Learning and Communication Senior Associate Job at Evidence Action in Nairobi, Kenya June 2014

Learning and Communication Senior Associate Job at Evidence Action in Nairobi, Kenya June 2014

Position: Senior Associate, Learning and Communication

Deadline to Apply: Rolling Basis

Start Date: ASAP

Reporting To: Manager, Monitoring, Analysis, and Learning

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

About Evidence Action: Evidence Action is a new organization working in partnership with an existing non-profit organization (Innovations for Poverty Action, IPA) to scale proven interventions to improve the lives of the poor in Africa and Asia.

Rigor, evidence, and action are all part of our values. We are looking for a dynamic, engaged individual to join our team as a Senior Associate, Learning and Communication working within organization’s Monitoring, Learning, and Information Systems (MLIS) team.

The successful candidate, like the MLIS team, will embody the evidence-based and data-driven nature of the organization.

While Evidence Action continues to grow the pipeline of proven-interventions to bring to scale, its current programs in the Africa Region include:

Dispensers for Safe Water is an entrepreneurial program scaling the chlorine dispenser system – a proven innovation that dramatically expands access to water treatment at an extremely low cost.
Deworm the World Initiative actively supports the scale-up of school-based deworming programs worldwide to improve children’s health, education, and long-term development.

About Monitoring Learning and Information Systems (MLIS) Team

The MLIS team is critical to the identity and work of Evidence Action.

The team embodies the evidence-based nature of Evidence Action’s work and enables Evidence Action to be a cutting-edge, data-driven organization.

The team provides services across Evidence Action’s Africa Region through four sub-teams that work closely together to deliver quality, timely and useful information:

Learning and Communication (L&C): This team is responsible for supporting the program teams with timely information in innovative, useful and clear ways to translate analysis and research to evidence-based decision making and action.
Monitoring, Analysis and Research (MAR): This team is responsible for ensuring that all ongoing program monitoring needs are met and analysis and research is conducted to support program improvements.
Management Information Systems (MIS): This team is be responsible for ensuring that the all programs have access to timely and useful data for day-to-day programmatic planning and decision making through a cloud based multi-user system.
Data Quality and Management (DQM): This team is responsible for ensuring access to quality and timely data to meet all ongoing program needs; including monitoring, information systems and analysis and research.

About the Position: Senior Associate, Learning and Communication

The Senior Associate, Learning and Communication will be the driving force of the Learning and Communication delivery team for Evidence Action’s Africa Region. Within the region, they will carry primary responsibility for:

1) Diagnosing the data, research, and learning needs of all Evidence Action programs,

2) Marketing and showcasing all MLIS services (i.e. data collection, analysis, research, data management etc.) to Evidence Action program teams and

3) Ensuring effective information flow within program teams and between program teams and MLIS divisions.

A successful Senior Associate, Learning and Communication will be the lynchpin that ensures that the data-driven decision making process of Evidence Action addresses the most pressing program needs and specifically addresses the strongest opportunities for programmatic improvements.

Goals and Responsibilities

Diagnose the Program “needs” from the MLIS Team

Fully understanding program needs for data and translating that back to the MLIS team
Seeking out, prioritizing, and communicating requests from the program teams to Evidence Action’s MLIS team
Identifying, and documenting the best approaches for the MLIS team to serve Evidence Action programs
Developing the tools that enable clear and effective information gathering from program teams and enables accurate diagnosis of program needs

Ensure effective information flow from MLIS to programs

Collaborating with the MLIS delivery teams to ensure that all program team members to have continuous, error-free access to required data for day-to-day programmatic business, planning and decision making
Supporting programs with timely, useful and clear information for evidence-based decision making (including connect-the-dots support)
Extracting learnings from analysis and research products that enable program teams to make evidence-based decisions
Collecting and organizing/curating information from various sources (i.e. existing program (primary) research, external (secondary) research, new analyses, management information systems, etc.) to help programs in making decisions
Disseminating MLIS data findings to donors, across programs and to external audiences through innovative tools (i.e. data visualization software, infographics, etc.)
Developing the aforementioned innovative tools for sharing data findings
Leading the coordination of the four MLIS delivery teams

Market and Showcase MLIS services

Responsible for making program leadership and program delivery teams aware of the ways in which the Monitoring, Learning, and Information Services (MLIS) team can assist programs in making evidence-based decisions
Successfully moderating the conversation between MLIS and program teams to ensure that the MLIS team is providing the services that the programmes teams want, and providing them in a way that the programs teams can and will effectively use
Showcases areas for cross program learnings.
Communicating the results and practical consequences of research and analysis products to a non-research audience
Writing and editing reports and presentations with a keen eye for how the information should be phrased based on the view point of the target audiences

Learning and Communication Team Management

Managing the productivity, professional development skill building and liaising of at least one Associate, Learning and Communication
Managing the work plans and priorities of the Learning and Communication team

Qualifications, Experience and Skills

Bachelor’s degree in data-oriented social sciences (i.e. economics, quantitative political science), data-journalism, public health, epidemiology, or related field
A minimum of 1-3 years work experience generating high quality, clear, thought leadership pieces and managing communications within organizations and to partners and external audiences
An active approach to problem-solving and an orientation toward practical knowledge-seeking through learning, questioning, and experimentation
A belief that the timely and right-sized application of knowledge and information is a requirement for strong decision-making and high-quality service delivery.
Highest quality, professional writing and communications skills
Experience building infographics and/or using design and infographic software (e.g. Gapminder, StatSilk, Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop, OmniGraffle etc.)
Work experience in entrepreneurial or start-up environments in Africa
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively with a team that is geographically dispersed
Self-directed/self-motivating personality, with proven ability to manage demands from multiple supervisors while adhering to program deadlines and priorities
Strong critical and analytical thinking skills
Intellectual flexibility and willingness to form and adjust opinions based on evidence
Quick to learn, motivated to self-teach and capable of independently translating new knowledge into practice
Willingness to travel

Note: Please specifically illustrate the above desired qualifications in your cover letter by giving examples from your experience.

In addition, this position requires a candidate to:

Have a strong commitment to evidence-based practice and policy in the development field
Be enthusiastic to develop personally and professionally as part of a growing global team
Possess a strong attention to detail and a genuine love of working with data

To apply: Please send a cover letter and detailed CV, 3 references, daytime phone number(s), and email address.

Your CV should include details about your academic qualifications and any relevant work experience.

Optionally, include a work sample which highlights your analytical and written communications skills

Applications can be submitted by email to both jobs@evidenceaction.org and jobs-kenya@poverty-action.org, please ensure that the subject line reads: “Senior Associate, Learning and Communication” REF NO: Evidence Action-2014-06-03.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early, as applications will be reviewed on a ROLLING BASIS

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the Senior Associate, Learning and Communication. The statements are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all possible duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Management reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet organizational needs as necessary. Please note that IPA will never request any form of payment from an applicant. Applicants are encouraged to confirm the information listed above with IPA prior to releasing any extensive personal information to the organization. Please direct questions to jobs-kenya@poverty-action.org.