Senior MERLA Specialist 1

Internal Title – Sr. MERLA Specialist 1

Grade : 10/J

Reports to: MERLA Director

Overview

Research Triangle Institute (RTI) has over 30 years’ experience assisting governments, communities, and the private sector. As a not-for-profit, independent research institute based in North Carolina, USA, RTI has roughly 6,000 employees with global experience conducting research, facilitating innovation, and implementing international development projects. Within its International Development Group, particularly under the Sustainable Growth and Resilience (SG&R) division, RTI has delivered innovative, breakthrough solutions and operations in key development sectors including water sector governance, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, water resources management, community engagement, urban resilience, and institutional capacity building. In Ethiopia, RTI manages more than five activities funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in food security, WASH, disaster risk management, health, and others

Project Description

As part of SG&R’s portfolio, RTI is currently implementing the USAID-funded, five-year Climate Resilient Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (CR WASH) Activity. Starting in August 2023, CR WASH facilitates accelerated access to inclusive and resilient WASH services targeting the lowlands areas and pastoralist communities across four regions – Afar, Oromia, Somali, and South Ethiopia. The Activity includes four key elements to: (1) professionalize and expand climate-resilient water services; (2) increase sustainable access to and use of sanitation and hygiene products and services, including for menstrual health and hygiene; (3) improve gender power dynamics; and (4) strengthen the enabling environment for climate-resilient water and sanitation services. CR WASH also manages tasks to develop and implement WASH infrastructure through engineering design and construction and oversees deployment of multiple grants to local organizations across the four regions.

Position Summary

The Collaboration, Learning and Adapting (CLA) Specialist will manage and lead the CLA Activities of  CR WASH Activity. This will require close cooperation with diverse teams that include technical leads, partners and stakeholders. He/she will work closely with the MERLA team and M&E experts to coordinate the collection, compilation, consolidation, and analysis of data and information to synthesis and disseminate learnings from practice. He/she will lead CLA efforts across the regions, including reflective practice, lessons learned generation, documentation, and dissemination. The CLA Specialist will lead the regular update and implementation of CR WASH learning and research agendas.

Collaboration, Learning and Adaptation (CLA) Specialist report to MERLA Director

Responsibilities

Key roles and responsibilities

• Technically lead the design system and procedures for effective implementation of CLA approaches across CR WASH thematic areas for improving synergy, collaboration and effectiveness
• Regularly update CR WASH learning agenda and define detail learning activities and timeframe for its effective implementation.
• Facilitate regular reflection and learning dissemination events such as quarterly pause and reflect sessions, annual learning event, including organizing learning dissemination event such as webinars.
• Lead identification and capturing case stories/studies, best practices, and production & publication of learning products in collaboration with communication manager.
• Support the MERLA team in analyzing monitoring and evaluation and other programmatic data and synthesize findings as learning for programmatic use.
• Leads the documentation of adaptive management actions/decisions.
• Technically contribute to the design of Activity surveys, studies, monitoring, and evaluation designs to address key learning agenda and effective systems for learning.
• Design and implement knowledge management system to capture, document and making it accessible for use.
• Represent CR WASH in various forums, regular CLA community of practices and learning events which facilitate collaboration and learning
• Build the capacity of partners for effective implementation of CLA methods and process.

Qualifications

Qualification

• Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, international development, communications, or related field
• A minimum of five years of experience in the strategic planning and implementation of CLA and knowledge management, including  experience in applying learning to improve effectiveness of the programs and systems change
• Familiarity and experience in implementing with USAID CLA frameworks

Required competences and skills

• Strong management skills, with a good understanding of USAID CLA frameworks .

• Ability to translate complex data into easily understandable learning products.

• Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members is required ·
• Strong written and oral communication skills in English is required, including the ability to develop learning content and design publish layout.
• Proficiency in using remote platforms (e.g., Zoom, Adobe Connect, Google Teams, Google Meet) for information sharing, workshops, and/or learning event