Practical Action is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) that uses technology to challenge poverty in developing countries. We find out what people are doing and help them to do it better. Through technology we enable poor communities to build on their skills and knowledge to produce sustainable and practical solutions – transforming their lives forever and protecting the world around them.

OUR AIMS

We help people find solutions to some of the world’s toughest problems, made worse by catastrophic climate change and persistent gender inequality.

Our aims are to:

• Make agriculture work better for smallholder farmers, many of them women, so they can adapt to climate change and achieve a good standard of living
• Help more people harness the transformational effects of clean affordable energy and reduce avoidable deaths caused by smoke from indoor stoves and fires.
• Make cities in poorer countries cleaner, healthier places to live and work.
• Build disaster resilience into the lives of people threatened by hazards – reducing the risk of hazards and minimising their impact on lives and livelihoods.

HOW WE WORK

We work on holistic solutions that change systems and have a framework to help us achieve our aims:

• Analyse the root causes of a poverty and vulnerability
• Define the change at scale we need to make
• Develop activities along three complementary paths: Demonstrate, Learn and Inspire.
  • Demonstrate that our solutions are sustainable in the real world
  • Learn by capturing evidence and adapting our approach
  • Inspire wider support to multiply our impact.

OUR ORGANISATION

Practical Action is an unconventional, multi-disciplinary change making organisation

• A highly innovative community development charity operating in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Practical Action community projects use ingenious ideas to design, test, refine and prove new ways to overcome poverty and disadvantage and then ‘open-source’ knowledge of what works so that it can be implemented at a greater scale by others.
• A world-class consulting operation that helps socially responsible business, government policy makers and other development organisations. This draws on learnings from our own development work as well as the combined brainpower of a roster of over 2,000 expert consultants. Practical Action Consulting helps to extend the reach of our influence by providing the best advice to others, whose work can make a bigger difference.
• A well respected specialist development publisher. Practical Action Publishing brings together development practitioners, researchers and thought leaders to create publications that stimulate discussion, strengthen peoples’ capabilities and inspire sustainable change.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Our Vision: Practical Action’s vision is of a world that works better for everyone.

About the Role: The Learning and Development Advisor will report into the Global Learning and Development Manager, and will be responsible for providing advice and support to the global workforce to build their skills and capabilities. This will be a varied role with the post holder helping to shape and deliver the learning and development offering.

Scope

Title: Global Learning and Development Advisor

Directorate: Global People and Culture

Reporting to: Global Learning and Development Manager

Direct reports: None

Groups: Global People and Culture Team

Relationships: Regional Country Office’s, Strategic Leadership Team, Impact and Learning, Change hubs, MEL, IOT & Business development

Financial Scope: N/A

Location: Warwickshire Rugby, UK / Nairobi, Kenya / Kathmandu, Nepal.

The candidate must have the right to work in the country in which they apply.

Duration: Long term, permanent or rolling contract depending on country

Grade: Grade and salary will be in accordance with the country which the role is recruited.

