Position: Program Quality and Learning Specialist -- Oxfam

 Program Quality and Learning Specialist

Asia Water Governance Program

Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

Position Title:	Program Quality and Learning Specialist
Supervisor:	TROSA Project Manager or the Asia Regional Programme Manager (tbc)
Locations:	At the Asia Water Governance PMU at Phnom Penh or any of the program countries in Asia (subject to work permit and employment visa)
Contract Type:	Fixed term -18 months (Oct 2019- March 2021), with possibility of extension
Internal job grade:	C2 National
Salary and Benefits:	As per national pay scale
Starting Date:	October 2019

Shaping a stronger Oxfam for people living in poverty.

Department Purpose

Oxfam is an international confederation of 19 organizations networked together in 97 countries. As part of a global movement for change, Oxfam is working with thousands of partners around the world to end world poverty and injustice. Oxfam works directly with communities and at the policy level to enable the most marginalized to improve their lives and livelihoods and have a say in decisions that affect them. Oxfam has been working on water governance and river basin planning in Asia since the early 2000s focusing on supporting rural river communities to remain connected to, and in control of, their lands, waters and resources.

Team Purpose

Oxfam is working towards an Asia Water Governance Programme that aligns Mekong Regional Water Governance PEM (People managing their eco-systems in the Lower Mekong basin)  and TROSA (Transboundary Rivers of South Asia) Project. TROSA is a 5 year project and is currently in its third year of implementation (2019-2020). The programme management units (PMUs) are being merged incrementally and are based in Cambodia. Country level portfolios are managed at country level and the regional PMU manages regional partnerships and maintains an overview that the respective programmes achieve their objectives. The programme contributes to Oxfam Asia Regional Strategy and Oxfam Country Strategies in Myanmar, Lao PDR, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Nepal and India and is implemented together with approximately 27 country level and 8 regional partners with the intention of increasing this portfolio for TROSA project.

Oxfam's programme objectives are to enable communities and civil society to be better able to realize sustainable livelihoods and reduce poverty and promote transboundary cooperation in the Mekong, Salween, Brahmaputra, Ganges, Mahakali/Sharda river basins. Our objectives are that we will achieve this by facilitating i) increased civil society participation and engagement in water resource governance; and ii) promoting more open, inclusive, accountable and effective water resource governance. We seek to convene dialogues and work with a range of partners and allies, including governments, the private sector, academia and institutions.  The work seeks to influence change at the community and civil society level, as well as changes in policies and practices at the national and transboundary level. 

Job Purpose

This is a new  position that will provide leadership and help us to improve our learning and evidence based decision making by  bringing consistency, quality and strategic direction to the timely collection, documentation and sharing  in our work in TROSA program. Initially this role will support TROSA implementing  country offices and partners to monitor, report on and improve programme quality based on evidence generated  work and, subject to review, it will have greater responsibility for Asia. He/She will support alignment and tracking of strong basin-level implementation plans and progress, annual plans and reports that demonstrate work progress, impact and influence. An existing strong Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) system will be supported in each basin or sub-basin to demonstrate quality implementation, results and impact. This MEAL system is aligned to the overall TROSA Theory of Change and  Oxfam Asia’s Strategic Framework (2018-2030). This framework has four strategic ‘’levers’’ of data justice, working with the private sector, thought leadership and being a knowledge-based organization (KBO), and partnerships to influence change. The post holder will work closely with country teams, regional partners and  with the Oxfam  Asia team to build effective evidence and learning systems.

The post holder will lead the implementation and use of a systematic approach to programme quality and MEAL, ensuring that Oxfam and partner teams are able to effectively track periodic progress on the programme outputs and outcomes monitoring and manage data, both qualitative and quantitative, effectively for reporting and enhanced learning purposes. =The PQL Specialist  will work with program partners to analyse the program outputs and outcomes, facilitate program-wide learning and support the policy and communication coordinators for timely and effective use of these outputs in policy engagement and advocacy. He/she will also coordinate with other regional programs in Asia, the Oxfam Asia programme quality and business development team, and the Oxfam Novib Impact Measurement and Knowledge (IMK) teams. required.

