Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Advisor

About ChildFund Australia

ChildFund Australia is an independent international development organisation working to reduce poverty for children in developing communities. Our mission is to partner to create communities and systems change, which enables vulnerable children and young people, in all their diversity, to assert and realise their rights.

We're also a member of the ChildFund Alliance – one of the world’s oldest and most experienced child-focused development agency networks. With a global network of 11 organisations, the ChildFund Alliance assists almost 36 million children and families in 70 countries around the world.

ChildFund Australia directly implements and manages development programs in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Vietnam, while also supporting projects delivered by partner organisations throughout Asia, Africa and the Americas;  our work is funded through, among other sources, generous public donations and government grants.

Join us in realising our vision of a world without poverty where all children and young people can say: "I am safe. I am educated. I contribute. I have a future."

About the role

As the MEL Advisor, you develop and provide access to information, guidelines, and resources that foster organisational learning and enable programs to be effectively designed, implemented, monitored, evaluated, and reported on to various audiences, with a particular focus on supporting ChildFund’s work in the Mekong. Achieving this involves putting in place systems, processes, and tools that facilitate efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability in ChildFund Australia’s program work. You will work closely with the Program Teams in Sydney and Mekong offices, and increasingly also work closely with local partners as per our commitment to locally-led development.

Key duties of the role

• Lead the implementation, ongoing updates, and socialisation of our MEL Framework, including key MEL components of the Project Cycle Management i.e. baseline surveys, project evaluations.
• Provide ongoing MEL capacity strengthening in the Mekong countries through face-to-face and remote training, mentoring on MEL-related issues for MEL teams and local partners
• Provide technical advice to the Program teams in the Mekong countries throughout the project cycle, especially project evaluations and program reviews
• Support evidence-based organisational learning
• Support timely program data processing for advocacy and various reports incl. to external stakeholders
• Support ongoing updates and maintenance of the online Program database system (Hive) in close collaboration with the Salesforce administration team and the Head of Programs.
• In charge of overall data management and routine data updates to ensure Program Hive is generating reliable data by working closely with the MEL and Program teams in Mekong and Pacific Offices.
• In charge of developing accessible and efficient online and offline monitoring and evaluation tools across program sectors, including the digitisation of key sector tools.
• Coordinate MEL team’s annual plan and budget including the regular activities of ChildFund Australia MEL Community of Practice
• Strengthen local partnerships and/or relationships, e.g., through capacity sharing to support localisation
• Promote and integrate gender equality, disability, and social inclusion into day-to-day work.

Qualifications & Experience

• Tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline, e.g. International Development, Social Science, Social Research
• At least five years’ experience in Monitoring and Evaluation incl. administering and developing relevant tools and processes, with a focus on designing and implementing evaluations, analysing quantitative and qualitative data, and experience using online databases and online M and E tools.
• At least five years’ experience in Project Management in developing countries
• Extensive experience in capacity strengthening, working in cross-cultural contexts, and working with Civil Societies and government entities
• Proficient in English

Desirable Qualifications & Experience

• Familiarity with child-focused programming.
• Demonstrated commitment to the principle of locally-driven community development

Skills & Qualities

• Change champion, with a solution mindset, able to challenge the status quo
• Excellent communicator, able to analyse and interpret data and to communicate complex concepts in a pragmatic manner
• Strong stakeholder manager, supporting others in achieving their & the organisation‘s goals
• Open to share knowledge and work in a strong team-oriented environment with people from different backgrounds

Department: International Programs

Location: Either ChildFund Cambodia (Phnom Penh)   OR ChildFund Vietnam (Hanoi)

Employment: Full Time

Reports to: Director of Sustainable Grants & Program Effectiveness

Other Information: Must have full working rights in either Cambodia or Vietnam.

Deadline: 31 July 2024

ChildFund Australia believes in a global community where children are safe and can reach their full potential. We take extensive steps to safeguard children in any work done by our people, i.e., our staff, volunteers and interns, supporters, partners, board members, ambassadors and suppliers. We strive to keep children safe through child safe practices, and rigorously ensure we prevent, oppose, and combat all exploitation and abuse of children and vulnerable people. As part of this commitment, all people working with us will undergo relevant background checks before joining ChildFund Australia.

At ChildFund Australia, all staff must remain alert and responsive to any child safeguarding or sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment (SEAH) risks. Staff will acquire the knowledge and skills needed to understand our Child Safeguarding and PSEAH policies & procedures, promote strong safeguarding practices, and conduct themselves consistent with these policies.

In line with our values, diversity of people and ideas is critical to our work and our success at ChildFund Australia. We strive for a team culture that is welcoming, inclusive, and supportive. Childfund is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and strongly encourages people from all backgrounds, abilities, and identities to apply for any vacancies.

Keywords

MonitoringEvaluationLearningAdvisorChildFundAustraliaPovertyChildrenDevelopmentMekongCapacityStrengtheningProject ManagementDataGender EqualityDisabilitySocial Inclusion