Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist at Plan International

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian non-profit organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood, and enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We believe in the power and potential of every child, but know this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist

Location: Nigeria (Globally Flexible)
Type of role: 3 years Fixed Term Contract
Functional Area: Monitoring Evaluation Research and Learning (MERL), Global Hub
Reports To: Global Head of Monitoring and Evaluation
Effective Date: October 2022
Travel Requires: 0%-15%
Grade: 4

Role Purpose

• Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination.
• And its girls who are most affected. Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.
• We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.
• We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 75 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.

The purpose of this position is to:

• Provide M&E technical leadership to the further development and implementation of Plan International’s global results and indicators for each of the six Areas of Global Distinctiveness (AOGDs), including reviewing and revising existing frameworks, development and testing of methods/tools and the integration of a climate change focus.
• Contribute to enhance awareness and M&E capacity in Plan International’s offices so that teams across the organisation implement the above frameworks, system and approach successfully.
• Support the implementation of a new global monitoring and evaluation system (PMERL) to ensure that we are able, as an organisation, to capture, store, analyse and report on our progress and results in a consistent and coherent way
• Ensure that the data and information that is derived from the application of the M&E frameworks and approach in our programme and influence work is analysed, disseminated and used to advance accountability to all stakeholders; demonstrate the impact of our work; and ensure learning for improved programming and influencing.

Dimensions of the Role

• This position sits in the Global MERL department. Our department focuses on generating and using high quality evidence, provides thought leadership and technical support for global technical networks in gender, the Areas of Global Distinctiveness (Plan International’s six priority programme and influencing areas); advocacy and policy and MERL. We are a globally dispersed department which strives to work in an inclusive and integrated way, committed to feminist leadership principles.
• The M&E Specialist will lead specific projects to strengthen M&E across the organisation, provide technical M&E inputs to global initiatives and strengthen our learning and reflection processes.

Accountabilities
Outlined below are the key responsibilities for this position:

Strengthen Plan International’s global AOGD Results and Indicators and their increased use across the organisation:

• In collaboration with the AOGD Hubs including their advocacy leads and the Global Gender team , review and strengthen the AOGD indicator packages to support robust and consistent measurement
• Review and maintain the indicator packages in Plan International’s new global M&E system (PMERL)
• Collaborate with the AOGD Hubs, their advocacy leads, the Global Gender team and M&E teams to support increased uptake of the AOGD packages across the organisation and respond to feedback received.
• Support the further development and implementation of data collection methods and content

Support the integration of the expanded Global Strategy portfolio, specifically climate change, into the AOGD Results and Indicators:

• Provide technical M&E inputs to support the development of specific results and indicators linked to climate change
• Lead the identification of appropriate data collection methods and content for data collection
• Lead the integration of new climate changes results and indicators into Plan International’s global M&E System (PMERL).
• Develop and implement a socialisation plan for new results and indicators linked to climate change and support enhanced capacity of different teams across the organisation to collect, analyse and use evidence generated.

Strengthen our global reporting and analysis:

• Contribute to the production and socialisation of high-quality analysis and reports, including Plan International’s global reports and evaluations
• Support periodic quality assurance of data in the M&E System related to the AOGDs

Provide high quality technical expertise to additional initiatives (as required):

• Provide ad hoc technical inputs to Global Hub M&E needs e.g. Strategy, Leadership Team.
• Provide quality technical support and advice to Plan International offices and staff as and when requested.
• Complete ethical approval reviews as part of Global Ethics Review Team and feedback to country teams.

