Deadline: 27-Jul-22

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is seeking applications for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Partner for Learning & Development to accomplishing its organizational priorities of achieving Impact First, having a High Integrity Culture, and acting as One Global Foundation; and for employees to live out their foundation values of Optimism, Collaboration, Rigor, Innovation, and Inclusion.

The learning and development arc will include conversations and workshops with practical real-life examples, followed up by opportunities for action and close integration with team processes and systems needed to sustain these desired cultural changes as well as an explicit measurement, learning and evaluation plan to measure whether cultural dynamics are changing. It will propose interventions at the:

• Division level (e.g. inter-team dynamics within the Global Development division); and
• Team level, with a particular focus on the Africa team, addressing relevant country office specific issues.  Other teams within the division may also elect for tailored support.

The outcome of this proposed investment by the Global Development Division is to address DEI opportunities facing the division and to help advance their division goal of a more inclusive working environment that demonstrates that all backgrounds, voices, roles, and contributions are seen and experienced as valuable.

Scope

Proposed structure of learning and development arc follows, to be delivered at a) the Global Development Division level; and b) team level (with a particular focus on the Africa team and the potential for other teams to be added).

• Learning: Custom-designed, highly interactive and practical, online learning workshop/s on any or all of the following topics (more may be added):
  • Building a More Inclusive Culture (using GlobeSmart and anonymous examples of real-life challenges and critical incidents)
  • Recognizing the Impact of Bias and Power Dynamics in Grantmaking (using traditional and social learning methodologies and case studies)
  • Defusing Microaggressions (leveraging bystander intervention techniques and localized to ensure relevance)
  • Enhancing Psychological safety (using LeaderFactor online course, action plan and survey)
  • Mitigating Unconscious Bias
  • Bystander Training
  • Leadership Accountability
  • Empathy & Belonging
  • Building Allyship

• Implementation
  • Provide guidance and coaching to implement DEI action items arising from learning workshop/s. Support operationalization of necessary behavioral changes.
  •  Identify opportunities to put principles into practice by exploring different ongoing opportunities for such mainstreaming.
  • Explore learning and documentation techniques such as journaling, team meeting huddles of shared learning (Action learning sets), online learning platforms, reading lists, and book clubs to discuss resources or relevant articles.
  • Develop and implement supportive measurement, learning and evaluation framework.
• DEI Speaker Series: Welcome DEI leaders to share leading practices. Speakers will be shortlisted based on the following criteria:
  • Experience with presenting to a diverse audience and in challenging thinking. They want to make sure that they not over index on people who are already super visible on the DEI circuit, by considering others whose voices may be underrepresented.
  • Content should tie with a DEI issue of interest to the Global Development Division and / or relevant team, such as raised through internal surveys.
  • Speakers from Africa and India.

Eligibility Criteria

In expressing interest you are welcome to propose leading the full scope outlined above or focusing in on particular components, please make your intended focus clear.  Please make sure that your 3-5 page proposal addresses the following qualifications and questions.

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion as evidenced by representative leadership, project staffing, and other organizational leadership (i.e., board or an advisory group).
• Deep understanding of the African, Indian and / or US context and culture (preferably headquartered or at least located in Africa or India). A focus on developmental education, digital learning and advising is helpful.
• Comfort with ambiguity and ability to be agile as the solutions continue to evolve.
• The ability to create a culture of, and structures to support, continuous learning for solutions providers and Foundation staff.
• Facilitation in support of productive learning and dialogue.
• Experience developing and implementing a learning agenda.
• Experience developing and implementing a measurement, learning and evaluation agenda.
• Highly effective skills as a communicator, listener, negotiator, problem solver, advocator, and relationship and consensus builder.

Note: The DEI partner(s) will be selected by a committee of internal stakeholders.  All reviewers will have a chance to recuse themselves from the selection process if there is a conflict of interest.

For more information, visit https://submit.gatesfoundation.org/prog/diversity_equity_and_inclusion_partner_for_learning_development/