JOB DESCRIPTION .

Regional Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Advisor – Central Job Title: Bishkek or Osh, or Dushanbe, Location: Regional Head Reporting to: Management responsibility (if applicable) Type of position: Regional Position

Grade and Salary: A competitive INGO salary

Contract terms and hours: There are 28 days of annual leave per year (January – December) in addition to public holidays in Kyrgyzstan

Standard working week is 37.5 hours a week.

Background:

Saferworld is an independent international organisation working to prevent violent conflict and build safer lives. We work with people affected by conflict to improve their safety and sense of security, and conduct wider research and analysis. We use this evidence and learning to improve local, national and international policies and practices that can help build lasting peace. Our priority is people – we believe in a world where everyone can lead peaceful, fulfilling lives, free from fear and insecurity. We are a not-for-profit organisation, operational in 12 countries across East , Central, South, and Southeast Asia and the and .

Saferworld is committed to providing a safe and trusted environment that safeguards our staff, partners and communities. Our organisational integrity is derived from the values and principles that underpin and guide our work.

Saferworld has been working in since 2010 and has offices in Bishkek and Osh (Kyrgyzstan) and Dushanbe (Tajikistan). Our work largely focuses on supporting security sector/police reform and governance, including through community policing and community security, empowering youth and women, and challenging harmful gender norms in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Together with our civil society partners, we help to strengthen the capacity of local authorities, police, civil society, and communities to jointly identify, prioritise, and address issues that affect people’s security. We facilitate conflict- and gender-sensitive processes that particularly empower women, young people, and other marginalised groups to meaningfully participate in local, sub-national, national, and regional level initiatives. We also advocate to government officials and external actors for improved strategies, policies and practices/services for conflict-affected communities and for more effective conflict prevention. In particular, at a time when much of the regional security focus is on mainstream ‘countering/preventing violent extremism’, ‘counter- radicalisation’, and ‘counter-messaging’, we advocate for and implement alternative approaches that put the real needs of people first. We have begun to expand our work into other countries in the region, including a community security project in Uzbekistan, and we are developing our Central Asia regional and cross-border programming.

Job purpose:

The Regional MEL Adviser will work with Saferworld’s Central Asia country programme teams and partners to articulate the changes that it aims to bring about through its work, support staff and partners’ capacity on MEL, implement organisational systems and processes to collect evidence of outcomes, and share learning with Saferworld, with partners and with other stakeholders. The post-holder will promote a participatory approach to MEL, which empowers our partners and programme participants and ensures our work is grounded in the local

1Regional MEL Advisor (Central Asia) (14 March 2021) context and priorities. S/he will be expected to refine and maintain the MEL system of the regional/country programmes and ensure they are implemented effectively.

The MEL Adviser will work closely with Saferworld’s Programme Support and Learning team (PSL) and MEL focal points across Saferworld to apply Saferworld’s Programming, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Guide (PMEL guide). The guide uses an outcome mapping and harvesting approach to MEL, linked to conflict analyses and theories of change. The post-holder will support the Central Asia programme teams to act upon the findings and to reflect and learn from their work; s/he will support programme staff and partners to ensure results are effectively reported to donors.

Roles and responsibilities:

1. Lead on developing and refining the MEL system and processes for the Central Asia regional programme  Review and build on the Central Asia programme’s MEL system, ensuring that it clearly articulates the changes that the programme aims to bring about and provides a clear, simple and effective process for monitoring and evaluating outcomes and ensuring that is aligned to Saferworld’s PMEL guide and integrates conflict and gender sensitivity.  Ensure that programme participants’ and partners’ views and needs are met by making our MEL system as participatory and partnership-led as possible.  Ensure gender equality and conflict sensitivity are included in MEL tools.  Guide the process of identifying best ways to record, report and analyse MEL information, in collaboration with the programme team and the Programme Support and Learning (PSL) team in .  Improve procedures for Central Asia programme teams’ internal learning, learning and sharing with partners and other stakeholders, and across the organisation.  Support the Central Asia programme teams in developing and implementing their country strategies, annual plans and new funding proposals, ensuring that they are based on clear theories of change, use Saferworld’s PMEL guide, and reflect lessons learned. While this role will primarily support MEL in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, the role will expand to support regional and cross-border projects in the region, including in Uzbekistan.

2. Lead on the implementation of MEL activities, including effective data gathering and record keeping  Undertake regular visits to the programming locations to support data collection by partners and staff, and identify improvements to the current MEL and project practices.  Lead on coordinating and facilitating bi-annual outcome monitoring and harvesting workshops, and collate and upload outcomes on Saferworld’s online system (KWANTU) for storing outcomes.  Lead on development and implementation of baseline studies and evaluations (internal and external), using participation tools and methodologies, in close collaboration with the PSL team.  Work closely with project managers/coordinators to ensure project MEL plans comply with donor requirements, and evidence of results is fed into internal bi-annual reports and donor reporting and results frameworks.  Work closely with the Regional Conflict and Security Adviser to link programme results to our policy development and advocacy work.  Lead on the identification of change stories and lessons learned and contribute to the dissemination of those lessons and best practices within the Central Asia programme teams, with partners and other stakeholders, and across the organisation.  With the Central Asia programme teams, design results frameworks, including incorporating gender- disaggregated SMART indicators and learning from previous programming and evaluations.  With the Central Asia programme teams, coordinate internal project evaluations (including gathering and collating data through perception surveys, focus group discussions, and interviews, and drafting evaluation reports) and external project evaluations (including managing evaluation consultants, informing them about Saferworld’s MEL approaches, and reviewing final evaluation reports).

