COLLABORATION, LEARNING AND ADAPTING (CLA) MANAGER HIGHLANDS RESILIENCE ACTIVITY: ADDIS ABABA

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have a long-term impact.

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps has been present in Ethiopia since 2004 working to drive bold and transformative ideas, working closely with government, the private sector, and civil society actors to build a more resilient country, ensuring that programs are responsive to and influenced by participants and stakeholders. Our vision is to enhance the resilience of climate and conflict-affected communities through market systems development for improved livelihoods, access to food, and safe and clean water to thrive in the face of crises. Our strategy focuses on the four outcome areas: 1) Economically marginalized populations have improved and diversified livelihoods, income, and assets; 2) Pastoralists, farmers, and households have access to sustainably produced, safe, nutritious food; 3) Social cohesion and inclusive governance processes are built in crisis-affected communities; and 4) People have equitable, sustained access to clean water and sanitation for domestic and productive use. Currently, we operate in the regional states of Afar, Amhara, Gambella, Oromia, Somali, Sidama, Southern Ethiopia, Tigray and Addis Ababa city administration working with a diverse base of donors that includes the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), European Union, GAC, Hilton Foundation, United Nations (UN), JOA, Sweden, EKN, and other foundations.

The USAID-funded Highland Resilience Activity (HRA) will contribute to the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) 5s Big Push initiative and has the overarching goal of strengthening resilience among vulnerable households in Ethiopias Highlands, resulting in 120,000 PSNP households reaching the graduation threshold. HRA will support these households in moving above the graduation threshold and to where they no longer require social safety net programming for household food security and have the capabilities and assets to withstand regular and predictable shocks. The Activity will achieve this goal by directly supporting households in increasing their on-farm, off-farm, and employment incomes while facilitating improvements in the market systems required to increase demand for goods and services in PSNP communities. HRA is a five-year program that started in October 2023.

General Position Summary

The Collaboration, Learning and Adapting (CLA) Manager is responsible for developing, maintaining, and improving the Activity's CLA system to facilitate learning and ensure continuous improvement in the programming within and among key stakeholders. The Manager ensures that CLA activities are planned, budgeted and consistently implemented across all Activity units and at the Activity level and adequately used in decision-making and programming. The Manager also provides technical assistance and guidance to the program staff and partners on planning and implementation of CLA activities and enhancing internal and external collaborations. S/he will work closely with the Activity's MEL, Data Analytics and Communication Managers and the Accountability and Safeguarding Advisor under the direct supervision of the MEL/CLA Director. S/He will be the focal person for implementing the Activitys CLA system and for the integration of it with the system of the Country Office.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

• Design, continuously improve, and employ robust CLA practices, in internal processes and with implementing partners based on USAID principles, guidelines and methodologies and other technical resources, tailored to the stages of the project cycle.
• Implement a CLA system for HRA with utility and program quality in mind, providing program team real-time information that can steer program implementation as well as informing regional level stakeholders and strategic program direction and that helps strategize future program interventions.
• Build the CLA capacity of staff of the Activity and implementing partners and nurture the learning culture.
• Technical Leadership
• Provide leadership in the development of a CLA system, strategies, and tools for HRA Activity
• Manage the Learning and Research Plan of HRA to track and document evidence around critical learning questions and coordinate learning activities toward answering them.
• Technically contribute to the design of Activity surveys, studies, monitoring, and evaluation designs to address key learning agenda and effective systems for learning.
• Ensure relevant CLA activities and events are planned, adequately budgeted, and implemented at the central and regional office levels.
• Work closely with the entire team to support MEL capacity building internally and with implementing partners.
• Identify and exploit opportunities for innovative actions for capturing, documenting, packaging, disseminating, and facilitating learning internally and externally with key stakeholders,
• In collaboration with the Tech and Regional teams, regularly implement CLA activities including After Action Reviews, Pause and Reflect sessions, and program review and coordination events,
• In collaboration with the Communication Manager package, publish and disseminate key findings and lessons internally and externally with appropriate formats and mechanisms including electronic means,
• Support the Technical teams to document best practices and success stories, and undertake internal reflections including pause and reflect sessions and After-Action Reviews
• Support the Technical teams and the leadership to utilize important lessons in planning and decision-making and document progress,
• Lead participation in the USAID annual CLA case competition with the development and refinement of interesting CLA cases,
• Build the CLA capacity of staff of the Activity and implementing partners in terms of CLA concepts and techniques towards promoting CLA championships.
• Represent HRA and participate in CLA events organized by USAID and its implementing partners.
• Process feedback received and in consultation with technical leads identify learnings, intervention gaps and opportunities.
• Work with consortium partner leadership and staff on Activity approaches and platforms for CLA.
• Provide analysis and significant inputs to quarterly and annual client reporting to incorporate lessons learned and adaptations adopted as a result of Activity CLA processes.

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

• In collaboration with the Communication Manager, the Senior Program Management Officer utilizes appropriate technologies to systematically document, package, and disseminate relevant CLA resources and products to users including the technical teams, HRA leadership, and USAID.

Finance & Compliance Management

• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to the program.
• Ensure effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.
• Draft and/or review the scope of work to hire and manage any technical consultants, including review for technical efficacy and contract budget.

Security

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

Organizational Learning

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient, and relevant to the communities they serve, commit 5% of her or his time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Partners

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our partners and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging participant communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of our field projects.

Supervisory Responsibility: None

Accountability

Reports Directly To:MEL/CLA Director

• Works Directlywith MEL Manager,Data Analytics Manager & MEL staff at the center and regional offices.

Knowledge and Experience

• Degree in Project Management, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning, or Social Science fields.
• Minimum of 4 years of relevant experience in CLA, Knowledge Management, documentation of best practices and success stores,
• Experience working on CLA and other USAID-funded programs preferred.
• Practical MEL knowledge and skills.
• Experience with digital data collection tools such as ODK, Kobo, CommCare, etc. & other data management software such as MS Excel, and Access.
• Good interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills,
• Ability to work with minimum supervision, and commitment to teamwork.
• Very good command of spoken and written English
• Excellent facilitation and presentation skills

Success Factors

The successful candidate will have strong technical skills & experience in M&E, knowledge management/ CLA design and implementation. S/He will also have proven experience working with cross-cultural teams and in capacity building, individual staff development, and strong mentoring skills. Multi-tasking, prioritizing, problem-solving, and simultaneous attention to detail and strategic vision are essential. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments, and prioritize effective written and verbal communication in all situations.

Living /Environmental Conditions

The position will be based inAddis Ababa, Ethiopiawith regular travels to the field. This position requires up to 50% of travel by air and road to field offices in relatively secure environments.

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves professionally and respect local laws, customs, and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps vision. Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer regardless of background. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient, and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the worlds most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives. We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening, and evolving to become more diverse, equitable, and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal-opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have a sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination based on race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status, or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere toMercy Corps Code of Conduct Policiesand values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct eLearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.