Digital Learning Management Specialist at Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)

Role Summary

This position is with AGRA’s CESSA and reports to the Head of Seed Systems.  The individual in this position will be responsible for understanding, prioritizing, designing, and overseeing the implementation with key partners of, CESSA’s digital learning initiatives.  This is a unique opportunity for AGRA in capacity building for Africa’s seed systems; there is currently no other initiative like this operating in Africa.  This position is therefore expected to be transformative and highly results-oriented with respect to developing training courses and ensuring their delivery to the right students/practitioners.

A critical element of this role is selecting and managing the partners and learning management system platform through which CESSA will work to design, house, and deliver digital training. A further critical element entails validating student results of training, most likely through identify-verified, in-person testing.  Digital training may also be combined with selected elements of field and/or laboratory work, although primary emphasis will be on digital delivery whenever possible. 

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Work with SeedSAT assessment results and AGRA seed sector Thematic Area leaders to identify and prioritize key training needs that can be delivered through digital training methods and courses, including the development of a strong understanding of the adult learning needs and modalities of the target students.
• Conduct a rapid study of best practices in adult digital learning to underpin the effective design of CESSA’s digital training initiative.
• Working with the broader CESSA and AGRA team, recommend and select the key partners for AGRA for CESSA’s digital learning initiative, including the learning management system to be used, the manager of the learning management system, and content/course developers for various thematic areas/courses.
• Establish a three-year workplan for designing and delivering the prioritized courses, to include: the list of courses to be designed; the objectives and goals of each course; the delivery modality of each course (e.g., digital only, hybrid, sporadic versus constant delivery, etc.); the targeted impact on farmers of improving capacity in the system; and the anticipated number of students/practitioners reached.  A key initiative should include rapidly initiating at least one digital course so that practical implementation lessons can start to flow and inform subsequent work. 
• Contract the selected partners to develop and deliver the training courses, oversee contractor implementation, liaise with the CESSA team to ensure continuous relevance of design and implementation efforts.
• Working with CESSA thematic area leads, ensure the completeness and accuracy of all course content material.
• Work to enable scaling of selected digital courses, across countries, languages, and crops.
• Lead a collaborative, energetic CESSA and partner community of practice to ensure continuous improvement and strong delivery of the CESSA digital training courses.
• Develop a clear, easily communicated, tracking mechanism for the status of workplan implementation.
• Work closely with CESSA M&E to track the results and impact of CESSA’s digital training initiative.
• As requested, prepare relevant materials required for AGRA updates, budgeting, communications, strategic planning, and other relevant purposes.

Academic, Professional Qualifications and Relevant experience

• Minimum 15 years’ experience in adult learning, with minimum 7 years of experience in digital delivery mechanisms.
• Educational requirements:  minimum of a Masters degree in an education-related field, preferable adult education and/or digital education.
• Working knowledge of digital learning management systems and their strengths/weaknesses.
• Ability to evaluate, select, and manage partners for both digital delivery and technical content delivery.
• Experience delivering technical/scientific digital training content, preferably in agriculture; working knowledge of seed systems is a positive, but not required.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills – fluency in English is a must.
• Fluency in French is desired but not required.