Job Responsibilities

He/ She will complete the following tasks:

1. Ensuring further development, analysis and monitoring of clear basin/sub-basin strategic annual plans, including assisting country teams and partners to effectively utilize reporting tools to better articulate results and impact.
2. Supporting the use of  the MEAL data base system for effective use in policy influencing, communication and advocacy. This includes, capacity development support for partners.
3. Developing a programme quality strategy and its implementation to improve the quality of the program and its impact. 
4. Ensuring the process  of learning is institutionalised by establishing learning mechanisms at basin-levels, facilitating learning forums (virtual and face-to-face) and identifying potential collaborative learning opportunities with other regional programs, networks ( primarily those led by women and youth) and platforms in the region.
5. Coordinating inputs to program reports (donor, Steering Committee), other regional and global reports, initiatives and evidence agendas to learn and demonstrate progress and results.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

Leadership with strategic analysis support
•    Support the TROSA PMU in strategy development, prioritisation and resourcing to achieve high standards in program design, implementation and evaluation.
•    Ensure strategic use of program information to help the Project Manager and teams in making program related decisions informed by evidence.
•    Act as a conduit for, and ensure use of, relevant strategic analysis from across the TROSA program.
•    Organize strategic support to program partners in identifying key cross-program and thematic learning agendas as well as particular country/basin-specific initiatives that provide significant opportunities for learning, collaboration and support the process of convening learning events.

Strategic program quality resourcing
•    Mobilise programme quality technical support for partners, •    Connect program partners and practitioners to each other, and to internal and external sources of expertise within and between programs, including relevant programs of other organizations and donors.
•    Coordinate thematic  program quality processes and initiatives, ensuring that synergies are leveraged, duplication is avoided and gaps are addressed

•    Work with Oxfam regional colleagues including program quality, advocacy, funding and other regional functions to embed program quality in TROSA’s ways of working at various levels and more so at the regional level.

Provide program quality colleagues with support, guidance and prioritization
•    Design and lead the delivery of proactive strategic program quality plan, aligned with partners’ existing MEAL and program quality strategies and practices.

• Offer guidance to country teams and partners in establishing priorities for program quality work  
• In close coordination with regional and country gender staff monitor and report on extent to which program quality initiatives are supporting effective gender mainstreaming in TROSA
• Exceptionally, provide technical advisory support for the larger strategic program initiatives in the region (such as multi-country programs), identified and agreed with the Project Manager -TROSA and the Regional Program Manager.
• Develop a supportive regional network for country and regional program quality colleagues 
• Coordinate the corporate processes and reporting at regional level (output reporting, indicative outcome areas, Program Quality Reviews, Partnership surveys etc.) and provide feedback for improved corporate practice on program quality initiatives.

Strengthen learning

• • • • Develop and implement a strong monitoring, evaluation and learning framework and learning agenda for the program.
      • Design and facilitate participatory program learning and reflection processes with Oxfam programs and also coordinate dissemination with other relevant programs and networks in the region.
      • Help capture and synthesize learning from the MEAL systems across the program - including program strategy documents, program implementation plans, annual learning events, and evaluations – to ensure products contribute to strengthened programming and advocacy work

Other

• Eager and required to adhere to Oxfam’s principles and values (click here) as well as the promotion of gender justice and women's rights (click here). 

• Understanding of and commitment to adhere to equity, diversity, gender, partnerships, child safety and staff health and wellbeing principles. 

Job Requirements:

Technical Skills, Experience & Knowledge

 Essential

Leadership and Management:

• Passion for improving effectiveness of development programs and demonstrating tangible outcomes for poor and vulnerable women and men
• Experience in leading on / developing strategic thinking on quality preferably at regional level
• Prior program advisory or management experience and understanding of program realities at country and regional levels.
• Experienced in managing, advising, training and coaching others on program quality issues
• Effective negotiation abilities and informal leadership skills in a multi-stakeholder, network environment
• Demonstrable organizational and project management skills (including budget management) and ability to manage multiple projects to deadlines
• Ability to plan workload and demonstrate accountability for outputs with minimal direct supervision
• Good organizational skills including accuracy, consistency, attention to detail, tenacity and the ability to work under pressure 

Technical skills

• Experience of improving effectiveness of development programs and demonstrating tangible outcomes for poor and vulnerable women and men
• Strong understanding of all aspects of program quality, including the practical issues faced by managers.
• Demonstrable understanding of effective program cycle management in rights-based long-term development, influencing and humanitarian work, with relevant direct field program experience
• Proven ability to lead and facilitate country Strategy and program development including Theory of Change
• Proven experience in supporting strategic thinking and quality improvement on partnership
• Understanding of and commitment to Oxfam’s One Program Approach (linking humanitarian, development & influencing work)
• Proven experience in building and sustaining an effective knowledge and learning system
• Practical experience of mainstreaming gender in one of development, influencing or humanitarian work
• Demonstrable ability to think creatively and practically to improve program quality
• Strong analytical skills
• Fluent in English 

