WHAT IS START NETWORK?

Start Network is a global membership of over 80 organisations, working across six continents, to tackle what we see as the biggest systemic problems in the global humanitarian system. Start Network is an independent charity. We also work with Save the Children UK, which acts a grant custodian for Start Network.

Start Network’s vision is for a locally led humanitarian system that is accountable to people affected by and at risk of crises. We aim to achieve this vision by making system-level shifts in how humanitarian assistance is approached and delivered.

OUR SOLUTIONS

DECENTRAISLING & LOCALLY-LED ACTION: Shifting power and resources and decentralising decision-making to locally led networks and organisations.

EARLY & RAPID FINANCING: Building a global financing system that reduces risk, anticipates, and acts ahead of predictable crises.

COMMUNITY-LED INNOVATION: Incentivising innovative, locally led, and contextual solutions and learning from them together with people affected by crises.

For more information about Start Network and what we do, please visit our website. 

OUR VALUES

WE PUT PEOPLE FIRST: Communities come first in our decision-making and programming.

WE ARE BRAVE: We have great ambition and are willing to explore new things and take risks to achieve it

WE OPERATE COLLECTIVELY: We leverage the value of working as a network, sharing risk and resources, and learning together.

WE ARE INCLUSIVE: We see the value in diverse perspectives and work to remove the barriers that prevent voices from being heard.

WE ARE OPEN: We work transparently and with integrity, building mutual trust in all levels of our work, from governance to programming.

WE ARE ETHICAL: We behave and operate based on key principles of anti-racism, non-discrimination, and anti-colonialism. This is a work in progress.

JOB PURPOSE

The Network Development Learning Advisor role is critical in ensuring that learning, reflection and adaptation guides the Start Network’s efforts to become a decentralised and locally led network. The Start Network aims to shift from a centralised network model to a dispersed ‘network of networks’. In this vision, regional or country-based hubs predominantly made up of local and national organisations will lead responses and drive innovations that will foster a better and more locally led humanitarian system.  This is a critical moment for the development of the hubs as the first cohort of five hubs moves to maturity. 

The goal of the Learning Advisor is to support the incorporation of strategic reflection, learning and evidence within the Start Network’s work to achieve its vision of being a locally led network of networks.

The Learning Advisor will advise and facilitate learning across hubs and Start Network to embed learning and reflection across strategic and operational aspects of this Network transformation. The Learning Advisor will support the Network Development team to learn and iterate its approach to incubating and engaging with hubs. At this pivotal moment in hub development, the Learning Advisor will support the incorporation of learning and evidence into adaptions to the hub model.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Developing and Adapting Network Development Learning

• Working in a collaborative manner with the Network Development Team and the hubs, you will develop, own, implement and adapt an approach and strategy to learning and reflection. This learning strategy will build on existing learning frameworks .

• Promote a “user-centred” approach and design methodologies, in ensuring that processes are driven by learning and reflection from the hubs.

• Shape the agenda for evidencing hubs learning and initiatives.

• Ensure this learning strategy aligns with, and feeds into, the wider Start Network organisational learning strategy.

Driving Collective Learning Activities

• Establish a learning culture among hubs by ensuring that learning activities and initiatives are embedded in their hub development journey.

• Create and facilitate space with the Network Development team, hubs and the wider Start Network team for regular reflection, feedback and analysis of learning.

• Identify new approaches to information collection, lesson learning and reflection suited to hubs’ needs and contexts.

• Facilitate discussion to develop, shape and use innovative learning tools and methodologies.

• Lead on the collection, consolidation and analysis of feedback and data at tactical and strategic levels, to support the team to pivot and course-correct based on testing and learning.

• Support the Network Development team to adopt an iterative, evidence-based approach to hub support and development.

Influence Uptake of Learning

• Facilitate sense-making sessions to understand the implications of and respond to learning.

• Support a culture of accountability by ensuring that strategic and actionable commitments include follow up and reflection on progress.

• Communicate learning internally and externally, which will include developing communication pieces or guiding their production (reports, video, blogs, animations etc.) to support evidence uptake.

• Contribute to strategy reviews and updates based on the evidence emerging from the above processes.

