Strengthening the Capacity of African Parliamentarians, Policy Makers, and Organizations/Institutions to Use Evidence in Policies and Legislation (SCAPE) Project

Implementing Partners

United States Department of Agriculture and Foreign Agriculture Services (USDA/FAS); University Of Rhode Island (URI) and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana

Coordinating Center

Bureau of Integrated Rural Development (BIRD), College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, KNUST, Ghana

Introduction

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana, the University of Rhode Island, USA, and the ASSESS project are seeking highly qualified candidates for immediate engagement to implement the SCAPE activity. The Analytical Support Services and Evaluations for Sustainable Systems in Agriculture, Environment and Trade (ASSESS) project is implemented by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in partnership with The University of Rhode Island (URI) and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

SCAPE Activity Description: The purpose of SCAPE is to strengthen the capacity of select West African parliamentarians, parliamentarian networks/associations, policy makers, and policy-focused organizations/institutions in evidence-based and data-driven legislation and policy making. The expected outcome of the activity is that selected parliamentarians, policy makers, and organizations supported by this activity will be able to effectively perform their functions of oversight, policymaking, advocacy, and national decision-making by ensuring appreciation, demand, and utilization of evaluative evidence and other data from various sources in their daily work. This activity also helps to address the important question of government transparency, accountability, and effectiveness. The overall goal is to promote economic growth and sustainable development in Africa through increased evidence-based and data-driven legislation and policy making. SCAPE will focus on four primary objectives and its associated illustrative activities:

1. Increased evidence-based decision-making skills of parliamentarians, policy makers, and regional and national organizations/institutions engaged in policy advocacy.

• Assessment of current state of use of evidence in legislative and policymaking processes.
• Identification of “evidence champions”
• Virtual regional trainings, including training of trainers, and training for parliamentarians
• and policy makers, regional organizations, and media/journalists.
• A “How To” Guide on Strengthening Evidence-based Legislation and Policies.
• In-country/face-to-face clinics/workshops for parliamentarians and policy makers, regional organizations, and media/journalists.

2. Improved strategic planning, monitoring, and oversight of legislative and policy actions.

• Supporting parliamentarian M&E Plans/systems
• Supporting Oversight and Evaluations of Legislation and Policies
• Supporting National Evaluation Policies and M&E Systems

3. Increased access to and use of evidence through strengthened platforms for knowledge sharing and peer learning.

• Strengthening existing platforms
• Developing and disseminating videos, brochures, policy briefs, evaluation syntheses, and
• other sensitization and communication materials
• Webinars and virtual study tours to facilitate experience sharing and networking

4. Development of resources and tools that will enable USAID Missions in Sub Saharan Africa to work more effectively with Parliamentarians to strengthen evidence used in decision making.

Position 1: Knowledge Translation Expert/Senior Evaluation Advisor/Team Lead

Type of position: International hire (engaged by University of Rhode Island, USA)

Expected duration of assignment: August 2021 to September 15, 2022

Hours: Full time

Location: Virtual, with travel to and within Ghana and West Africa when required

Salary: To be determined by Experience and Education

Roles and Responsibilities

The Knowledge Translation Expert/Senior Evaluation Advisor serves as the team lead for SCAPE. S/he will provide leadership on how to strengthen capacity in translating research and evaluation outputs, and data to inform policy and legislation. S/he will coordinate all the activity tasks and manage and lead the team under his/her supervision to execute these tasks effectively and efficiently.  The person in this position will also be responsible for the technical quality and timeliness of project deliverables working in coordination with the Project Manager (see description below).

Key Qualifications

• Minimum of a master’s degree in Law, Translational Research, Evidence-Based Intervention and Policy Making, Policy Evaluation, Public Policy and Administration, Development and Public Policy or a related area
• Over 10 years of research and evaluation experience
• Demonstrate ability to analyse, translate research, evaluation and practice-based evidence to inform policy and legislation
• Demonstrable experience in in-person and virtual evidence-based policy making and Monitoring & Evaluation/Research training and capacity building experience
• Demonstrable experience in evidence-based policy making and knowledge synthesis, translation and exchange
• Demonstrate ability to analyse workflow, data schema and the barriers and enablers to evidence-informed policy making and legislation
• Experience in group facilitation and adult learning methodologies
• Demonstrable commitment to gender equality and inclusive development
• Economic Growth (EG) experience; some Democracy and Governance (DG) experience preferred
• Experience as team lead/project manager
• Proficiency in English and French (writing/reading/speaking) preferred.
• Ability to travel frequently to and within the West Africa region when required.

