Job Description
Internal/External Vacancy for Senior Evidence and Learning Advisor
TEAM/PROGRAM: Childhood Development Activity/Program Implementation
LOCATION: Ethiopia Country Office, Addis Ababa
GRADE: 1A
TYPE OF CONTRACT: National
Child Safeguarding:
Level 2: 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; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.
ROLE PURPOSE:
The Senior Evidence and Learning Advisor will be responsible for leading all assessment, research, monitoring, and evaluation undertakings in the Childhood Development Activity (previously known as the Early Childhood Care and Education in Emergencies (ECCEiE) project. S/he will ensure the rigor and quality of all M&E activities and learning in the Childhood Development Activity project redesign. S/he will also ensure that routine monthly and quarterly monitoring and evaluation activities are conducted and results are shared with the project’s technical team and partners. S/he will support the baseline assessment, midterm evaluation, and end-line evaluation done by an independent institution.
The Senior Evidence and Learning Advisor will lead the improvement and standardization of the Childhood Development Activity project MEAL framework works and MEAL tools to improve the Childhood Development Activity project planning and implementation.
SCOPE OF ROLE:
Reports to: Chief of Party
Staff reporting to this post: Two positions
Budget Responsibilities: None
Role Dimensions:
The Senior Evidence and Learning Advisor works closely with the Technical Lead in designing and implementing systems for gathering, interpreting and managing multiple forms of indicative information and resource documents necessary for learning along with managing the knowledge/evidence base generated necessary for the successful implementation of the Childhood Development Activity. S/he is also responsible for developing and implementing minimum requirements that meet SCI standards related to learning and evidence as part of the MEAL strategy and systems, ensuring that such systems are institutionalized at appropriate levels.
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
Leadership and Management
- Lead the overall supervision of the evidence and learning functions in the Childhood Development Activity.
- Lead and coordinate project assessment, evaluation and assessments
- Lead and coordinate IDELA assessments twice a year during the project period
- Conduct supervision, mentorship and professional development to staff on MEAL/EL system.
- Ensure MEAL evidence is used for management decision making and continuous performance improvement.
- Lead the synthesis of data and production of evidence for the project planning, implementation and advocacy in the area of Childhood Development Activity.
System Design and Roll-Out
- Working closely with MEAL team of SCI and design project’s MEAL framework, and set down the Childhood Development Activity’s minimum requirements
- Ensure that a learning culture is fostered within the Childhood Development Activity and EL is an integral element of project and staff engagement and development.
- Promote the utilization of learning and evidence for decision making and continuous improvement of project planning and implementation.
- Clearly sets and implements standards for ethical, adaptive, and appropriate evidence generation in the Childhood Development Activity.
- Champions the use of accountability data and community participation analysis to influence strategic decision-making and advocacy.
System Management
- Lead the planning and management of assessments, studies and evaluations of the Childhood Development Activity.
- Keep track of all evaluations of the Childhood Development Activity and, in coordination with the project technical team, develop ToR and inception reports.
- Lead all data collection, analysis of data and presentation of results of internal assessments up to result report write up, in collaboration with the project MEAL and technical staff.
- Lead and organize assessments and research study results dissemination in collaboration with the technical team and compile feedback for the research report revision
- Ensure that learning is accessed and used as an integral part of Childhood Development Activity planning and implementation.
- Provide training to project and partner staff on MEAL, action research, case studies, write up, evidence generation from project implementation.
Program Development
- Share evidence and learning of the Childhood Development Activity with SCI Education and MEAL team
- Participate in the Childhood Development Activity redesign and lead the assessment and MEL component of the project in the redesign.
- Make sure that staff and other stakeholders have easy access to learning documents for reference purposes.
Communication and Reporting
- Lead the preparation of Childhood Development Activity success stories and lessons learned and made accessible to project staff, partner staff and SCI-Education and MEAL teams.
- Promote the use of technology (including the MEAL automation) and digital data collection and analysis through available software for SCI.
- Promote learning in Childhood Development Activity in the country office, particularly on issues of program quality.
- Ensure effective storage of assessments, surveys and evaluations, case studies, lessons learnt on SCI Shared folder.
- Ensure case studies, best practices, success stories, lessons and project briefs are accessible for both internal and external users.
- Actively engage in Education thematic sector communities of practice by preparing study reports and evidences of the project in collaboration with the technical team.
Other
- Be proactive in identifying and undertaking action research to test innovations, use of technologies, identifying better opportunities and approaches, and rolling out into Country Office programs.
- Uses the MEAL Automation and monitors appropriate lessons are incorporated regularly.
- Other duties as requested by the CoP.
BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)
Accountability:
- holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modeling Save the Children values
- Holds their team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in accordance with the context, providing the necessary development to improve performance, and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.
Ambition:
- sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team takes responsibility for their own personal development, and encourages their team to do the same
- widely shares Save the Children’s vision, and engages and motivate others future orientated, thinks strategically and on a national and global scale.
Collaboration:
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- 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
- approachable, a good listener, and easy to talk to.
Creativity:
- develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
- willing to take disciplined risks.
Integrity:
- honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity
The post holder must commit to work in an international agency that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion and fights racism, gender inequality and discrimination in all forms; and to model positive behaviors that demonstrate a commitment to equality and respect to all colleagues, partners and communities.
QUALIFICATIONS
• BA/Bed degree in Education Measurement and Evaluation, Educational Psychology, Early Childhood Care and Education, EiE, Curriculum and Instruction, Education/Economic Statistics, Educational Psychology or related field, (MA/Med degree is preferable).
• Training in Teacher Education program, teacher training strategies, and ECCE Teacher Education program.
QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE
Experience and Skills:
- Minimum of 10 years experience working in research, measurement and evaluation, evidence and learning generation undertakings
- 3 years or above of managerial or coordination experience on ensuring MEAL planning and implementation, large data set collection, collation, analysis, and research results preparation.
- Solid competence in both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies including enriched experience on the use of Kobo Toolbox, Access, SPSS, and STATA and qualitative data analysis tools and producing assessment/research report
- Understanding of emergency/humanitarian contexts with particular reference to conflict and disasters.
- Demonstrated experience of disseminating research results for different stakeholders (government, donors, UN agencies, INGOs, NGOs…).
- Ability and willingness to travel to conflict and disaster-affected locations and able to work under pressure to deliver results with flexible working hours.
- Experience and knowledge of evidence generation and learning on what works (and doesn’t work) for children, including designing/commissioning, implementing and applying: needs assessments, baseline studies, evaluations and research results.
- Direct experience of working with communities in participatory approaches. Experience and knowledge of systems of accountability to children and communities, including information sharing, the participation of adults and children on assessment and research.
- Ability to prepare and facilitate technical training on action research, data collection, analysis and research including writing up of reports.
KEY COMPETENCIES
Technical:
- Skilled at communicating and influencing across relevant teams and departments
- Ability to work independently and as part of teams/groups.
- Strong remote-working abilities and self-motivated.
- Result oriented
- Ability to challenge existing mindsets
Generic Competencies:
- Demonstrable analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to present complex information clearly and concisely.
- Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well with persons of different cultures
- Proficiency in a national language required
- Excellent written and verbal skills in English
- Commitment to Save the Children’s values
Additional job responsibilities:
The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.
Equal Opportunities
The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI’s global Diversity, Equity and
Inclusion and Gender Equality Policies, supported by relevant procedures.
Child Safeguarding:
We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.
Safeguarding our Staff:
The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy
Health and Safety
The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.
Same Posting Description for Internal and External Candidates.