Heather Risley Email & Phone Number

As part of the Office of Learning, Evaluation, and Research's Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) team, I advance the integration of organizational learning and adaptive management into USAID’s programs in countries throughout the developing world. I champion organization-wide learning and knowledge sharing, so that the knowledge and experience of USAID and other donors and organizations is better shared and used inside and outside the Agency by partners and key stakeholders. A proponent of adaptive learning both in Washington and in worldwide field offices, I help bridge information/knowledge silos across Bureaus, Missions and throughout USAID.

As part of the Education Policy and Planning Division in USAID's Office of Education, Ms. Risley leads the design, implementation, and monitoring of the Knowledge Management and Learning Strategy for USAID’s Education sector to advance the USAID Education Strategy and support nearly 300 education staff globally. This work includes overseeing and managing knowledge management websites, coordinating technical content development, packaging and dissemination, and leading the development of the USAID Education Learning Agenda. She is certified as a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) and oversees a $24 million support contract providing communications, training, knowledge management, and organizational development services to USAID. Over the past year, Ms. Risley has served in multiple positions in an acting role, including most recently the Chief of the Education, Policy and Planning Division and currently as the Program Team Lead.

Served as an independent consultant to Netcentric Campaigns and the USAID LEARN project, through Dexis Consulting Group, providing communications and knowledge management expertise. For Netcentric, I conducted data capture and analysis for a public health community of practice, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. For USAID LEARN, I played a key role in marketing a major crowdsourcing initiative to collect case studies of strategic learning in development among USAID staff and its partners. I also led all communications activities for the project's cornerstone event, which brought together development leaders involved in pushing forward USAID's strategic learning agenda. Finally, I provided ad hoc support to the Bureau of Policy, Planning, and Learning in its efforts to capitalize on evidence that supports the value of strategic learning at USAID.

Ms. Risley serves as a member of the Feed the Future Knowledge-Driven Agricultural Development project's (KDAD) Communications Portfolio by providing strategic communications support to multiple USAID bureaus and offices. She is responsible for a wide variety of communications activities, such as managing content for USAID websites; creating marketing plans for in-person and online knowledge sharing activities; producing multiple e-newsletters for USAID staff and its partners; editing reports; developing communications and engagement strategies; and participating in efforts to test highly innovative and creative approaches to promote collaboration, learning, and iterative program adaptation. Ms. Risley led start-up efforts for the Communications Portfolio by providing resource needs assessments, coordinating efforts to update project systems and materials, representing the team in client kick-off meetings, and heavily supporting the production of the workplan, monthly reporting process, and the project monitoring and evaluation plan.

Arlington , Virginia, Us

USAID's Knowledge-Driven Microenterprise Development project: For this project, Ms. Risley designed and implemented knowledge sharing and learning activities for multiple USAID bureaus and offices that promoted collaboration among international development practitioners. Specifically, she advised USAID’s Bureau of Policy, Planning and Learning (PPL) on how to operationalize strategy to promote behavior change around learning and strategic planning; served as Project Manager for activities supporting new learning in women’s economic empowerment, which included running a seminar series, launching a community of practice, and developing online engagement opportunities; and supported multiple other USAID offices in developing communications and marketing plans using email campaigns, print advertisements, new media tools, photography, post-event summary blogs, and video blogs. Highlights from this work include the design and launch of USAID’s Learning Lab; starting an awareness-raising campaign around the Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting approach; and catalyzing robust knowledge sharing partnerships between USAID and the World Bank, IFC, USAID’s Development Credit Authority, and the Inter-American Development Bank. In addition, she supported all information architecture, design, and branding efforts for USAID online learning platforms, provided quality assurance through copy-editing, proofing, 508 compliance, and design oversight for project activities. In addition, Ms. Risley served as a Knowledge & Learning Advisor on other short-term assignments for clients in the beginning stages of developing a long-term learning agenda and building stakeholder engagement.

Morristown, New Jersey, Us

Ms. Risley provided both internal and external client services for geographically diverse project teams to meet communications objectives focused on development of social, economic, and physical infrastructure. She managed innovative online communication activities for project websites and led virtual training for field staff on web content management, document management, photo editing. She also supported Corporate Communications efforts, including a rebranding initiative and a complete website redesign. A major achievement was the creation of the company’s first photo library, which Ms. Risley conceptualized, designed and proposed to top management in support of information management initiatives. She continued as the Manager for this project and produced a training manual to sustain system maintenance over time.

Ms. Risley oversaw the design and management of a daily news and information website on corporate ethics, anti-corruption and corporate social responsibility. She marketed site to an international audience through online outreach, web traffic analysis, and partnership development. In addition, shesupported the public relations firm by maintaining international press database, editing press releases and serving as contact for press (clients included the Institute of International Finance, Transparency International, and the Partnership for Transparency Fund).

Ms. Risley coached writers at a variety of academic levels to refine their arguments, focus their points, and strengthen their grammar through one-on-one sessions.

M.A., Global Communications

B.A., European History, Political Science

History, Literature, Politics