Drive continuous learning:

• Promote and facilitate active M&E networks across the organisation
• Update and maintain communication and learning platforms for M&E– e.g. Planet pages (Intranet), Workplace.
• Develop, promote and embed learning processes and practices across offices
• Contribute to drafting learning papers that capture lessons from Plan International’s work in order to inform the ongoing development of M&E in Plan International offices
• Participate in initiatives, technical networks and communities of practice that aim to share lessons, good practices on M&E and learning.
• Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young Peopleand Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility.
• Input into the development of Plan International case studies, to showcase insights and instances of success and failures in order to ensure ongoing learning
• Co-ordinate the Global M&E Group so that staff are connected with one another to continuously improve its M&E practice and build a reputation for quality work
• This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.

Key Relationships:

• AOGD Hubs, including the Hub/Practice Leads to drive forward the further development and implementation of Plan International’s global results and indicators
• Global Hub MERL department
• Regional M&E Specialists
• Colleagues from the Disaster Risk Management Department
• Colleagues from offices from around the Plan federation in the implementation of Plan’s M&E frameworks, system and approach, including Country Offices and Regional Hubs
• Colleagues from the Gender Transformative Policy and Practice Department as well as the Delivery, Performance and Accountability Department to support them and keep them appraised on Plan’s M&E approach, standards, tools and system in the application of the Programme and Influence Quality Policy and Procedures and in the use of the PMERL system.
• Other organisations and forums externally, for coordination, collaboration, learning.

Technical Expertise, Skills and Kowledge
Essential:

Knowledge:

• Expert knowledge on monitoring and evaluation of development work, across a range of technical areas.
• Strong understanding of rights-based development programming, particularly in relation to the major technical areas of Plan’s work.
• Significant experience and a strong understanding of processes, approaches, tools and methodologies that facilitate M&E, and organizational learning, that is up to date with best practices in the sector.
• Strong understanding of the realities of NGO programme management and limitations that impact programme monitoring, evaluation and learning.
• Understanding of different approaches to assessing and reporting NGO programming results, across a wide variety of contexts.
• A theoretical and practical understanding of gender attitudes and power dynamics, including why they exist and how they change, and how these attitudes and dynamics shape MERL approaches and methodologies.

Skills:

• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Able to develop appropriate frameworks, guidelines, tools and templates for improved M&E and implement them at scale
• Strong collaboration skills, able to build cooperation and negotiate compromises.
• Strong attention to detail
• Proven experience of using online technology for communication and learning
• Fluent in English
• Able to develop global guidance that is simple and practical for field colleagues to understand and use
• Able to analyse large amounts of data and generate powerful reports and information from them
• Communicating complex technical MERL concepts and terminology in simple language to non-experts.
• Writing in plain English

Behaviours:

• Listens to and consults with others with genuine curiosity and interest to learn
• Co-creates with diverse staff across the organisation
• Demonstrates genuine curiosity and enthusiasm to find win-win solutions when facing challenges and ambiguity
• Takes responsibility for achieving significant results
• Able to build rapport with wide range of groups
• Demonstrably committed to Plan’s goals and values
• Committed to child safeguarding
• Facilitates joint understanding and the development of good practices
• Inspire trust and support from others
• Promotes innovation and learning

Desirable:

• Specific experience in developing/implementing M&E Frameworks focused on climate change.
• Strong understanding of M&E in humanitarian preparedness and response programming
• Capacity in French and/or Spanish will be an advantage.

Plan International’s Values in Practice
We are open and accountable:

• Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
• Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
• Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
• Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young people
• Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.

We strive for lasting impact:

• Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.
• Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.
• Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.
• Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.

We work well together:

• Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
• Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
• Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
• Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

We are inclusive and empowering:

• We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential
• We respect all people, appreciate differences and challenge equality in our programs and our workplace
• We support children, girls and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives.

Physical Environment:

• Typical office environment

Level of contact with children:

• Low contact: No contact or very low frequency of interaction

Salary

• We will be happy to disclose the salary and applicable benefits to applicants as part of this process, however, please kindly note that this will vary according to the location of the appointed candidate and therefore, it is not possible to include full details here.
• As an indication if this role was based in the UK the salary would be circa £45,000

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply

Application Deadline  30th October, 2022.