Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management Advisor, Learning Contract in Kampala, Uganda

Management Systems International (MSI) is a global international development firm based in Washington, D.C. providing specialized short- and long-term technical assistance. MSI is part of Coffey International Development, a global international development consulting firm. Together with Coffey ID, MSI now has more than 1,500 development professionals worldwide, a corporate presence in 11 countries and manages more than 200 projects worldwide. It currently manages more than 20 long-term projects in countries, including Iraq, Sudan, Colombia and Russia. Broadly, MSI implements a range of analytical and field projects in its core technical areas, including democracy and governance, strategic management and performance improvement, organizational capacity building, human development and natural resource management. For more information on MSI, please visit our website at :
http://www.msiworldwide.com

Project/Proposal Summary:

MSI is seeking long term staff for a USAID-funded project with the following three objectives: (1) strengthen the monitoring, reporting and evaluation functions to support USAID/Uganda and partner decision making mechanisms and learning; (2) improve organizational practices and capacity for learning and adaptation within USAID/Uganda’s staff and business processes; and, (3) deepen coordination, collaboration and synergy within the Mission and with other key stakeholders regarding program interventions, M&E, and lessons learned. The project is central to the Mission’s broad organizational learning and development policy effort known as, “Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA),” that is intended to create the conditions to enable USAID/Uganda to become a more adaptive, modern and effective development organization. It is the first project of its type in recent USAID history, and is closely linked to USAID Forward and other reforms of the last few years. Further information on the CLA can be found in the Mission’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) which is posted on the USAID/Uganda website:
http://uganda.usaid.gov

Position Summary:

The Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management Advisor is one of five key personnel positions deemed by USAID as essential for the success of this innovative project. The Advisor will be the primary individual responsible under the Learning Contract for achievement of the 2nd and 3rd project objectives listed above, and as such will function as a change manager. The Advisor will work under the supervision of the project Chief of Party, and will receive support and guidance from the project Technical Director based at MSI headquarters. He/she will work very closely with USAID/Uganda’s Organizational Learning Advisor, who serves in the Program Office and will lead the Mission’s CLA efforts. The Advisor will also work closely with three Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Specialists, also considered key personnel under the Learning Contract, and will supervise a small team of local-hire employees. This will be a full time position based in Kampala, but will involve travel throughout Uganda and to neighboring countries with institutions forming part of a learning and KM network created under the project.

Responsibilities:

· Lead the project team’s efforts to achieve the 2nd and 3rd project objectives, including, inter alia:

- Develop and advance USAID/Uganda’s learning agenda to guide program interventions;

- Lead consultations with implementing partners and other USAID stakeholders to better understand the design, casual pathways and implementation conditions underlying promising program results;

- Working with the Mission and other informed parties to establish Advisory Councils that will periodically provide informed advice and constructive suggestions to USAID technical specialists on program performance;

- Lead the process of designing an approach to conducting an organizational assessment of the Mission which will result in recommendations to improve USAID/Uganda’s appreciation of learning, adaptation and collaboration, leadership and management styles, time and meeting management, and other practices related to achievement of project objectives 2 and 3;

- Identify national and regional individuals, firms, academic and research institutions and other organizations with the expertise and capacity to provide a wide range of specialized services associated with promoting organizational learning and development to be sub-contracted under the project;

- Identify and establish working relationships with national and regional academic and research institutions which would serve as part of a development learning and knowledge management community-of-practice to be developed by the project under the Advisor’s leadership;

- Establish a network of key stakeholders and organize periodic opportunities for USAID to interact with representatives for the purpose of improving CDCS implementation learning and performance;

- Lead the non-technical design and content development of a new Mission portal for learning and KM – a cyberspace home for CLA;

- Prepare in collaboration with USAID/Uganda several academic articles for publication in development and organizational learning journals and for presentation in respected learning forums;

- Foster contacts with other USAID Missions that are advancing similar programs to promote inter-Mission learning, e.g., USAID/Liberia; and,

- Assist Mission Development Objective teams in identifying and realizing opportunities for advancing USG/USAID institutional influence through more focused, inter-agency diplomatic and policy reform initiatives.

Qualifications:

The innovative and complex qualities of the Learning Contract, combined with the highly specialized and demanding responsibilities of this position require a set of unique and rigorous qualifications. Ideally, the incumbent will possess both professional experience related to the set of responsibilities, as well as international development experience. However, given that organizational learning and knowledge management are not widely practiced within most international development organizations, a qualified candidate may bring their organizational learning and KM skills from the private sector. If this is the case, that experience must involve the application of the skill set in multi-cultural settings, such as could be obtained working with a multi-national corporation or international organization. Following are factors which will be considered by MSI in selecting the most highly qualified candidate:

· Graduate (preferably PhD) degree in a field related to organizational learning and knowledge management, such as management, business administration, education, knowledge management, organizational development, etc.

· Years of professional expertise involving organizational learning and knowledge management

· Publication of articles on these topics in academic and/or professional journals

· Prior experience in international development, or work overseas in different cultural environments (ideally including Africa)

· Communication and interpersonal skills

· Fluency in spoken and written English

· Experience supervising staff and consultants

· Ability and willingness to mentor local staff

· Familiarity with USAID and/or other international development donors

Only candidates who have been selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls, please.

To apply: Please visit our website,
http://www.msiworldwide.com