Development Program Specialist (Knowledge Management) – Kampala – United States USAID Embassy

About US Embassy:
Welcome to the United States Embassy in Kampala, Uganda. The United States has enjoyed diplomatic relations with Uganda for over 30 years. Ambassador Scott H. DeLisi currently heads the U.S Mission to Uganda. The Mission is composed of several offices and organizations all working under the auspices of the Embassy and at the direction of the Ambassador.

Among the offices operating under the U.S Mission to Uganda are:
· United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
· Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
· Peace Corps

Job Summary: The USAID Development Program Specialist will support the Uganda Mission officer to improve its information and knowledge management capacities such that information access and its practical application to program management and oversight are increased, staff interactions become more productive, and the organization’s knowledge base is increased, with an overall goal of enhanced organizational efficiency and effectiveness. The FSN Knowledge Management Specialist (KMS) position will respond to findings from USAID/Uganda’s Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Assessment (MELA) conducted in February 2015, leveraging existing and future knowledge management platforms as well as coordinating and advancing important knowledge management opportunities within the Mission, the broader Agency, and with the Mission’s implementing partners and stakeholder network. The position focuses on identifying, collecting, organizing, and interpreting data from Mission activities, including data generated from program and activity monitoring and evaluation; from key USAID and external studies that are technical/ programmatic in nature; and from organizational learning. The KMS position is charged with the sharing, utilization and retention of technical and programmatic knowledge within the Mission, in order to increase Mission staff’s understanding of, and ability to positively influence, the development context of Uganda and the place of USAID’s assistance programming within it. The KMS position will be responsible for helping to create practices, incentives, processes and feedback loops that encourage a robust knowledge management approach that enhances the positive development impact of USAID’s assistance to Uganda. S/he will be responsible for the management of the Mission’s knowledge management website and database, and for ensuring compliance with the Agency “Big Data” data-collection and dissemination efforts as per Automated Directives System (ADS) chapter 509. The incumbent directly supports USAID/Uganda’s monitoring and evaluation, design, organizational learning and stakeholder engagement efforts using the Mission’s Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) program-management approach. S/he provides key technical and administrative support to advancing a wide range of platforms and products for providing better analytical evidence for enhancing USAID’s program management practices and creating and institutionalizing key learning networks within and beyond USAID/Uganda.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Mission Knowledge Management Functions (90%)
· Serve as Knowledge Management (KM) subject-matter expert for the Mission and the KM point of-contact (POC) for USAID/Washington, with a focus on information collection, organization and dissemination.
· Serve as thought leader for the Mission with regard to KM best practices, leading the establishment of a culture of knowledge capture and sharing within the Mission through the implementation of KM tools, processes and enabling mechanisms for all staff.
· Offer expert support and policy guidance to Mission senior management for KM issues and initiatives, in accordance with Agency policy and accepted industry best practices.
· Ensure strict adherence to USG and Agency rules, regulations and policies with regard to development of a Mission Intranet and the design, execution and modification of knowledge platforms, engagement strategies and content management practices for the Mission.
· Identify, evaluate and promote opportunities for Mission staff to use online KM tools and systems for greater work productivity, including opportunities for monitoring of the development context, enhancing Mission internal communications and knowledge sharing, and/or stakeholder engagement.
· Support the dissemination and utilization of lessons learned throughout the [ADS 200] Program Cycle. This includes disseminating information on experiences and approaches from elsewhere in the Agency to the Mission, such as the Development Experience Clearing (DEC), and actively seeking, identifying, collecting and disseminating sources of learning and emerging best practice in the development-assistance field.
· Assisting, in collaboration with DOC, in the regular, timely distribution of resources and news items to Mission staff by way of newsletters, blogs or other appropriate online channels for internal communication and staff engagement.
· Ongoing liaison and planning with KM constituents, including the Mission’s Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning contract, to maximize the Mission’s productive utilization of available online KM resources
· Offers technical input to any assistance activity in the Mission for activities with a major Knowledge Management component, in collaboration with the Mission’s Monitoring, Evaluation, Organizational Learning and Project Design functions.
· Serves as the default Contracting Officer’s Representative/Assistance Officer’s Representative for Mission wide activities/implementing mechanisms whose primary focus is Knowledge Management.
