Senior Technical Advisor, Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism

Background:

Creative Associates International is a dynamic, fast-growing global development firm that specializes in education, economic growth, democratic institutions and stabilization. Based in Washington, D.C., Creative has a field presence in more than 25 countries with a strong client portfolio that includes the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department, among others. Since its founding in 1977, Creative has earned a solid reputation among its clients and is well-regarded by competitors and partners alike. 

Project Summary:

Creative is seeking a Senior Technical Advisor for Preventing/Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE) for an anticipated USAID-funded project in Côte d'Ivoire. The project will focus on preventing, and possibly countering, violent extremism among youth with an aim to strengthen community resilience and enhance learning in Côte d'Ivoires’s northern border areas.

Position Summary:

Under the supervision of the Chief of Party (COP), the Senior Technical Advisor, P/CVE will be responsible for providing technical leadership, input, quality assurance and oversight to the design and  implementation of P/CVE interventions in collaboration with the program team, Creative Associates partners, and stakeholders in Côte d'Ivoire including government entities, non-government organizations (NGOs), women’s organizations, civil society organizations, (CSOs), regional organizations and others as may be required. S/he will provide technical expertise to program staff, sub-contractors, partners and local stakeholders based on best practices, lessons learned and innovative approaches globally.

The Senior Technical Advisor, P/CVE will be responsible for supporting overall program design and implementation of activities by providing in-depth and conceptual input from a P/CVE lens to overall program strategies. This includes but will not be limited to developing relevant work plans, ensuring lessons learned and best practices are integrated into all P/CVE interventions and providing input for monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and reporting requirements.

Reporting and Supervision:

This position will report to the Chief of Party (COP).

Primary Responsibilities:

• Provide in-depth, technical input into P/CVE activities and lead the development of the program strategy, work plans and M&E frameworks;
• Provide P/CVE specific technical guidance and information to the CoP, program team and USAID as part of the program activity cycle to ensure that activities support the program’s Theory of Change (ToC) and evidence-based approaches;
• Assist in the design and development of research and learning initiatives to support the achievement of P/CVE goals and objectives and contributing to the analysis of activity and program impact;
• Demonstrated experience in workshop development and facilitation with capacity development acumen;
• Document lessons learned and best practices for inclusion into program activities that can be integrated into the envisaged five-year intervention and ensure these are shared with Creative’s dedicated subject matter experts (SMEs) in Creative Associates headquarters (HQ);
• Provide timely input and analysis to reports to the USAID Mission or other USG entities as requested on P/CVE issues and policies;
• Ensure all gender concerns are taken into consideration that include information and program activities;
• Support the monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) team in the development of tools and approaches specific to the development of program indicators, verification tools, etc.; seeking ways to incorporate MEL into all activity designs, distilling lessons learned for the adaptation of programming, as needed and for the development of staff; and
• Undertake other duties as assigned.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Advanced degree and seven (7) years of experience working on P/CVE, disengagement, reintegration, social cohesion, community-based approaches and youth development is required;
• A working knowledge of gender issues with a demonstrated understanding of specific risks, vulnerabilities, agencies and resiliencies existent in settings at risk of violent extremism (VE) and generalized armed conflict;
• Demonstrated knowledge of program principles, concepts, practices, methods utilized for P/CVE;
• Experience in fragile or post-conflict states, preferably in the West Africa region, and Côte d'Ivoire specifically;
• Demonstrated record of success in politically sensitive environments;
• Capacity to understand and analyze national, regional and local politics, security-governance and political economy;
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills d