
**Contingent upon Donor Approval**
About Mercy Corps 
Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact. 
  
Program / Department Summary 
Nawiri is an eight year USAID-Resilience Food Security Activity (RFSA) funded program implemented by a consortium of international and national partners led by Mercy Corps. The goal of the program is to reduce persistent acute malnutrition in the two counties of Turkana and Samburu in northern Kenya. Nawiri has just started its fifth year of implementation which included two and half years of operational research which informed the design of the programs. 
  
Nawiri is a multi-sectoral program that integrates resilient livelihoods, access to improved water, health and sanitation services, strengthening community health systems, conflict and natural resource management, strengthening community and government institutions and systems amongst others. 
  
General Position Summary 
The Strategic Learning Lead (SLL) will lead the program’s approach to collaborating, learning and adapting (CLA) and adaptive management. Working as part of the Program Performance and Learning (PPL) team, the SLL will collaborate with the program’s research, M&E communications and implementation teams to ensure learnings from program implementation are being used to inform adaptive management and to develop external facing products. S/he will be expected to be up to date with current trends and best practices in the sector and context. This position will play a key role in helping build an environment of evidence-based programming and adaptive management at all levels, including across the Kenya country portfolio to maximize uptake of the learnings. 
  
Essential Job Responsibilities 
  
STRATEGY & VISION 
  • The Strategic Learning Lead works closely with the PPL Director to build a culture of learning and adaptive management at every level within Nawiri, from the leadership through to partners and the implementation teams. 
  • The SLL will oversee the finalisation and operationalisation of the Evidence and Learning Agenda and is responsible for ensuring the deliverables are incorporated into annual workplans, successfully resourced and completed and the strategy is regularly updated. 
  • Participate in the Nawiri Management Team meetings, working closely with the M&E Lead to prepare and package evidence to lead discussions around Evidence and Learning priorities and in reviewing the program’s progress towards high level results. S/he should ensure close collaboration with the county teams to ensure that contextual challenges and realities are reflected through evidence collected. 
  • Provide thought leadership to how learning can be integrated throughout program activities and supporting a team culture which is evidence driven and values learning and adaptive management  
  • Identify and share creative, efficient, and effective ways to document and disseminate learnings and information, engage audiences, and facilitate collaboration. 
  • Promote Nawiri as a respected generator and consumer of research and other forms of evidence, as a program that implements evidence based programming, and producer of credible and actionable research on persistent acute malnutrition in northern Kenya 
  
EVIDENCE GENERATION 
  • Lead the implementation of high-quality learning and evidence briefs, case studies, white papers or other reports, aligned with the Evidence and Learning Agenda priorities, that showcase key insights from the program’s research and learning initiatives, as well as recommendations for the program, mission, agency and/or donors and other implementing partners. 
  • Identify opportunities and oversee/conduct mixed methods learning efforts (e.g. qualitative inquiry or research) that complement existing data, to answer the Evidence and Learning Agenda priorities, facilitating sensemaking workshops on the findings. 
  • Manage and coordinate the work of external researchers and consultants to execute and communicate studies in alignment with the Evidence and Learning Agenda 
  
LEARNING AND ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT 
  • Set the vision for program Quarterly Review Meetings (QRM), leading the county learning teams to plan for effective reviews, which facilitate learning and improved quality implementation. QRMs are focused on key performance indicators, progress against workplan and deep dives into technical strategy where relevant. They should also include context monitoring, and ensure that this is considered periodically throughout. Oversee the write up of the activity report after each QRM. 
  • Partner with the M&E team throughout evaluations to identify learning opportunities and to facilitate and ensure that teams are regularly sense-making data, capturing recommendations and adapting their workplans accordingly, and that learning efforts and products are data-driven. 
  • Lead staff and partners in regular Pause and Reflect reviews of program activities to reflect on programmatic learning based on implementation experience and monitoring data, to review and revise results chains and theories of change, and suggest programmatic changes in collaboration with the M&E Lead. 
  • Capture and document changes made to program design as a result of formative and operational research findings. 
REPRESENTATION AND PROMOTION OF EVIDENCE USE 
  • Aligning with the Evidence and Learning Agenda, work with the communications teams, technical leads, regional and global technical support teams to identify opportunities, such as speaking at conferences or on panels, to actively translate and promote awareness and use of research and findings from other evidence sources externally within Kenya and globally. 
  • Work with the communications team to identify internal learning opportunities, such as lunchtime learning sessions and webinars, to share learnings with other team members and consortium partners. 
  • Lead the organization of high level joint learning events with other BHA Implementing Partners, including overseeing the development of shared learning briefs. 
  • Ensure strong collaboration with the Kenya Country Program Quality Team, so that learnings from Nawiri are shared and utilized across the Kenya portfolio and feed into country wide and regional and global learning and influence strategies. 
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT 
  • Ensure systematic documentation of program files, ensuring they are consistently saved and following a uniform file storage approach, with key evidence pieces made available through the organisation’s knowledge management mechanisms (e.g. the Digital Library).  
  • Work with team members to document lessons learned from implementing key program interventions, and ensure these are used to adapt and inform program strategy and the annual USAID Pipeline and Resource Estimate Proposal (PREP). 
  • Engage with other Mercy Corps Kenya colleagues on sharing lessons learned across the program portfolio. 
  
Supervisory Responsibility 
The Strategic Learning Lead will have technical oversight of the county learning teams, which report directly into county leadership. S/he may also (on occasion) supervise consultants, research partners, researchers and interns as required. 
  
Accountability 
  • Reports Directly To: Program Performance and Learning Director 
  • Works Directly With: Nawiri team, Kenya country team, Regional and global technical resources and quality team members, Evidence and Learning team unit members, and Media and Communications teams 
  
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders 
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.  
  
Minimum Qualifications and Transferable Skills 
  • Demonstrated expertise in designing qualitative studies, in-depth knowledge about qualitative sampling, and experienced in using interview and interactive tools to generate qualitative information and analysis.  
  • Technical expertise and field experience in applying Collaborate, Learn, Adapt (CLA) or other program learning and adaptive management principles in international development programming 
  • In-depth experience of qualitative inquiry, learning and/or research methodologies either through post graduate studies or a minimum of at least 6 years relevant research experience preferred. 
  • Experience conducting independent research and analysis on acute malnutrition, food security, resilience, or related topics in fragile contexts preferred. 
  • History of working effectively and respectfully with host government, NGOs, contractors and other partners 
  • Strong understanding of M&E and applied research 
  • Experience managing or collaborating with research partners 
  • Demonstrated capabilities of translating knowledge and evidence from research and M&E into programmatic and policy decisions 
  • Excellent written communications, including the ability to tailor communications to program and policy audiences at multiple levels 
  • Willingness/ability to travel and work in contexts with challenging conditions 
  • Knowledge and understanding of Kenya, particularly the ASAL counties, highly preferred. 
  • Fluent English required, Swahili preferred. 
  
Success Factors: 
The Strategic Learning Lead is a critical role in the Nawiri Management Team, s/he is expected to be an inclusive and decisive leader, who can bring creative and insightful inputs to a highly complex program. The position requires high quality analysis and report writing skills which can be used to write/review consistent, high quality reports and evidence briefs that are developed as learning products. S/he should be able to employ the use of traditional and digital learning approaches to develop and implement innovative, creative and effective ways to strategically capture and share technical knowledge, leverage good practices, and improve the effectiveness of Activity implementation. It is essential that the Strategic Learning Lead possesses excellent communication and team building skills, ensuring that s/he inspires a collective learning culture, and is able to influence and lead from behind, with county implementation teams at the forefront. 
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions 
The Strategic Learning Lead is based in Nairobi with 50%+ travel to implementation areas. The location is accompanied and secure. Housing is individual accommodation with unlimited freedom of movement beyond the house/office. There are numerous International schools in Kenya. Staff have a relatively high degree of access to health and utility services (hospitals, clinics, electricity, water, etc). This position requires frequent travel by road and air to field offices in less secure environments, where basic amenities are lacking (no running water, and limited electricity without generators). This position is not eligible for hardship and/or R&R benefits. 
Ongoing Learning 
In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development.  
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 
Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives. 
We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today. 
  
Equal Employment Opportunity 
Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact. 
We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work. 
Safeguarding & Ethics 
Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. By applying for this role an applicant confirms that they have not previously violated an employer’s sexual misconduct, sexual exploitation and abuse, child safeguarding or trafficking policy. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.  
As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline ([email protected]). 

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