Senior Capacity Strengthening Advisor
Senior Capacity Strengthening Advisor
ICF is seeking a Senior Capacity Strengthening Advisor for its 5-year USAID-funded Survey Monitoring for Resilience and Food Security (SMRFS) project. The SMRFS project supports USAID’s Bureau for Resilience and Food Security (RFS), Feed the Future target, resilience focus, and Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) Resilience Food Security Activity (RFSA) countries in design and implementation of high-quality population-based survey (PBS) data collection, analysis and reporting. In addition, SMRFS provide methodological, technical, capacity building, and communication products to improve the collection, analysis, and use of PBS data. With a deliberate focus on building local capacity and strengthening local data infrastructure—SMRFS will strengthen capacity of local data collection partners across data collection—planning, collection, analysis. SMRFS will also build capacity of local data collection partners, USAID mission and implementing partner staff in use of PBS data for adaptive management.
The Senior Capacity Strengthening Advisor will lead the design, management, and assessment of the capacity strengthening component SMRFS with the objective to increase understanding and use of PBS data and data utilization. She/he will liaise with country-based stakeholders (including data collection organizations, USAID mission, and implementing partners) and be responsible for developing coherent, inclusive, and innovative plans that respond to needs, opportunities, and context. She/he will also be responsible for building and strengthening systems of knowledge sharing among SMRFS staff and partners.
This is a full-time hybrid position based in Rockville, Maryland
Responsibilities:
Lead the design, implementation, monitoring, and assessment of a project wide capacity to better understand and use PBS data targeted to a diverse group of stakeholders including data utilization by USAID Mission, Feed the Future and BHA stakeholders.
Curate capacity assessment tools and technical guidance for building human and institutional capacities.
Develop capacity building plan for each of the SMRFS countries by customizing capacity development approaches and capacity assessment tools to local context and partner needs.
Develop relationship and improve the capacity of USAID staff in the U.S. and in missions, implementing partner and country government staff (primarily including National Statistics Offices and relevant line ministries, as well as nongovernmental and private-sector data collection and analysis organizations and firms) to contribute to a resilient, inclusive, and responsive institutional infrastructure at the country level that support a country’s capacity for and commitment to evidence-based and data-informed decision making.
Manage, monitor and evaluate capacity of local partners and stakeholders.
Plan and deliver workshops to present results of the survey to Mission staff and other local stakeholders.
Develop capacity building report for all SMRFS countries.
Organize ‘learning and adapting’ in-person and virtual events with USAID staff and partners.
Coordinate closely with the Chief of Party (COP) and SMRFS management to ensure that the capacity strengthening strategy is aligned with the overall objectives of the program.
Qualifications:
10+ years’ experience leading the design, implementation, and assessment of adult learning activities, training curricula, and organizational training.
Master’s degree in social sciences, nutrition, agriculture, demography, preferably focused on capacity building.
Experience designing and assessing human and institutional capacities.
Relevant experience in capacity strengthening in lower- and middle-income country context, particularly related to building the capacity of government and non-government institutions and key country stakeholders.
Experience working with USAID, specifically, Bureau for Resilience and Food Security and Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance RFSA Activities.
Understanding of population-based survey design, implementation, and of the use of survey data for learning and adapting.
Ability to deliver well written reports under tight timelines in English required; fluency and/or familiarity in a project-relevant language (including French/Spanish) greatly valued.
Strong management, coordination, teamwork, and planning skills, and demonstrated ability to work well with multiple in-country counterparts.
Ability to travel domestically or internationally as necessary (approximately 25% time).
Working at ICF
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