Hiring for adaptive management

BEAM Webinar: Hiring managers for adaptive management - from recruitment to retainment, 30 March 2017
Speakers: Amir Allana, Consultant; Alison Hemberger, Mercy Corps; Matthias Herr, Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation; and David Ratliff, United States Agency for International Development.

The development community continues to recognise the need for managing programmes adaptively, particularly when pursuing systemic change. Managing in this way involves experimentation amidst ambiguity, changing plans, and extensive knowledge management. These activities tend to demand different skillsets and attributes on the part of managers. Yet, this is seldom explicit in how programme managers, chiefs-of-party, and team leaders are hired, or in the support they receive from their line managers.

This webinar discussed issues in hiring and enabling managers to manage adaptively, including: How can programmes recruit and select for 'adaptive' managers? What does this mean for the types of experience that is valued in candidates, and for how they are assessed and interviewed? How do existing contracting rules and HR systems limit or enable this? How can senior leadership support the programme manager in managing adaptively?