JOB DESCRIPTION . Regional Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Advisor – Central Asia Job Title: Bishkek or Osh, Kyrgyzstan or Dushanbe, Tajikistan 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 Africa, Central, South, and Southeast Asia and the Middle East and North Africa. 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 Central Asia 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 peacebuilding 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 London. 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