Strategic Learning Unit Lead

Job Description

Resilience, Adaptation, and Inclusion in Nepal (RAIN) programme is FCDO funded six-year programme that aims to strengthen the Government of Nepal (GoN)’s climate change adaptation, mitigation, and disaster risk management efforts and to help make social protection systems more adaptive and shock-responsive. This will reduce losses and damage and build the resilience of the most vulnerable communities at risk of natural (climate-induced and earthquake) hazards.

RAIN Will Provide Technical Assistance To Three Spheres Of The Government On Strengthening Systems To Design, Develop, And Implement Policy, Planning, And Budgeting Systems To Support The At-risk Communities In Adapting To Climate Change And Preparing And Responding To Natural Hazards. It Aspires To Unlock Additional Climate Finance For Adaptation And Mitigation, Support The Work On Early Action And Early Warning To Build Community Resilience And Make Existing Social Protection Systems Adaptive And Shock Responsive. Inclusion, Evidence, And Strategic Learning Underpins The Entire Programme. The RAIN Programme Has Four Components

Component A: Technical Assistance (TA) and Strategic Learning Unit (SLU)

Component B: Climate Adaptation and Finance (implemented through multilateral agencies)

Component C: Community Resilience, Early Action, Adaptation, and Inclusion (implemented through civil society consortium partners)

Component D: Adaptive and Shock Responsive Social Protection (implemented through an international financial institution)

Mott MacDonald has been awarded as a supplier for component A (TA and SLU), which started in November 2024. The RAIN TA has been designed to support for transformative change in the Government of Nepal’s responses to climatic and non-climatic shocks, building the resilience of some of the most vulnerable communities in Nepal.

Mott MacDonald has reimagined and proposed the TA and Strategic Learning to be transformative which is underpinned by the ‘system strengthening’ approach rather than ‘project delivery’ alone, by placing political economy, empowerment and systems thinking at its core.

Expected impact of RAIN TA SLU: Resilience of vulnerable groups and communities to climate risks and other hazards is built through increased government capacity to prevent, adapt, anticipate, and absorb shocks.

Outcomes

• The GoN accesses international climate finance to meet the goals of its NAP.
• The GoN uses its own fiscal resources to allocate, spend and monitor its interventions on DRRM.
• Improved resilience of communities to cope from natural hazards (climate and non-climate induced) shocks.
  
  

Output areas / Workstreams: The RAIN TA comprises of four workstreams or output areas:

• Federal Engagement: To improve policy coherence and alignment at the federal level.
• Provincial and Local Engagement: Strengthen alignment of local and provincial budgets and expenditures with policies.
• Access to Climate Finance: To support a strengthened GoN system to access international climate finance.
  
  

Strategic Learning Unit: SLU will lead on Monitoring and Strategic Learning (M&SL) across the RAIN portfolio based on a flexible and adaptive management approach informed by data and evidence, political economy, GEDSI, and embedding inclusive, impactful communication.

• the Strategic Learning Unit (SLU), and coordination with RAIN implementing partners and FCDO.
• Deploys strategic thinking, analysis, and sees the bigger picture to optimise risk management, provide advice to FCDO and programme partners, and drive programme results.
• FCDO’s primary contact and accountable for all issues related to the SLU, including: strategic learning, innovation, evidence, results monitoring and reporting, value for money, annual review and evaluation, knowledge management and communications.
• Responsible for the delivery of the Monitoring and Reporting strategy, planning, systems development, and capacity building (for RAIN TA SLU team, as well as other RAIN Component Partners, where necessary). Including: development of data collection templates and methodologies, development of digital data collection tools and dashboards.
• Responsible for the delivery of the Strategic Learning plan, managing the generation of learning products in collaboration and coordination with RAIN TA SLU team, other RAIN Component Partners, and FCDO.
• Leadership and coordination for programme review and evaluation – including design, planning, and authorship of insightful review reports.
• Accountable for directing the Strategic Communications and Knowledge Management to ensure that meaningful communications materials are produced and disseminated.
• Responsible for the day-to-day leadership, strategy setting and management of the Strategic Learning Unit (SLU), and coordination with RAIN implementing partners and FCDO.
• Deploys strategic thinking, analysis, and sees the bigger picture to optimise risk management, provide advice to FCDO and programme partners, and drive programme results.
• FCDO’s primary contact and accountable for all issues related to the SLU, including: strategic learning, innovation, evidence, results monitoring and reporting, value for money, annual review and evaluation, knowledge management and communications.
• Responsible for the delivery of the Monitoring and Reporting strategy, planning, systems development, and capacity building (for RAIN TA SLU team, as well as other RAIN Component Partners, where necessary). Including: development of data collection templates and methodologies, development of digital data collection tools and dashboards.
• Responsible for the delivery of the Strategic Learning plan, managing the generation of learning products in collaboration and coordination with RAIN TA SLU team, other RAIN Component Partners, and FCDO.
• Leadership and coordination for programme review and evaluation – including design, planning, and authorship of insightful review reports.
• Accountable for directing the Strategic Communications and Knowledge Management to ensure that meaningful communications materials are produced and disseminated.
• Oversee and provide strategic direction for GEDSI to ensure mainstreaming and integration into all TA interventions and SLU products
• Coordinate with the Project Manager in relation to Value for Money activities and provide inputs where required.
• Travel when required to support delivery and engagement at the provincial and local level for effective collaboration and coordination with RAIN’s implementing partners.
  
  

Key Skills And Experience

• Demonstrate relevant expertise in implementing monitoring and results frameworks and strategic learning on large and complex programmes; delivering at pace; and maintaining a broad yet working level knowledge of all aspects of the project.
• Demonstratable understanding of the local context, policies, and regulations in which RAIN is being delivered.
• Leadership: Should have strong leadership skills and the ability to motivate and manage a team of professionals from diverse backgrounds. Other requisite skills include the ability to delegate tasks, provide feedback and facilitate communication.
• Project Management: Should have strong project management skills, including experience in developing project workplans, tracking progress, and managing project workplan budgets for the SLU. Knowledge of project management tools is helpful.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Should be skilled in stakeholder engagement and able to effectively communicate with diverse stakeholders, including government officials, private sector, civil society organisations and international investors and donor community.
• Client Management: Ability to understand client perspectives, needs and expectations. Provide independent advice which may include challenge and guidance on SLU related matters, budgeting and deliverables.
• Communication Skills: Should have strong verbal and written communications skills, in Nepali and English. Experienced in workshop facilitating, and ability to present complex policy concepts to non-experts. This role also requires drafting briefs, reports, and the ability to deliver presentations to a diverse audience.
• Flexibility and big picture vision: Should be able to see big picture to support the design and implementation of policies and programme workstreams so that the component works coherently and in tandem with other RAIN components.
• Problem solving: Should be solutions-orientated with the ability to look ahead and identify emerging risks and opportunities and develop solutions in collaboration with relevant team members and/or escalate appropriately.
• Experience designing and developing digital platforms to monitor and report results (e.g. PowerBI) is a plus.
  
  

Agile working

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team and personal commitments. We embrace agility, flexibility and trust.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We put equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they have the opportunity to contribute.

Location(s):

Kathmandu, NP

Contract Type: Contract

Work Pattern: Full Time

Market: Environment and society

Discipline: International development

Job Ref: 9967

Recruiter Contact: Janet Thatcher