Facilitator – CGIAR Capacity Development Community of Practice

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to recruit a national consultant to facilitate the establishment of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Capacity Development Community of Practice (CoP).

CGIAR’s Strategy and Results Framework (SRF) is CGIAR’s road map to Sustainable Agricultural Development which sets out how the CGIAR and partners will contribute to four System Level Outcomes (SLOs) through sixteen global CGIAR Research Programs (CRPs). Capacity Development, Partnerships, Gender, Communications and Knowledge Management are integral parts of CGIAR’s research-for-development (R4D) agenda. The SRF recognizes Capacity Development (CD) as a Strategic Objective and a crosscutting priority theme.

The CGIAR is committed to the coordination and development of a CGIAR strategy that focuses on mainstreaming capacity development, by and through the CGIAR Research Programs (CRPs). The goal is to build on the strengths and experiences of the various Centers and CRPs, whilst also harnessing the expertise of our many partners in order to identify pathways and mechanisms that effectively increase capacity and help achieve the four system-level outcomes.

During a Capacity Development workshop at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Nairobi, Kenya held in October 2013, members representing all CRPs committed to forming a community of practice (CoP) to foster mutual learning, co-creation, sharing of best practice, advocacy for capacity development across the CGIAR system.  The work of the CoP will also support several system-wide objectives, including:  

• Identification and formulation of guiding principles and building blocks of a CGIAR CD strategy
• Identification and coordination of priority collective action initiatives 
• Improvement of strategic alignment in CD between Centers, CRPs and Consortium Office

 ILRI, as a member of the CGIAR Consortium, is one of 15 CGIAR research centres and 16 multi-centre research programs located around the world and dedicated to reducing poverty and improving food security, health and nutrition, and natural resource management. Like other CGIAR centres, ILRI leads, co-leads or supports cutting-edge research on sustainable agriculture and designs, conducts and monitors in-country research-for-development programs and projects with the aim of producing international public goods at scales that make significant difference in the lives of the world’s poorest populations in 31 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. ILRI does this work in collaboration with many public and private partners, which combine upstream ‘solution-driven’ research with downstream adaptive science, often in high-potential livestock value chains engaging small- and medium-sized agri-businesses and suppliers. In this work, ILRI and its partners are explicitly supporting work to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals and their successor, the Sustainable Development Goals.

ILRI has two main campuses in East Africa; Country Offices in West Africa East Africa, Southern Africa, South Asia and South East Asia; and project offices in Senegal, Ghana, Botswana, Thailand, Laos and the Philippines.

 Key responsibilities

• Facilitating online discussions on a wide variety of capacity development (CD) topics and lessons learnt and other exchanges on an on going basis. This includes identifying issues and topics that are of concern/interest to CoP members as well as these that are of particular interest to CGIAR Research Programs (CRPs); and includes the consolidation of summary reports to queries or discussions, additional recommended resources, contacts and relevant experiences, as well as all the individual responses received.
• Discussions on a wide variety of CD topics that are particular to regions, especially around the CD response – institutional arrangements; leadership; knowledge; and accountability;
• Serve as a dynamic mechanism to put together a short term CD response package to respond to CRP demands;
• Planning and co-facilitating the next (face-to-face) CoP meeting (tentatively May 2014);
• Developing a pipeline of topics to cover over the CoP and preparing summaries of discussions on a monthly basis providing the community with a means to share recent news, initiatives, relevant resources, funding opportunities, vacancy announcements, training opportunities, and to provide an overview of the CoP activities;
• Conducting a quick baseline study across centers to map out existing approaches/methodologies/tools on CD.
• Identifying and planning activities that foster learning at the individual and group level, such as webinars, virtual roundtables, peer assists, etc;
• Providing guidance and feedback to CoP members as and when needed to help them achieve their individual project as well as group learning objectives; 
• Identifying subject matter experts, as and when needed, to provide members of the CoP with access to technical expertise; developing a repository of qualified facilitators on CD topics  to allow for quick referrals to experts and organizations engaged in CD work;
• Providing overall support to the CoP, both online and in-person, to encourage knowledge sharing and collaboration among members and to help shape CD agendas to address CRP-level knowledge gaps and constraints;
• Monitoring progress of CoP members to ensure they remain on track to reach their individual and group project objectives, including delivery of CD products, within the agreed timeframe;
• Providing support to efforts to harmonize work on fellowships at CG Centers and across the CGIAR, and learn from best practices from the entire system to make systems more efficient.
• Working with CoP members and subject matter expert(s) to help shape and finalize technical outputs at the individual and group level;
• Initiating partnerships with CD organizations (including universities) that can support training and deliver capacity development services to CRP countries;
• Setting up a virtual repository space, and system to harvest from various repositories, to allow easy access to,- and sharing of  resources; ensuring continuous promotion of the CD platform on social media (including Yammer);
• Working with KM/Communication CoPs colleagues to help the CoP develop a sound outreach and product dissemination strategy;
• Other tasks and duties as required and/or assigned by the supervisor.

 Requirements

• Bachelors or Masters Degree communication, education, international development, or a related area.
• Exceptionally strong facilitation skills, both in person and online.
• Extensive experience working with online communities, task groups, and learning networks.
• Able to communicate clearly and effectively through email and in person.
• Able to grasp and synthesize a wide range of sometimes complex ideas and issues and communicate these back to the CoP.
• Highly effective at networking and at securing information and expertise.
• Familiarity with adult learning approaches and techniques, including how to lead and motivate groups.
• Motivated and responsive to the needs of peers.
• Excellent judgment, strategic thinking and the ability to manage risk and competing priorities and meet deadlines.
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexity.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Web 2.0 tools and their appropriate applications.

Post location: This position is based at ILRI’s Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, within the Capacity Development (Institutional Planning and Partnership) unit.

Duration: 6 months with the possibility of extension. The consultant will be recruited commencing 1 December 2013 (or ASAP) for a period of six months.  Based on performance, availability of funds, as well as decisions taken at the next CoP meeting in 2014, the consultancy may be extended or converted into a staff position. In such an eventuality, ILRI’s HR procedures will be observed, and may require an open competition for the position.   

Position level: Consultancy 

Benefits: Negotiable

Applicants: Applicants should provide a cover letter and curriculum vitae; names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience in the curriculum vitae.

The position title and reference number: COP/CapDev/11/13 should be clearly indicated in the subject line of the cover letter. All applications to be submitted online on our recruitment portal: http://ilri.simplicant.com/on or by 27 November 2013Applications will be screened on a rolling basis and applicants are encouraged to apply early.

To find out more about CGIAR visit our website at http://www.cgiar.org

To find out more about ILRI visit our website at http://www.ilri.org

To find out more about working at ILRI visit our website at http://www.ilri.org/ilricrowd/

Suitably qualified women and citizens of developing countries, with experience of working internationally, are particularly encouraged to apply.