Whitelum Group is seeking a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Adviser to provide MEL support to the Disaster READY program, and the Pacific COVID-19 Response Packages administered through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership. This position is situated within the Australian Humanitarian Partnership Support Unit and will be on an initial 12-month contract, with the possibility of extension.

Whitelum Group

Whitelum Group is a professional consulting firm that specialises in international and community development. They provide a range of technical, advisory, facilitation and managerial services tailored to the needs of their clients. They are committed to supporting economic, social and political development that leads to positive, inclusive and sustainable impacts. They offer dynamic and rewarding career opportunities working on international and community development programs across a range of sectors in Australia, Asia and the Pacific.

The Whitelum Group is the Managing Contractor for the Australian Humanitarian Partnership Support Unit (AHPSU).

Background

The Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP) is a five-year (2017-2022) partnership between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and Australian NGOs that aims to save lives, alleviate suffering and enhance human dignity during and in the aftermath of conflict, disasters and other humanitarian crises.

DFAT has partnered with six peak Australian NGOs and their consortium partners:

1. CARE Australia: Partnering with Live & Learn
2. Plan International Australia: Partnering with ActionAid, ChildFund Australia, International Medical Corps UK, CBM Australia and Australian Volunteers International
3. Save the Children Australia
4. Caritas Australia: Lead consortium partner in the Church Agencies Network Disaster Operations (CAN DO) network. CAN DO brings together Caritas Australia, Act for Peace, Adventist Development and Relief Agency, Anglican Board of Mission, Anglican Overseas Aid, Australian Lutheran World Service, Transform Aid International and Uniting World
5. OXFAM Australia: Partnering with ABC International Development, CBM Australia and Habitat for Humanity Australia
6. World Vision Australia: Partnering with Habitat for Humanitarian Australia, Bureau of Meteorology (BoM), CBM Australia and Field Ready

DFAT has contracted an independent Support Unit (AHPSU) to provide technical and administrative assistance to the AHP.

The AHP also delivers a strategic initiative (Disaster READY) to strengthen disaster preparedness and management across the Pacific and Timor-Leste, implemented by the six AHP Australian NGOs and their consortium and local partners. Disaster READY is an AUD 50 million, 4.5 year program supporting local communities and organisations across five countries: PNG, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Timor-Leste.

In June 2020, the Australian Government announced an additional AUD 25 million Pacific COVID-19 response package, of which AUD 21 million will be programmed by AHP partners in the Disaster READY countries. Building on the strong coordination and collaboration developed under Disaster READY, the AHP agencies opted to develop single, country-level proposals and committed to a centralised monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) approach. The AHPSU is supporting the MEL component for the overarching Pacific COVID-19 response package.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Adviser will provide specialist MEL support to AHP partners engaged in the Pacific COVID-19 response package and the Disaster READY program.

Given current challenges with the COVID-19 context, the MEL Adviser will be required to provide a high-level of remote support to AHP in-country partners. The MEL Adviser will be expected to demonstrate a strong understanding of remote learning approaches and tools and to demonstrate innovative approaches to engaging partners remotely across multiple countries.

The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Adviser’s primary responsibilities will include:

Pacific COVID-19 response package MEL support

• Provide practical technical support to country consortia (including local NGOs and key ANGO counterparts in-country) in the development and implementation of country-level MEL arrangements for the Pacific response package. The purpose is to improve both the rigour of evidence about the response outcomes, and also to support utilisation of this evidence by a range of stakeholders;
• Facilitate (and document) MEL learning and capacity development across the countries involved in the Pacific response package. This may include workshops with in-country NGOs to share good practice MEL, or other capacity development approaches;
• Regular communication and support to the country consortia, country-level MEL leads,  individual agencies and ANGO leads in the implementation and continuous improvement of their MEL arrangements;
• Provide support to the non-Disaster READY countries involved in COVID-19 response as required, for example reviewing MEL frameworks and reports, and providing advice on MEL requirements;
• Support the AHPSU to quality assure and analyse results from across the Pacific COVID-19 response package to inform reporting to DFAT and other internal and external communication products;
• Other inputs and assistance as required and/or identified by the AHPSU MEL Manager / AHPSU Partnership Director.

Disaster READY MEL Support

• Provide practical technical support to the Disaster READY partners in-country to strengthen: the rigour of the evidence they collect on their outcomes, better coordinate M&E across partners within each country; and also to support their utilisation of this evidence.
• Facilitate MEL learning and capacity development within and between the Disaster READY countries, and involving ANGO counterparts. This will also include supporting NGOs to apply MEL-related recommendations from program-wide analytical reports such as gender and disability inclusion reports;
• Review and support the implementation of NGO MEL Frameworks, and evaluations;
• Review and inform the continuous improvement of the Disaster READY program-wide MEL system, including the Disaster READY indicators.
• Review and analyse individual NGO Disaster READY Annual Reports and Workplans, and help to identify any improvements required in the report templates;
• Provide quality assurance of MEL data obtained through NGO Annual Reports and Workplans;
• Support the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data to inform the Disaster READY program-wide summary Annual Report, and other internal and external communication products;
• Provide support and input to up to two thematic evaluations on Disaster READY outcomes.
• Ensure there are synergies in the learning agenda between the Pacific COVID-19 response package and the Disaster READY program, and harmonise inputs to maximise sector learning, and work efficiencies;
• Contribute to external learning opportunities as necessary. This might include seminars, workshops and regional and international humanitarian and MEL events;
• Other inputs and assistance as required and/or identified by the AHPSU MEL Manager / AHPSU Partnership Director.

Key Selection Criteria

Required

1. At least 10 years’ experience in monitoring and evaluation or in research (preferably in the international aid and development sector);
2. Formal qualifications in monitoring and evaluation or in research.
3. Experience in building capacity in M&E, ideally with smaller resource-strained organisations.
4. Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English;
5. Evidence of strong cross-cultural awareness, and proven ability to build relationships with key partners, including in the Pacific and Australia;
6. The ability to work in a small team, work independently as required, and to work to deadlines.

Desired

• Experience working with NGOs and/or with the Australian Government;
• An understanding of Australia's humanitarian sector and/or aid and development programs;
• An understanding of disaster preparedness, disaster risk reduction and resilience;
• Experience in Pacific contexts.

Please see the full Position Description below.