Head of Evidence and Learning -- Save the Children

Vacancy

Save the Children’s mission is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives. Save the Children programs focus on Education, Health and Nutrition, Child Rights Governance, Child Protection, Child Poverty and Humanitarian/DRR. We work with government partners and local NGOs to improve children’s lives, especially marginalized and disadvantaged children. Save the Children is seeking a qualified and motivated candidate to fill the position of Head of Evidence and Learning based in Phnom Penh with regular travel to the field.

The Purpose of the Role
The Head of Evidence and Learning will lead Save the Children in Cambodia in building a culture of learning and becoming a leader in evidence-based programing. S/he is responsible for building the capacity of Save the Children staff and partners to maximise the use of evidence in programming and advocacy. The Head of Evidence and Learning promotes a culture of learning across departments and strengthens knowledge management systems for improved sharing of program experience, learning, and results. S/he provides strategic guidance, quality oversight and technical support to research including impact evaluations, process reviews, operations research, etc. S/he oversees the strategic improvement of the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) function, strengthening MEAL throughout project cycle management and increasing the focus on program outcomes and impact. Working with senior management, the Head of Evidence and Learning mentors the Country Office team toward self-sufficiency in using evidence and learning approaches to maximize impact for children.

Qualifications and Experience

• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in international development, with at least 3 years’ management experience
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in international development program monitoring & evaluation, developing and managing monitoring and learning systems, research, and overseeing baselines/evaluations.
• Experience in more than one of the Save the Children priority sectors: education, protection, child rights governance, child poverty, health and nutrition.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills.
• Master’s degree in Social Sciences or relevant equivalent, with at least significant coursework in quantitative or qualitative social research methods.
• Passion for evidence-driven development programming and interest in ongoing international research.
• Demonstrated skills in designing and carrying out qualitative and quantitative research and using research to inform program design and advocacy.
• Demonstrated experience in developing or overseeing data management solutions, and familiar with technologies in social research.
• Demonstrated capacity for leveraging project results towards broader systemic impact.
• Excellent analytical skills and appreciation for the complexities of social research, especially as pertains to deprivations of children’s rights in a country context such as Cambodia.
• Effective at collaborating and influencing across departments and sectors.
• Excellent skills in training, capacity building, coaching, and mentoring.
• Ability and willingness to dramatically change work practices and hours, and work with incoming teams, in emergencies.
• Previous experience working in the field and understanding of country program operations. Experience working in SE Asia is a plus. 
• Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, values and principles including rights-based approaches.
• Fluency in written and spoken English; Khmer would be an advantage.

How to apply

Interested applicants are requested to submit a CV and cover letter to jobs.cambodia@savethechildren.org or post at Save the Children office. The deadline for application is 19 Feb 2017 at 17.00.

“All recruitment practices and procedures reflect Save the Children’s commitment to protecting children from abuse”.

Save the Children is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified women and people with disability are strongly encouraged to apply. Only shortlisted applicants will be notified for interview. Submitted documents will not be returned.

Save the Children: P.O. Box 34, Villa 5, Street 242, Sangkat Chaktomouk, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.Phone: (855) 23 223 403/4/5/6, CCC Box 59,

Email: jobs.cambodia@savethechildren.org  / website: http://cambodia.savethechildren.net

Please mention "www.Cambodiajobs.Biz" where you saw the ad when you apply!

Job Description 

HEAD OF EVIDENCE AND LEARNING - Cambodia Country Office
TEAM/PROGRAM: Program Development and Quality	LOCATION:  Phnom Penh (with regular travel to field – approximately 25% of time)
GRADE:	POST TYPE: Open
Child Safeguarding: Level 3:  the role holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work in country programs; or are visiting country programs; ore because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff. “To carry out the responsibilities of the role in a way this reflects Save the Children’s commitment to safeguarding children in accordance with the Child Safeguarding Policy”.
ROLE PURPOSE: The Head of Evidence and Learning will lead the Save the Children in Cambodia in building a culture of learning and becoming a leader in evidence-based programing. S/he is responsible for building the capacity of Save the Children staff and partners to maximise the use of evidence in programming and advocacy. The Head of Evidence and Learning promotes a culture of learning across departments and strengthens knowledge management systems for improved sharing of program experience, learning, and results. S/he provides strategic guidance, quality oversight and technical support to research including impact evaluations, process reviews, operations research, etc. S/he oversees the strategic improvement of the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) function, strengthening MEAL throughout project cycle management and increasing the focus on program outcomes and impact. Working with senior management, the Head of Evidence and Learning mentors the Country Office team toward self-sufficiency in using of evidence and learning approaches to maximize impact for children.
SCOPE OF ROLE: Reports to: Director of Program Development and Quality  Save the Children has been working in Cambodia since 1970, and currently has programs supporting children’s rights and development in 11 provinces. Our programs span five thematic areas: Education, Health and Nutrition, Child Rights Governance, Child Protection, and Child Poverty. The 2016 grant portfolio is valued at approximately USD 11 million, with funding from nine Save the Children members and a range of bilateral, multilateral, and corporate donors. We currently have approximately 200 staff and our programs are increasingly implemented through partners, including international, national and local NGOs, the Royal Government of Cambodia, and others.  Dimensions: Staff directly reporting to this post: MEAL Specialist, MEAL Coordinator and Officers. Others TBD.  Member of the Program Development and Quality team, which includes MEAL team, Partnership Manager, and thematic specialists and advisors for Education, Child Protection, Child Poverty, Health and Nutrition, and Child Rights Governance.  Requires high level of cross-departmental leadership and coordination; member of the Extended Management Team.
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:  Capacity Building for Evidence-Based Programming  Build capacity of country office and partner teams to generate and use evidence in program design and project cycle management. Assess capacity gaps in relevant teams (MEAL, PDQ, PI), and identify priorities for training, mentoring, on-the-job learning, etc. Ensure priorities are addressed through conducting training directly or finding suitable resource people, institutions, training initiatives, etc. Work with staff and line managers to identify and support application of new skills, incorporating into ongoing workplans, supportive supervision and mentoring, and program implementation Identify opportunities to leverage external engagement of research institutions, consultancies, SC Technical Assistance, and the global Analytic Capacity Initiative towards capacity building priorities.  Knowledge Management Systems  In coordination with other departments, lead PDQ in establishing and rolling out Country Office knowledge management strategy and systems, with special attention to storing and sharing program experience, data, learning and results Ensure a strong interface with global Knowledge Management initiatives; Support staff to contribute to and use global and regional Knowledge Management guidelines and platforms. Support the clear documentation of Cambodia Country Office program and the sharing of learning nationally and internationally. Support sector specialists in the collection, storage and utilisation of external evidence and research, including Cambodian trends and reports, to inform program development and strategic direction.  Culture of Learning and Evidence-based Programming  Lead PDQ efforts to develop a culture of learning and information sharing across departments within the Cambodia Country Office. Work with PDQ Director and program team on the development of thematic results frameworks and clear learning agendas for every thematic area, and to consolidate thematic results frameworks into a coherent Country Office results framework and learning agenda. Guide thematic teams to pursue and continuously refresh their learning agendas and ensure that these are incorporated and continuously aligned with the Country Strategy, Thematic Plans and in projects Promote a culture of learning where evidence generated through programming and research initiatives are used for program and strategy development, support ongoing projects and programs, and play a central role in developing written reports and publications for advocacy. Establish engaging forums for reflection, learning and evidence-sharing within and between program teams, and with other departments. Support PDQ and thematic teams to design evidence-based, cost effective, innovative and high quality programs to serve the most deprived and marginalised children, guided by the Theory of Change. Support the team in using evidence to help ensure that programs and projects are relevant to children in Cambodia including contextual dynamics of resilience, gender, disability, and geographic remoteness.  