Project Background
The five-year (2019 – 2024) Feed the Future Policy LINK project will strengthen the capacity of local actors and institutions to lead and manage the agricultural transformation process and contribute effectively and collectively to improved, broad-based food security policy outcomes.
Specifically, the program aims to strengthen food security policy systems by investing in and reinforcing productive human and social capital and developing strategic partnerships that help bring these innovations and capacity investments to scale in order to achieve a critical mass of local actors with the ability and opportunity to effect positive policy change through collective action.
Policy LINK’s general approach is grounded in facilitative leadership and collaborative governance, which emphasize engaging stakeholders from civil society and public and private sectors in consensus-oriented decision making, collaborative problem solving, and adaptive learning.
Policy LINK in Ethiopia
USAID/Policy LINK Ethiopia is a five-year activity with the overall objective of supporting the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) and other policy system actors in their aspiration to develop an inclusive policy development process. Specifically, the activity will facilitate the transition towards a policy development paradigm driven by multiple stakeholders.
This approach to policymaking will strengthen the capacities of Ethiopia’s main agricultural policy system actors and institutions, and support them to engage stakeholders traditionally excluded from decision-making, including academia, financial institutions, the judiciary, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and private sector representatives from the national, regional, and local levels.
This approach is underpinned by Policy LINK’s overarching theory of change focused on increasing human and social capital, engaging policy system actors in collaborative processes, and developing mechanisms for collaborative governance and dynamic learning systems and platforms to sustain collective action.
Position Objectives
The suitable candidate will oversee the development and implementation of activities designed to build the capacity of policy system actors to engage more productively in policy development. This position will have technical leadership and project management responsibilities for all the activities that related to Capacity Strengthening.
Policy LINK intends to provide targeted, demand-based capacity strengthening support to both individuals, organizations and institutions within the Policy System. The work will target private, public, and non-state actor organizations. Capacity development will support the ability of historically marginalized groups (and their leaders) from regions and communities to engage more effectively in policymaking processes. These groups include farmer, youth, women and small business groups.
The successful candidate will continually reinforce Policy LINK’s agreed-upon core purpose and principles, and ensure all decision-making is rooted in those purpose and principles. S/he will contribute to foster a learning environment in which personal and team growth is supported, with a shared understanding that the “team” always comes before the “individual.”
Responsibilities
The Ethiopia Capacity Strengthening Lead will be responsible for the following anticipated tasks, though others may be added as appropriate:
Working closely with other stakeholders, USAID Ethiopia and the project team; assess and analyze capacity gaps and develop strategies to address them.
Lead the design, implementation of project wide capacity strengthening activities targeted at individuals, organizations, and institutions within the policy system in Ethiopia.
Support and facilitate leadership training activities designed to address capacity needs. This may be in the form of short and long courses, mentoring, coaching and action learning projects.
Oversee organizational capacity development interventions targeting key institutions within the food security policy system.
Develop online collaboration and learning platforms that provide knowledge to support policy actors.
Coordinate closely with senior leadership across the project to ensure that the strategy is aligned with the overall objectives of the program.
Carry out other activities as may be necessary and related to overall capacity strengthening for policy system actors
Reporting
The Capacity Strengthening Lead will report to the Ethiopia Country Lead.
Qualifications
This position is open to Ethiopian citizens. Additional qualifications include:
Education **
- Minimum of a MA or MSc degree in a field that corresponds to the job requirements.
Required Experience **
5 years of relevant work experience in a capacity development context
Good understanding and working knowledge of policy context, issues, processes and systems typical in a country like Ethiopia.
Demonstrated ability to coordinate with and work with multiple stakeholders in collaborative modes.
A demonstrated ability to design and implement capacity strengthening initiatives.
Excellent writing, communications skills.
Ability to work in teams and communicate effectively across different cultures, age groups and disciplinary backgrounds.
Flexibility and, willingness to perform assigned and additional duties and work under unpredictable conditions.
Critical thinker, self-starter, and able to work with minimal supervision and within established deadlines.
An understanding of Ethiopia’s, or general policy development context.
How to apply:
Please submit applications electronically via this website: https://fs23.formsite.com/OLJTgx/jvhipwp5om/index.html?1618955315786
Applications submitted between 5th August to 16th August 2021 will be considered.
Candidates will be required to answer certain qualifying questions before uploading their CVs and cover letters to the application form for consideration.
Only candidates who are shortlisted for interviews will be contacted. No email enquiries please.