Project Manager II – Learning, Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation

Title: Project Manager II – Learning, Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation.

Department: Programs – Restore Africa

Report to: MEAL Manager/Chief of Party

Job Location: Kampala/Uganda

Vacancies: One (1)

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.

Background:

• Under the Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation strategic priority area, CRS aims to ‘drive uptake and scaling of nature-based solutions and novel financing mechanisms to support national and community level efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change’. CRS currently has three project which fall explicitly under this strategic priority area:
  • Restore Africa, which aims to restore 560,000 hectares of land with 352, 500 smallholder farmers across 33 districts (Climate Asset Management funded).
  • Accelerating and Scaling Climate Smart Jobs within Restore Africa – Market Linkages for Livelihoods and Land Restoration (M4LLR – FCDO funded).
  • Mixed-Use Agroforestry in Refugee Hosting Districts (World Bank /MinWE funded).
  • In addition, a number of CRS projects which are not managed under this strategic priority also have activities which promote climate adaptation and mitigation, and which can be leveraged for relevant learning.
• The M4LLR project has a strong focus on learning and knowledge sharing, complimenting the Restore Africa focus on the same. It is anticipated that the Learning Manager dedicate 70% of their time on M4LLR, with the additional 30% for Restore Africa or other projects in the climate adaptation/mitigation space.
• The specific objective of the M4LLR project is to establish market linkages for smallholder farmers participating in land restoration initiatives in Uganda. The project will strive to facilitate the integration of climate-smart and sustainable land restoration practices within profitable and diversified agroforestry production systems.
• The M4LLR project will concentrate its efforts on 17 districts located in the Midwest, Rwenzori, and Elgon regions of Uganda, and links closely with the Climate Asset Management funded ‘Restore Africa’ Initiative. These areas present substantial opportunities to involve private sector participants and farmers in both landscape restoration and the development of sustainable and diversified production systems across a variety of value chains, leveraging and building on CRS and consortium partner activities, structures, and partnerships.

Job Summary:

• You will provide technical advice, guidance, and support for Strategic Learning and Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) in line with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) program quality principles and standards and industry best practices. Your technical knowledge, advice and guidance will contribute to determining how effective, adaptive, and innovative CRS’ climate change adaptation and mitigation work is.
• You will be responsible for designing methodologies to capture learning and impact on identified learning questions and delivering learning briefs and other ‘learning deliverables’ as per donor commitments, in order to contribute to the evidence-base around what works in innovative climate adaptation and mitigation programming linked to international climate finance opportunities.
• You will work closely with all partners and CRS staff to co-facilitate and actively support field learning, accountability, related documentation and to strengthen capacity on the same, to institutionalize the use of emerging M&E data, learning and knowledge for high-quality consortium programming. You will work in collaboration with and complement the M&E team, especially supporting the timely interrogation and use of emerging M&E system findings, reflecting a whole-systems approach to Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL).

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Design and manage the project learning and adaptation strategy, system, and tools with a focus on promoting knowledge acquisition, management, documentation, dissemination and learning at multiple levels, in line with donor commitments.
• Ensure project compliance with agency and donor A&L requirements, donor learning resources and consortium MEAL DIP activities, in close liaison with the M&E team and project leadership.
• 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.
• Establish and maintain relationships with donors, peer organizations, research, technical lead partners within CRS consortiums and other institutions to disseminate learning and to coordinate learning products jointly. Ensure appropriate and continued coordination and joint-planning with other relevant projects, host-government initiatives, and private sector engagement.
• Ensure that data and experiential learning with a focus on adult learning needs are consistently applied throughout the activity life cycle.
• Establish and manage dynamic feedback systems to capture experiential learning and unintended consequences.
• Foster collaboration across systems, initiatives, teams and/or organizations. Actively support establishing and nurturing a culture of learning across actors and initiatives, to strengthen collaborative learning, responsiveness, and informed program adaptations.
• Work closely with the MEAL managers to organise 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.
• Strengthen team critical reflection, adaptive programming, and documentation skills, including on achievements, challenges, good practice, and lessons learned.
• 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.
• Facilitate and support staff and key actor reflection and learning sessions and collaborative learning events at various levels.

Basic qualifications:

• A master’s degree in the social sciences including economics, sociology, development studies, or field(s) related to Strategic Learning is required.
• Minimum of five years relevant international working experience in an advisory or management role with progressive responsibilities, ideally with an international NGO, with minimum of three years working for programming interventions in Strategic Learning and CLA.
• Demonstrated application of technical principles and concepts in Strategic Learning and CLA. General knowledge of other related disciplines to ensure proper cross-sectoral approach.
• Experience in business development, project design and proposal development in Strategic Learning and CLA, including technical writing.
• Experience in mentoring, coaching, facilitation, and training applying adult learning principles and practices.
• Experience with program monitoring and evaluation (M&E), including applying data collection tools and methodologies, data analysis, and data presentation.
• Experience and skills in networking and relations with donors, peer organizations, and faith-based and civil society partners. Understanding of partnership principles.
• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information and budget management systems, knowledge-sharing networks.

Preferred Qualifications

• 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 highly preferred.
• Proven experience in quantitative and qualitative research methods, qualitative monitoring, and implementation, and statistical data analysis is highly preferred.
• Excellent written communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to write reports, technical briefs and learning products in a clear, concise manner is highly preferred.
• Knowledge of capacity strengthening best practices is preferred.
• Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented, and results-oriented.
• Attention to details, accuracy, and timeliness in executing responsibilities.
• Excellent relationship management skills with ability to influence and get buy-in from people not under direct supervision and to work with individuals in diverse geographical and cultural settings.
• Strong strategic, analytical, problem-solving and systems thinking skills with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgement.
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Strong presentation, facilitation, training, mentoring, and coaching skills

Required Languages: English fluency, including excellent oral and written skills, required.

Travel: Must be willing and able to travel up to 40 % to project sites with occasional international travel.

Key Working Relationships

• Supervisory: None
• Internal: Reports to MEAL Manager or Chief of Party – Restore Africa (TBD). Collaborates closely with the MEAL team working on climate change adaptation and mitigation, as well as with the technical unit which provides technical guidance to all consortium partners on approaches.
• External: Works closely with consortium partner MEAL staff and project managers, as well as with technical leads within consortium partners. Liaises with the regional learning advisor, as well as relevant regional technical support teams.

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

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.