Research and Evidence Building  Work with thematic teams to develop, oversee and manage Save the Children in Cambodia’s research, evaluation and learning agenda. Oversee and manage priority research initiatives, working with SC teams and researchers to ensure that evidence generation and evaluations are of high quality and produce valid, reliable, and relevant outcomes towards learning objectives. Network and develop strategic partnerships with national and international research institutions and Save the Children technical leadership in evidence building. Oversee Save the Children Cambodia’s operational research, mentoring teams to identify and pursue learning objectives and ensuring evidence generation is brought to completion and findings are shared. Conduct internal research on priority learning questions related to program delivery, and propose recommendations for operational improvement Increase the strategic use of costing and documentation studies to advocate for replication and scale-up of programs proven to be impactful for children in Cambodia. Ensure high quality technical research papers, reports, briefs and other publications that are relevant to programming and advocacy work and are tailored to different audiences in Cambodia and internationally.   Work with team and strategic partners to build SC brand and influence in Cambodia by sharing results to stakeholders, including government, other development actors, research institutions and media.  Monitoring, Evaluation and Accountability  Oversee the Country Office MEAL team, ensuring clear roles and responsibilities, effective planning and performance management, and delivery of results. Establish mechanisms to ensure a strong functional interface between MEAL and PDQ and PI teams, supporting the effective use of data for decision making, quality assurance and results-oriented behaviour. Work with teams to streamline MEAL practice and indicators; ensure MEAL systems emphasize quality-focused key performance indicators, outcome indicators, and indicators that measure impact for children; Ensure MEAL systems capture learning from program successes and challenges, assess performance regularly against agreed program objectives and indicators, and are consistently used by managers and technical teams to improve programs; Ensure Country MEAL Framework and systems are updated and implemented, and that they align with Save the Children’s Global MEAL Framework and priority Asia Regional Office initiatives in 2017; Work with PI and Partnership Specialist to put in place functional accountability mechanisms, including feedback and response mechanisms with beneficiaries; Ensure that all programs and project generate reliable, relevant and outcome-oriented data and evidence, which can be used in reporting and communications to Members/Donors.
SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our Values in Practice) Accountability: Sets and drives standards for the organisation to deliver better quality outcomes for children Holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved Ambition: Creates and engages others in a shared vision and strategy that will deliver more for children Identifies and addresses root causes of long-term problems facing the organisation Aligns ideas and solutions to strategic imperatives to support delivery of our long-term strategic objectives Explores and analyses external trends and their potential impact on strategic choices Future orientated, thinks strategically Collaboration: Builds a culture of quality and focuses on on-going performance improvement Provides resources and removes obstacles to support cross-organisational and/or geographically dispersed teams Creates and enables a learning culture that supports the development of staff Takes responsibility for helping to build organisational capabilities to meet current and future challenges Coordinates and harnesses professional expertise across the organisation Gathers intelligence from external networks to influence the medium- and longer-term impact of our work with children  Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength Creativity: Drives innovation and breakthrough solutions to improve outcomes for children Promotes a culture and work environment where new ideas, takes risks and learns from failures Sponsors initiatives to ensure that people, processes and technology create an agile organisation, responding quickly to external events Embeds and scales evidenced-based change to deliver enduring transformation for children Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions Integrity: Honest, encourages openness and transparency
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE Minimum of 10 years experience in international development, with at least 3 years management experience Minimum of 5 years experience in international development program monitoring & evaluation, developing and managing monitoring and learning systems, research, and overseeing baselines/evaluations. Experience in more than one of the Save the Children priority sectors: education, protection, child rights governance, child poverty, health and nutrition Excellent communication and leadership skills Masters degree in Social Sciences or relevant equivalent, with at least significant coursework in quantitative or qualitative social research methods Passion for evidence-driven development programming and interest in ongoing international research Demonstrated skills in designing and carrying out qualitative and quantitative research and using research to inform program design and advocacy. Demonstrated experience in developing or overseeing data management solutions, and familiar with technologies in social research. Demonstrated capacity for leveraging project results towards broader systemic impact. Excellent analytical skills and appreciation for the complexities of social research, especially as pertains to deprivations of children’s rights in a country context such as Cambodia. Effective at collaborating and influencing across departments and sectors Excellent skills in training, capacity building, coaching, and mentoring Ability and willingness to dramatically change work practices and hours, and work with incoming teams, in emergencies Previous experience working in the field and understanding of country program operations. Experience working in SE Asia is a plus.  Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, values and principles including rights-based approaches Fluency in written and spoken English, Khmer would be an advantage
Date of revision: February 1, 2017            Author : Elizabeth Pearce