Scaling Strategy and Solution Track Consultant

Job Description

Type of Contract: Consultancy

Contract Duration: March to 31 December 2026

Deadline for Applications: 26 February 2026

Applications to be reviewed on a rolling basis until the application period closes.

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The consultancy will provide targeted advisory, coaching, and backstopping support across the Scaling for Impact Program’s five Areas of Work, with differentiated intensity and focus aligned to the Program’s theory of change and implementation priorities.

Scope of Work

The Consultant will provide senior-level strategic advisory, technical backstopping, and targeted coaching to strengthen implementation under Scaling for Impact, with primary emphasis on selected Area of Work 2 Flagships and their solution tracks. The engagement is intentionally designed to prioritize depth over breadth, focusing on high-leverage advisory and coaching activities that can materially improve scaling pathways, learning, and delivery performance within the available budget. The Consultant will provide guidance and strategic input rather than management or implementation functions.

Targeted Implementation Planning and Workshop Contributions

•  Provide strategic and technical input to a limited number of priority implementation planning workshops for selected Scaling for Impact Flagships and solution tracks, as identified jointly with Scaling for Impact leadership.
• Contribute facilitation support, analytical framing, and synthesis during Program-led workshops, without responsibility for workshop design, organization, logistics, or administration.
• Support participating teams to refine scaling pathways, sequencing, and roles, with explicit attention to feasibility, institutional anchoring, and delivery risks.

Solution Track Diagnostics and Focused In-Person Coaching

• Undertake up to four (4) targeted in-person site visits across the contract period to selected priority solution track teams, focusing on intensive strategic coaching related to scaling strategy, partnership configuration, and risk-aware delivery decisions. Not all supported solution tracks will receive in-person visits.
• Provide virtual follow-up coaching and advisory support to reinforce learning from site engagements and support adaptive management and course correction.

Ongoing Strategic Advisory and Remote Coaching

•  Provide ongoing remote advisory and coaching support through scheduled virtual sessions, averaging two sessions per month for priority solution tracks and one session per month for secondary solution tracks, with additional ad hoc backstopping provided selectively as issues arise.

• Establish and maintain a light, predictable engagement cadence (e.g., bi-weekly for priority tracks and monthly for secondary tracks) to support continuous learning, rapid problem diagnosis, and timely course correction across solution tracks.

Strategic Advisory Support to Scaling for Impact Leadership

•  Provide senior-level strategic advisory inputs to Scaling for Impact leadership on implementation challenges, prioritization trade-offs, and alignment with Area of Work 2 objectives and CGIAR system requirements, as informed by solution track engagement.

• Support leadership in interpreting cross-track learning and performance signals emerging from solution track support to inform portfolio-level decisions, sequencing, and adaptive management, without assuming program management or decision-making authority.

Focused Scaling Capacity Development

• Develop a concise scaling capacity development concept for CGIAR that emphasizes applied coaching and experiential learning linked to live solution track challenges, rather than stand-alone or large-scale training programs.
• Deliver a limited number (one to two) of targeted coaching or training sessions for CGIAR scientists and technical leaders, focused on strengthening practical scaling skills such as pathway design, risk-aware decision-making, and adaptive management, with materials and lessons documented for wider use.

Dynamic Learning, MELIA, and Adaptive Management Backstopping

• Provide targeted advisory input to strengthen the application of the Scaling for Impact MELIA framework in Area of Work 2, with emphasis on solution track–level learning, decision points, and feedback loops.
• Support the validation and selective refinement of scaling KPIs to ensure they are decision-relevant, proportionate, and aligned with adaptive management needs across priority solution tracks.
• Strengthen practical linkages between learning evidence and leadership decision-making by translating MELIA signals into actionable insights, without duplicating or replacing dedicated MELIA roles or functions.

Knowledge Synthesis and Learning Products

• Produce a small number of concise synthesis notes or technical briefs on priority scaling themes emerging directly from solution track engagement and coaching.
• Focus knowledge products on actionable, decision-oriented insights that support learning, coherence, and program adaptation, rather than comprehensive documentation or academic outputs.

1. Qualifications and Experience

This assignment requires a consultant with exceptional depth of expertise in scaling science and practice within CGIAR, grounded in strong academic training and extensive, regionally diverse implementation experience.

