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Do you believe in the power of learning and evidence to improve outcomes for some of the world’s most vulnerable young children and caregivers?

If the answer to this question is yes, this is the role for you!

The Moving Minds Alliance (MMA) is an advocacy impact network focused on Early Childhood Development in Emergencies (ECDiE). It comprises a (growing) network of 38 organizations working together to increase the quantity and quality of funding, policy prioritization, and leadership needed to effectively support young children and caregivers affected by crisis and displacement. MMA’s goal is for all children and caregivers to have access to the power and resources necessary to meet their self-determined needs in an environment of dignity, equity and care, especially in situations of national and international displacement.

MMA does not provide funding for implementation of early childhood programs. As a network, its activities are led by members collaborating in working groups responsible for operationalizing specific areas of work, with support from the Core Team and some external consultants. Operational costs and activities are financed by a sub-group of philanthropic foundations, which are part of the overall MMA membership, through a combination of annual member fees and additional donations and grants. A Steering Committee provides overall strategic direction. MMA is hosted by the International Rescue Committee (IRC-UK).

Our Vision: Rebuilding resilience of the youngest refugees

Forced displacement worldwide is at a record high. Young children and caregivers are disproportionately represented among those fleeing from emergencies and crisis-affected contexts. More than 43 million children have been displaced by conflict. One in four children around the world lives in contexts affected by conflict or disaster. Most children born in displacement will go on to spend their entire childhoods away from home.

Children’s experiences during their formative early years shape the architecture of the brain. This creates the foundation for future development, learning and physical and mental health. Prolonged exposure to violence and toxic stress can have life-long negative effects on children’s development. It can lead to higher levels of depression, anxiety, and in some cases post-traumatic stress disorder. Evidence indicates that quality ECDiE services that support parents, caregivers, and families to provide nurturing care during crisis can mitigate the negative effects of trauma and stress on young children and promote resilience and well-being for a lifetime.

Whilst the international community has made significant efforts to ensure children have access to basic healthcare and nutrition, more must be done to ensure that caregivers and young children can access quality ECDiE services. These services are severely lacking in crisis situations across the globe, as well as in communities hosting refugees and asylum-seekers.

The Purpose of the Role

The Knowledge Management and Learning Lead is a critical new appointment. The post-holder will support MMA’s ambition to become the thought leader and ‘go-to’ agency for the latest global, regional and local thinking, evidence and advocacy content on ECDiE. They will strengthen MMA’s capacity for disseminating learning and evidence for impactful advocacy, promoting uptake of evidence that emerges from research, linking researchers with policy makers and practitioners who can use it, including the development of learning products and policy statements.

The post-holder will understand that high quality research, information and learning exchange is the lifeblood of an effective network. They will support MMA to systematically strengthen learning and knowledge exchange. They will ensure that the views and perspectives of affected children, caregivers and communities are centred. They will support the Research Forum on Young Children in Emergencies, which generates research that can be used to influence policymakers and practitioners to provide more effective support to enable young, displaced children and their families to thrive.

Responsibilities:

1. Develop and implement MMA’s MERLA framework and Strategy with the support of technical experts from across the MMA network:

a. Define MMA’s learning agenda and gather data and evidence on its core research questions.

b. Collect, curate and aggregate learning across MMA member initiatives and generate evidence on the outcomes / impact of MMA activities.

c. Harvest, distil and (internally and externally) disseminate evidence and learning on ECDiE from its members.

d. Create platforms and processes to support and enhance internal learning, knowledge sharing, and alignment across the MMA membership and Working Groups.

e. Develop mechanisms to support the MMA’s ongoing performance improvement. This includes ensuring that appropriate digital platforms are in place for data collection and working with the MMA Director to make sure that our learning approach is supported through effective use of data.

f. Work with the Communications Manager to curate, build and share our digital library of resources, information and knowledge across the Alliance membership.

g. Identify, engage and support local partners to harvest emergent evidence from community-based innovations in ECDiE. Present this evidence in case studies and other learning products which can be used to increase the effectiveness of advocacy.

h. Increase outreach to and collaboration with regional and global organizations working on issues related to young children in emergencies through participation in events and meetings.   