Communication, networking and influencing

• Ability to liaise with a wide range of people from, both internally and externally, and at many levels.
• Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills with demonstrable ability to lead, influence and motivate others in a diversity of contexts and functions
• Strong self-awareness, as well as strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Excellent communications, facilitation and team building skills
• Strong influencing skills, demonstrable ability to contribute to teams and to work with and influence people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.
• Effective negotiation abilities and informal leadership skills in a multi-stakeholder, network environment 

Desirable

• Ability to work independently with confidence quality
• Ability to work overseas the implementation, monitor and evaluation a specific project
• Ability to manage multiple tasks in an effective, pro-active and timely manner
• Team player who works week in a multi-cultural environment
• Ability to carry out unaccompanied travel up to 3 months per year
• Works in a way that demonstrates Oxfam values and behavioral competencies

Key Attributes:

• Ability to demonstrate sensitivity to cultural differences and gender issues, as well as the commitment to equal opportunities.
• Ability to demonstrate an openness and willingness to learn about the application of gender/gender mainstreaming, women’s rights, and diversity for all aspects of development work.
• Commitment to Oxfam’s safeguarding policies to ensure all people who come into contact with Oxfam are as safe as possible.

Organisational Values:

• Accountability – Our purpose-driven, results-focused approach means we take responsibility for our actions and hold ourselves accountable. We believe that others should also be held accountable for their actions.
• Empowerment – Our approach means that everyone involved with Oxfam, from our staff and supporters to people living in poverty, should feel they can make change happen.
• Inclusiveness – We are open to everyone and embrace diversity. We believe everyone has a

Note to candidates: Shortlisted candidates will be assessed on our organisational values

and attributes at the interview stage. The successful candidate(s) will be expected to

adhere to our code of conduct. We encourage candidates to read and understand our code of conduct here.

Key Behavioral Competencies
(based on Oxfam’s Leadership Model)

Competencies	Description
Decisiveness	We are comfortable to make transparent decisions and to adapt decision making modes to the context and needs.
Influencing	We have the ability to engage with diverse stakeholders in a way that leads to increased impact for the organization We spot opportunities to influence effectively and where there are no opportunities we have the ability to create them in a respectful and impactful manner.
Humility	We put ‘we’ before ‘me’ and place an emphasis on the power of the collective, nurture the team and play to the strengths of each individual. We are not concerned with hierarchical power, and we engage with, trust and value the knowledge and expertise of others across all levels of the organization.
Relationship Building	We understand the importance of building relationship, within and outside the organization. We have the ability to engage with traditional and non-traditional stakeholders in ways that lead to increased impact for the organization.
Listening	We are good listeners who can see where deeper levels of thoughts and tacit assumptions differ. Our messages to others are clear and consider different preferences.
Mutual Accountability	We can explain our decisions and how we have taken them based on our organizational values.  We are ready to be held to account for what we do and how we behave, as we are also holding others to account in a consistent manner.
Agility, Complexity, and Ambiguity	We scan the environment, anticipate changes, are comfortable with lack of clarity and deal with a large number of elements interacting in diverse and unpredictable ways.
Systems Thinking	We view problems as parts of an overall system and in their relation to the whole system, rather than reacting to a specific part, outcome or event in isolation. We focus on cyclical rather than linear cause and effect. By consistently practicing systems thinking we are aware of and manage well unintended consequences of organizational decisions and actions.
Strategic Thinking and Judgment	We use judgment, weighing risk against the imperative to act. We make decisions consistent with organizational strategies and values.
Vision Setting	We have the ability to identify and lead visionary initiatives that are beneficial for our organization and we set high-level direction through a visioning process that engages the organization and diverse external stakeholders.
Self-Awareness	We are able to develop a high degree of self-awareness around our own strengths and weaknesses and our impact on others. Our self-awareness enables us to moderate and self-regulate our behaviors to control and channel our impulses for good purposes.
Enabling	We all work to effectively empower and enable others to deliver the organizations goals through creating conditions of success. We passionately invest in others by developing their careers, not only their skills for the job.  We provide freedom; demonstrate belief and trust provide appropriate support.

How to apply

Interested applicants should  submit their application and CV to our recruitment website at https://career2.successfactors.eu/career?company=OxfamNovibP   by August 29, 2019, Cambodia time.

ONLY SHORTLISTED AGENCIES WILL BE CONTACTED

Moreinfo: https://career2.successfactors.eu/career?career%5fns=job%5flisting&company=OxfamNovibP&navBarLevel=JOB%5fSEARCH&rcm%5fsite%5flocale=en%5fGB&career_job_req_id=5202&selected_lang=en_GB&jobAlertController_jobAlertId=&jobAlertController_jobAlertName=&_s.crb=rCAx0If0ivF61UHZsMm7QqmLgLY%3d