• Doctoral degree (PhD) in a relevant discipline such as agricultural sciences, development studies, economics, public policy, organizational change, or a closely related field, with clear application of academic training to applied scaling and delivery challenges.
• A minimum of 20 years of senior professional experience in scaling agricultural and food system innovations, including sustained advisory and coaching roles within international agricultural research-for-development systems.
• Substantial scaling advisory experience in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, including hands-on work supporting CGIAR Centers, multi-Center initiatives, or CGIAR-aligned national and regional programs to design, implement, and adapt scaling pathways in diverse institutional and agro-ecological contexts.
• Demonstrated, in-depth prior work experience in CGIAR scaling efforts, with emphasis on CGIAR’s 2025-2030 portfolio.
• Deep system-level knowledge of CGIAR from a scaling perspective, evidenced by practical experience working across multiple CGIAR Centers and engaging with systemwide processes related to portfolio prioritization, scaling pathways, MELIA, adaptive management, and performance reporting.
• Proven experience coaching and advising CGIAR scientists, technical leaders, and coordination teams to strengthen applied scaling expertise, including diagnosing scaling constraints, stress-testing scaling strategies, and integrating learning and evidence into implementation decisions.
• Demonstrated leadership in scaling readiness diagnostics and delivery-oriented implementation planning, particularly for complex portfolios involving multiple solution tracks, Flagships, partners, and institutional interfaces.
• Substantial experience designing and operationalizing dynamic learning, MELIA, and adaptive management systems, with emphasis on embedding learning within implementation and enabling real-time course correction rather than retrospective reporting alone.
• Strong facilitation and strategic advisory skills, including the ability to contribute credibly to senior-level workshops and strategic processes across regions and institutions, while remaining within an advisory and backstopping role.
• Exceptional analytical, synthesis, and communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to produce high-quality technical notes, strategic briefs, and synthesis products that are decision-relevant for senior leadership and diverse stakeholders

2.     Deliverables

While the primary focus of this consultancy is on supporting AoW 2 solution tracks under Scaling for Impact Flagships, the consultant will also provide targeted strategic backstopping across AoWs 3 and 4 where enabling environment and finance or partnership constraints affect scaling pathways, and will contribute substantively to AoW 5 by strengthening dynamic learning, MELIA alignment, and adaptive management across the solution track portfolio.

Q1: February–March 2026 | Diagnostic & Prioritization Phase

Solution Track Diagnosis and Onboarding

• Engage up to ten (10) Area of Work 2 solution track teams through initial briefings and targeted discussions.
• Conduct scaling capability assessments covering technical maturity, institutional and partnership readiness, finance considerations, delivery risks, and learning needs.
• Identify priority tiers and differentiated support intensity (e.g. primary and secondary tracks), validated with Scaling for Impact leadership.

Deliverables

D1. Solution Track Scaling Capability Assessment Portfolio Summary

D2. Individual Scaling Capability Briefs (up to 10 solution tracks)

Initial Coaching Delivery

• Deliver at least five (5) virtual coaching sessions for solution track leads and core team members, grouped where appropriate.
• Focus coaching on scaling pathways, sequencing decisions, partner roles, and early risk identification.

Deliverables

D3. Coaching Session Materials and Attendance Records

D4. Coaching Insights Note (cross-track patterns, gaps, and early risks)

Early MELIA Integration

• Review existing scaling KPIs and MELIA plans at the solution track level.
• Coach teams on linking scaling questions and decision points to MELIA evidence, without redesigning systems.

Deliverables

D5. Early Guidance Note on Scaling KPIs and MELIA Alignment

Q2: April–June 2026 | Intensive Coaching & Implementation Support

Q2: April–June 2026 | Intensive Coaching and Capacity Development Phase

Intensive Field-Based Coaching

• Conduct targeted in-person coaching visits to a limited number of priority solution tracks (up to five), as jointly agreed with Scaling for Impact leadership.
• Facilitate hands-on strategic coaching with scientists, coordinators, and key partners, focusing on scaling pathways, delivery risks, partner roles, and near-term decision points.
• Use field engagements to validate earlier scaling capability assessments and refine advisory priorities.

Deliverables

• D6. Field Coaching Visit Reports (up to five priority solution tracks; concise, action-oriented)

Ongoing Remote Coaching and Advisory Support

• Deliver bi-weekly virtual coaching sessions for priority (primary) solution tracks.
• Deliver monthly virtual coaching or backstopping sessions for secondary solution tracks.
• Track agreed actions and follow-up items to support adaptive management and course correction.