2. Oversee the annual production of key learning products. This will include reports which summarise the extent to which national humanitarian and climate response plans identify and prioritise young children and caregivers.

3. Provide day to day co-ordination and support to the Moving Minds Alliance Research Forum. This will include:

a. Organizing and producing webinars, to shed light on ongoing research efforts taking place worldwide, specifically focused on young children and families in emergency contexts.

b. Creating monthly research roundups to compile the most recent, relevant, and impactful research findings in ECDiE.

c. Promoting the “Meet the Fellows” series on the MMA’s social media platforms (LinkedIn & Twitter), in collaboration with the Communications Manager.

d. Expanding participation by members and Research Fellows at conferences and events.

As part of a small team, the post-holder will also share the MMA team’s collective responsibility to deliver an effective and impactful secretariat function. 

Key Working Relationships

The Knowledge Management & Learning Lead will work independently, reporting to the MMA Director. They will be a senior member of the core team and will be expected to support day-to-day activities. The post-holder will work collaboratively with MMA member representatives. They will work alongside MMA working groups and committees, such as the Steering and Strategy Committees

They will work closely with the Arab Resource Collective (ARC – the host organization of ANECD) in Lebanon and BRAC IED in Bangladesh, two of MMA’s key members which will be actively involved in the management of The Research Forum.

The role will involve coordinating with monitoring and evaluation and/or programmatic staff from the different organisations across the membership and with our partners.

They will identify, engage, and work with local partners directly involved in implementing ECDiE in diverse contexts and settings.

They will collaborate with IRC team members where required. From time to time, they may oversee consultants.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

 Essential

Skills, Knowledge and Experience.

You will bring a track record of:

· Curating and disseminating research and learning to influence policymakers and practitioners.

· Using research and learning to strengthen network members’ engagement and enhance collective impact.

· Developing and implementing relevant and proportionate monitoring, evaluation, research, learning and accountability frameworks.

· Using innovative and creative approaches (jncluding participatory, qualitative research methodologies and data collection tools) to support local ‘non-research specialist’ partners to generate research and learning across a variety of diverse, typically low resource settings.

· Developing strategies to strengthen advocacy to diverse national, regional and global decision makers using research and learning generated by local partners.

· Practical application of research ethics and safeguarding.

· Working in a network with proven ability to build effective relationships and matrix-manage across geographically dispersed teams and organisations.

· Recruiting and managing technical experts, ensuring their products are useful and incorporated into ongoing work.

Values & attributes

Passionate about and committed to:

● Using research, evidence and learning to contribute to sustainable change for children in crisis.

● Commitment to the decolonization of knowledge and learning

● Principles of equity, transparency and inclusion.

● Ensuring systems, approaches and relationships are free from any form of racism, bias, discrimination, or exclusion.

Is excited to:

● Bring a creative, entrepreneurial, and dynamic approach

● Work independently with light touch supervision.

· Use knowledge and learning to strengthen the quality of network collaboration, convening and relationships.

· Able to work in a dynamic, dispersed and adaptive team, comfortable with complex challenges.

MMA’s Core Team and pooled fund is held by the International Rescue Committee. As such, staff are employed on IRC contracts.

Candidates must have the right to work in the UK. The deadline is for 17th of April 2024. The salary for this role is £55,000 per annum.

IRC-UK is committed to equality of opportunity and non discrimination for all applicants and employees. IRC-UK seeks to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce regardless of gender, race, religious belief, nationality, ethnic/national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability. IRC-UK welcomes applications from all candidates, including underrepresented groups and refugees who have the right to work in the UK.

IRC UK will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable adjustments to participate in the job application and/or interview process, and for essential job functions if appointed to a role. Please contact us if you may need such adjustments