SoCha Special Advisor (Strategy Development and Implementation) Job in Kenya

SoCha Special Advisor (Strategy Development and Implementation) Job in Kenya

Statement of Work

Position: Special Advisor for Strategy Development and Implementation

Activity: USAID Kenya / East Africa Mission Support for Journey to Self-Reliance Pivot (MSP)

Implementer: SoCha LLC

Company Background:

SoCha (a portmanteau of Social and Change) is an independent Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (ME&L) firm that provides bespoke solutions to social challenges.

Since our inception in 2010, we have grown into a fully-fledged ME&L services firm that specializes in advancing innovative methodologies and changing the way donors find solutions to social problems.

Activity Background:

USAID Kenya and East Africa (KEA) seeks to advance the journey to self-reliance (J2SR) for Kenya and the broader region. To support the J2SR, SoCha LLC will implement a two-year (optional third year) mission support pivot (MSP). MSP will support USAID/KEA to understand context, align programs, collect data, understand complexity, and apply learning to program adaptation.

MSP is both a support contract and a core learning mechanism for the USAID/KEA Mission. MSP will support USAID/KEA across all technical areas, with travel across Kenya and the East Africa region.

MSP will partner with local organizations and firms, and build local capacity to drive an ambitious development agenda throughout the region.

Position background: In October 2018, USAID/Kenya and East Africa (KEA) initiated the design and development of a new Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS), which is expected to be approved and enacted in May 2020.

The CDCS will be a five-year strategy that will define USAID/KEA’s chosen approach to its assistance efforts in Kenya.

The CDCS will be codesigned with and represent Government of Kenya and County Government development priorities, as well as represent the interests and concerns of the private sector, other stakeholders, and the Kenyan people.

The CDCS will align with and may incorporate components of USAID/KEA’s East Africa Regional Development Cooperation Strategy (RDCS)–specifically with regard to Kenya’s role in achieving regional objectives.

MSP is seeking an experienced professional to facilitate and provide ongoing support for the development and implementation of both USAID/KEA’s five-year CDCS for Kenya and RDCS for the East Africa region.

The Special Advisor must have demonstrated experience and expertise in strategic planning, possess in-depth knowledge about USAID policies and procedures, and be conversant on Kenyan development priorities.

The successful applicant will also be knowledgeable about Kenya’s political, social, and economic context. The Special Advisor will support the USAID/KEA Strategic Planning and Analysis Office (SPA).

The Special Advisor will have extensive engagement with USAID Leadership, U.S. Government interagency colleagues, American and Kenyan Senior Staff, senior Government of Kenya officials, development partners, and a broad array of civil society, private sector, and academic stakeholders.

The successful candidate is expected to perform his/her responsibilities in close collaboration with MSP, the SPA office and its teams, and other mission staff assigned to work on the CDCS or RDCS. However, a high-degree of independent work and ability to self-direct and lead a mission-wide process is expected.

Responsibilities:

The Special Advisor will play a key role, working with both MSP and the SPA team, to provide leadership and coordination to development and implement both the CDCS and RDCS. The successful candidate will be responsible for providing full-time support.

She/he will be responsible for providing regular updates to MSP, the Mission Management and

the Mission Leadership Council, Supervisory Program Officer and other USAID staff on the status of the CDCS or RDCS design and implementation.

She/he will work closely with USAID staff members, both leading and participating on teams/working groups as required, to help manage the effort required to complete the CDCS and RDCS and initiate implementation through projects, activities, and organizational change.

Specific Duties:

Support the development of the new CDCS and RDCS and brief USAID leadership on requirements, challenges, and next steps and plans or needs for implementation.

Identify opportunities to gather relevant data, evidence, and learning, and organize consultative sessions with partners/stakeholders/beneficiaries.

Organize and manage design and change management meetings with senior and technical staff to discuss and move forward the development and implementation of a new CDCS for Kenya and RDCS for East Africa.

Coordinate with stakeholders to facilitate participation in a collaborative design and implementation process and to ensure the interests of key stakeholders are accounted for in the implementation of the CDCS and RDCS.

Lead in the development of draft implementation documents, such as collaboration frameworks, to outline the operationalization of the CDCS and RDCS.

Facilitate and support USAID technical and support teams in the realignment of programs and awards to the new CDCS and RDCS, including in areas such as government-to-government financial support, private sector partnerships, results-based programming, adaptive management, and local solutions.

Coordinate the development of and lead stakeholder meetings with individuals and groups, including high level government officials at the national and county level, parliamentarians, donors, sector experts.

Other tasks as necessary that would be required for the design, development, and implementation of the new CDCS and RDCS, including internal USAID processes and engagement with other Missions and offices in Washington, DC.

Qualifications:

Master’s degree in international relations, political science, international development, organizational behavior, public policy, or related field

7 years of experience leading teams in strategic planning or implementation

Experience working with USAID or USG agencies

Expert knowledge and understanding of development programs, planning, and implementation

Experience working on USAID contracts and understanding of USG policies, regulations, and procedures, extensive knowledge of ADS 201

Expertise in facilitating collaborative design with various stakeholders

Ability to facilitate meetings, work on teams to accomplish complex tasks, develop program objectives, results, and logical frameworks, and produce performance management strategies

Ability to produce concrete approaches for tackling long-standing and difficult organizational problems and challenges

Excellent English written and oral communication skills, strong presentation skills

Experience living and working in East Africa, Kenya preferable

Place of performance: Nairobi, Kenya with occasional travel within Kenya or East Africa region

Reporting: The Special Advisor for Strategy Development and Implementation will report to the MSP Objective 5 lead – Strategy and Programs Advisor.

How to Apply

Interested candidates must submit their CV and Cover Letter to as one document through the link

https://socha.today/special-advisor-for-strategy-development-and-implementation/

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