2. Coordinator – External Knowledge Management Interface (10%)
· Provides – where permitted, appropriate, and practicable – dissemination of data to KM systems external to the USAID Mission such as AidData and DevTracker that are operational within Uganda with the support of USAID/Washington and/or other bilateral or multilateral development-assistance agencies and organizations.
· Establishes working relationships with other bilateral or multilateral development-assistance agencies and organizations to promote, where appropriate and practicable, harmonization and/or alignment of non-sensitive development-assistance data collection and reporting systems, in support of the Organization of Economic Cooperation & Development/Development Assistant Committee’s (OECD/DAC) Aid Effectiveness Principles.
· Manages content, design and accessibility of externally-accessible Mission websites providing non-confidential KM data.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
NOTE: All applicants must address each selection criterion detailed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting each item.
· The ideal candidate should hold a University degree in social sciences, communications, knowledge management, information technology/data systems management, library science or other related field is required.
· A minimum of four years of progressively responsible experience in data management for a large (30 or more employees) public or private-sector organization are required. Candidate should demonstrate experience in the design and creation of knowledge generation, management and learning processes, systems and products that vary in media (in-person forums, as well as documents, video, social media) and platforms. These may include experience in online databases and libraries, and/or experience in scoping, designing and implementing varied tools such as online surveys, chat and blogging spaces, that complement live interaction taking place through meetings, conferences and/or ongoing team collaborations.
· Past exposure and experience in the design and setting-up data libraries in both electronic and hard-copy form, and of searchable electronic databases and archives, is highly desirable.
· Thorough, professional-level knowledge of the discipline of Knowledge Management, including knowledge generation, management and learning processes, systems and products that vary in media (in-person forums, as well as documents, video, social media) and platforms and KM tools such as online surveys, chat and blogging spaces.
· Working knowledge of ICT technologies and applications; knowledge of usability and user-centric web design techniques and the principles of web development; web programming such as HTML and Javascript; and knowledge of web content management systems such as Drupal and WordPress, is highly desirable.
· Excellent project management skills, and the ability to work as team member in a multi-cultural environment with a variety of people on real and virtual teams;
· Possess the ability to prioritize in a multi-tasking environment and cope with shifting timeframes and short deadlines;
· Demonstrated capacity to develop/implement work plans, monitoring and evaluation activities, and reports;
· Excellent writing and editing skills in English;
· Excellent interpersonal, oral/written communication skills, able to work in team-based environments;
· Proven ability to achieve consensus among multiple and diverse counterparts, to be flexible, and to adapt to changing situations as needed;
· Demonstrated ability to assess and tailor knowledge management solutions to user demand and to a wide range of user KM knowledge and experience, to influence organizational behavior change, and to apply an understanding of practices in usability design and testing, and change management;
· Broad interest in investigating and applying new tools, approaches and solutions, in a context with broad client definition, experience and motivation to further ease workflows and enhance results;
· Demonstrated ability to independently analyze political, social, economic, and policy issues.
·Language Proficiency: English writing and speaking ability is required.

How to Apply:
All those interested in working with the US mission in Kampala should send their applications and strictly adhere to the following:
· Universal Application for Employment as a Locally Employed Staff or Family Member (DS-174), Download it Here.
· A current resume or curriculum vitae.
· Candidates who claim US Veterans preference must provide a copy of their Form DD-214 with their application. Candidates who claim conditional US Veterans preference must submit documentation confirming eligibility for a conditional preference in hiring with their application.
· Any other documentation (e.g. essays, transcripts/certificates, awards) that addresses the qualification requirements of the position as listed above.

Submit Application To:
Human Resources Office
By email at KampalaHR@state.gov

NB: Only electronic submissions will be accepted and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Please clearly indicate the position applied for in the subject area of the email submission.
Please use standard file types such as Microsoft Word (.doc) and Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) and please send all documents in one file attachment.
Telephone: 0414-306001/259-791/5

Deadline: 14th October 2015

The US Mission in Kampala provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation. The Department of State also strives to achieve equal employment opportunity in all personnel operations through continuing diversity enhancement programs.