Besik II - Monitoring and Evaluation Adviser

 

DILI, EAST TIMOR
RURAL WATER SUPPLY, SANITATION & HYGIENE PROGRAM (BESIK) -

Monitoring & Evaluation Advisor

 

IDSS (Aurecon IDA) is one of Australia 's best known international development consulting companies.  We work with communities, organisations and governments to build local capacity, to advocate for access to resources and for the delivery of basic services. Our experience as a multi-disciplinary business is global. 

 

IDSS (Aurecon IDA) have been successfully implementing BESIK I and are currently bidding for the BESIK II phase. Both BESIK I and the new BESIK II are Australian Government (AusAID) funded programs to support the lead role of Government of Timor Leste to expand capacity within the rural water supply, sanitation and hygiene sector and working towards MDG targets. BESIK II is due to commence in July 2012, for an initial four years.

Within the BESIK II program, the managing contractor will provide specific services. We are seeking expressions of interest from highly experienced and skilled personnel for the following key role to be based in Dili:

Monitoring & Evaluation Advisor (full time) - AusAID ARF Classification C4 (please refer to the job description below).

Candidates should have qualifications in a relevant field, excellent communications skills (including across cultures), sensitivity to gender and social inclusion and experience in working in a complex development environment. Candidates with an understanding of the development context in East Timor and with a proven background of working with AusAID are strongly encouraged to apply.

 

Conditions for employment, including rate scales and allowances, will be as per the AusAID ARF Guidelines. Personnel employed on the BESIK program must adhere to IDSS child protection, anti-fraud and other key policies.

 

To apply for this position, please visit our employment portal at www.idss.com.au. A covering letter addressing key selection criteria and a CV should be submitted by the closing date of Sunday 18 March.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

 

 

Job Description

Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor

BRIEF EXPLANATION OF ROLE:

Bee, Saneamentu no Ijene iha Komunidade Phase II (BESIK II), is funded by the Government of Australia through AusAID to provide assistance to the Government of the Government of Timor-Leste (GoTL) for the development of rural water supply, sanitation and hygiene (RWASH) activities in Timor-Leste. It follows and continues the work of the first phase of BESIK which commenced in 2007 and will finish in June 2012. BESIK II is an eight year program. The first four years of the program has been design and valued at around $43m.

BESIK II will have a managing contractor (MC). Unlike the arrangements for the first phase of BESIK, the managing contractor for BESIK II will not be responsible for strategic or operational direction-setting. This role has been elevated to a Steering Committee (consisting of key government counterpart representative and AusAID) and a Program Director (PD). The MC's role will be to assist with the efficient and effective implementation of plans approved by the BESIK II Steering Committee.

The M&E Adviser will be responsible for the development and implementation of the M&E systems for BESIK II. This will include development of an M&E plan, M&E associated with a number of pilot activities undertaken by BESIK II, undertaking an Evaluability Assessment (see below), supervision of the compilation of progress reports and contributions to other quality reporting. The M&E Advisor will provide support to other BESIK II advisors and personnel, as well as GoTL counterparts as required for the implementation of BESIK II and GoTL M&E systems.

The M&E Adviser will report to the PD, and will also receive logistical support and direction from the Operations Manager in relation to the coordination of BESIK II activities and contribution to work plans and reporting.

 

Responsible to: Program Director (PD)

Works with: Designated GoTL counterparts, long and short term advisors and Locally Engaged Staff (LES) on a day to day basis

Duration: Full time for length of contract

Location: Dili, Timor-Leste

AusAID Adviser Remuneration Framework Job Discipline and Level: C4

 

KEY OBJECTIVES OF THE POSITION:

·          Using a participatory approach, design a monitoring and evaluation plan that meets the expectation of AusAID and international standards of practice in M&E. AusAID Indonesia and East Timor M&E Standards are available from AusAID on request. These are based on standards such as the Joint Committee Standards (available at https://www.jcsee.org/program-evaluation-standards/program-evaluation-standards-statements).

·          Develop a robust M&E system for the BESIK II Pilot activities. As decisions in response to the pilot activities will be affecting the rural population nation-wide, the methods for data collection, analysis and reporting will need to meet high standards. A "knowledge to policy" strategy will also need to be developed to support the M&E of Program Pilot activities and be based on international and domestic experiences in informing the policy process. Where any M&E of Pilot activities is contracted out, the M&E Advisor is responsible for the development of suitable terms of reference, and quality assurance of the design, conduct and final reporting of M&E findings.

·          Conduct an Evaluability Assessment at a time when the implementation team and partners are ready and able to clearly articulate the outcomes of the initiative. The M&E Specialist is expected to be familiar with this form of assessment. At a minimum this would include: a review of the expected end-of-program outcomes and robustness of the program logic; articulation of stakeholder decisions and information needs including key evaluation questions; review of the availability and quality of existing data sources; review of the capacity of the implementation team or other relevant stakeholders to collect, analyse and report on data; articulation of the resources and budget available to conduct M&E for the program.

