Program Cycle Specialist

Overview of the Company

Social Solutions International, Inc. (Social Solutions) is a Hispanic and woman-owned business emphasizing quality research and evaluation, training and technical assistance, and institutional support services. We are a mission-driven organization that believes that superior science can improve the world. Social Solutions is dedicated to the creation of social and health solutions to improve the welfare of underserved populations worldwide.

Social Solutions is a large, thriving business with a fun atmosphere that encourages creativity, new ideas, and employee health and well-being. We put our employees first and use empathetic leadership, taking a genuine interest in our employees’ lives and the challenges they face in and out of the workplace. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are integral to our company culture, and we are continuously striving to enhance our DEIA efforts across our company. You will feel like a contributing member of a growing team and company that has flexibility to enhance processes and procedures quickly to improve performance and growth. We help our employees carve out a professional pathway that has mutual benefits for them and Social Solutions. Social Solutions also offers exceptional compensation and benefits, detailed below.

Overview of the Position

Program Cycle Specialists are members of a technical assistance (TA) team providing support and advisory services to the Office of Learning, Evaluation and Research (LER) in USAID’s Bureau for Policy, Planning and Learning (PPL). This TA team manages the Program Cycle Mechanism (PCM).

PCM strengthens the resources and processes that support all components of Program Cycle implementation within USAID, and the use of adaptive management across offices and sectors. It draws on the tremendous depth and breadth of expertise among PC Fellows to provide surge support and for the Program Cycle in practice at the mission and headquarters levels, resulting in increased USAID capacity to implement the Program Cycle cohesively and effectively, leading to the achievement of more effective USAID interventions and lasting development outcomes.

Strategic learning and collaboration are fundamental to an adaptive approach to development. By embedding collaborating, learning and adapting (CLA) throughout the Program Cycle, USAID aims to strengthen programming and maximize development outcomes. A learning-focused and adaptive approach helps ensure that our programs are coordinated with others, grounded in evidence, and adjusted as necessary to remain relevant and effective throughout implementation.

The Program Cycle Specialist will support USAID Democratic Republic of the Congo to implement the Program Cycle; this position will require relocation to Kinshasa for up to two years.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Responsibility

Provide expert advice to USAID staff and implementing partners (IPs) on Program Cycle implementation including MEL planning and methodology and connecting staff and IPS to available monitoring, evaluation and CLA resources and guidance.

Guide operating units in Program Cycle implementation, including developing performance management plans (PMPs) and project and/or activity MEL plans.

Provide advice on developing and selecting indicators and assuring data quality.

Help design monitoring tools and resources.

Help facilitate operating units in planning, designing and/or managing specific CLA strategies and activities.

Provide TA and other support to learning advisors and champions to facilitate strengthened Program cycle practices in USAID programs.

Develop and deliver written materials and briefings to familiarize staff with evaluation study designs, methods, tools, and approaches, potentially in collaboration with partners.

Work closely with sector specialists to identify key program evaluation questions, design appropriate evaluations, and develop relevant CLA activities.

Support and/or lead internal/hybrid evaluation teams to bolster the technical evaluation skills of USAID staff and IPs, as well as to inform learning agendas through MEL activities and research.

Track, synthesize and disseminate monitoring and evaluation findings and create communication products in various formats to inform decision makers and non-evaluation specialist audiences.

Provide support in organizational systems for MEL that include strengthened Program Cycle practices.

Develop and conduct trainings, workshops, facilitated learning conversations and other capacity-building opportunities around M&E and CLA that clarify roles, responsibilities and agency requirements.

Support incorporation of recommendations from evaluations into design and portfolio reviews.

Convene a MEL community of practice or working group to share and encourage good and promising practices.

Contribute to regular data capture, knowledge products and learning across PCM.

Participate in PCM communities of practice.

Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Master’s degree and 7+ years’ relevant experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.

At least a master’s degree that includes coursework in rigorous qualitative and quantitative monitoring and evaluation approaches and methods or other technical training in M&E methods

At least seven years of experience with foreign assistance monitoring and evaluation, knowledge management, organizational learning and/or strategic learning, preferably in an international development context.

Experience with catalyzing programmatic learning and adaptive management in USAID or other foreign assistance agencies (including large NGOs, contractors or international organizations).

Experience designing and implementing international development programs with USAID and/or other large development assistance agencies (including large NGOs, contractors, or international organizations).

Experience providing advice to international development managers in the field; including working in the field or supporting field projects to achieve an operational mission or to implement a project or activity.

Experience facilitating groups, meetings, or events.

Ability to manage multiple clients

Demonstrated flexibility and capacity to adapt to and operate in environments of uncertainty.

Background in capacity-building, adult learning and/or learning facilitation or related experience

Experience convening people in large organizations (in a work environment or as a volunteer) to build consensus and achieve a particular outcome.

Equal Employer

Social Solutions offers competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits. Please submit your resume online at www.socialsolutions.biz.

Social Solutions is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by law.