Strategic Learning Advisor (SLA), USAID/Somalia Resilience and Food Security Activity (RFSA) Full Time

Summary:

Save the Children is seeking a Strategic Learning Advisor (SLA) for an anticipated five-year USAID-funded Resilience Food Security Activity (RFSA) in Somalia. The goal is to improve food and nutrition security and resilience among poor and chronically vulnerable households and communities in a sustainable manner. The estimated implementation timeframe for the RFSA is 2024 – 2029. Hiring is contingent upon successful award of the program and USAID approval of the candidate.

The proposed program will be an integrated, multi-sectoral food and nutrition security intervention. The SLA will work closely with all staff to ensure principles of Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA)are recognized and acted on as core elements of RFSA programming. This staff member will ensure active, intentional, and adaptive learning within and across interventions, and will play a critical role in incorporating refinement activities and learning into implementation. Additionally, the SLA will improve community engagement; peer-to-peer learning; knowledge capture, sharing, and application; activity-based capacity strengthening; and evidence and data utilization. The SLA, working with the COP and technical staff, will also ensure appropriate and continued coordination and joint-planning with other relevant USAID Bureaus and Missions and other relevant donor activities, host-government initiatives, and private sector actors.

What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties):

• Lead the formulation and implementation of a detailed program learning plan/ learning agenda and manage associated learning partnerships and processes.
• Manage a program “change log” during the Refine period of the program (initial 12 -24 months), documenting changes to program design required as a result of formative research findings and operational planning discussions.
• Manage learning events and processes. Work with M&E team members to ensure adaptations to the program theory of change as new information comes to light.
• Lead the creation and management of a detailed program knowledge management platform, ensuring full integration with other relevant knowledge management platforms.
• Create guidelines for CLA in the context of the program. Manage CLA ‘pause and reflect’ events and resulting adaptive management analysis, decision-making, program/ approach adjustments, training, and follow-through.
• Work closely with M&E and technical teams to develop and implement innovative approaches for capture, analysis and uptake of qualitative and quantitative information to inform programs, improve performance and agility.
• Contribute to the creation of a culture of openness, trust, and continuous improvement within the program team and with partners. Train team members on CLA in addition to ensuring peer-to-peer learning, knowledge sharing and application, activity-based capacity strengthening, evidence and data utilization within the team.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in economics, statistics, or relevant field with a minimum of five years of relevant experience in which two of those years of experience are in a specific CLA or leaning capacity’ OR a master’s degree in development studies, international relations, agriculture, nutrition, public health, or a related field and a minimum of three years of relevant work experience in international development projects.
• Demonstrated understanding and application of CLA is required.
• Work effectively with global BHA-funded IDEAL Associate Awards for improved collaboration and program quality.
• Relevant experience includes food and nutrition security-related learning processes, knowledge management, organizational learning and development, community of practice facilitation, and capacity strengthening.
• Ability and willingness to travel to project sites on a regular basis.
• Fluency in English is required, and professional proficiency in Somali and/or Arabic is preferred.
• Strong tool/curriculum development and training skills.
• Demonstrated, structured approach to coordination, sustainability planning, and linkage formulation.
• Demonstrated experience in facilitating learning and knowledge sharing processes, in establishing and managing dynamic feedback systems to capture experiential learning and unintended consequences, and fostering collaboration across teams or organizations is required.
• Experience working in a low to mid-income country context is required. Strong preference for work experience in Somalia and/or other eastern African countries.
• Familiarity with USAID definitions, CLA approaches, and incorporating CLA approaches into large, complex programs is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in facilitating learning and knowledge sharing processes with establishing and managing dynamic feedback systems to capture experiential learning and unintended consequences, and in fostering collaboration across teams and organizations.
• Fluency in English is required, and professional proficiency in Somali and/or Arabic is preferred.
• Relevant experience includes food and nutrition security-related learning processes, knowledge management, organizational learning and development, community of practice facilitation, and capacity strengthening.
• Ability and willingness to travel to project sites on a regular basis.
• Strong tool/curriculum development and training skills.
• Demonstrated, structured approach to coordination, sustainability planning, and linkage formulation.
• Demonstrated understanding and application of CLA is required.
• Familiarity with the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) / RFSA programming is preferred.

About Save the Children:

No matter your role when you join Save the Children, each and every day you will challenge yourself to devote your skills, talent and expertise to changing the world for kids. It’s an ambitious goal, and a meaningful one no matter how you see yourself professionally: an accountant, a writer, a data analyst, a teacher, a driver, a designer, or any one of the hundreds of dozens of roles we’re looking to fill every day.

You see, Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share. 

Our work for children and their families requires that we commit—at every opportunity—to work together to identify and dismantle persistent systemic and structural racism, inequality, and any other forms of discrimination in this country and beyond.  As an anti-racist organization, Save the Children will not tolerate discrimination in any form—in our employment practices, amongst our staff, in our leadership or toward the people we serve. We stand in solidarity with all people to fight for equal rights, justice, inclusion, and belonging. 

We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, ancestry, sexual orientation, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status, or status as a veteran. Save the Children complies with all applicable laws. 

Save the Children is committed to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for the children it serves and helping protect the children with whom we are in contact. All Save the Children representatives are explicitly prohibited from engaging in any activity that may result in any kind of child abuse. In addition, it is Save the Children’s policy to create and proactively maintain an environment that aims to prevent and deter any actions and omissions, whether deliberate or inadvertent, that place children at the risk of any kind of child abuse. All our representatives are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with this commitment and obligation.  

Save the Children is committed to minimizing safety and security risks for our valued employees, ensuring all are given training, support and information to reduce their risk exposure while maximizing the impact of our programs for children and families. Our shared duty, both agency and individual, is to seek and maintain safe working conditions for all.