JOB DETAILS:

About Spark Microgrants
Spark Microgrants believes in a world where everyone lives with dignity and determines their own positive future. Decades of prescriptive aid have sidelined the poor from the very programs meant to uplift them. We believe in local solutions and catalyzing rural villages facing poverty into action.
At the heart of Spark’s model, the Facilitated Collective Action Process (FCAP), are ‘town-hall’ style weekly meetings, in which women, men, young, old, plan together for their community’s future. Each village elects a leadership committee, establishes a village savings account, and launches a project of their choice. Members receive training on financial management, transparency, leadership, village planning, and advocacy.

Spark trains partner organizations and works with governments to scale the FCAP as the model of choice to advance social and economic development, improve lives, and secure lasting change. Spark is now active in 500+ villages in 6 countries, improving the lives of over 500,000 people.

As a team, we share a set of common values that shape how we work. These are:
1. Facilitators. We don’t impose; we enable others to generate impact.

2. Community-driven. We are motivated by what is best for the community.
3. Process-centered. The how of what we do is just as important as the what.
4. Authentic. Our vision and values live in everything we do.
5. Dynamic. We seek opportunities and are willing to take risks to serve our community partners better

Overview
The Senior Knowledge Management Officer will play a critical role in ensuring the effective documentation, sharing, and utilization of knowledge generated from Monitoring, Evaluation Research and Learning processes at Spark. The successful candidate will drive the data use agenda at Spark ensuring that all the information generated is used appropriately to inform programing and decision making.

Responsibilities
i. Establish and maintain a centralized repository for project-related documents, reports, best practices, lessons learned, and other knowledge assets.
ii. Drive the data use agenda at Spark and its partners; through providing training and capacity-building to Spark staff and partners to ensure that program managers, field teams and our partners are making use of data to inform programing and course corrections.

iii. Contribute to the writing of publication articles from our Monitoring, evaluation, research and learning data.
iv. Re-Analysis of the routine monitoring data as well as the external and internal evaluation data to identify trends and patterns that are not explicitly documented within the M&E reports.
v. Working with the Director, sector building and learning to translate the technical information from our evaluation and research studies for external and non-technical audiences.
vi. Stay abreast of emerging trends, innovations, and best practices in knowledge management and incorporate them into the organization's approach.
vii. In consultation with the M&E Director, ensure that all data requirements/needs from the growth team are met and in a timely manner.
viii. Any other tasks assigned by the supervisor.

Requirements
Educational Background: A bachelor’s degree in a quantitative field such as statistics, economics, econometrics, or a related field. A master's degree in the above disciplines is desirable.

Experience:
● Experience in the development sector or with community-driven development (CDD) programs would be advantageous.
● Prior experience in facilitation, particularly in engaging senior management and cross-departmental collaborations.
● Basic knowledge of writing and publishing research articles.
Analytical Skills: Proficiency in statistical analysis software like R (preferred), Stata (desirable), or any other software and methodologies for data analysis and interpretation.
Research Skills: Ability to conduct thorough literature reviews, identify gaps in existing research, and propose research directions aligned with organizational goals.
Communication Skills: Strong writing skills to draft and publish research articles. Ability to communicate complex technical information to both technical and non-technical audiences effectively.
Project Management: Experience in managing research projects from inception to completion, including design, execution, and reporting.
Documentation and Reporting: Proficiency in documenting success stories, learnings, and effectively communicating these insights to stakeholders internally and externally.
Adaptability and Initiative: Ability to adapt to changing priorities, take initiative in identifying new research areas, and contribute innovative ideas to the organization's learning agenda.
Cross-cultural Competence: Experience or sensitivity in working across different countries or cultures, considering the international scope of the organization's operations.

OTHER INFORMATION
Job Location: Kampala Uganda or Kigali Rwanda
Application closing date: 17/April/2024
Probation period: 3 months

WHAT WE OFFER
● A competitive salary, depending on experience.
● Talented and welcoming colleagues, 90% of whom are based in the countries where we work.
● A supportive environment with plenty of professional development opportunities.
● A chance to help shape the future of development.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
Spark Microgrants provides equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals. Employment decisions at Spark are based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. Spark does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, gender identity, age, disability, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by the law. Spark will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities unless doing so would result in undue hardship to daily operations.