Capacity Building Officer

Project Overview

The Kaizen Company (Kaizen) is an international development consulting firm and an incubator for innovative, scalable solutions that address emerging market challenges and opportunities. Our proven solutions catalyze locally driven organizational and institutional performance improvements and establish communities of practice that facilitate peer-to-peer learning and the achievement of shared goals. We aspire to transform the nature and impact of development assistance and work to strengthen organizations and institutions through innovative approaches to organizational development, reform, and change.

The Kaizen Company is seeking applications for a Capacity Building Officer position under a USAID-funded activity in Jordan. The Enhancing School Management and Planning (ESMP) Project objective is to develop sustainable system and process improvements related to school planning, design, construction, and maintenance and enhance the staff capabilities within Jordan’s Ministries of Education (MOE) and Public Works and Housing (MPWH) to improve the school management and planning process, and the quality of school environments in Jordan. 

The scope of this project is to provide assessment expertise, technical assistance, capacity building, collaboration, facilitation, and training to targeted stakeholders and counterparts to improve existing management systems and procedures used by the Government of Jordan (GoJ) in the education sector, improve performance and sustain these improvements. 

Purpose of the Assignment

The Jordanian Ministry of Public Works and Housing (MPWH) manages the school design and construction process through contracts with specialized architectural engineering firms and contractors selected through MPWH tendering processes for school building design, construction, supervision, and construction management. After schools are built, the MPWH and Ministry of Education (MOE) form a committee to review and approve the final work before officially transferring the responsibility of the schools’ operation to the MOE. There is, typically, a two-year defects liability period during which the construction contractor is responsible for repairing any faults in the building.

MPWH manages hundreds of construction projects, yet project management and document retention systems could be more optimal. As a result, contract timelines are not enforced, project delays go unanswered until they escalate, documentation needs to be better cataloged, and the Ministry is often responsible for contract-related financial penalties.

ESMP is working with MoE and MPWH to look at the construction management process institutionalized at both ministries from a holistic perspective, starting from project inception to closeout and taking over, and provide technical expertise and support to enhance the ongoing procedures and processes. The goal is to develop and conserve the built environment through clients/donors, public and private sector organizations, and individuals to meet the changing needs and increased challenges of school infrastructures in Jordan and achieve better control over project delivery, cost, and quality of the school facilities. 

To improve the MoE and MoPWH organizational and individuals, Kaizen is seeking to hire a Capacity Building Officer to direct the School Infrastructure (SI) projects toward adopting improved processes and procedures. The Officer will coordinate and collaborate with the ESMP team to identify relevant technical improvement opportunities and coach MPWH and MOE in achieving intended objectives.

Scope of Assignment 

The Capacity-Building Officer will assist the Senior Capacity-Building Specialist in designing and implementing capacity-building programs to enhance the skills and knowledge of targeted GoJ employees and stakeholders. The Officer will assess organizational needs, develop training programs and materials, and coordinate the delivery of training in various formats. Additionally, the Capacity-Building Officer will work closely with the Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist to ensure the effectiveness and impact of the training programs. The ideal candidate should have a strong understanding of adult learning principles, experience in designing and delivering training programs, and excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Tasks 

• Coordinate the implementation of capacity-building programs, including training sessions, workshops, and coaching sessions.
• Assist in creating and reviewing training materials, including presentations, handouts, and e-learning modules.
• Assist in evaluating the impact of capacity-building programs and make recommendations for improvements.
• Stay current on best practices in capacity building and continuously seek ways to improve programs.
• Review and analyze reports and provide technical advice for meeting the scheduled milestones and progress according to the agreed work plans.
• Investigate international best practices and techniques for information systems and policy improvements.
• Engage and share knowledge with the relevant key stakeholders and donors to ensure coordinated delivery of activities.
• Contribute to identifying, disseminating, and sharing best practices and lessons learned.
• Responsible for documenting project handouts for counterparts and managing the project's closeout documentation.
• Support the M&E component by completing deliverable reports and reporting on project indicators.

Qualifications 

• Bachelor's degree in a related field, such as education, human resources, administration, organizational development, or any related field.
• At least five years of experience in capacity building or training and development
• Strong understanding of adult learning principles and experience in designing and delivering training programs
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and facilitation skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and e-learning tools
• Ability to work with various government and donor community stakeholders
• Familiarity with donor-funded school construction projects implemented in the education sector in Jordan is preferred.
• A cultural understanding of project management within Jordan is a must.
• Critical thinking abilities with strong analytical and systematic skills.
• Prior experience working with USAID-funded projects is preferred.
• Ability to organize work with minimum supervision.

At Kaizen, A Tetra Tech Company, we find strength in our diversity. We are committed to creating and sustaining an inclusive working environment where everyone has an equal opportunity to fulfill their potential. We know that we can only do development differently if we are open to and inclusive of new and unique perspectives. We encourage candidates of all abilities, ages, gender identities and expressions, national origins, races and ethnicities, religious beliefs, and sexual orientations to apply. Further, we urge parents and non-parents, married and unmarried, those from different or non-traditional educational backgrounds, and persons of all other diverse identities or experiences to apply. Kaizen is an equal opportunity employer.