Technical Advisor II – Strategic Learning Advisor (SLA)

Title: Technical Advisor II – Strategic Learning Advisor (SLA)

Department: Programming

Report to: Program Manager II – Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning

Job Location: Kampala/Uganda

Vacancies: One (1)

Please be aware that this position is contingent on proposal. Its availability is subject to CRS successfully obtaining funding from the donor.

About CRS

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding.

CRS has been working in Uganda since 1965 and has a vibrant portfolio of projects, serving over a million vulnerable Ugandans and refugees each year through the Country Program 2030 Strategy. CRS programs in Uganda currently support five strategic priority areas, including Health and Social Services Systems Strengthening, Resilient Food Systems, Emergency Preparedness and Management, Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, and Local Leadership. CRS Uganda implements its programs through partnerships with local organizations, including international and local NGOs, Ugandan government departments and ministries, the Catholic Church, and community-based organizations for maximum impact and sustainability.

Job Summary:

You will provide technical advice, guidance, and support to a wide range of program design and implementation issues focusing on Strategic Learning and Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) within a Resilience Food Security Activity (RFSA) in line with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) program quality principles and standards, USAID-BHA guidelines, and industry best practices to regional and Country Program (CP) teams to advance the delivery of high-quality programming to the poor and vulnerable.

Your technical knowledge, advice and guidance will contribute to determining how effective, adaptive, and innovative CRS’s programming is across the globe. You will work closely with RFSA staff to ensure collaboration and learning with other activities in and around the implementation area. You will ensure the activity includes active, intentional, and adaptive learning within and across interventions, and will play a critical role in incorporating contextualization activities and learning into implementation. This includes but is not limited to the U.S. Government, Government of Uganda, international donors, multilateral organizations, and private sector actors, among others. Additionally, you will improve peer-to-peer learning, knowledge sharing and application, activity-based capacity strengthening, and evidence and data utilization in support of adaptive management.

You will ensure appropriate and continued coordination and joint planning with other USAID and other donor activities (specifically the USAID food security and resilience and USG portfolio), GoU initiatives, and private sector engagement.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Design and manage project learning and adaptation strategy, system, and tools with a focus on promoting knowledge acquisition, management, documentation, dissemination and learning at multiple levels. Help ensure a cross-sectoral approach integrating gender, youth, social protection mainstreaming, social and disability inclusion, resilience, and disaster risk reduction.
• Provide technical solutions to the food security program on-site, for strategic planning and how to best apply program design and implementation standards, best practices, partnership principles, tools, and monitoring and evaluation, ensuring high-quality implementation.
• Contribute to Knowledge Management and Learning (KML) through collecting and analyzing program data. Lead and document active, intentional, and adaptive learning within and across activity interventions, incorporate refinement activities and learning into implementation. Include active, intentional, and adaptive learning within and across interventions.
• Ensure that data and experiential learning with a focus on adult learning needs are consistently applied throughout the activity life cycle. Use evidence, activity data, and active learning to better examine the functions, role, and nuance of formal and informal institutions and social dynamics.
• Establish and manage dynamic feedback systems to capture experiential learning and unintended consequences.
• Foster collaboration across systems, initiatives, teams and/or organizations.
• Lead regular Theory of Change (ToC) assessment, review, and revision exercises, ensuring that multiple levels of CRS and partner staff engage, contribute to, and understand how the ToC guides programming and adaptive management.
• Establish and maintain relationships with donors, peer organizations, research, and other institutions. Ensure appropriate and continued coordination and joint-planning with other USAID and other donor activities (specifically the USAID food security and resilience portfolio), host-government initiatives, and private sector engagement.
• Ensure robust partner engagement and consultative processes with communities, local government, civil society, other donor funded projects, local researchers, and academics.
• Contribute to capacity strengthening of project staff and partners through helping develop learning and training strategies and agendas/curriculums, conducting trainings and workshops, and mentoring and coaching to CP staff.

Basic qualifications:

• A master’s degree in the social sciences, international development or relations, or a relevant field required. PhD is preferred.
• Minimum of seven years relevant work experience with progressive responsibilities managing the monitoring and evaluation (M&E), program evaluation, and/or strategic learning component of multisectoral programs with a minimum of five years relevant field-based experience in similar international humanitarian and development contexts is required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven experience in quantitative and qualitative research methods, qualitative monitoring, and implementation, and data analysis is required.
• Demonstrated experience in facilitating learning and knowledge sharing processes, establishing, and managing dynamic feedback systems to capture experiential learning and unintended consequences, leading participatory learning and action, and facilitating collaborative problem-solving is required.
• Familiarity with the CLA approach and adaptive management for program quality preferred.
• Experience working in Uganda is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong relationship management skills with ability to influence colleagues and partners not under direct supervision and to work with individuals in diverse geographic and cultural settings
• Good strategic, analytical, problem-solving and systems thinking skills with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgments
• Excellent written communication skills required, with a demonstrated ability to write reports, technical briefs and learning products in a clear, concise manner.
• Knowledge of capacity strengthening best practices is preferred.
• Skills in networking and relations with donors, peer organizations, faith-based and civil society partners and an understanding of partnership principles is preferred.
• Presentation, facilitation, training, mentoring, and coaching skills
• Proactive, resourceful, and results-oriented
• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information and budget management systems, knowledge-sharing networks.

Required Languages: Professional proficiency in English, Luganda an asset.

Travel requirement: Position based in Uganda (Kampala or Field Location – TBD). The job holder must be willing and able to travel up to 50 % to project sites anticipated.

Key Working Relationships

• Supervisory: Strategic Learning (e.g. Knowledge Management and Learning Specialist, Communications Officer, others).
• Internal: MEAL Manager, Chief of Party, Head of Programming, Deputy Head of Programming, project MEAL staff, Country Program staff (MEAL, accountability, ICT, others), Deputy Regional Director for Program Quality, Regional Technical Advisors.
• External: Local/regional governments, partners, USAID, national and international research and learning/university partners, and other relevant stakeholders.

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)

Agency competencies clarify expected behaviors and attitudes for all staff. When demonstrated, they create an engaging workplace, help staff achieve their best, and help CRS achieve agency goals. These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

• Personal Accountability – Consistently takes responsibility for one’s own actions.
• Acts with Integrity – Consistently models values aligned with CRS Guiding Principles and mission. Is considered honest.
• Builds and Maintains Trust – Shows consistency between words and actions.
• Collaborates with Others – Works effectively in intercultural and diverse teams.
• Open to Learn – Seeks out experiences that may change perspective or provide an opportunity to learn new things.

Agency Leadership Competencies:

• Lead Change – Continually looks for ways to improve the agency through a culture of agility, openness, and innovation.
• Develops and Recognizes Others – Builds the capacity of staff to reach their full potential and enhance team and agency performance.
• Strategic Mindset – Understands role in translating, communicating, and implementing agency strategy and team priorities.

Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.

CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer

CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. We welcome as a part of our staff people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

By applying to this job, I understand and acknowledge that CRS requires its staff to treat all people with dignity and respect and to actively prevent harassment, abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking. Further, I understand that if I am a successful candidate, I will be subject to a comprehensive background check, and my personal/professional references will be asked to evaluate my behaviors related to the above safeguarding related topics.