Deliverables

• D7. Virtual Coaching Logs and Action Trackers

Scientist Training and Coaching Delivery

• Design and deliver two structured training or coaching sessions for CGIAR scientists and technical leaders, delivered virtually or in person.
• Focus sessions on applied scaling practice, including scaling capability assessment, pathway design, adaptive management, and learning in live implementation contexts.
• Capture participant feedback to inform refinement of future capacity development approaches.

Deliverables

• D8. Training Materials, Agendas, and Participant Feedback Summaries

Targeted Backstopping for AoWs 3 and 4

• Provide selective advisory support on enabling environment, policy, finance, or partnership constraints identified through solution track coaching.
• Focus advice on diagnosing constraints, sequencing responses, and identifying escalation pathways rather than implementation.

Deliverables

• D9. Enabling Environment and Partnership Risk Advisory Note

Q3: July–September 2026 | Learning, Adaptation & Portfolio Coherence

Follow-Up Coaching and Deep-Dive Support

• Conduct follow-up in-person or deep-dive virtual coaching for selected priority solution tracks, focused on resolving emerging bottlenecks, validating scaling decisions, and refining delivery strategies.
• Continue monthly virtual coaching or backstopping for secondary solution tracks, with escalation of issues as needed.

Deliverables

• D10. Mid-Year Coaching Progress and Adaptation Brief

MELIA and Dynamic Learning Coaching (AoW 5 Contribution)

• Coach solution track teams and MELIA focal points on using evidence and learning signals to inform adaptive management and decision-making.
• Clarify differentiated MELIA expectations and learning intensity by solution track readiness tier, ensuring proportionality and feasibility.

Deliverables

• D11. Dynamic Learning and MELIA Application Note (AoW 5 deliverable)

Leadership Advisory

• Provide strategic advisory inputs to Scaling for Impact leadership on solution track performance, emerging risks, trade-offs, and potential pivots based on coaching and learning evidence.

Deliverables

• D12. Q3 Strategic Advisory Memo

Q4: October–December 2026 | Consolidation & Forward Planning

Portfolio-Level Synthesis

• Synthesize lessons and patterns emerging across all ten (10) supported solution tracks, drawing on coaching, MELIA application, and adaptive management experience.
• Identify implications for Scaling for Impact Flagships, Grand Challenges, and forward planning for 2027, including where differentiated support models should be sustained or adjusted.

Deliverables

• D13. Solution Track Portfolio Synthesis Report

Final Training and Coaching Delivery

• Deliver one advanced coaching or training session for CGIAR scientists and Scaling for Impact staff focused on institutionalizing applied scaling practice.
• Emphasize practical translation of solution track experience into repeatable approaches for pathway design, risk management, and adaptive decision-making.

Deliverables

• D14. Advanced Scaling Coaching Session Report and Materials

Final Strategic Advisory

• Provide forward-looking strategic recommendations across Areas of Work 2–5, grounded in evidence from solution track engagement and learning.
• Focus recommendations on scaling governance, capability needs, MELIA application, and priority actions to strengthen delivery in the next planning cycle.

Deliverables

• D15. Final Strategic Advisory and Recommendations Brief

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

The consultant’s performance will be assessed against a small set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) directly linked to the agreed scope of work, deliverables, and timeline. The Scaling for Impact Director will be responsible for monitoring and documenting performance. Documented performance will inform any decision regarding contract completion, renewal, or future engagement.

All applications must be submitted online by clicking the ‘Apply’ button below. If you require assistance or face challenges in submitting your application, please email [email protected] with the position title in the subject line. Applications submitted through this email will NOT beaccept.

Please ensure your resume and cover letter are in English and does not contain your marital status, age, or photograph. Documents provided in a language other than English will not be considered.

CGIAR is committed to fair, safe, and inclusive workplaces. We believe that diversity powers our innovation, contributes to our excellence, and is critical for our mission. We offer a multi-cultural, multi-color, multi-generational, and multi-disciplinary, collegial working environment. We consciously create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character and commitment to gender equity. We, therefore, encourage applicants from all cultures, races, ethnicities, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, and gender identities.

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

We look forward to hearing from you!