Back Monitoring, Research, and Learning Lead

Montrose is an international development project management and consultancy company providing support to clients operating in the developing world. Specialised in the sectors of health, education, rural livelihoods and private sector development, our clients include bilateral and multilateral development agencies, the private sector, Non-Governmental Organisations and other development stakeholders.

Background

Towards Results Education and English (TREE) is a five-year (2019-2023) DFID programme under the Myanmar-UK Partnership for Education (MUPE) led by British Council in consortium with Montrose, VSO and Open University. MUPE consists of three distinct but interconnected projects; TREE, AERS, and Evaluation Evidence and Learning Component (EELC)

TREE consists of four workstreams which include i) continuous professional development frameworks, pathways and programmes, ii) supporting improved English Proficiency and pedagogy, iii) effective practicum and professional development through systems strengthening partnerships between national and cluster level institutions, and iv) inclusion and disability with the aim of improving the education system in Myanmar through improved quality of teaching. TREE’s target beneficiaries are principals of education colleges and practicing schools, teacher educators and student teachers.

TREE builds on other initiatives such as STEM by UNESCO and CREATE by JICA which have been implemented to support new education reforms in Myanmar. TREE directly focuses on the teacher education and management transformational shift through strengthening teacher quality assurance and management, improving quality of pre-service education and teacher continuous professional development.

Overview of Montrose’s Scope of Work

As part of the TREE consortium, Montrose is leading the monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL) for the four workstreams. The overall MERL approach involves monitoring and evaluation of performance and results to guide course correction and help delivery of value for money; operations research to inform wider, positive changes in inclusive, evidence-based teaching; learning and dissemination of evidence to ensure that programme strategies, resources, and wider learning are maximised, and that TREE is contributing to the evidence base, both within Myanmar and internationally. MERL will aim to provide key stakeholders with evidence-based information related to the impact and effectiveness of the learning outcomes for student teacher especially in English language which will inform programme implementation, teaching practices, and policy.

The programme seeks to achieve the three outcomes below:

A. Increased confidence of principals/ teacher educators/ teachers in implementing teacher education reforms

B. Improved learning outcomes for student teachers and children, particularly for English language

C. Stronger, more effective and inclusive education systems to support teacher education reforms

The TREE programme is currently planning and adapting to new ways of working in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. This includes adopting remote working and using technology to maintain programme activities as well as identifying new activities that may be introduced to support the education sector in Myanmar to prevent the spread of and respond to emerging needs as a result of COVID-19. The situation is fluid and unpredictable and as such we expect programme activities and consultants to be flexible and adaptable during this period.

Purpose of the role

The Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning Lead will be responsible for oversight and leadership of the MERL component of the TREE programme. This will include regular monitoring and evaluation of programme activities against the logframe and agreed milestones as well as oversight of the operational research. The MERL Lead will work closely with TREE consortium partners to ensure data is collected and reported accurately and timely. They will provide advice and technical assistance to the programme, and training where needed, on methodology as well as conducting data analysis and reporting – quantitative and qualitative – ensuring the theory of change, logframe and MERL framework remain specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timebound (SMART). They will have responsibility for the data and knowledge management and will lead the TREE’s strategy for the dissemination of learning. Alongside the TREE leadership, they will represent the programme regarding MERL including to the Myanmar Ministry of Education, DfID, partners and stakeholders, this will include presenting results and learning at key forums.

Responsibilities:

Leadership of the MERL component

· Liaise with consortium partners to understand TREE MERL needs,

· Lead two part time MERL Officers (developing TORs, agreeing work allocation, overseeing deliverables, and managing performance)

· Build MERL capacity of consortium partners to deliver high quality data, including developing content and conducting training for TREE Facilitators. Continually monitor MERL capacity gaps, and advise consortium partners on strategies to address them.

· Lead monthly TREE MERL Working Group meetings (develop agenda, lead discussions, take note of key actions, and follow up on decisions)

· Attend bi-weekly technical team meetings to update the consortium on progress on the MERL component

· Coordinate and oversee short-term consultants (TORs, deliverables, timelines) with support from the Myanmar Country Coordinator

· Attend meetings with external partners and DFID as requested by the TREE Team Leader and/or Montrose

· Provide weekly updates to the Montrose Myanmar Country Coordinator

· Oversee operational research deliverables with support from the Myanmar Country Coordinator.

MEL system and strategy development

· Update the annual TREE MERL plan, ToC and log frame indicators and ensure compliance with programme needs, Education College capacities, and donor requirements**

· Update the TREE MERL Strategy and TREE MERL tools for reporting and data management, and ensure responsiveness to changing context and donor requirements **

· Oversee monitoring, review, and implementation of the TREE MERL plan**

· Identify bottlenecks in the TREE programme MERL system and make recommendations for improvement.

Data analysis and management

· Collate monthly and quarterly data from consortium partners

· Review data against logframe and milestone targets

· Ensure all data collection and storage processes are safe and follow DFID’s safeguarding policies

· Analyse monthly and quarterly data

· Develop data collection tools where necessary. Advise the consortium on appropriate ways to collect data for the programme

· Collect and analyse qualitative data, extract content for reports and/or publications.

Data quality assurance,

· Ensure overall quality of TREE MERL deliverables

· Facilitate data quality assurance processes/audits including field visits to verify reports as well as other records**

· Ensure the TREE MERL folder on Microsoft Teams is maintained and up to date.**

Reporting, documentation and learning

· Coordinate with consortium partners to ensure monthly reports are submitted on time

· Compile monthly/quarterly milestone reports

· Support qualitative assessments

· Update log frame achievements against targets in quarterly and annual reports

· Facilitate regular TREE MERL reviews and learning

· Track progress against recommendations from DFID on specific TREE MERL outputs.

Knowledge management

· Review and update the TREE knowledge management plan

· Serve as a central point for data requests during review missions (e.g. baselines, assessments, annual reviews).

Essential:

· Master level degree or equivalent

· At least seven years working experience in monitoring, evaluation, research and learning.

· A passion for doing development work better, working with various stakeholders, partners, clients, consultants and governments to improve people’s lives

· Exceptional drive, and a willingness to work hard to deliver high quality outcomes

· Strong time management, organisational and communication skills, and exceptional attention to detail

· Ability to work well within a team, and a consortium environment

· Excellent written and spoken English, with the ability to write accurate, and relevant reports

· Excellent problem-solving skills, with the experience of seeking creative ways to overcome complex problems

· Understanding of the Myanmar context

· Ambition, drive, and determination to succeed

· Advanced skills for Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, SharePoint, Teams and Forms)

· Based already in Myanmar

Desirable:

· Ability to speak local languages