Médecins sans frontières (MSF) or Doctors Without Borders, is an international humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization (NGO) and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE

The main objective of the Learning Manager for the Operations Department is to ensure the definition of effective learning solutions that respond to the operational needs of OCBA. This translate in these main areas:

• Effective learning paths for Field Coordinators and Heads of Mission
• Effective learning solutions regarding operational areas like Security Management, Emergencies, Humanitarian Affairs, and People Centred Approach

This position is at the crossroads of many partners with responsibilities in the area of L&D, and therefore will require close collaboration and alignment with all of them: the Operations Department, prioritizing learning needs, expressing needs (especially for LHS, but also for IMS) and providing some of the solutions; the Learning Unit and Tembo, providing learning expertise and coordination of learning offer; Pool Management, in charge of the deployment and development of IMS, therefore expressing needs; and the other departments involved in operations, especially the Medical, Logistics and HR departments. The OLM will need to collaborate with representatives of all these areas.

He/she will be hierarchically accountable to the Deputy Director of the Operations Department.

MAIN TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Learning Manager for the Operations Department will be responsible for:

• Identify, analyse and prioritize the main learning needs regarding staff (FCs and HoMs), operational areas (security, emergency, people-centred approach, humanitarian affairs), missions, and Operations department.
  • This may include to design a performance analysis, whenever necessary, in order to identify the main drivers of low performance, and eventually the gaps that can be covered with learning solutions
• Design the most adequate learning solution, taking into consideration target population (size, characteristics, delivery possibilities, access to internet and devices,…), tasks to be learned (complexity, amount, moment in the learning path, connection with other learning solutions,…), and existing learning solutions (in order not to re-invent the wheel, what is already there in OCBA, in MSF and outside; and also to inspire new solutions if needed)
• • This includes the update of existing learning solutions, especially regarding: new contents and/or priorities and better or innovative methodologies (eg. Virtual reality, etc.)
• This may include the development of learning strategies to respond to organizational, department or mission assessments. It could be for positions (e.g. FC&HoM Learning Path), operational areas, missions or for the Operations department.
• Ensure a link with knowledge management, through the Operations Knowledge Management Manager, so learning solutions are up-to-date (e.g. links to job aids), they don’t limit to formal training actions (e.g. consider Communities of practice), and a clear link is established with what will be their job.
• Development of the designed learning solutions. This may include:
  • ensuring contents are aligned with the priorities and guidelines of the Operations department and other guidelines and protocols.
  • organize the required translations to French, Arabic and/or Spanish.
• In case as Subject Matter Expert (SME) is required for the analysis, design and development of the learning solutions, organize the convenient recruitment and selection process with the pool managers and the recruitment unit, and do the required administrative procedures to hire the SME.
• Implementation of the learning solutions, in coordination with the Learning Unit (LU) for international trainings. This may include:

Annual Plan:

Present a proposal to DepDirOps about:

• number of editions of specific trainings (ERT, FC-PMR, etc), languages, dates, seats for OCBA and for other OCs
• new learning needs detected that requires developing a project in order to analyse them, and then deserve allocation of budget in case new learning solutions may need to be developed
• number of seats for trainings from other OCs (PSP, ICHA, Management/Leadership,…) and also external to MSF.
• Present the proposal to LU and adjust dates and budget.
• Final approval is by DepDirOps

Get and coordinate the required facilitators:

• Select them with the pool managers
• Do the required administrative procedures to hire them

Ensure the selection of participants is adequate to the learning solution and contributes to the organization’s objectives

Coordinate with the LU in the organizational log/admin arrangements (i.e.. Training venue, administration support, equipment and materials, etc.)

Ensure the learning solutions include evaluations that assess if participants have really learned, and thus can be certified

Implementation of the learning solutions for missions. This may include:

• Analyse with mission about what learning solution best fit their needs, and agree about possible dates
• Select the facilitators with the pool managers, the required administrative procedures to hire them, and coordinate them
• Support the mission in the selection of participants
• Support the mission in the selection of the training venue, and ensure all the log/admin arrangements are ready (ie. Training venue, administration support, equipment and materials, etc.)
• Ensure the learning solutions include evaluations that assess if participants have really learned, and thus can be certified

Evaluation of the learning solutions. This may include:

• Proposal and assignation of the required resources: time, budget, team, quality. For new learning solutions, it will require a project document. As team, normally there will always be at least a SME and an Instructional Designer (ID); often, external suppliers are involved, and sometimes, content owners may also need to be included.
• Project management to ensure success as agreed in the project document or by the DepDirOps, in terms of quality, time, budget and team.

Be the focal point of the Operations Department in all aspects regarding learning.

• Contribute to a better understanding of the barriers faced by our staff regarding learning (access, motivation,…) and potential solutions, and contribute to socialising lessons learned, best practices and innovations regarding learning.

SELECTION CRITERIA

• MSF experience as a Field Coordinator is essential and experience working as a Head of Mission is desirable.
• Proven project management experience.
• Analytical skills to assess learning needs.
• Experience in the implementation of learning solutions.
• Knowledge of learning principles and their application at program conception, design, and development is desirable.
• Knowledge of Agile project management methodologies.
• Knowledge of human-centered design methodologies (design thinking, user research, prototyping) and co-creation and participatory processes (solution & delivery design, etc.) is desirable.
• Ability to combine a creative mindset with strategic thinking.
• Working proficiency in English is required, and French is a big asset. Arabic and Spanish will be appreciated