Job Description and Person Specification

Please note this statement is for information only and does not form part of a contract. This list is not exhaustive and you will be expected to undertake such duties as may be assigned to you by ActionAid from time to time. Employees are expected to be flexible in their work in order to deliver the objectives of the organisation.

Job title / Humanitarian Programme Monitoring and Evaluation Manager
Contract type / Permanent
Grade/starting salary / Grade 5
Reporting to / Head of Programme Funding
Team and Department / Programme Funding Team, Fundraising Department
Direct reports / None
Date JD reviewed / June 2013
Context

Are you passionate about making a real difference?

As part of the global ActionAid family, we are helping to build a fair and just world where everyone can claim their rights. To achieve this we work with local people in more than 45 countries to fight hunger and disease, seek justice and education for women, hold companies and governments to account and help communities cope with emergencies.

In the UK our role is to raise funds to reduce poverty in the communities and countries where we work, to take action for long term change and to act in solidarity with people fighting poverty and injustice in poor countries. We aim to make a stronger global difference by working closely with ActionAid International and our country programmes around the world. We want to achieve a way of communicating that creates a powerful emotional, intellectual and practical connection between people here and in developing countries so as to motivate and engage our supporters. We believe success will be driven by connecting people, demonstrating our impact, seizing opportunities and key moments, working with others, focussing on ethical and sustainable approaches and harnessing technology and digital. We are a value driven, forward thinking organisation, focused on achieving long-term and sustainable change in the lives of the poorest people in our world.

Purpose of the Role

To support both the Programme Funding and Humanitarian Resilience and Response Teams with strong and appropriate systems that will enable monitoring and evaluation of programme performance for large institutional projects/programmes. This will include developing and implementing monitoring tools,

preparing and executing evaluation plans and building the capacity of country programme teams to better track project/programme performance.

Key tasks and responsibilities

PPA Programme Performance

Working closely with the Programme Manager (DFID PPA)…

  • Establish strong relationships and fluid communications with key M&E experts in DFID Civil Society Department.
  • Actively promote ActionAid’s approaches to monitoring, evaluation and accountability externally, with the aim of demonstrating AA’s leadership and innovation.
  • Support the overall monitoring and evaluation and reporting processes for the PPA.
  • Develop a robust global Monitoring & Evaluation framework for the PPA in close collaboration with the PPA team, key members of the International Secretariat and the 5 DFID PPA countries.
  • Provide technical support on the development and measurement of realistic targets.
  • Support the submission of high quality reports in accordance with contractual requirements.
  • Co-facilitating annual international review workshops for the PPA.
  • Input into and deliver PPA learning initiatives.
  • Member of the PPA Project Accountability Team (PAT).
  • Support AAUK to become IATI compliant to DFID standards.

Proposal development and contract management support across the Programme Funding and Humanitarian Resilience and Response teams:

  • Strengthen the capacity and capability of both UK teams, as well as country offices to engage with monitoring and evaluation as a key element of accountability and donor compliance by developing and implementing strategies and providing support in liaison with relevant AAIS colleagues.
  • Engage with donors such as DFID and Comic Relief on issues and areas of work related to monitoring and evaluation, accountability and value for money.
  • Support both teams to employ an impact and evidence-based approach to working so that reflection and learning are implemented through plans and priorities.
  • Build greater understanding, capability and capacity of both teams for monitoring, evaluating and reporting their effectiveness at project and team levels by providing orientation, technical training, coaching and support.
  • Work with the Senior M&E Specialist to strengthen global approaches to accountability, monitoring and evaluation, Human Rights-based Approach and ALPS.
  • Provide technical support to Funding Managers on logframe and M&E framework design.
  • Lead on M&E sessions during proposal design and inception workshops.

Networking internally and externally:

  • Liaise regularly with key M&E staff in the People, Performance and Accountability department to ensure that ActionAid UK’s institutional funding bids and tenders are aligned with ActionAid’s overall M&E strategy (over which People, Performance and Accountability has oversight) and that realistic programme performance indicators, targets and milestones are agreed.
  • Liaise regularly with key staff in the International Partnership Development team and other key International Secretariat functions for technical and thematic support and to ensure our work is maximised and as strategic as possible.
  • Engage with NGO networks through participation in working groups (including PPA learning groups) and other forums to influence donor funding policy and practice.
  • Share responsibility with colleagues in the Programme Funding and Humanitarian Resilience and Response teams to encourage cross departmental information and knowledge sharing within ActionAid, both in the UK and internationally.

Person Specification

Knowledge and experience

Essential

  • Substantial experience in designing monitoring and evaluation policies, systems, tools and processes in an international development environment.
  • Experience of providing leadership, support and guidance on monitoring and evaluation across development programmes/projects.
  • In depth experience in conducting, overseeing and/or managing evaluations.
  • Advanced experience with strategy development and planning.
  • Extensive knowledge of logical frameworks and participatory results based planning, monitoring and evaluation, and demonstrated ability to coach and train others in their use.
  • Applied knowledge of project cycle management including problem analysis, project design, financial planning and management, and monitoring and evaluation.
  • Good understanding of international development issues, including women’s rights, education and governance / humanitarian response, recovery and resilience work.
  • Strong commitment to ActionAid’s mission, vision and values.

Desirable

  • Specific experience of working with DFID, EU, Comic Relief, the Big Lottery Fund, ECHO, DEC.
  • Experience of living and working in the developing world.

Skills and abilities

Essential

  • Excellent data management, communication and organisation skills.
  • Excellent skills in information/data analysis, including analysis of highly diverse data, and report writing.
  • Proven facilitation, training and capacity building skills, ideally in supporting partners or colleagues overseas.
  • Strong budgeting and financial management skills.
  • Strong communication and negotiation skills, with excellent written and spoken English.
  • Ability to think and work proactively, creatively and strategically under pressure or when faced with competing demands.
  • Ability to work well in a team and cross-organisationally, establishing excellent relationships with colleagues from different functions and cultures across the ActionAid Federation.
  • Ability to travel overseas, often to insecure environments for short periods of time, several times a year.
  • Confident and proficient in the use of MS Office

Desirable

  • Fluency in a second language spoken in developing countries, in addition to English.