Senior Program Design and Implementation Specialist - Highlight Technologies

Highlight is looking for a detail-oriented Senior Program Design and Implementation Specialist to provide high-level technical support to the Office of Strategic and Program Planning in USAID’s Bureau for Planning, Learning, and Resource Management (PLR), which develops the policies, budgets, and strategies that guide USAID’s worldwide mission to support locally-led development. This position will work with technical experts and senior-level career and political appointee employees to strengthen activity design and implementation, increase Agency understanding of locally-led development, develop and test resources to promote the adoption, consolidation, and amplification of tools for activity design, implementation, monitoring, and learning across the Agency. It is important to note that locally-led development is being used as an umbrella term to capture the breadth of activities including but not limited to localization, local systems, Government to government support.

SPP’s work in locally-led development through the Program Design & Implementation (PD&I) team provides operating units (OUs) support, guidance, and tools to implement locally-led development across the Program Cycle. PD&I managed the roll-out of the second Agency localization indicator, called the locally-led programs indicator (LLPI), including creating guidance, a reporting tool, training and support to reporting Missions and OUs and indicator data analysis. PD&I also manages the Localization Playbook and hosts the Localization community of practice, which together provide guidance and technical assistance to USAID staff, OUs, and Bureaus to advance localization. PD&I houses the leadership for the cross- and intra-Agency G2G working group, which is actively working to develop an Agency-wide strategic framework for G2G. This group also leads workshops with Missions on developing G2G mechanisms and will soon update the relevant ADS Chapter. SPP’s work also includes support to the Local Systems Council, Local Systems Community of Practice, and drafting the Local Systems Position Paper.

You will support SPP’s work in locally-led development to advance the institutionalization of the Agency's program design process with a particular focus on: (1) providing technical assistance on locally-led development to USAID missions and Washington bureaus; (2) building USAID capacity to integrate Agency locally-led development principles into effective activity and project design including by disseminating knowledge and learning; and (3) analyzing current practices and emerging approaches in locally-led development, including at the design and implementation stages, and developing recommendations to apply lessons learned to improve relevant Agency-wide guidance and tools.

1. Project/Activity Design Technical Support to Missions and Washington B/IOs

• Direct Support. Provide direct in person and virtual assistance to enhance activity and project design at Missions and Washington bureaus and independent offices (B/IOs). Respond to inquiries from USAID operating units, as needed, to provide immediate answers to questions regarding activity and project design and implementation.
• Tools & Guidance. Support integration of systems thinking into the Program Cycle by developing new methods and tools, and building staff capacity to apply them. Draft clear, concise written communication in the form of guidance, blogs, frequently asked questions, presentations, How-To Notes, etc. to support new policy directions, especially locally led development. Create tools and guidance to help Washington and field operating units to increase their effectiveness in promoting locally-led development. Review Mission project or activity design documents and provide constructive feedback on their strengths, weaknesses, and how they can be improved.
• Training. Develop presentations, handouts, exercises and other training material on how to apply the design guidance. Conduct customized training, as requested, in Washington and the field for USAID staff members on the Program Cycle, particularly as it relates to Mission project and activity design and implementation priorities.
• Help OUs to innovate and improve on locally led development. Assist Agency OUs to implement, improve, and innovate on processes and procedures to help USAID meet its stated localization goals. Respond to ongoing requests from Missions for localization related Program Cycle virtual assistance in designing and implementing activities and planning for associated analyses and assessments.
• Improve Agency Policy and Systems. Identify opportunities to improve Agency policy on project and activity design and implementation, and propose corresponding recommendations, using information collected from the field and USAID/Washington. Support the organizational behavior change to encourage the adoption of new practices related to project and activity design, planning and implementation across the Agency.

2. Locally-led Development data collection, analysis, and reporting

• Analyze the Big Picture. Analyze internal and external data and evidence on the implementation of the Agency’s localization effort to improve our understanding of what works (and doesn’t work) and why.
• Support on Agency Indicators. Collect and analyze data on locally led development, both within the Agency and within the larger development community. This includes collecting and analyzing data from Agency localization indicators and existing resources and reports such as the annual Performance Plan and Reports and Operational Plans.
• Improve Agency Measurement of Locally Led Development. Assist in advancing PLR specific localization priorities such as creating and improving processes around the LLP indicator and data collection.

3. Senior Advisory role to PLR and Agency in integrating and institutionalizing initiatives (i.e. locally-led development, government-to-government assistance) along the Program Cycle

• Communications and Representation. Work with the inter-bureau team and the topic of Localization / LLD to Coordinate, organize and improve distribution of Agency localization resources, websites and tools, and participate in localization and locally-led development related Working Groups to represent PLR.

• U.S. Citizenship.
• Current Secret Clearance.
• Masters degree in relevant field with 10 years of work experience or Bachelors degree with 15 years of relevant work experience.
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience in designing and implementing overseas development programs, including playing a lead role in activity and project design for at least one technical sector, as well as field implementation experience.
• Demonstrated experience applying development principles and implementing foreign assistance processes such as drafting project design documentation, assistance or acquisition requisitions, project assessments, and other program design materials.
• Knowledge of the principles and procedures that govern the planning and implementation of USAIDs overseas development programs and activities.
• Data collection and analysis, and spreadsheet management. Data visualization skills are a plus.
• Strong communication, writing, and teamwork skills.
• Ability to quickly create presentations, high-level Agency communications, and templates and tools.
• Ability to work independently and under pressure, while also remaining responsive to short-fuse taskers and leading/collaborating with colleagues from other offices and bureaus to meet tight deadlines.

Preferred Qualifications:
• Expertise in locally led development, systems approaches, complex adaptive systems or systems dynamics, causal loop modeling, social network analysis and other systems methods and tools.
• Experience designing and applying systems approaches to international development challenges.
• Expertise leading change management, particularly skills in organizational development, behavior, and learning.
• Demonstrated skills and experience in facilitating change, and group decision-making processes in contexts where consensus needs to be built.
• Experience and demonstrable skills in training and instructional design, communications, data visualization for communication and capacity building, and presentation.

For over ten years, Highlight has provided Development and Modernization, Secure IT, and Mission Solution services to our federal government customers. Our team knows the technology; we understand how our customers and their stakeholders work; and we know how to implement industry best practices to deliver high-quality, end-to-end solutions that minimize risk and maximize results.

Since our inception, Highlight has had an employee-first mindset. Our mission is to provide employees with rewarding and impactful career opportunities. In 2021, Highlight’s founder, Rebecca Andino, implemented an Employee Stock Ownership Plan to embody and expand our culture of transparency, teamwork and rewarding the work of our employees. By becoming an ESOP, our employee-owners share in the success of the company through their ownership stake. To learn more about ESOPS, check out: www.esopinfo.org. 

We’re an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) that empowers our people to fearlessly drive change - regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other characteristics. Our team is dedicated to foster diversity within our teams to promote creativity, innovation, and teamwork to deliver the best solutions for our customers.

To receive compensation and benefits information for this role, contact us or email us at Recruiting@HighlightTech.com  Please include the Req ID (this is at the top of the posting under the position title) in the subject line of the email.

#swhp