Position 2: Democracy and Governance (DG) Specialist/Project Manager

Type of position:  International hire (engaged by University of Rhode Island, USA)

Expected duration of assignment: August 2021 to September 15, 2022

Hours: Full time

Location: Virtual, with travel to and within Ghana and West Africa when required

Salary: To be determined by Experience and Education

Roles and Responsibilities

The DG Specialist/Project Manager will be responsible for providing DG specific technical inputs into activity tasks. Such input may be related to legislative drafting, policy development/reform, and advocacy.  This person will serve as the project manager working with SCAPE activity manager in Washington to ensure effective implementation of the activities described in the Statement of Work (SOW) in coordination with the other SCAPE staff, particularly the Senior Evaluation Advisor/Team Lead.

Key Qualifications

• Minimum of a Masters’ degree in Governance and Democracy, Development and Public Policy, Law or a related area
• At least 7 years of DG experience. Cross-sectoral DG-EG sectors preferred
• Prior parliamentary strengthening experience, particularly in Africa preferred
• Evaluation/Research Experience is a plus
• Training/Capacity building experience
• Project design/management experience
• Demonstrable experience integrating gender equality into DG (or DG-EG) efforts; experience working in diverse/multicultural contexts
• Proficiency in English and French (writing/reading/speaking) preferred.
• Ability to travel frequently to and within the West Africa region as needed.

Position 3: Senior Knowledge Management/Communication Specialist

Type of position: International hire (engaged by University of Rhode Island, USA)

Expected duration of assignment: August 2021 to September 15, 2022

Hours: Full time

Location: Virtual, with travel to and within Ghana and West Africa when required

Salary: To be determined by Experience and Education

Roles and Responsibilities

The Senior Knowledge Management/Communication Specialist will be the lead on all tasks designed to increase access to and utilization of evidence/data information.  Such tasks include facilitating information sharing and peer-to-peer learning, strengthening knowledge management/communication platforms, as well as webinars and virtual study tours.

Key Qualifications

• Minimum of master’s degree in Knowledge Management, Communications, Development and Communication, Information Management or a related area
• 7-10 years of knowledge/data management experience
• Demonstrable commitment to gender equality and inclusive development
• Extensive experience producing and proofreading/editing various communication products such as brochures, policy briefs, infographics, and reports
• Experience synthesizing and communicating M&E data to a variety of audience, including non-M&E audiences such the public
• Experience facilitating virtual knowledge sharing, with particular focus on M&E or research data, using various communication platforms
• Experience interviewing high level officials and policymakers
• Proficiency in English and French (writing/reading/speaking) preferred
• Ability to travel frequently to and within the West Africa region when required.

Position 4: Senior Research, Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Specialists

Type of position: Local hire (engaged by Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana)

Expected duration of assignment: August 2021 to September 15, 2022

Hours: Full time

Location: Virtual, with travel within Ghana and West Africa when required

Salary: To be determined by Experience and Education

Roles and Responsibilities

The Senior Research M&E specialists are mainly responsible for providing technical inputs to the activity tasks and deliverables under the direction of the Team Lead. They also lead the execution of some of the M&E tasks as assigned by the Team Lead.

Key Qualifications

• Minimum of a Masters’ degree in Development Studies, Monitoring and Evaluation, Evidence-Based Intervention and Policy Making, Policy Evaluation, or a related area
• At least 7 years of M&E/research experience
• Experience in Democracy and Governance (DG)
• Demonstrable experience integrating gender equality into M&E approaches
• Demonstrable experience in evidence-based policy making and knowledge synthesis, translation and exchange
• Demonstrate ability to analyse workflow, data schema and other barriers and enablers to evidence-informed policy making and legislation
• In-person and virtual training/facilitation experience
• Proficiency in English and French (writing/reading/speaking) preferred.
• Ability to travel frequently within the West Africa region when required.