·          Collect Baseline information for key outcomes of BESIK II. This will be especially important where current capacity is not well understood, or where stakeholders consider the particular outcome to have a significant impact on access to and utilisation of water and sanitation services. Baseline and follow-up assessments must also be methodologically defensible.

·          Identify where the implementation team will require on-going M&E technical support, and where they will be expected to implement the M&E plan themselves.

·          Provide regular support to the implementation of the M&E Plan. The focus ought to be on the on-going design of M&E activities; assuring the quality of the M&E system implementation; and providing technical support for the collection, analysis and interpretation of data where more advanced skills are required.

·          Identify what capacity is required by the implementation team to implement the M&E Framework (Plan), and develop a simple capacity building plan to develop relevant skills, and to ensure that there is an enabling environment in place to implement the M&E plan. It is anticipated that the M&E plan largely reflects the capacity of the team to implement, and significant investments in capacity development will not be required.

·          Supervise the compilation of BESIK II progress reports that meet the requirements of AusAID. An evidence-based, timely contribution to the Quality at Implementation Reports, Independent Progress Reports and Activity Completion Reports should be prepared. Negotiation of suitable content and presentation of reports should be part of the Evaluability Assessment outlined above. Reports must reflect an analytical contribution where the implications of findings are explored, not simply reported. The following types of questions ought to be answered in progress reports: What is the current situation? What are the inhibiting or facilitating factors that have led to this situation? What are the implications for the program? What have been, or are planned management responses to this situation?

·          Contribute to the intellectual development of BESIK II during implementation. Working as a facilitator, support the implementation team and other relevant stakeholders to interpret and respond to M&E findings over the life of the initiative.

·          Collaborate, liaise and work closely with Advisors, to ensure effective communication, coordination and results for BESIK II M&E activities.

·          Comply with all program operational, administrative and contractual requirements.

·          Other duties as required by and in agreement with the PD.

 

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Required:

·          Post graduate degree that has included a research dissertation component. Alternatively, evidence of training in advanced research or evaluation design, conduct and management. (Note. Short professional development courses in M&E are not considered advanced training.) Where a post graduate degree in research or evaluation methods has not been completed, evidence of the quality of research or evaluation activities previously designed and conducted may be requested if called to be interviewed.

·          Experience developing M&E systems for projects in resource constrained settings. This is required to ensure that the proposed M&E system is feasible in the context. If the candidate does not have experience in resource constrained settings, then they need to be able to articulate strategies to deal with this while maintaining a sufficient degree of rigour proportionate to the importance of decisions likely to be made. As BESIK II is a whole-of-sector Program affecting the entire rural population, rigour will be considered important. Candidates may be asked to provide examples of their best work to the TAP if called to be interviewed.

·          Demonstrated practical experience in research or evaluation design, conduct, and management. This experience should reflect expertise in developing a fully elaborated design of an M&E system which includes the design approach, articulation of M&E questions, development of sound methods and tools, conduct of data collection activities, analysis of data (or supervision of such), interpretation and dissemination of results and report preparation. (Note. The development of an M&E plan only and that has not been implemented by the candidate, would not be considered adequate experience.)

·          Demonstrated ability to distil and communicate complex concepts simply with a range of stakeholders in multi-cultural settings.

·          Demonstrated ability to facilitate learning from, and response to, M&E findings with implementation teams and other relevant stakeholders.

·          Demonstrated experience of working effectively with a team of international consultants; and

·          Excellent oral and written communication skills in a cross-cultural environment.

 

Desirable:

·          Demonstrated experience in the delivery of development projects. This is required to ensure that the consultant is sensitive to the difficulties of implementing development projects in complex settings, that the M&E plan is feasible and value for money, and that the M&E systems meet the priority needs of all relevant stakeholders.

·          Demonstrated on-going membership of a domestic or international evaluation society, or other demonstrated commitment to keeping up to date with the theoretical and practice developments in the field of evaluation.

·          Proficiency in language other than English - particularly Tetun, Portuguese, Bahasa Indonesian;

·          Work experience in Timor-Leste.

 

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

It is essential that the M&E Advisor can establish effective working relationships with the full range of key stakeholders, including senior government officials, national staff, Program Officers, and staff of development agencies. This requires genuineness of approach and integrity, in order to build mutual respect and trust. The key personal attributes of such a person include:

·          Ability to support a flexible and varied team under conditions in which team members report directly to local senior counterparts;

·          Sensitivity to other cultures and the ability to act appropriately in Timorese culture;

·          Flexibility, responsiveness, discipline and patience; and

·          Ability to work according to agreed principles and model the desirable behaviours including cooperation, a focus on the wider goals and able to handle conflict appropriately and constructively.