Travel: Some limited but Covid dependant

ACCOUNTABILITIES

• To support our global teams and experts as they develop capacity building approaches, including providing advice and support on engaging tools and approaches to use. (The topics may include but are not limited to: safeguarding; gender; diversity and inclusion; community and stakeholder facilitation; project design, monitoring and evaluation approaches; project management; grant compliance; financial management; fraud management; staff recruitment; and performance management).
• To work with Regional country offices to identify key learning’s and support them to identify ways to share the learning across the organization in simple and engaging ways and to build the application of learning into the organizational culture and performance management.
• To lead on and support the role out of our internal peer mentoring program.
• To support internal coms and staff engagement in communicating and engaging learning activity for the group.
• To lead the ongoing development and continuous improvement of our administrative systems, ensuring integration of systems and processes across the Global Learning and Development team.
• To manage the administration of the online Global LMS Practical academy. To be the main point of contact for our host Humentum, to trouble shoot and support the Global P&C team with logins, and report runs.
• To be responsible for updating our SharePoint and Yammer page
• To be responsible for the sourcing of relevant external suppliers for training, coordinating and supporting our talent pool of freelance trainers and consultants, in all HR related tasks, including sending out contracts and ToR’s ensuring processing of invoices and payments and sending post training evaluations, collating feedback and reflections.
• Design and implement clear evaluation interventions of implemented ELearning and development activities, ensuring there is always accurate analysis of results and production of reports to demonstrate best value and return on investment.
• To organise and design development events, such as annual networking, and our learning conference as and when required. To be to be responsible for the organizing and populating of training events across the organization, creating booking on systems, and waiting lists and arranging facilities (including set up and down of the training events, room bookings, catering, resources and IT equipment).
• To keep detailed registers for all staff who have completed compliance training, sending annual reminders for re-fresh training and producing KPI data for SLT, donor and trustee reports when required
• To assist the G L&D Manager with roll out and updates of the Global induction program as well as facilitating UK sessions.
• To coordinate the annual Safeguarding focal point learning/support webinars, set up Blackboard/Teams/Zoom/Mentimeter, send the invitations and keep a recording stored safely for future learning
• Work collaboratively with the Staff engagement and culture lead, the Knowledge and learning lead and the Digital learning IT lead in the promotion of Global L&D events and learning activities.
• To lead and manage a range of cross-functional Global Learning and Development projects to ensure successful core outcomes and benefits are realized to timescale.
• To undertake any other activities commensurate with the role as directed by the Global Learning and Development Manager.

PERSON PROFILE

Experience & Knowledge – Essential

• Recent experience in a similar role required, or must be able to demonstrate having credibly delivered outcomes comparable to those outlined below.
• Working knowledge of written and spoken English
• Developing training & Learning content for a professional cross cultural audience at all levels of an international organization
• Excellent in the room and live virtual learning engagement skills, with confidence to present to diverse audiences with enthusiasm and energy
• Knowledge of Mentoring models, & frameworks
• Excellent Cultural intelligence
• Committed to Diversity, equity and inclusion
• Excellent safeguarding awareness
• Excellent stakeholder management and collaborative working
• LMS management, reporting and development
• Blended and digital learning approaches
• Strong administrative and organizational skills in maintaining financial records, spread sheets, invoices.
• Creating & reporting on statistical and data graphics from internal systems
• Motivating and engage others
• Positively representing, Promoting and contributing to a diverse, dynamic, friendly and inspiring team
• Engaging with, coordinating and HR managing a group of freelance trainers and consultants from across the globe,
• The ability to work flexibly to meet the time differences across the countries we operate in, to attend national networking events and or conferences in person or on line.
• Occasional overseas travel COVID Permitting

Experience & Knowledge – Desirable

• CIPD Qualified or equivalent (UK Specific), or relevant qualification or membership.
• Communication skills in French, Spanish, Arabic, Nepali or Bangla

APPLICATION INFORMATION

This role could be based in either the UK, Nepal or Kenya.

The post holder will be required to have  the relevant Right to Work for the country which they are applying and the terms of conditions of employment will be in accordance with that country:

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

UK

• Full time roles are contracted at 35 hours per week
• 26 days holiday rising with continuous service, in addition to public holidays
• Pension scheme – employer contributes 10.5 % of salary and the employee contributes a minimum of 5%.
• Enhanced family friendly policies including: maternity, adoption, paternity, and shared parental leave.
• Life Assurance (3x annual salary)
• Bike to Work Scheme
• Employee Assistance Program

Nepal

• Full time roles are contracted to 37.5 hours per week
• Annual holiday entitlement is 18 days in addition to public holidays
• Medical insurance for staff and dependent
• Group life and personal accident cover
• Baby care room, flexible hours for new mothers and arrangement for childminders
• Employee Assistance Program

Kenya

• Full time roles are contracted at 35 hours per week
• 25 days annual leave, in addition to public holidays
• Pension scheme – employer contributes 12.5 % of salary. Employee contribution is voluntary
• Group Life and personal accident cover
• Medical insurance for staff and up to 4 dependents
• Baby care room, flexible hours for new mothers and arrangement for childminders
• Employee Assistance Program