3. Support and strengthen the MEL capacity of staff and partners  Organise and deliver training with and provide accompaniment to Saferworld staff and partners in MEL skills and participatory approaches to MEL, informed by partner and staff needs and priorities.  Support the development of MEL processes, tools and plans for partners, working closely with the Partnership and MEL Advisers in the PSL team.  Guide staff and partners in preparing and analysing progress reports, and support staff to effectively use KWANTU.  Facilitate regular reflection meetings with partners on partnership working, and identify ways in which Saferworld can improve our partnership practices.

2Regional MEL Advisor (Central Asia) (14 March 2021) 4. Build and maintain effective relationships, ensuring regular engagement and information-sharing with other parts of Saferworld and externally  Develop and maintain positive working relations with partners, in ways that reflect the principles of power- sharing and accompaniment.  Engage with wider NGO and policy communities in Central Asia in relation to MEL approaches, including delivering training on outcome harvesting to external stakeholders.  Represent Saferworld at external meetings and promote lessons learned from Saferworld’s work, nationally, regionally and globally, as required.  Participate regularly in MEL focal point meetings.  Contribute to the development and application of organisation-wide theories of change and monitoring and evaluation frameworks.  Share lessons learned from the Central Asia country programmes with the Asia regional teams and the wider organisation. Key working relationships:  Programme and Project Teams (Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan): closely collaborate with staff in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to maintain the MEL systems of the programmes and projects (including in Uzbekistan) and ensure they are implemented effectively and in line with Saferworld’s PMEL Guide.  Partner organisations and communities: work with partners and communities in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to articulate the changes that they aim to bring about, and provide training and accompaniment as required to strengthen partners’ MEL capacity.  Finance and Administration Team (Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan): collaborate with colleagues to budget for MEL activities.  Central Asia Regional Conflict and Security Advisor and Communications team: collaborate in collecting information for change stories through outcome harvesting, and share results and learning with partners and other stakeholders, and across the organisation.  MEL Adviser to International Programmes and the Programme Support and Learning team: regularly engage with colleagues for advice and support on organisational MEL approaches, working jointly to adapt tools and approaches as relevant (in-line with contexts and outcomes).  MEL Focal Points across Saferworld: participate in regular MEL focal point meetings and contribute to cross-organisational learning and sharing of best practice of MEL approaches.

Scope and accountability

Decision making and limits of The post-holder is expected to show leadership within the organisation and authority will be asked to make a significant contribution to the achievement of our strategic objectives and cross-cutting priorities through MEL-related responsibilities.

Financial resources  Shared responsibility for ensuring accuracy and compliance in monitoring and evaluation expenditures  Responsibility for MEL-related activity budget lines

Other resources  Shared responsibility for technical quality and accuracy of data collection and programme activity reporting  Responsibility for accuracy and regular updates to project results frameworks  Responsibility for effective, regular, and accurate data entry into the KWANTU system

People management  Line-manage M&E-related consultants (including for external evaluations) as required

Legal, regulatory and  Ensure compliance to policies, procedures and practices in the compliance responsibility organisation

Person specification

3Regional MEL Advisor (Central Asia) (14 March 2021) Knowledge, qualifications and experience

 Demonstrated experience in MEL methods and approaches, including of theories of change and using the logical framework approach, either in a MEL role or other (e.g., programme management), within the INGO/NGO sector  Proven experience in participatory approaches to MEL and programming, and planning/implementation of MEL systems; experience in outcome mapping and/or harvesting approaches would be a strong asset  Proven experience of supporting staff and partners to implement MEL systems and processes in a way that reflects the principles of power-sharing and accompaniment  Demonstrated experience of conducting trainings and facilitating workshops, ideally focused on MEL  Proven experience in information analysis and report writing  Knowledge and overview of regional politics in Central Asia – and an understanding of related issues and debates, especially of community-led peace, stability and security processes  MEL experience in areas such as peacebuilding and conflict prevention is an asset  Experience in organisational learning or organisational development is an asset

Skills and abilities

 Excellent written and oral communications skills in English and a high level of proficiency in Russian  Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate with people from all walks of life  Ability to explain complex ideas in easily accessible ways tailored to different audiences  Skilled trainer and facilitator  Strong analytical skills  Knowledge of any Central Asian language would be an asset

Personal qualities

 A self-starter who is willing to take the initiative and drive things forward with minimal oversight  Personable and committed to working as a team – ability to take a cooperative and problem-solving approach  Ability to develop and maintain positive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including civil society organisations, government bodies and officials, and international donors  Commitment to and compliance with Saferworld’s safeguarding principles  Commitment to respect and value equality and diversity, and understanding of how this applies to own area of work  Commitment to own continuing personal and professional development  Commitment to the vision, mission and values of Saferworld

Other requirements

 Ability to travel to programme locations in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

Application process

To apply: Download and complete an application form at http://www.saferworld.org.uk/jobs/jobs and send to Marie Aziz at [email protected] (Ref: RMELCA

Deadline for applications: 11 April 2021

We only accept completed application forms; please do not send your CV.

4Regional MEL Advisor (Central Asia) (14 March 2021)