Position 5: Mid-Level Knowledge Management/Communication Specialist

Type of position: Local hire (engaged by Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana)

Expected duration of assignment: August 2021 to September 15, 2022

Hours: Full time

Location: Virtual, with travel within Ghana and West Africa when required

Salary: To be determined by Experience and Education

Roles and Responsibilities

The mid-level Knowledge Management/Communication Specialist will work hand in hand and under the direction from the Senior Knowledge Management Specialist to implement tasks designed to increase access to and utilization of evidence/data information.  Such tasks include facilitating information sharing and peer-to-peer learning, strengthening knowledge management/communication platforms, as well as webinars and virtual study tours.

Key Qualifications

• Minimum of a master’s degree in Knowledge Management, Communications, Development and Communication, Information Management or a related area
• 5-7 years of knowledge/data management experience
• Extensive experience producing and proof-reading/editing various communication products such as brochures, policy briefs, infographics, and reports
• Experience synthesizing and communicating M&E data to a variety of audience, including non-M&E audiences such the public
• Experience facilitating knowledge sharing, with particular focus on M&E or research data, using various communication platforms
• Proficiency in English and French (writing/reading/speaking) preferred
• Ability to travel frequently to and within the West Africa region when required.

Position 6: Multimedia Specialist

Type of position: Local hire (engaged by Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana)

Expected duration of assignment: August 2021 to September 15, 2022

Hours: Full time

Location: Virtual, with travel to and within Ghana and West Africa when required

Salary: To be determined by Experience and Education

Roles and Responsibilities

Under the direction of the Senior Knowledge Management/Communication Specialists, the multimedia specialist will be responsible for all aspects related to the use of multimedia to improve production and dissemination of communication and materials, including incorporation of photography and audio-video vignettes into reports, policy briefs, brochures, knowledge sharing sites/platforms, webinars, and interviews.

Key Qualifications

• Minimum of a Bachelors’ degree in multimedia production/Communication Design or masters’ degree in Communications with concentration in multimedia
• 5-7 years of experience in photography and audio-video production and editing. Particularly, experience synthesizing video content from a variety of sources and producing audio and video clips and podcasts would be a strong asset.
• Experience with 508 (disability accessible) compliance
• Proficiency in English and French (writing/reading/speaking) preferred

Position 7: Administrative Specialist/Project Coordinator

Type of position: Local hire (engaged by Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana)

Expected duration of assignment: August 2021 to September 15, 2022

Hours: Full time

Location: KNUST campus, Kumasi, with travel within Ghana and West Africa when required

Salary: To be determined by Experience and Education

Roles and Responsibilities

The Admin Specialist/Project Coordinator will manage and coordinate all the administrative tasks associated with this activity, including maintaining project records (workplans and reports, personnel, and financial records). He/she will assist the project and other staff in editing and formatting documents. S/he will also handle all project logistics.

Key Qualifications

• Minimum of Bachelors’ degree
• 5-7 years of experience supporting/coordinating development projects
• Experience formatting, editing, and proofreading documents
• Strong administrative, budget and logistics management experience
• Strong MS Office skills/experience, particularly proven ability in Excel
• Proficiency in English and French (writing/reading/speaking) preferred

Mode of Application:

To apply for any of the positions, please access and submit your application via Here!

You will be required to upload in English:

• a cover letter (maximum 1 page),
• a curriculum vitae (maximum 3 pages),
• a writing sample (for all positions except the Administrative Specialist/Project Coordinator). Writing sample includes a technical report, journal article, brochure and relevant write-ups related to the position.
• three names and contact details for persons who are knowledgeable about your capabilities and experience.

For further enquiries, please contact: Deputy Registrar, Human Resources Division (Room 206), KNUST Main Administration, Tel: 0322497299, or Email: Dr. Albert Arhin (aaarhin@knust.edu.gh) with a copy to inkyamoah@knust.edu.gh and Kim Kaine (kkaine@uri.edu).

Deadline: Monday, July 26, 2021 

Note: The project’s Equal Opportunity Policy requires that all decisions regarding hiring of applicants for this position be non-discriminatory, based only on valid job requirements, and extend to all terms, conditions, and privileges of the contract including, but not limited to, recruitment, selection, compensation, benefits, and disciplinary actions.

Only Shortlisted Applicants will be invited for interviews.