We are currently seeking to recruit a Community Feedback Specialist.
| | About the Role |
| | This new role is a unique opportunity to lead Plan’s work developing state-of-the-art feedback systems, in order to improve the accountability and quality of our programmes. Plan intends to trial new ways of measuring and reporting our performance. We will pilot ways of hearing systematically from the people we aim to assist about their views of our work – in ways that generate credible, quantitative data. The role will combine best practice from the NGO sector, including participatory monitoring, with customer satisfaction and polling techniques. We believe that feedback systems have the potential to drive learning and improvement, while also allowing Plan to strengthen our external reporting. They have the potential to bridge the gap between participatory practice and management systems. The role is located in the Programme Effectiveness Team in International Headquarters, which supports field teams by developing systems for planning, implementing and monitoring all of Plan’s programmes. The role will lead work with staff across Plan to develop and pilot practical feedback systems. We believe the pilots will be of significant external interest as a serious contribution to debates on measuring NGO performance. Depending on the results of the pilots, feedback tools and systems will be embedded in our regular programme management. Dimensions of Role: - Budget responsibility for up to €200k pa.
- Oversee approximately 4 high quality feedback pilots per year, each run by multiple Plan Country Offices. Write up, share and implement lessons from pilots, including potentially embedding feedback systems in Plan’s core management processes.
- Wide engagement with networks of internal and external practitioners / opinion leaders.
- Regular reporting to Programme Effectiveness Manager and Director of Programming & Effectiveness, as well as country level managers.
- The post has no direct reports.
Main Responsibilities Plan implements high quality pilot feedback systems that drive changes in practice and generate powerful lessons about implementing feedback systems at scale. - Proactively identify and negotiate specific opportunities to pilot feedback systems with field managers across Plan’s programme work.
- Conceptualise, develop and manage a portfolio of feedback systems and tools that are carefully adapted to the requirements of different users and contexts. Identify specific opportunities with programme teams to design feedback systems that (a) drive learning and reflection at the local level and (b) create credible quantitative data for management oversight. This may include feedback from children, their carers, local government officials, partners, advocacy targets or others. Pilots will include generating data, analysing it and using it to drive changes in practice.
- Lead the design of pilots, using participatory methodologies that are appropriate for marginalised groups and generate quantified data, as well as overseeing ethical and operational aspects. Work in close consultation with colleagues across Plan.
- Ensure that pilots are designed on the basis of the best available practice and evidence from the NGO and related customer satisfaction sectors.
- Negotiate the timing and implementation of specific pilots with staff at all levels, including Global Advisors, Regional Offices, Country Offices and Programme Units.
- Ensure that pilots are successfully implemented to a high standard, on time and in budget, by providing leadership, management oversight and practical input as required.
- Manage consultants and implementing partners (e.g. research partners and technology providers) to support / implement pilots as necessary.
- Manage the process of analysing findings and deliberating on them with different groups of stakeholder, so as to drive changes in practice.
- Ensure that Plan documents, reviews and identifies lessons from pilots. Document the views of different stakeholders, including respondents, implementors and managers.
- Contribute robust and credible findings to international debates on the role of feedback systems in measuring NGOs’ performance.
- Identify specific opportunities for embedding feedback tools and systems in our core programme management systems and, where appropriate, implement them at scale. Promote feedback systems across the organisation and support leaders and staff to implement them to a high standard.
About You
Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours, Required to Achieve Role’s Objectives: Knowledge - Strong knowledge of participatory development practice at the field level, preferably including generating quantitative data from participatory exercises. Strong understanding of barriers to social inclusion and ways of overcoming them.
- Knowledge of using feedback or public polling methods in practice, particularly in relation to understanding marginalised people’s views.
- Practical knowledge of international NGO operations, including running field programmes as well as management systems and realities. Understands how to make management systems work in an NGO context.
- Experience of undertaking and writing up high quality research in an international context that can withstand substantial scrutiny.
- Good understanding of current methods and debates on monitoring and evaluation in NGOs.
Skills - Highly professional, positive, organised approach to work. Good at solving problems.
- Strong analytical skills, able to assess complex situations and design tools and systems for use in multiple locations.
- Strong participatory skills and experience of using participatory / feedback techniques.
- Strong project management skills, including influencing staff remotely and managing consultants.
- Able to develop rapport with many different people. Good understanding of informal politics within groups and organisations. Emotional intelligence.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Ability to design visually appealing tools and communications is an advantage.
- Comfortable handling quantitative and qualitative quantitative data.
- Fluent English. French or Spanish an advantage.
Behaviours - Work on own initiative.
- Solve problems creatively, as they arise.
- Sensitive to different people and cultures.
- Take ownership for completing work.
- Build relationships with people from many different cultures and backgrounds.
- Committed to delivering high quality, ethical work that makes a difference to NGO practice.
- Committed to Plan’s values, in particular of respect, equity and justice.
- Promote innovation and learning.
- A high degree of self-awareness and well aware of his/her impact on others and behaves accordingly.
- Listen respectfully to those who have less power or authority interact confidently with senior managers.
Location and Travel: Based Woking Surrey, with some international Travel Type of role: Permanent Reports to: Programme Effectiveness Manager Salary: Circa £38,671 per annum Closing Date: Wednesday 11th July, 2012
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