LOCAL IMPACT LEARNING ADVISOR, CONSULTANCY

Aga Khan Foundation USA

Local Impact Learning Advisor,

Consultancy
LOCATION: IDEALLY BISHKEK OR DUSHANBE, BUT WITH THE
RIGHT CANDIDATE REMOTE WORK MAY BE POSSIBLE
REPORTS TO: GLOBAL LEAD, LOCAL IMPACT & STRATEGIC
PARTNERSHIPS

ABOUT AGA KHAN FOUNDATION (AKF) USA

Established in 1981, AKF USA is a private, non-denominational, non-profit
international development organization committed to breaking the cycle of
poverty across Africa and Asia. As a member of the Aga Khan Development
Network (www.akdn.org), one of the world’s largest development organizations,
AKF works to empower communities and individuals, often in disadvantaged
circumstances, to improve their quality of life, especially in Africa and Asia.

POSITION SUMMARY
AKF USA is seeking to hire a Learning Advisor who will serve as a consultant for
9-12 months for the AKF and USAID jointly-funded Local Impact Leader with
Associate (LWA) award. With an eye toward conflict prevention and resolution,
Local Impact will target marginalized and vulnerable communities to: (1)
Catalyze inclusive economic growth and ensure basic livelihoods; (2) Enhance
infrastructure and access to basic services with a focus on clean energy; (3)
Enhance the capacity of citizens and local institutions; and (4) Promote pluralism
and social cohesion.

The Learning Advisor is expected to provide support to the Local Impact Global
Lead and the MERL Unit in designing and oversight of learning products planned
under the award. Beside the traditional M&E framework, the Local Impact will
rely on the other approaches, such as Learning Agendas, Feedback Loops and
research studies to measure the broader impact of the program interventions.

This will be a 9-12 months consultancy. Ideally the Learning Advisor will be
based in Bishkek or Dushanbe, but remote work may be possible. However, these
challenges will span Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan and traveling often
would be needed when it is safe and permissible.
LOCAL IMPACT LEARNING ADVISOR, CONSULTANCY

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Drafting a Learning Agenda which outlines global learning questions,

activities, and products which align with AKF’s mission and USAID’s
metrics;
• Managing evaluation and learning components globally in close
consultation with the Local Impact Lead and an AKDN MERL Working
Group;
• Designing and carrying out relevant targeted studies;
• Lead the tendering and onboarding of the Local Learning Partners
• Working closely with local learning partners to move Learning Agenda
and MERL activities forward and generate lessons from across Associate
Awards;
• Ensuring a systematic application of Collaboration, Learning and
Adaptation (CLA) approaches throughout the Leader and Associate
Awards to leverage the benefits of adaptive management which provides a
mechanism of rapid feedback loops, course correction, and project
improvement;
• Organizing and leading learning events with AKF and USAID;
• Manage the implementation of research activities and projects. Once the
MERL Working Group approves research projects, the Learning Advisor
will prepare scopes of work, identify, and contract third-party research
consultants, supervise and provide technical support during research
fieldwork, and ensure high quality submission of research products.
• Ensure that research consultants work closely with local learning
partners and AKDN field colleagues with the goal of building local
research capacity (i.e. studies, assessments, evaluations).
• Assume leadership for internal learning strategies. These strategies will
be ultimately determined by the MERL Working Group and included in
annual plans. However, we anticipate that the internal learning strategies
will consist of workshops, seminars, and conferences.
• Forming consortia with partners with specific methodological or
approach-focused areas of expertise; and
• Along with other MERL Working Group members, participate in the
selection of research topics and projects.
• Traveling internationally where required to deliver on the responsibilities
articulated above including potential travel to Afghanistan, Tajikistan,
and the Kyrgyz Republic.

KEY DELIVERABLES OF THE LEARNING ADVISOR WILL

LIKELY INCLUDE:

• Finalizing Learning Agenda

• Implementing HCD Learning Agenda
LOCAL IMPACT LEARNING ADVISOR, CONSULTANCY

• Selecting and overseeing Local Learning Partners

• Overseeing and ensuring implementation of feedback loops, MERL Plan,
and Learning Framework
• Drafting annual research plan including dissemination strategy
• Producing research products
• Facilitating learning events

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• A minimum of five years of experience managing and implementing
public health or international development projects.
• A masters degree, preferably in rural or social development, applied
research or other MERL related fields;
• At least 5 years of experience in:
o USAID Monitoring and Evaluation methods and approaches
including CLA;
o Planning, design, and implementation of integrated M&E
systems;
o Research methodology as applicable to international development
programming;
o Utilization-Focused Evaluation;
o Designing and conducting quantitative and qualitative surveys
and assessments, and writing comprehensive reports for a variety
of internal and external stakeholders;
• Spoken and written fluency in English is essential, and knowledge of
Russian, Tajik or Dari is an asset.
• Excellent written and verbal English-language skills;
• Practical experience in the monitoring and evaluation of activities in
integrated development programs, particularly in agriculture, market
development, education, health, and civil society sectors;
• A minimum of 12 years of relevant professional experience, with at least 7
years of direct experience in a development context within complex M&E
units, particularly in Central and South Asia;
• Extensive knowledge of Learning Agendas;
• Demonstrated knowledge and capacity to design and implement
qualitative and/or quantitative research methods for the purpose of
program evaluation;
• Demonstrated capacity to write results-based and donor reports;
• Experience with the development of data collection methods and tools
(forms, formats, questionnaires) as well as systems for the entry, analysis
and storage of qualitative data (e.g. MAXQDA, or others);
• Able to work independently in a fast-paced organization by prioritizing
and managing multiple priorities. Strong attention to detail and follow-
through required;
• Experience with quantitative and qualitative research;
LOCAL IMPACT LEARNING ADVISOR, CONSULTANCY

• Experience on data analysis.

• Field experience in capacity building for monitoring, evaluation, and
research.
• Ability to travel 30-50% of the time.

VALUES AND ATTITUDES

• Diversity and Inclusion: Treats all people with dignity and respect;
sensitive towards others; open and understanding toward other people’s
cultures, values, autonomy, and faiths; demonstrates compassion and
empathy; is courteous to others with respect for their background,
religion, gender and age.
• Integrity and Commitment: Demonstrates equity, transparency and
integrity with high personal and organizational ethical standards; is fair,
honest and trustworthy with respect for confidentiality; inspires and
builds trust; values and advances community-level agency in decision-
making for projects.
• Ethics and Safeguarding: Committed to acting ethically and upholding
safeguarding standards towards all staff, volunteers and beneficiaries of
the organization.

Applications
Interested applicants please apply here www.akdn.org/careers/1831658 and
submit a resume and cover letter before July 2, 2021

AKF-USA is committed to advancing gender equality and inclusion through our

programming and operations in the USA and overseas. AKF-USA requires all
employees to review and abide by the AKF Gender Equality Policy.

AKF-USA recognizes the importance of safeguarding and is committed to

ensuring it manages a wide range of risks such that beneficiaries, staff, other
associates, and the organization as a whole are kept safe from harm. AKF-USA
requires all employees to review and abide by the AKF Safeguarding Policy.