Consultant, Learning Agenda

This role was posted on January 26, 2024. Please note that we will review applications on a rolling basis.

The Role

At Last Mile Health, we dig data. Do you have demonstrated experience in monitoring, evaluation, research and learning for international development organizations, with an emphasis on research, evaluation and learning and experience working in global public health? If yes, you may be the right fit for our Consultant, Learning Agenda role. 

Last Mile Health (LMH) seeks to hire a Consultant experienced in organizational learning initiatives like learning and research agendas.  This role will be to help facilitate and follow up on the development of a Learning Agenda for the organization.  This Learning Agenda is an effort to build capacity and prioritize MERL initiatives to answer the most critical questions and needs for evidence that we face - as an organization and as a member of the Community Health Worker field of practice.  This Learning Agenda is already in development but requires some short-term support in furthering the development, socialization, and planning for how we will answer these critical questions.  This Consultant should have MEL/MERL experience in international development and global health sectors, particularly related to research and learning (e.g., CLA), be organized and resourceful, and be able to facilitate and coordinate a range of stakeholders and resources. 

Working with the Managing Director of the Global Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (GMERL) team and a core Working Group of country and global team representatives, the Consultant will have direct support in these exercises and have the opportunity to work autonomously and creatively in issues of method, process, tool development, documentation, and development of data-use and learning practices for the organization.  

This Consultancy is open to candidates located in the Eastern Seaboard of the United States with US work authorization. This role is fully remote.

Consultancy Details

• Commitment: Time depends on rate and availability, but an immediate start date is preferred, and work must be concluded and approved by June 30, 2024
• Total Estimated Fees Amount - $25,000 - $30,000 USD
• Location - remote (preferred time zone is US EST) 
• Duration: 3-4 months

Background and Context

Since its inception, Last Mile Health has produced significant research and publications, generating evidence about what works in the global health and community health worker sectors.  As the organization has expanded from operations in Liberia to programming in Sierra Leone, Ethiopia and Malawi, that emphasis on research and learning has continued.  The Global Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (GMERL) team has now evolved to provide technical support, guidance, standards and quality oversight across these country teams.  GMERL also works closely with other global teams (e.g., Health Systems Strengthening, Program Strategy and Performance, etc.) to develop standards, resources, tools and practices to promote high-quality program design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.  At the same time, internal and external learning continues to be a priority in LMH’s newest strategy, with a strategic emphasis on evaluating the outcomes, impact and cost-effectiveness of our work.  

Currently, the GMERL team consists of a Managing Director, a Director of MERL Technical Support, 2 Senior Data Analysts, a MERL Officer, and a Data Systems team responsible for the development and maintenance of a Data Portal for managing program-related data. There is a need for some temporary support to help build out some foundational work on a Learning Agenda and organizational learning practices.  The current plan is to use virtual, interactive multi-stakeholder mapping exercises to do two key things:  1) identifying the existing base of knowledge and evidence our Theory of Change and programs are based on (and later documenting and creating a repository of this knowledge), and 2) identifying the gaps in evidence and knowledge we still have about our work from which to develop a Learning Agenda to help fill these gaps.  This work needs to be complemented by efforts to socialize the work, and better build an organizational culture of learning. 

Scope of Work

The following scope of work describes the key tasks to be accomplished through this consultancy (subject to change depending on timing and external events).

TASK 1

Help complete interactive workshops designed to map evidence base and gaps (note that the workshops may already be completed) and convert workshop findings into learning questions in the Learning Agenda template.  

Deliverable: Draft Learning Questions based on workshop findings.

TASK 2

Support additional efforts to collect and document existing evidence base.  While not the primary responsibility of this consultant, support in documenting the existing evidence base may be required - and may provide a useful exercise for developing the Learning Agenda. This will be developed in partnership with GMERL, HSS and the Global Services team.

Deliverable: Organizing structure for the ‘evidence base’ with a plan for storage and retrieval based on existing knowledge management infrastructure. 

TASK 3

Develop a prioritization strategy for Learning Questions that can be used for developing and adapting the Learning Agenda over time. Prioritization should consider quantity, feasibility, relevance, and other factors to help with the allocation of human and financial resources for MERL initiatives.

Deliverables: A prioritization ‘tool’ or documented process that can be used and replicated for Learning Questions.

TASK 4

Consult with GMERL, HSS, consultants, and country teams to identify methods for addressing Learning Questions and potential learning ‘products’ or outputs.

Deliverables: A completed Learning Agenda with questions prioritized, methods identified and learning products/deliverables.

TASK 5

Plan for socializing the Learning Agenda and building a Learning Culture with supporting materials, exercises, and proposed activities that link the Agenda and its outputs to LMH teams and processes.

Deliverables:  Proposal for outreach and engagement with collateral materials and activities.

What You'll Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in public health, international development, research or related field. Masters preferred.
• Progressive years of experience in MERL for international development organizations, with an emphasis on research, evaluation and learning. 
• Experience working in global public health.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing organizational initiatives involving communications, process and tool development, (e.g., behavior change, policy roll-out, etc.)
• Excellent computer skills, including development of technical and non-technical materials and documents
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate at all levels of technical and non-technical management and other stakeholders.

Application Package

Individuals with experience in research and learning initiatives in international development and global health organizations can submit a brief proposal, including:

• Brief summary of experience relevant to this project with daily/hourly rate included.
• Work samples, if available (attachments or links)

Selected applications will go through a selection process. 

About Last Mile Health

Last Mile Health (LMH) saves lives in the world's most remote communities by partnering with governments to bring critical primary care services to the doorsteps of people living in the last mile. LMH is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization and currently works in Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Sierra Leone with US offices in Boston. For more information, visit www.lastmilehealth.org

We are an equal-opportunity employer and value diversity at LMH. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.