Organization: Right To Play International
Department/Division: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning
Work location: London, UK
Authorized to work in: UK (Ability to work legally without requiring sponsorship)
Target Hiring Zone: Gross £45,000 - £ 49,000 (GBP) per annum
Closing Date: Open until position is filled
BACKGROUND:
Right To Play is a global organisation that protects, educates and empowers children to rise above adversity using play. By harnessing play, one of the most powerful and fundamental forces in a child’s life, we helped 2.3 million children last year to stay in school and out of work, to prevent life-threatening diseases like HIV and malaria and to stay safe from exploitation and abuse. We are the only global development organization focused exclusively on using play to transform the lives of children and youth impacted by poverty, war, disease and inequality. We play for change in the five key areas: Quality Education, Gender Equality, Health and Wellbeing, Child Protection, Psychosocial Support.
Established in 2000, Right To Play is headquartered in Toronto, Canada and has operations in 22 countries across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
With a shared passion for our mission, our Culture Code guides how we act and interact based on five core pillars:
- Accept Everyone – Be intentional about inclusion
- Make Things Happen – Seek opportunities to lead and innovate
- Display Courage – Act with integrity
- Demonstrate Care – Look after yourself and one another
- Be Playful – Have fun at work
Please visit our website to learn more about who we are and what we do, and watch this video to find out about the five pillars of our Culture Code.
ROLE DESCRIPTION
The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Manager will support the transformation of Right to Play into a learning and evidence-driven organization, ensuring effective systems and processes to ensure best practice across the program teams. The MEL Manager will be contributing to the implementation of Right To Play’s Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning strategy across the organization and assigned countries which responds to the following strategic objectives: Implement an Evidence-Driven Approach, leveraging the use of technology to improve data quality and enabling real-time monitoring, learning and decision-making.
The Global MEL Manager will oversee internal and external program evaluations to develop and promote a learning agenda to inform program strategy and funding decisions. The Global MEL Manager’s primary focus is to lead the design and implementation of projects’ MEL systems and processes capable of tracking progress against identified targets and determining its effectiveness across assigned countries; to support the implementation of the information systems; and to support country teams in developing and implementing the monitoring and evaluation frameworks. They will also manage and oversee multi-country evaluations as well as lead on producing deliverables aligned with the MEL strategy’s objectives.
Reporting to the Director, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning and working in close cooperation with other MEL team members in Right To Play’s country offices and fundraising teams to achieve global goals for children, this role requires a high level of collaboration and coordination.
The position will be based in London, UK; however, extensive travel locally and internationally (up to 50%) is required. Given the impact of COVID-19, travel requirements may potentially change, and employees may work from home in the initial months of employment.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Job Responsibility #1: Quality Monitoring and Evaluation Framework and Systems (45% of Time):
- Leads in provision of technical support to ensure quality implementation of assigned Right To Play’s program measurement strategies, with a specific emphasis on statistical metrics, rigorous sampling frameworks, and quantitative measurements.
- Manages the review of data coming from monitoring and evaluation systems such as DEVRESULTS to track the quality of Right To Play’s multi-country, global programs and design improvement measures as required to adhere to current international standards and best practices in the education and/or health sector.
- Supports outcomes reporting processes by coordinating outcomes reports, reviewing content, providing technical support, and analysing global data.
Commissioning and Management of Evaluations
- Leads assigned countries’ donor evaluations, ensuring evaluations are balanced across core evaluation principles and that they promote a learning agenda that builds the knowledge necessary to inform program planning, funding decisions, and strategic directions for the organization.
- Ensures that evaluation variables are strategically identified and donor requirements are measured.
- Leads and contributes to evaluation design, data collection methods and process, data analysis, and representation of findings using the highest scientific rigor and contextual relevance possible.
Research Design, Implementation and Partnership:
- Provides technical inputs into academic and operational research proposals and determining suitability and degree of alignment with organizational priorities. Develop guidelines and protocols for academic and operational research on Right To Play programs.
- Prepares papers, reports and articles for external public consumption that may include academic journals, industry publications, advocacy forums, other NGO’s etc.
- Accurately presents Right To Play findings at conferences, forums, special interest groups nationally and internationally.
Learning, Dissemination, and Data Utilization (Internal and External) **
- Ensures that staff across the organization are learning about and discussing findings from outcome assessments, evaluations, and research studies, and that key findings are informing ongoing planning and decision-making.