• Commission and manage additional research as required

Support hubs on their learning journey

• Mentor, facilitate and support hubs to develop learning strategies and systems, identify their learning priorities and to develop, refine and put in place an approach to learning,

• Assist hubs to .g., by helping with terms of reference and recruitment of learning positions and consultants, creating lines of consistency across hubs and work in consolidating and drawing themes, trends and conclusions.

• Support hubs in the development of cultures on learning and reflection.

• Support hubs to share their activities and learning and ensure that this information is incorporated into wider Start Network learning and reporting.

General

• Aid collaboration and information between teams, particularly in relation to hub development work.

• Contribute to the overall Start team and the mission of the Start Network, with particular emphasis on collaboration with the Network Development and Evidence and Learning teams.

• Participate in the Evidence & Learning team.

• Take on other team and leadership roles from time as required in support of the team outcomes.

• Commission and support relevant external evaluations.

• Support the hubs and the Network Development team in communications and advocacy-related initiatives by providing information and learning to support advocacy actions 

START NETWORK CULTURE

• To carry out the responsibilities of the role in line with the Start Network Code of Conduct and with a commitment to safeguarding adults and children

• A commitment to the Start Network vision, principles, values, and approach

• The Start Network team is an agile group of individuals who use their experience and skills across the network, so flexibility to work in and with different teams and functions is a part of our culture.

PERSON PROFILE

Key Competencies

• Leading and Inspiring Others

• Networking

• Communicating with Impact 

• Applying Technical and Professional Expertise

• Working Effectively with Others

• Experience of learning approaches in a network context

Technical

• Excellent expertise and experience in learning and evidence tools, methods and approaches suited to innovation or systems change, including learning frameworks

• Proven ability to draw learning effectively and efficiently from large bodies of qualitative and quantitative data and to feed this into programmatic or strategic change.

• Proven ability to design and implement user-focused learning strategies

• Ability to synthesise, analyse and present complex data - particularly qualitative data - in an easy to understand and engaging manner.

• Understanding of localisation and partnership approaches 

• Understanding of / or experience in system change work

• Understanding of localisation, or decolonisation approaches and mindsets or experience of working in a locally led programme or context (desirable)

Personal Skills

• Proven mentoring and facilitation skills.

• Innovative and creative thinker.

• Excellent team player with an ability to work flexibly and adapt to changing demands.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, able to communicate complex learning concepts in plain language with a wide range of professionals from different organisations and backgrounds. 

• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills.

• Cultural sensitivity to work with a diversity of organisations and countries.

Education / Professional Skills

• Experience supporting a collaborative community of practice

• Experience working remotely and effectively across organisations

• Minimum 5 - 7 years’ experience of supporting or delivering an organisation or programme level learning framework in a humanitarian or similar organisation

• Experience of working in change processes desirable

• Degree or Master’s level in relevant field.

• Relevant language skills, particularly in French and/or Spanish

KEY COMPETENCIES

Communication

• Promote different ways to engage different audiences, working with others on how to maximise impact.

• Build trust by doing what you say you will do, admitting when you don’t know something or en you have made a mistake.

Strategic Thinking

• Actively seeking to understand how your role fits into the work of the team and network by asking questions and working on cross-team initiatives.

• Able to plan and deliver flexibly to take account of changing internal and/or external factors by reprioritising and asking for help.

Collaboration

• Actively promote collaboration by spotting and breaking down barriers to siloed working, connecting colleagues, teams and initiatives

• Build networks internally and externally by showing curiosity and learning from others.

Leadership of Self and Others

• Understand own strengths and shadows and how these interrelated with others through review and reflection.

• Open and responsive to feedback

• Seek to understand and act upon own areas for growth, reflecting and learning from things that have not gone so well by showing vulnerability and openness to change.

Ability Adapt and Learn:

• Seek to learn lessons and apply the learning to future work by actively asking questions, being honest, curious, and brave to abandon things that are not working.

• Able to reprioritise and shift focus in response to changing needs of the organisation or network by being aware of how your role sits in the system.

• Balance the need to follow systems and processes with the courage, identifying when systems and processes do not align with the mission, suggesting alternatives.

Getting Things Done the Start Network Way:

Overcome obstacles by taking initiatives to identify issues, seeking help to address them and escalating appropriately.