Knowledge Management Specialist at Amref Kenya

WHO WE ARE

The Strategic Purchasing Africa Resource Center (SPARC) is a new resource hub aimed at strengthening strategic purchasing capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa by connecting existing regional expertise and matching it with country demand to make better use of resources for health. Our vision is to empower countries with knowledge and practical tools to make access to affordable and quality health care a reality for all. SPARC is creating a network of regional experts who can support the development of practical, home-grown solutions that meet countries’ strategic purchasing needs. SPARC is hosted by Amref Health Africa and benefits from the organization’s reach across sub-Saharan Africa. This relationship supports SPARC’s commitment to developing strong partnerships across the continent and building expertise in strategic purchasing and brokering support based on country demand. Through these partnerships, SPARC promotes evidence-informed policymaking that leads to better health spending and facilitates learning and sharing of best practices in health purchasing.

SPARC’s approach – key pillars: 

• Coaching and mentoring: Build a cadre of regional experts who can work alongside and provide contextualized support to country-led strategic purchasing processes.
• Country engagement: Broker tailored packages of strategic purchasing support to address country needs and demand.

Knowledge management and joint learning: Build a learning agenda on strategic purchasing and capture and share practical lessons and experiences.

THE POSITION

Under the leadership of the Program Manager, the Knowledge Management Specialist will provide strategic management of SPARC’s Knowledge Management and Learning programmatic pillar to ensure the work plan is coherently implemented and SPARC achieves its mission of becoming the “go-to” resource center for strategic purchasing in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Knowledge Management Specialist will use traditional and digital learning approaches to develop and implement innovative, creative, and effective ways to capture and share the coaching and mentoring approach and technical knowledge in the area of strategic purchasing for UHC, and compile and leverage good practices to improve the effectiveness of strategic health purchasing in sub-Saharan Africa. S/he will be responsible for a wide variety of activities related to identifying, managing, packaging, and disseminating key information to advance the technical practice and provide practitioners with the tools needed to advance strategic purchasing within their health systems. Specifically, the Knowledge Management Specialist will lead and support learning events, the SPARC technical consortium and learning community, develop mechanisms for creating and sharing knowledge, produce resources and guidance, and facilitate ongoing content development and engagement of a learning community. Principal responsibilities are described in the section below.

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES

KEY AREA Activity

• Strategy, Planning & Implementation 
  • Lead the development of knowledge management strategy, associated implementation plan and data sharing policy.
  • Create a systematic approach for guiding ongoing country engagement, scoping analyses needed to address observed gaps and for identifying opportunities for innovation in strategic purchasing.
  • Create mechanisms for capturing and documenting key successful interventions of SPARC and the global community that support strategic purchasing and work with the communications team to package them into knowledge products.
  • Manage knowledge sharing events including seminars/webinars, workshops, conferences, and peer learning sessions. 
  • Develop comprehensive map of strategic purchasing information sources, and define systems and processes for collecting, managing, and sharing data and information with stakeholders on an ongoing basis.
  • Contribute to capacity building and support for internal knowledge acquisition, management and sharing – ensuring that relevant communities of practice are developed and strengthened with learning opportunities to ensure a pipeline of professional expertise and advice on all aspects of strategic purchasing. 
  • In conjunction with M&E team, assist in tracking indicators for KM deliverables
• Stakeholder Management
  • Manage user website by responding to users’ needs in a timely manner and engaging them in meaningful knowledge exchange
  • Identify and share creative, efficient and effective ways to engage audiences to facilitate joint learning and collaboration.
  • Develop and maintain relations with knowledge centers, primary user groups and stakeholders.
• Information Management
  • Ensure SPARC has an up-to-date easy-to-access database of lessons learned and best practices and success stories in strategic purchasing, country engagement and coaching and mentoring. 
  • Identify and curate technical website content, ensuring content is fresh and updated and managing content strategies that ensure that the right knowledge is getting to the right people at the right time in the right way.
• Collaboration
  • Establish and maintain partnerships with government teams, relevant institutions and program partners.
  • In collaboration with SPARC stakeholders design and implement effective learning activities that capture and share knowledge.
  • Engage partners and learning champions to expand online/in-person learning activities including engaging the growing user base on SPARC website, collaborating with external partners, and contributing content

KEY AREA Activity

• Work collaboratively with communications, web development, and training, to ensure alignment, integration and cohesion.

Donor Liaison

• Support in liaison with donors to identify potential areas of donor support for SPARC activities and to create partnerships that foster effective use of skills and resources.
  
  

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

SPARC is a small team with an ambitious work plan and works in a fast-paced, results-driven environment. The ideal candidate is highly-motivated, a fast learner, resourceful, flexible, independent, energetic, with excellent communications skills, cultural sensitivity and experience working with senior leaders.

MINIMUM EDUCATION

• Advanced degree in public health, communication, knowledge management, organizational learning, education, management information systems or a related discipline.

EXPERIENCE

• At least 5 years of knowledge management, organizational learning or web-based learning experience.

COMPETENCIES

• Demonstrated interest in and capacity to deliver knowledge management and/or organizational learning programs.
• Demonstrated understanding of knowledge management principles and capacity to deliver knowledge management and/or organizational learning activities. 
• Excellent facilitation, program/activity management, and written and oral communication skills.
• Demonstrated interest and experience in health systems strengthening.
• Creative problem-solving and ability to work with humility, under tight deadlines and achieve results 
• Strong interpersonal skills and experience working with cross cultural and geographical teams.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office products at expert level. 
• Willingness to travel within the region and across the African continent.
• Proficiency in using internet/social media-based learning tools. 
• Fluency in speaking, reading and writing in English.
• Knowledge of French would be an advantage.