Afghanistan: Accountability and Learning Coordinator

Requisition ID: req2525

Job Title: Accountability and Learning Coordinator

Sector: Monitoring & Evaluation

Employment Category: Regular

Employment Type: Full-Time

Location: Afghanistan-Kabul (Kabol)

Job Description PROGRAM SUMMARY The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is one of the world's leading agencies working in post-conflict and development contexts, supporting communities in over 40 fragile, failed and developing states. In this capacity, we work to restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted, struggling to endure and wishing to advance on a path of development. The IRC opened the country program in Afghanistan in 1988. Our programs span the range from humanitarian relief to early recovery and development activities, focusing on emergency response, child protection, education, economic wellbeing, and health. The IRC works in 9 provinces throughout Afghanistan, among which some of the most security volatile, and employs nearly 600 staff. IRC Afghanistan operates an annual portfolio of $12 million, through the implementation of over 14 grants country-wide funded by 10 different international donor agencies. SCOPE OF WORK IRC is seeking a dynamic, analytical, and highly motivated individual for the position of Accountability and Learning (A&L) Coordinator. The overall objective of the position is to improve program quality through the development, implementation and coordination of high-quality monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning processes. The specific objectives of the position are:

• Support the development of properly-resourced, well-structured project M&E systems that effectively collect and use data to inform project implementation.
• Develop and expand feedback and accountability mechanisms to ensure that the voices of clients are central to IRC's programming.
• Identify and support project and country learning priorities through assessments, evaluations and documentation processes.
• Build the technical capacity of M&E and program teams to implement M&E activities with greater skill, ownership, and autonomy. The A&L Coordinator will directly manage members of a core M&E department, and provide close technical support to project-based M&E teams and program staff.

Duties and Responsibilities: Monitoring and Evaluation

• Update IRC Afghanistan's existing country M&E strategy to reflect priorities for 2018-2020.
• Coordinate with the grants and technical teams to provide input as needed on project design, including incorporation of evidence and learning from previous projects, and developing M&E budgets, logical frameworks, and theories of change.
• Coordinate project M&E planning processes, involving project managers, M&E staff and M&E technical support staff in the development of M&E work plans, indicator matrices, and role and responsibility mapping.
• Ensure that robust quantitative elements of M&E systems are balanced with qualitative components to triangulate information and analyze causal relationships.
• Facilitate regular data review meetings with project teams to review M&E system functioning, and that ensure data is analyzed and used to inform implementation and course-correction.
• Ensure that data is accurately and safely documented and stored through regular data quality and data protection audits.
• Encourage the uptake and use of innovative approaches (e.g. mobile-based case management, participatory M&E) to improve M&E processes where relevant. Accountability
• Identify processes that projects will follow to effectively collect, use, and respond to client feedback, taking into account the operating context, resources available and the required capacity and capabilities.
• Hold teams accountable for the uptake and use of client feedback during project data reviews.
• Work with IRC country technical coordinators to develop a country Accountability Strategy. Assessment, Learning, and Documentation
• Support IRC Afghanistan technical sectors on assessments and evaluations, either directly or through recruitment and oversight of consultants.
• Take the lead in the documentation (writing, editing) and dissemination of key findings stemming from monitoring, assessment, and other learning activities.
• Establish and maintain links to regional and headquarters research, evaluation and learning (REL) focal people to assist the country program in drawing on and contributing to regional/global learning.
• Ensure that project evidence and learning informs development of program, area and country strategy through contributions to IRC Afghanistan's strategic planning processes.
• Ensure that all evidence and learning from IRC Afghanistan and other actors is catalogued and stored for easy access by the country team.
• Manage and update basic information on IRC program sites, populations and beneficiary counts. Capacity Building
• Assess capacity gaps within program and M&E teams; facilitate capacity building (including both training and peer-to-peer sharing) on relevant technical skills and knowledge, including related IRC global initiatives.
• Conduct visits to field sites to provide training, technical assistance, and support; ensure that accountability and learning tools and strategies are understood and being implemented.

Special Tasks and Liaison

• Act as the focal point for country-level dissemination and training on key IRC global initiatives, including Monitoring for Action, the Outcomes and Evidence Framework, and Client Voice and Choice.
• Represent the IRC Afghanistan Country Program when requested/applicable in forums related to program monitoring and learning, within IRC and/or with donors and partners.
• When appropriate/applicable, facilitate and participate in information sharing opportunities among IRC partners/donors.
• At the request of the DDP/Senior Management, take responsibility for miscellaneous projects not falling under responsibilities underlined in this job description.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS: Internal: Deputy Director for Programs and Country Director; Grants Unit staff; Sector Leads; Field Coordinators/Managers; Regional Monitoring Action Coordinator; other key staff in IRC regional/HQ REL, Outcomes and Evidence, and Measurement teams. External: Partners as required. Requirements:

• Master's degree in social sciences, statistics, public health and/or other relevant fields
• Minimum of three years' humanitarian experience in an international NGO in an M&E, assessment or accountability role, with at least one year's experience in humanitarian environments.
• Professional fluency in spoken and written English and able to communicate concisely and with impact; excellent English writing skills are mandatory.
• Proven experience using XLS forms (ODK, Ona, Kobo, etc.) with technical expertise in using multiple languages, skip patterns, import functions and constraints. Experience in Commcare would be an asset.
• Knowledge of major donor requirements, e.g. US Government, DFID, UN, EU is desirable
• Excellent computer skills with high proficiency in Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel.
• Knowledge of a statistical software tools required (Stata, SAS, SPSS, with a strong preference for R).
• Experience working with GIS software and ability to create choropleth maps highly desired (ArcGIS, QGIS).
• Proven experience coordinating with diverse teams.
• Effective, high-quality communication, writing, and interpersonal skills are essential.
• Previous experience working in Afghanistan and knowledge of Pashto and/or Dari is an asset. PERSONAL SPECIFICATIONS:
• Flexible and adoptable to a dynamic and fast paced work environment
• Ability to independently organize work and prioritize tasks.
• Self-motivated, honest, highly responsible, and punctual.
• Ability to work both as a team leader and team member.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.

Please follow this link to apply: http://www.aplitrak.com/?adid=SGVyaW5lLk9jaG9sbGEuMjU3MDYuMzgzMEBpcmNjZC5hcGxpdHJhay5jb20