Job Responsibility #2: Implementation of the Measurement Strategy and Planning (20% of Time):**
- Ensures assigned quality implementation of the organizational measurement strategy, monitors and reports on performance indicators and variances.
- Develops and manages assigned sections of MEL strategy, annual plans and budgets for implementation of Global MEL priorities and change projects.
- Leads on assigned research that advances the ability of Right To Play to contribute to the field of knowledge in our sectors of operation.
- Participate and provides MEL technical inputs for Community of Practice (CoP) Meetings.
Job Responsibility #3: Country Office Collaboration and Support (25% of Time):
- In collaboration with Country Office MEL colleagues, supports and provides technical guidance to country-level MEL staff with the implementation of key measurement activities.
- In collaboration with Country Office MEL colleagues, works to develop a strong monitoring and evaluation frameworks across the different RTP thematic areas.
- Engages regularly in the MEL Community of Practice with Country Office MEL colleagues.
- Supports MEL staff in the implementation of the Global MEL Strategy and related systems, processes and tools and provides solutions to the challenges in their implementation.
- Leads, mentors, trains and provides technical support to the M&E Team (including Field Offices) to build capacity in M&E systems and to enhance M&E vision and systems.
Job Responsibility #4: Program Planning and Organizational Support (10% of Time):
- Provides technical support in evaluation systems, Results-Based Management and project development.
- Collaborates with Right To Play teams to support resource development, effective training delivery, project planning and development, proposal writing program implementation, and communications.
- Reviews annual program plans to ensure adequate and complete monitoring and evaluation plans are included.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
EDUCATION/TRAINING/CERTIFICATION:
- Master’s degree in social sciences, international development or equivalent experience and education.
- Training or certification in statistics, mixed and quantitative measurement strategies, and/or research methods.
EXPERIENCE:
- Minimum 6 years of experience in the International Development and/or Humanitarian sector with substantial overseas experience.
- Experience managing program evaluation in the international development context.
- Experience providing technical support and managing program evaluations in a multi-country setting.
- Experience developing measurement frameworks for education or health programs.
- Proven ability to gather, analyse and evaluate facts and to prepare concise and well-written evaluation reports for different audiences – technical, management, government, donors, and other stakeholders.
- Experience in application of quantitative data collection, analysis and reporting and the creation and sourcing of appropriate tools.
- Demonstrated skills and use of both quantitative data analysis and visualisation software, such as SPSS, STATA and/or Dedoose, PowerBI or Tableau.
- Experience in the field of education and technology, and/or SHR and GBV is an asset.
- Experience working with major international development donors or Foundations.
- Experience in implementing systems for capturing impact and performance data to facilitate organizational learning and evidence.
COMPETENCIES / PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES:
- Strong analytical and conceptual skills to think and plan strategically and the ability to translate this into practical and feasible operational program planning both in written and verbal formats.
- Demonstrates a high level of interpersonal and cross-cultural skills including the ability to build collaborative relationships internally and externally with sensitivity to cultural, ethnic, social and political issues.
- Patient, adaptable, flexible, able to improvise and remain responsive and communicate clearly and effectively under pressure, working with a wide range of stakeholders.
- Highly adaptable and able to work with people from various backgrounds and cultures.
- Ability to collaborate amongst an international and multidisciplinary team.
- Ability to work with vulnerable people and ensure high safeguarding standards when undertaking data collection.
KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS:
- Excellent knowledge and ability in statistical analysis.
- Demonstrated ability with budget management.
- Strong analytical skills, including research.
- Proficient experience of working with Microsoft Office applications.
- Extensive use of tools and resources for mobile data collection.
LANGUAGES:
- Fluency in oral and written English, fluency in oral and written French is an asset.
WHO YOU ARE:
You are an aspiring global professional with an attention to details and data. You can manage complex processes and have an inherent passion for research and evaluation-type activities. You are also passionate about global issues and would like to contribute to international development through monitoring, evaluation, and learning.
WHAT YOU’LL GET:
The opportunity to work with a passionate, innovative and collaborative team where you have the ability to make things happen. You will gain experience working for a globally recognized organization with a healthy culture premised on our Culture Code (accept everyone, make things happen, display courage, demonstrate care and be playful). In addition, we offer a competitive salary and benefits package including flexible work policy (e.g. work from home and flex hours), 25-day annual leaves, and up to 5 personal development days per year.
Target Start Date: Immediate
Contract Duration: Permanent/Full-time