Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) Specialist at SoCha

Background: To support USAID/Kenya and East Africa (KEA) to advance what self-reliance means for Kenya and the broader region and to align programming toward promoting self-reliance outcomes, SoCha LLC implements a two-year mission support program (optional third year) to enable USAID to pivot into this journey to self-reliance (J2SR).

The Mission Support for the Journey to Self-Reliance Pivot (MSP) supports USAID/KEA to understand context, align programs, collect data, understand complexity, and apply learning to program adaptation.

Scope of Work:

As a member of the MSP Organizational Development team, the MSP Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) Specialist will:

• Coordinate and facilitate CLA discussions with DO/project teams and other stakeholders for the development of the Mission’s CLA Plan (as part of the Mission’s broader performance
  management plan), pulling together inputs in order to prepare a draft for the Mission’s review
• Track progress on the CLA Plan and support its implementation
• Review Implementing Partner (IP) Activity CLA Plans at the request of USAID
• Lead CLA capacity building and training activities for Mission staff, IPs and other Mission stakeholders (e.g., local development organizations)
• Facilitate Pause & Reflect activities and After-Action Reviews (AARs)
• Work with USAID to coordinate the Mission’s CLA Champions group meetings and share new and timely CLA resources with them
• Lead on CLA Case Study development
• Work with MSP’s Performance Quality Improvement team to advise on Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning for Adaptive Management (MEL4AM) approaches
• Support exit interviews of departing Mission staff
• Support development of learning agendas, implementation of the learning activities included in the learning agendas (including learning events) and track progress
• Support data analysis on the CLA index and other OD-related activity MEL plan indicators
• Coordinate status updates on Mission Office goal progress

Deliverables for each multi-day

• Design and facilitation of CLA training
• Development of CLA agendas/strategies for USAID and implementing partners
• Facilitation support for the CLA Champions Group
• CLA Plan for the Mission PMP
• CLA Case Studies
• Support for high performing teams

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in organizational development, communications, social sciences, or a related field. Master’s is preferred.
• At least five years of experience with CLA, organizational learning, change management, monitoring and evaluation, communications and/or knowledge management in the international
  development sector.
• Familiarity with USAID’s objectives, approaches and operations, particularly as they relate to the Program Cycle and CLA’s role in it.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively interact with local professionals, international donor organizations, civil society and private sector, host country government counterparts, and other
  implementing partners in developing countries.
• Experience designing and delivering learning events.
• Experience with designing and facilitating meetings and trainings.
• Must be a legal resident of Kenya.
• Excellent communication skills and strong proficiency in written and spoken English.

LOE or Contract Length: The CLA Specialist is a full-time position and is expected to start working in January 2021 for a period of approximately 10 months through Mid October 2021. There is also potential for a 1-year extension if USAID exercises the third option year on the MSP contract.