Policy and Program Implementation Associate (Kenya) at SoCha

Background:

SoCha is USAID/Kenya East Africa’s Implementing Partner for the Mission Support for the Journey to Self-Reliance Pivot (MSP) Activity. The MSP Activity supports USAID/Kenya and East Africa (KEA) staff and stakeholders to be more efficient, effective, transparent and skilled in achieving development outcomes through the use of evidence, performance management techniques, and Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) practices that enable KEA’s journey to self-reliance.

MSP aims to advance adaptive management through evidence-based learning (objective 1), optimize organizational structures and processes (objective 2), and align programs and strategies toward the journey to self-reliance (objective 

MSP has the following overall intermediate results:

• Strengthen monitoring, verification, and reporting systems to enhance USAID/KEA Mission programmatic effectiveness and accountability to stakeholders.
• Strengthen the design of and carry out evaluations, assessments, and analyses to enable the Mission to make informed decisions and utilize and disseminate learning.
• Improve coordination and collaboration within the Mission and with external stakeholders to enhance institutional learning and program effectiveness.
• Enable Mission staff and its stakeholders to adapt based on learning and inform mid-course corrections, shape future programming, and increase accountability and transparency.
• Support strategy development and process management as part of the program cycle to enable continuous planning, delivering, assessing, and adapting of development programs.

Responsibilities:

• The Policy and Program Implementation Associate supports the Strategy and Programs Advisor as part of the Strategy and Communications Team to deliver MSP technical deliverables and all technical tasks under objective 3, align programs and strategies toward the journey to self-reliance;
• Support strategy development and process management as part of the program cycle to enable continuous planning, delivering, assessing, and adapting of development programs.

Specific tasks:

• Support USAID/KEA Strategic Planning and Analysis office to operationalize the Kenya Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) and the East Africa Regional Development Cooperation Strategy (RDCS) through the development of implementation documents, mission orders, templates, tools, knowledge management, and communications.
• Facilitate and support USAID technical and support teams in the realignment of programs and awards to the new CDCS and RDCS, including in areas such as performance management planning; local solutions; gender integration, youth-focus, and inclusive development; strategic communications;  private-sector led initiatives and other new partnerships; data-driven decision-making; integrated development; sustainable self-financing, and adaptive management.
• Support in the organization, and execution of internal and external learning and collaboration events, workshops, and training with USAID personnel, implementing partners, and other stakeholders.
• Provide MSP support to other USAID implementing partners and communicate USAID/KEA strategies, policies, procedures; support the design, organization, and execution of training on USAID policy.
• Develop information and knowledge products: case studies and evaluation summaries.

General areas of support:

• Technical and organizational development support in developing, monitoring, adapting, and communicating USAID/KEA strategies and associated enabling environment.
• Technical and organizational development support to streamline management processes to enable strategic and efficient implementation.
• Coordinate with short-term technical assistance consultants to deliver high quality products and services for USAID/KEA.
• Collaborate with other MSP technical and operational teams to deliver integrated support to the mission and implementing partners.
• Other tasks, as assigned, to achieve MSP objectives and support USAID/KEA strategy, programs, communication, and knowledge management portfolio.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in international development, organizational behavior, public policy, or related field
• 2 years of experience in international development, non-profits, or organizations investing in community development or social programs
• Experience working in policy or program guidance, policy coordination; experience helping organizations move from policy to implementation
• Excellent English writing skills
• Experience writing and/or revising and contributing to public-facing development publications highly preferred
• Excellent English oral communication skills, strong presentation skills
• Workshop facilitation skills and experience highly preferred
• Knowledge and understanding of development programs, planning, and implementation

Experience working with USAID or USG agencies preferred

Reporting:

The Policy and Program Implementation Associate reports to the Strategy and Programs Advisor.