The Kresge Foundation Director of Strategic Learning and Evaluation

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1 The Kresge Foundation Director of Strategic Learning and Evaluation The Kresge Foundation, based in Metropolitan Detroit, is seeking to recruit a Director of Strategic Learning and Evaluation. About the Foundation The Kresge Foundation (Foundation) is a $3.4 billion private, national foundation headquartered in Metropolitan Detroit, that works to expand opportunities in America's cities through grantmaking and investing in arts and culture, education, environment, health, human services, community development, and our place-based efforts in Detroit. The Foundation s way of working emphasizes cross-sectorial, high-engagement philanthropy that encompasses not only grantmaking and social investments, but also strategic communications, policy and advocacy, and field-building activities. In 2013, the Board of Trustees approved 316 awards totaling $122 million; $128 million was paid out to grantees over the course of the year. In addition, the Social Investment Practice made commitments totaling $16 million. For more general information about the Foundation, please visit our website at Kresge has redefined itself as a strategic philanthropy, having completed a historic transition that began in Long known for its exclusive use of the challenge grant to help local communities raise the funds necessary for major construction and renovation projects, it now employs an array of funding methods to address and advance a set of six programs and Social Investments Practice. Each has a particular point of view with longterm goals and sharply defined strategies to guide its grantmaking and investing, but they share a common north star of creating pathways of opportunity for low-income people in America s cities. The Foundation has made expanding its strategic learning and evaluation activities a priority for This push will include a range of efforts, in addition to creating a position to lead this effort: developing supportive organizational and technology infrastructure, building skills and capacity through staff trainings, and developing tailored learning and evaluation plans for Kresge s Program teams that complement, shape, and support their programmatic strategies. The Foundation has not previously taken a defined, organization-wide approach to strategic learning and evaluation.

2 Page 2 The Role of Evaluation at the Kresge Foundation: The Kresge Foundation is committed at all levels to promoting strategic learning and knowledge sharing, both internally and externally. To that end, we use a wide range of information, analyses, and forms of evaluation to help us understand how to invest our time and resources in line with our program strategies and overall foundation north star of expanding opportunities for low-income people in America s cities. We are intentional about devoting time and resources to evaluation, reflection, and learning activities, and share what we learn with each other, our grantees, our partners, the broader field, and the public. Among the principles underlying the Foundation s commitment to evaluation are: Ensuring that learning and evaluation is truly strategic rather than an end in itself by continuous feedback and using it to inform, on an ongoing basis, program strategies, goals, and activities. Pursuing evaluation in a cooperative spirit in which we all work to improve the world while acknowledging that it is alright to make mistakes and learn from them. Recognition that we cannot accomplish anything without grantees and that we must approach evaluation in considerate collaboration with those who are doing the work. Employing diverse and flexible approaches to reflect the different needs and priorities for evaluation. Selectively using evaluation where there are specific questions about performance or in situations where there is high cost or high risk, or those with a high potential for learning and leveraging. Embarking on evaluations with a commitment to promote learning and to report results and lessons that contribute to the field without compromising grantee or program goals. About the Position: Director of Strategic Learning and Evaluation Reporting to the Chief Strategy Officer (CSO), the Director of Strategic Learning and Evaluation (Director) is a new position in the Foundation s Executive Office. As a result of the strategic direction set by the Foundation Board and President to create a highly collaborative programmatic and organizational enterprise, the new Director will help foster a culture of learning in the Foundation that emphasizes interdisciplinary dialogue, imaginative use of learning and evaluation methods, creativity, and risk-taking. The Director will work closely and collaboratively with the Managing Directors of the various programs, the CSO, and the President of the Foundation to promote and support a culture that is hungry for information to assess programs, improve strategies, and help grantees learn while agreeing that various evaluation methods will be used.

3 Page 3 The Director will partner with program leadership to drive planning and execution of novel and innovative strategies to advance a learning and evaluation culture within the Kresge Foundation. Because so much of what this person will do involves building and maintaining trust with program directors, Foundation staff, grantees, and external stakeholders, the Director must have the presence, judgment, communication skills, and personal capabilities to operate as a peer with intelligent, diverse thinking, and creativity. The broad objectives for the Director are as follows: Lead the Foundation s performance assessment process. Work with the CSO to develop a framework for assessing progress toward our program goals, and ensure the framework is continually improved and increasingly integrated with other foundation processes. Working with the President and CSO, support the strategic planning process for program teams by helping to develop robust learning and evaluation strategies. This includes helping teams formulate their core theories of change, define target outcomes for their strategies, assess progress toward stated goals and objectives, analyze current context and opportunities, identify strategic priorities. Working with the CSO and President, support a culture of learning, inquiry, experimentation, understanding of and tolerance for risk, and a commitment to learning from failures. Working with the President, CSO, Program Directors, and Communications Department, develop original knowledge contributions and insights to share with the field based on what the foundation is learning from its evaluation activities; serve as an active contributor and face of the Foundation to the philanthropic sector. Champion the sharing of knowledge and learning from evaluations with a broad audience of internal and external stakeholders, driving a broad learning focus for the Foundation in partnership with Communications staff and program staff Responsibilities: Develop approaches and frameworks for strategic learning, connecting lessons from grantmaking to ongoing strategy refinement in partnership with the program teams. Assist program teams in refining their logic models/theories of change, reassessing their priorities, and refreshing their goals and objectives based on what is being learned.

4 Page 4 Support Program staff in the design and execution of evaluation activities, assess the effectiveness and impact of their work, and aid in the refinement of new, promising approaches. Balance the need for both rigor and speed to provide timely insights to inform decision making about work in progress and future investments. Collaborate with Program staff to review findings, analyze data, and develop insights from evaluations and manage the analysis and synthesis of key themes, achievements and lessons learned from programmatic work. Work with Information Technology and Grants Management to devise appropriate knowledge management platforms and performance monitoring dashboards. Organize ongoing training information and training in evaluation to support the growth of the evaluative capacity of program staff, and lead regular cross-team meetings to build core capacities and infuse learning across the Foundation s teams. Collaborate with Program and Communications staff to synthesize lessons and findings of evaluations and other relevant assessments for sharing with the field. Professional Qualifications and Personal Attributes Beyond these objectives and responsibilities, the Director should ideally possess the following professional qualifications and personal attributes: A deep commitment to the core values and principles of the Foundation. Depth and breadth of knowledge of evaluation as represented by increasing responsibility for design, implementation, and management of a broad range of applied evaluation tools, methodologies, and techniques. Experience with research design and qualitative techniques such as the use of focus groups, interviews, and case studies. A doctorate in a relevant field of study is strongly preferred. Demonstrated ability to involve and work collaboratively and effectively with peers in joint and shared efforts - Organization savvy and superlative interpersonal and facilitation skills. Highly developed and demonstrated project management skills. An ability to perform effectively under pressure and to practice strong organizational skills when faced with multiple time-sensitive priorities. Excellent writing and public speaking skills.

5 Page 5 The highest level of personal and professional integrity and quality standards. Excellent judgment, flexibility, good humor, high energy level, modesty, and graciousness. Compensation The Kresge Foundation offers an excellent benefits package and a salary that is commensurate with experience. How to Apply Interested candidates should a cover letter explaining how your skills and background fit this position and a resume to Daniel Sherman, President, Explore Company at resumes@explorecompany.com. Refer to Kresge/DLE in the subject line. No phone calls please. The Kresge Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer All correspondence will remain confidential.