Consultant – Knowledge Management & Learning for SCALE – Remote

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 long term impact.

Background:

The Strengthening Capacity in Agriculture, Livelihoods, and Environment (SCALE) program is a five year Associated Award funded by the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) through the Technical and Operational Performance Support (TOPS) program led by Save the Children US. SCALE is designed to further improve the impact, sustainability, and scalability of BHA’s programming in agriculture, natural resource management, and alternative (off-farm and non-farm) livelihoods in emergency and non-emergency settings. Specifically, the program focuses on sustainable and climate sensitive approaches that foster resilient agricultural systems, and enhance income opportunities within or outside agricultural systems. This program is managed through Mercy Corps’ Agriculture Technical Support Unit (TSU) and is in its fourth year.

Purpose / Project Description:

The Knowledge Management & Learning Consultant will lead key knowledge management activities for SCALE, including the development of strategies to enhance dissemination and uptake of SCALE deliverables, advising on effective communication approaches, drafting high quality reports and facilitating influential events, amongst other tasks.

Consultant Objectives:

The Knowledge Management & Learning Consultant has the following objectives:

1. Provide high-quality writing, editing and formatting support for SCALE resources, reports and communication products.
2. Design and advise on implementer engagement strategies, including interactive learning and collaboration platforms, events, training courses and resources adapted to various audiences.
3. Equip new SCALE team members and implementing partners with the skills necessary to take on greater communications-related responsibilities, including building facilitation, presentation and writing skills.

Consultant Activities:

The Consultant will:

• Ensure all project deliverables are formatted with the proper branding requirements and meet 508 compliance requirements
• Co-create and facilitate in-person and online events, webinars and roundtables, including high-profile external conference and events with donor audiences
• Draft, review and copy-edit a range of program technical reports, briefs and other resources for multiple audiences, helping to ensure clarity and accuracy of technical messages. Advise on key takeaways and formatting/design of learning products and resources to reach a variety of audiences.
• Develop a template for SCALE’s monthly newsletter, including themes, setting an editorial timeline for review and dissemination, and establishing a system to collect user insights to adapt approach and enhance outreach (to be managed by SCALE team).
• Create a strategy to increase membership and community engagement in SCALE’s nascent Community of Practice (CoP), targeting practitioners working on agriculture and NRM in emergency and fragile contexts.
• Review SCALE-developed e-learning courses from an instructional design/adult education perspective, advising on strategies to increase user functionality, metrics for measuring learning (e.g. knowledge checks), and ways to enhance capacity strengthening.
• Review and proofread award materials (fact sheets, FSN webpage) and internal Mercy Corps communications for SCALE, including internal newsletter articles and posts on internal social media channels (Workplace, Globe, TSU newsletter, Mercy Corps website etc.)
• Orient, support, and coach other SCALE team members and BHA partners to contribute to events and knowledge products, such as co-writing blogs, as well as working with partners on crafting applications and designing sessions, and sharing effective facilitation techniques for conferences, presentations, webinars, etc. on SCALE, USAID and industry platforms.

Consultant Deliverables:

• Copy-edited, formatted, branded and 508-compliant reports, briefs and other resources, occasionally including drafting some report sections (such as intros, conclusions, executive summary). Approximately 2 reports per quarter.
• Agendas, facilitation notes, PowerPoint presentations, and facilitation support for the organization and delivery of in-person and online events, webinars, roundtables. Approximately 2 per quarter.
• Updated SCALE newsletter template and communications plan.
• Communications strategy and implementation for the Community of Practice to enhance engagement and membership. Plan reviewed and adapted quarterly (based on user analytics).
• Feedback and inputs to SCALE-developed e-learning courses from an instructional design perspective; courses could include saving groups, barrier analysis, permagardens, and/or qualitative research, amongst others. Approximately three review sessions per quarter.
• Oversight of SCALE award materials and postings on internal and external communication channels, to ensure all are copyedited and up-to-date. Reviewed quarterly and as requested.
• Orient and coach new team members on internal and external knowledge management and communications-related project tasks, to hand over responsibilities to others when appropriate.
• Mentorship support for SCALE team members and BHA partners to share their knowledge in written materials and at events.

Timeframe / Schedule:

Approximately 45 working days between June 2021 and 30 November 2022.

The Consultant will report to:

SCALE Program Director

The Consultant will work closely with:

SCALE Senior Specialist – Program Quality and Capacity Strengthening, SCALE Collaboration and Learning Advisor, SCALE Operations Officer, TSU staff, and other SCALE staff

Desired Experience and Qualifications

• An M.S., M.Sc., or equivalent in an international development or related field
• 7 + years of experience working in knowledge management, organizational learning, or related field
• Exemplary oral and written communication skills, with proven experience developing resources and supporting remote and in-person events for donor-funded international programs
• Experience and familiarity with the existing food security, agriculture, natural resource management, and alternative livelihood, and resilience knowledge base within Mercy Corps and among USAID partners preferred
• Familiarity with USAID bureaus such as the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA)
• Ability to work independently and find creative solutions to knowledge management and capacity development challenges.
• Fluency in English is required; knowledge of French, desired.

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 world’s 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 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 on the basis of 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 team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our stakeholders and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.