Background
The African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) is an African feminist philanthropic organisation that supports local, national and regional women’s organisations working towards the promotion and realisation of African women’s rights. Specialising in grant making, technical assistance and other focused, tailored movement building programmes, the AWDF works to strengthen and support the work of African Women’s organisations and feminist movements. Through amplifying and celebrating African Women’s Voices and achievements. AWDF supports efforts that combat harmful stereotypes and promote African Women as active agents of change. AWDF is not an endowed foundation, and as such raises all the funds for its operational and programmatic work.
Programme Manager – Impact and Learning:
Do you have experience in designing and implementing processes and systems that embed evidence-based decision making and the ability to understand, learn and adapt to increase AWDF’s collective impact?
Are you ready to drive the organisational agenda towards being an accountable organisation, at all levels, to the African feminist movement and our diverse stakeholders, to contribute to sector wide learning and innovation, strengthening and sustaining healthy, impactful women’s and feminist organisations, groups, collectives and movements?
TEAM PURPOSE/ RATIONALE/MANDATE
The team is primary responsible for providing cross team oversight and championing the department and organisational learning, internal and external influencing and policy and thought leadership (in collaboration with/across key staff in other teams). Leads evidence-based feminist agenda setting, storytelling, impact sharing, influencing, etc. as well as leading organisation wide monitoring and evaluation. The role will lead AWDF’s pivoting of our current MEL approach to focus more on impact and learning and greater accountability to movements, (alongside donor accountability).
Job Summary
As part of our new strategy, AWDF is building on previous impact to a more transformative and de-colonised approach which gives feminist and women’s rights activists, organisations and collectives in Africa the ownership and space to tell their own stories of impact in their communities across the continent. The role also plays a management role providing strategic operational leadership to the Impact and Learning functional area.
The Impact and Learning Manager is responsible for leading and supporting the overall implementation of the AWDF impact and learning strategy. The role will design and implement processes and systems that embed evidence-based decision making and the ability to understand, learn and adapt to increase AWDF’s collective impact. The role drives and champions strategic and organisational learning, monitoring and evaluation working in collaboration across teams. It will also lead all aspects of the Impact and Learning function including budgeting/financial management, leadership and staff development, policy development and strategic planning.
The role drives the organisational agenda towards being an accountable organisation, at all levels, to all stakeholders. The role contributes to sector wide learning and innovation, strengthening and sustaining healthy, impactful women’s and feminist organisations, groups, collectives and movements.
The role oversees implementation of procedures around quality, timely impact and learning, supports the Programmes Department and Teams and wider organisation to track and evaluate the progress and impact of work, supports the collection of stories, analysis and dissemination (internal and external) of data, information and learning. The role also keeps the Programmes Department updated, and flags any concerns identified to the Director of Programmes and/or members of SMT as appropriate.
As a member of the Senior Management Team, the Impact and Learning Manager contributes to the overall direction of the organisation through contributing to the development and implementation of the organisation’s strategy, the development of organisational policies and procedures and presenting Impact and Learning team information at internal and external stakeholder meetings..
Specific Duties
Strategy implementation
- As a member of the Senior Management Team, contribute to driving the vision of the organisation, contributing to strategic development and implementation of AWDF’s mission and participating in collective decision-making and accountability;
- Participate in the development and implementation of the feminist Impact and Learning strategy working closely with the relevant stakeholders to design and develop appropriate Impact and Learning approaches and policies
- Work closely with African women- led activist organisations that are inclusive, feminist, trust-based programs to deliver several strategic objectives aimed at supporting women movements
- Lead change management strategies and implementation activities aligned to the Impact and Learning strategy
- Contribute to sector-wide thought leadership on feminist learning, impact and accountability in our sector.
Leadership and people development and management
- Provide oversight, management and supervision of the Impact and Learning team;
- Participate in recruitment, selection, retention and succession planning of the Impact and Learning team ensuring adherence to AWDF policies
- Support both the professional and personal growth and learning of the team, ensuring that they can be proactive on all matters
- Develop a team culture that values collaboration internally, cross functionally, a team of independent thinkers that feel empowered, a team that reflects the feminist principles and values of AWDF.
Programme Management
- Convene cross-cluster engagements to promote collective ownership on progress against strategy and impact of AWDF work
- Facilitate capacity building activities in MEL across the organisation
- Manage external consultants supporting delivery of MEL activities
- Coordinate the development of MEL guidelines and instruments for internal and external stakeholders
- Ensure timely and quality production of data, analysis and information for donor reports
- Facilitate and/or participate in annual programme and project reviews, planning workshops and report preparation as required
- Ensure timely and quality production of data, analysis and information for donor and other reports
Budget management
- Develop and provide oversight on the Impact & Learning budget and approve expenses, ensuring deliverables are within allocated budget and follow organisational financial policies
- Work out what resources are needed to deliver the Impact and Learning strategy, with the Director of Programmes
Relationship management
- Establish and nurture relationships with colleagues as an integral element of communication – championing evidence-based agenda setting, storytelling, impact sharing and influencing
- Provide feedback to all relevant stakeholders on Impact and Learning strategies and activities to increase project and collective learnings and outcomes
- Provide programme level monitoring and evaluation support to partners
Programme monitoring and applying learning
- Plan and evaluate an on-going Impact and Learning programme of training
- Oversee the design and implementation of fit-for-purpose organisational impact, evaluation and monitoring processes and systems
- Evaluate organisational progress against strategy and its attentiveness
- Monitor organisational impact, learning and greater accountability to movements
- Coordinate and deliver on internal and external reporting requirements (board, donor, accountability, project reports etc.)
- Develop organisational processes to set and measure targets and outcomes and collectively report against these
- Develop systems to capture key qualitative data, especially in relation to organisational learning and our critical learning questions
Other
- The role holder will from time to time be required to carry out any other duties that are within the scope of the job.
Essential Knowledge and Experience
- Knowledge and experience in monitoring and evaluation, impact assessment framework and methodologies
- Data analysis and analytical skills
- Gets to the heart of complex problems and issues. Applies own expertise effectively. Communicates well in writing
- The ability to “do what works best – do what is sensible, grounded and practical
- Communicates and networks effectively. Successfully persuades and influences others. Relates to others in a confident and collegiate manner.
- Ability to set clear priorities, objectives and work allocations, tracking progress against plans and taking appropriate action to ensure targets are met
- Work cooperatively with others to overcome conflict and build towards a common goal
Qualifications
- The post requires experience in monitoring, evaluation and learning around feminist organising, experience of working with African women’s organisations, an in-depth knowledge of African women’s rights issues and concerns, strong analytical, writing and editing skills.
- At least 10 years work experience in human rights/ social justice/ rights-based development involving M and E, impact assessment and learning.
- Expertise in producing knowledge on women’s rights concerns for NGOs/activist, policy and/or donor audiences. Experience of developing or managing information systems (for example, virtual or physical libraries or archives) and in using multiple communication and knowledge production formats (film, audio, visual/graphics) desirable
- A degree in Gender, Women’s Rights or related discipline.
- Excellent written and spoken English. Working knowledge of French will be an advantage
Job Location
AWDF House, Accra – Ghana or work remotely from any African country where you have the legal right to work from.
Organisational Competencies:
All staff members must demonstrate AWDF Core values in all their professional relationships and any interactions that may reflect on AWDF:
- Accountability & Integrity
- Solidarity & Collective care
- Intersectionality & Meaningful Inclusion
- Learning & Adaptability
- Courage & Joy
- Creativity & Curiosity