Background/Context:
Creative is seeking a Director of Learning for Preventing/Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE) for an anticipated USAID-funded project in Côte d'Ivoire. The project will focus on preventing, and possibly countering, violent extremism among youth with an aim to strengthen community resilience and enhance learning in Cote d’Ivoire’s northern border areas.
The Director of Learning will be responsible for supporting overall program design and implementation of activities by providing in-depth and conceptual input from a P/CVE lens to overall program strategies. This includes, but will not be limited to, developing relevant work plans, ensuring lessons learned and best practices are integrated into all P/CVE interventions and the provision of input for Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) and reporting requirements.
Reporting:
This position will report to the Chief of Party (COP).
Position Summary:
Under the supervision of the COP, the Director of Learning will play a critical role in operationalizing the adaptive, iterative management approach and will design, operationalize, and lead the implementation of the project’s Collaborating Learning and Adapting (CLA) framework. S/he will be expected to develop and lead knowledge management programs, facilitate communities of practice and social networking, as well as facilitating organizational learning, change, and evaluation of program effectiveness.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Design and manage the project’s Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) strategy, system and tools with a focus on promoting knowledge acquisition, management, documentation and dissemination;
- Lead the formulation and implementation of a learning agenda that responds to key learning questions and manage the associated learning partnerships and processes;
- Organize and implement learning events and processes, including ‘pause and reflect’ events and resulting adaptive management analysis, decision-making, program/ approach adjustments, training and follow-through;
- Coordinate with the project’s MEL Manager, other MEL team members, and relevant program staff to ensure new knowledge is effectively used to adapt project activities and approaches and is incorporated in theory of change revisions, as needed;
- Contribute to the creation of a culture of openness, trust, and continuous improvement within the program team and with partners;
- Build the program team’s capacity in CLA as well as the capacity of key project stakeholders to ensure the sustainability of CLA practices in the long run;
- Collaborate with the project’s MEL Manager in designing, implementing, and operationalizing a developmental evaluation framework and complexity-aware monitoring approaches;
- Establish and maintain relationships and continuous engagement with USAID, other donors, peer organizations, research and other institutions. Ensure appropriate and continued coordination and joint planning with USAID and other donor activities, Cote d’Ivoire government initiatives, and private sector engagement;
- Ensure consultative processes with communities, local government, civil society, other donor-funded projects, local researchers and academics;
- Regularly engage project stakeholders in gathering and documenting information and lessons emerging from program implementation and ensure quality communications to external stakeholders; and
- Travel frequently to different locations in Cote d’Ivoire to develop relationships and implement CLA activities.
Skills and Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in international development, social science, communications, evaluation, or related field is required;
- At least nine (9) years of work experience with a bachelor’s degree or seven (7) years of experience with a Master’s degree in learning and coordination responsibilities in international development projects is required;
- Demonstrated experience in facilitating learning and knowledge sharing processes; establishing and managing dynamic feedback systems to capture experiential learning for adaptive management; organizing high-level public events is required;
- Demonstrated understanding of USAID’s CLA framework, toolkit, and processes is required;
- Experience in liaising and networking with large donors such as USAID preferred; as well as implementing partners, government bodies, academia, and civil society groups is highly desirable;
- Skills in analyzing, interpreting and communicating information to a wide range or stakeholders, including producing relevant analytical reports, data visualizations, and publications is highly desirable;
- Experience in facilitation and designing and implementing trainings and workshops using adult learning principles and practices is highly desirable;
- Experience with program monitoring and evaluation, including design and implementation of data collection tools and methodologies, data analysis, and data presentation is preferred;
- Demonstrated understanding of Complexity-Aware Monitoring approaches and developmental evaluation or outcome harvesting is preferred;
- Proficiency in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information and budget management, knowledge-sharing networks is required;
- Experience in MEL for democracy and governance programs is preferred;
- Experience of working in a conflict environment is a plus;
- Written and spoken fluency in English and French is required; and
- Fluency in one or more of the national languages in Cote d’Ivoire is preferred.
Other Preferred Qualities:
- Strong track record in strategic, systems, and holistic thinking, managing resistance to change, and understanding of organizational culture;
- Demonstrated experience using political economy analysis/thinking and working politically to achieve programming objectives; and
- Demonstrated presentation skills that can influence decision-makers and foster organizational change strategies, and experience implementing them within a complex organizational setting.
Local and regional candidates strongly encouraged to apply.
Position contingent upon donor funding.
