The Organisation
Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances childrenโs 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 itโs 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 childrenโs rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for โ and respond to โ 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 85 years, and are now active in more than 80 countries.
ROLE PURPOSE
Plan International Ethiopia is looking for Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning Manager for a five-year project, โPlayMattersโ, funded by the LEGO Foundation. This position will be a part of the larger PlayMatters initiative to increase play-based learning opportunities for 800.000 pre-primary and primary school aged refugee and host community children impacted by the humanitarian crises in East Africa and living in Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania. This project seeks to build childrenโs social, emotional, cognitive, physical and creative skills through play in their homes, schools, and communities and will be implemented in partnership with War Child, Plan International, Ubongo, Behavioural Insights Team and Innovations for Poverty Action.
The overall purpose of this role is to strengthen the Monitoring, Evaluation and Research (MER) as well as Accountability system of the LEGO Play Matters Project in support of programme development, learning and accountability (PALS) and quality improvements in Gambella, Afar and Benishnaguel Gumuz. He/she is expected to ensure that program quality is reflected within the entire project cycle and that all field program implementation (in Gameblla, Benishnaguel Gumuz and Afar) is undertaken efficiently and effectively by reflecting that all M&E requirements are in place and that cross-cutting issues of inclusion and DRR are properly incorporated.
Dimenssions of the Role
- The post holder will report to the MEL Lead as well as to the LEGO Project Lead and will be responsible for the Lego PlayMatters project Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning
- The job holder is responsible for initiating, development and delivery of a Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Framework as part of the Lego Play Matters project.
- S/he provides managerial and technical leadership in the development of the Lego Play Matters project Monitoring, Evaluation and Research (MER) Plan.
- S/he will be responsible for providing technical leadership and support in program/project design, planning, information gathering and synthesis, reflection and reporting processes.
- The position will be based at the Country Office.
Accountabilities and MAIN WORK ACTIVITIES
Plan has a performance management and accountability matrix SOP. Every position holder is expected to adhere to the SOP and review and review her/his responsibility against the accountability matrix.
Monitoring and Evaluation
- Ensure Lego Play Matters project planning, monitoring and evaluation processes meet the Donor standards and comply with Donor accountability requirement.
- Co-managing databases and ensuring adherence to ethics and the standards established across the consortium and by relevant national policies,
- Provide quality guidance to Gambella, Afar and Benishnaguel Gumuz programs in implementing PALS in their planning, monitoring and evaluation processes of the Lego Play Matters project.
- Facilitate the monitoring, evaluation and research network in the country to promote good practice and identify ways to strengthen Lego Play Matters projectโs planning, monitoring and evaluation processes.
- Contribute for the iteration of the MEL framework of PlayMatters project in the coming years.
- Ensure that M&E data from Gambella, Afar and Benishanguel Gumuz for both external and internal audiences as required are collected, analysed and availed for decisions
- Facilitate or carry out field level data collection for testing, research, and ongoing monitoring - going beyond tracking of MEAL indicators.
- Supporting learning and data use at various levels and groups, i.e. the field-based program teams, country-level Project Management Committees (PMCs), Content Development Committees (CDCs) and the Regional Project Team/Technical Working Group (TWG).
- Lead evaluation events such as baseline, midline and end line assessments by or contributing to draft terms of references, review and comment quantitative and qualitative data collection tools, facilitate/participate in data collection, data analysis and presentation of final reports also facilitate validations and reflections on key learning.
- Identify and respond to information requirements of different stakeholders and make information accessible on timely basis.
- Manage consultants and research partners to ensure that commissioned researches and evaluations are carried out to a high, international standard and successfully completed.
- Support knowledge management and learning by producing specific programme information resources.
- Produce Gambella, Afar and Benishanguel Gumuz level programsโ performance reports (quarterly, APPR and CPPR) to enable effective decision making by the management teams - both at PA and CO.
- Provide timely feedbacks to all relevant staff about the outcomes and quality of programsโ mid-term and end evaluation.
- Proactively seek and promote best practice as part of monitoring, evaluation and program effectiveness practice.
- Maintain consistency in monitoring and evaluation standards in the organization, leading the consistent application of MER system and donorโs compliance in programsโ cycle management process.
- Identifies weaknesses in monitoring and evaluation practice and develops targeted solutions alongside the identification and promotion of high-quality evaluation practice.
- Work closely with the Gambella, Afar and Benishanguel Gumuz Monitoring, Evaluation and Research coordinators to improve the quality of monitoring and evaluation and provide technical supports as needed to PAs and COโs program team.
Accountability:
- In collaboration with the regional accountability adviser and filed level accountability coordinators roll out the accountability framework of PMs project.
- Responsible for accountability database and the overall system at plan country level.
- Managing accountability data and ensuring that community feedback cases are managed in line with PlayMattersโ accountability frameworks and PIEโs Safeguarding policy in cases where this applies,
- Facilitate regular monthly, quarterly and annually (joint) review and reflection sessions to discuss on project progress, lessons, best practice, challenges and way forwards as a key accountability mechanism
- Follow up the integration of feedbacks and complaints in the management decision and project quality improvement accordingly.
Learning/Research: