Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Manager

Position: Research Monitoring and Evaluation Manager, COMPASS

Reports to: Programme Coordinator, COMPASS

Location: London, UK

Salary: £38,000 per annum

Contract: Fixed term (maternity cover)

Hours: 37.5 hours / week

BACKGROUND

Over the past 80 years, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has developed unparalleled expertise in responding to emergencies and helping uprooted communities to rebuild. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster.

The International Rescue Committee UK is part of the IRC global network, which has its headquarters in New York and London. The IRC is on the ground in more than 40 countries, providing emergency relief, relocating refugees and rebuilding lives in the wake of disaster. Through 22 regional offices in cities across the United States, the IRC also helps refugees resettle in the US and become self-sufficient.

The IRC is committed to a culture of bold leadership, innovation in all aspects of our work, creative partnerships and, most crucially, accountability to those we serve. The IRC is a tireless advocate for the most vulnerable.

IRC-UK

Our European headquarters, IRC-UK, were established in London in 1997 to support the organisation’s global activities and particularly to diversify its donor base and be able to better advocate with European policy-makers on behalf of the people we serve. Since its establishment IRC-UK has grown rapidly and is now acknowledged for its high quality project management, technical expertise in governance and rights and economic recovery, and innovative thinking on early recovery and gender based violence. The IRC also has offices in Brussels and Geneva.

IRC-UK comprises approximately 70 staff across five departments.

Team Purpose

IRC was one of the first humanitarian organizations to launch specific programmes for survivors of sexual violence, implementing gender-based violence (GBV) programmes in refugee settings and other conflict-affected communities from 1996. Over the past 19 years, IRC has pioneered and implemented programmes that prevent and respond to violence against women and girls in refugee settings and in other conflict-affected contexts, making the IRC a global leader in this field. IRC presently implements women’s protection and empowerment (WPE) programmes to support social and political environments that foster women’s freedom from violence, discrimination, and exclusion, allowing them to be active participants in rebuilding their countries. Today, IRC manages WPE programmes in 30 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Haiti, with funding from governments, the UN, foundations, and private donors.

The Purpose of the Role

The Research, Monitoring and Evaluation (RM&E) Manager works on a three-year project funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) entitled COMPASS (Creating Opportunities through Mentorship, Parental Involvement and Safe Spaces) to improve prevention and response to violence against adolescent girls in humanitarian settings. Based at IRC’s UK office in London, the Manager will be responsible for overseeing the design and implementation of research, monitoring and evaluation of the programme in accordance with DFID regulations, IRC policies, and international standards for programming and research. The Manager will oversee the research programme including both quantitative and qualitative approaches proposed and provide technical and field support for implementation of research, monitoring, and evaluation activities, data analysis, and application of findings in coordination with technical teams. The Manager will also work with the Programme Coordinator to ensure regular updates, communication and joint planning and implementation is taking place with researchers, internal stakeholders, and DFID staff.

This position will report to the Programme Coordinator within the IRC’s Women’s Protection and Empowerment Technical Team, and will interact frequently with key members of this team, the researchers, and the Child, Youth, Protection, and Development Technical Unit, as well as receive additional support through the Research, Evaluation, and Learning (REL) Technical Unit.

Key Working Relationships

• Direct reporting and ongoing communication with Programme Coordinator (line manager) and Senior Technical Advisor, as needed.
• Main point of contact for COMPASS research partners; Population Council and Columbia University
• Provides technical support and guidance to relevant country staff on RM&E issues, through Skype calls, country visits and remote or direct training.
• Ongoing communication and reporting to all country programmes and TAs involved in the project
• External liaison and representation as required.

Scope and Authority

Authority:

The RM&E manager is responsible for managing day-to-day activities of the research, including communication, planning and ongoing tasks. In addition, the RM&E Manager will lead the development of an M&E framework and related tools, and support country teams as required on implementation and analysis. The post-holder is expected to manage their own workload and priorities.

Responsibility for Resources:

This position has responsibility for the following information resources:

• Logframe (updates and revisions, collating and inputting data, narrative as required)
• M&E framework (updates and revisions, collating and inputting data, narrative as required)
• Research outputs (managing the authorship and approval process)
• Process and decision documentation related to the research This position has no budget responsibilities, but working knowledge of the COMPASS budget and financial processes is required.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Research, Monitoring and Evaluation [40 %]

• Lead the development and implementation of the M&E framework for the programme, in collaboration with researchers, Technical Units and country programmes
• Lead process for obtaining Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval and in-country ethical review, with support from the country programmes and researchers;
• Design and provide trainings on research and M&E to country staff, with support from researchers and the REL Technical Unit;
• Support finalization of quantitative and qualitative data collection tools with support from researchers, country programmes and the REL Technical Unit;
• Implement protocols for data entry and security, including mechanisms for quality control;
• Conduct regular data verification exercises to ensure overall quality and accuracy;
• Lead compilation, analysis and consolidation of cross-country data in coordination with the Programme Coordinator, Technical Units, and researchers to produce overall learning that will inform course corrections where necessary;
• Support country programmes in developing data collection tools, tracking log frame indicators, undertaking monitoring, evaluation, and learning, analyzing their data and information, and consolidating information for reporting and tracking progress;
• Support country programmes in analyzing their data and information to inform programme adjustments and/or adaptation

Partnership, Management and coordination [30%]

• Manage and develop relationship with research partner, Columbia University, ensuring that decisions and actions are followed by all stakeholders in a timely and appropriate manner
• Establish an appropriate research management structure, including respective roles and responsibilities together with researchers, Technical Units and country programmes;
• Implement clear and consistent communication and decision making protocols with researchers, Technical Units and country programmes to streamline communication, including organizing and facilitating regular calls to reach consensus among all parties involved;
• Facilitate discussions between researchers, country programmes and Technical Units focused on research design, methodology, and data analysis to reach consensus among all parties involved;
• Organise regular partnership reviews with researchers, country programmes and Technical Units, and facilitate problem solving where necessary.

Dissemination and Communication [30%]

• Conduct global mapping and consolidate results from country programme mapping to feed into dissemination and communications plan;
• Lead on establishing clear processes for the authorship of papers and other dissemination products;
• Identify opportunities to disseminate research findings to practitioner, research and policy stakeholders in consultation with the Programme Coordinator, Technical Units, researchers, DFID, and other internal and external stakeholders;
• Coordinate dissemination to Dfid staff, practitioners, policy makers and public audiences in Europe, the US, and through other global fora;
• Develop research and learning products for internal and external dissemination (e.g. research reports, briefs, presentations, etc);
• Lead efforts to monitor uptake and outcome of dissemination and communications including use of learning by academics and practitioners;

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

Skills, Knowledge and Qualifications:

• Masters degree in international development, gender, social work, public health, or other related field;
• Proven ability to work with diverse and large teams and to foster a positive working environment with local and international stakeholders;
• Knowledge of data analysis software programs (e.g. STATA, SPSS, Atlas-ti) and able to produce analysis and graphic representation of results
• Ability to manage a complex and varied work load, work under pressure, and manage significant travel to insecure environments
• Strong English communication skills, both oral and written;
• Excellent IT skills (i.e. Word, Outlook, Excel).

Experience:

• Proven experience with demonstrated results, of conducting research or monitoring and evaluation, including qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis;
• Experience working or conducting research in a developing or humanitarian context, preferably focused on gender-based violence or adolescent girl issues;
• Experience with coordinating research dissemination, including writing evaluation reports and briefs, organizing dissemination events, and presenting findings;
• Experience working with researchers or academic institutions

Desirable:

• Experience coordinating multi-country research or monitoring and evaluation;
• Experience working with DFID and/or other international donors;
• French language skills

HOW TO APPLY:

To Apply

Please send a CV (two pages maximum) and cover page (two pages maximum) to:applications@rescue-uk.org

Please state clearly in your cover letter:

• Your reasons for applying
• How you meet the skills, knowledge and experience specified in the person specification part of the job description
• Where you saw the job advertised
• Current salary

The closing date is: 10 am on Monday 22nd February 2016.

Interviews will be on 2nd, 3rd and 4th March 2016.

In order to minimise administrative costs, IRC-UK will only contact short-listed candidates.

Candidates must have the right to work in the UK.

IRC-UK strives to be an equal opportunities employer. IRC-UK is committed to equality of opportunity and to non-discrimination for all job applicants and employees, and we seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce regardless of gender, race, religious beliefs, nationality, ethnic/national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability.