Closing date: 10 Jan 2018
Job Purpose
To increase Oxfam’s program impact in the region by working closely with country and regional teams to improve program quality and Knowledge management – providing leadership, coordination and strategic support on program design, planning, monitoring, evaluation, learning and partnership. This role works across the spectrum of long-term development, humanitarian and influencing interventions. The role of the regional Program Quality & MEAL Lead is firmly founded in Oxfam’s 2020 vision, in which Oxfam becomes a knowledge-driven organization.
Job dimensions
· Line manager or professional specialist required to manage resources and implement strategy in a distinct area in order to achieve specific goals or deliver a high level specialist advisory service
· Works with reasonable autonomy within established standards but may be required to review and make improvement
· Problem solves within agreed parameters requiring considerable information which may be complex
· High level strategic role requiring in depth experience in focused area of knowledge
· Provides front line/operational advice to managers and specialists, influences decisions that can affect OI, Oxfam Confederation and Donors
Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities
Provide Regional and Country Leadership with strategic analysis support
· Support Regional Director and Country Directors in strategy development, prioritisation and resourcing to achieve high standards in program design, implementation and evaluation.
· Ensure strategic use of program information to help the Regional Director and teams in making program related decisions informed by evidence.
· Act as a conduit for, and ensure use of, relevant strategic analysis from across the confederation.
· Organize strategic support to regional leadership in identifying key cross-regional learning agendas as well as particular country-specific initiatives that provide significant opportunities for learning, and support the process of convening learning events
Strategic program quality resourcing
· Connect demand for support for foundational program quality advisory expertise in countries and the region, with supply of such support from across the confederation
· Connect practitioners to each other, and to internal and external sources of expertise within and between regions
· Coordinate thematic and foundational program quality processes and initiatives, ensuring that synergies are leveraged, duplication is avoided and gaps are addressed (but not directly acting to fill gaps)
· Work with regional colleagues including HR, advocacy, funding and other regional functions to embed program quality in Oxfam’s ways of working in the region
External Profiling
· Profile Oxfam externally in the region by engaging with local/national authorities, sector peers, partners and allies on the basis of the knowledge that Oxfam is generating to influence the sector in the region and country and further Oxfam and partners’
Provide Country program quality colleagues with support, guidance and prioritization
· Design and lead the delivery of proactive strategic regional program quality capacity building plan, designing and implementing capacity building initiatives and mobilizing resources for training, coaching and accompaniment, as appropriate.
· Support region and countries in identifying required quality functions and team structure, identification, recruitment and induction of program quality staff in countries with a strong focus on promoting national staff in this area
· Offer guidance to country teams in establishing priorities for program quality work
· In close coordination with regional and country gender staff monitor and report on extent to which program quality initiatives are supporting effective gender mainstreaming
· Exceptionally, provide technical advisory support for the larger strategic program initiatives in the region (such as multi-country programs), identified and agreed with Country Directors and the Regional Director
· Develop a supportive regional network for country and regional program quality colleagues
· Coordinate the corporate processes and reporting at regional level (output reporting, indicative outcome areas, Program Quality Reviews, Partnership surveys etc.) and provide feedback for improved corporate practice on program quality initiatives
Knowledge Management
Lead and work with teams in countries and region to define and develop a knowledge management systems (Framework, tools for knowledge generation, utilization etc.)
Build capacity and mentor teams in the effective utilization and management of the knowledge system
Connect regional and country program quality initiatives and information with the global Knowledge Network for Oxfam Worldwide (KNOW)
· Identify and create key opportunities to share Oxfam’s and partners’ program information and knowledge to profile all involved
· Proactively engage with Oxfam global program quality and MEL networks, community of practices and working groups as relevant
· Engage with global level program quality and MEL initiatives to inform new country and regional program quality work
· Promote learning, best practices and knowledge sharing within the region and share these across the confederation with other regions
· Generate lessons concerning the regional program quality function and how this is resourced, shape up the JD based on practical application and develop a business case for ongoing funding, as appropriate.
Technical Skills, Experience & Knowledge
Essential
Leadership and Management:
§ Passion for improving effectiveness of development programs and demonstrating tangible outcomes for poor and vulnerable women and men
§ Experience in leading on / developing strategic thinking on quality preferably at regional level
§ Senior level program advisory or management experience and understanding of program realities at country, regional, (global desirable) levels.
§ Experienced in managing, advising, training and coaching others on program quality issues
§ Effective negotiation abilities and informal leadership skills in a multi-stakeholder, network environment
§ Demonstrable organizational and project management skills (including budget management) and ability to manage multiple projects to deadlines
§ Ability to plan workload and demonstrate accountability for outputs with minimal direct supervision
§ Good organizational skills including accuracy, consistency, attention to detail, tenacity and the ability to work under pressure
Technical skills
§ Experience of improving effectiveness of development programs and demonstrating tangible outcomes for poor and vulnerable women and men
§ Strong understanding of all aspects of program quality, including the practical issues faced by managers.
§ Demonstrable understanding of effective program cycle management in rights-based long-term development, influencing and humanitarian work, with relevant direct field program experience
§ Proven ability to lead and facilitate country Strategy and program development including Theory of Change
§ Proven experience in supporting strategic thinking and quality improvement on partnership
§ Understanding of and commitment to Oxfam’s One Program Approach (linking humanitarian, development & influencing work)
§ Proven experience in building and sustaining an effective knowledge system
§ Practical experience of mainstreaming gender in one of development, influencing or humanitarian work
§ Demonstrable ability to think creatively and practically to improve program quality
§ Strong analytical skills
§ Fluent in English and French
Communication, networking and influencing
§ Ability to liaise with a wide range of people, both internally and externally and at many levels
§ Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills with demonstrable ability to lead, influence and motivate others in a diversity of contexts and functions
§ Strong self-awareness, as well as strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
§ Excellent communications, facilitation and team building skills
§ Strong influencing skills, demonstrable ability to contribute to teams and to work with and influence people from diverse backgrounds.
§ Effective negotiation abilities and informal leadership skills in a multi-stakeholder, network environment
Other
§ Ability to carry out unaccompanied travel up to 3 months per year
§ Works in a way that demonstrates Oxfam values and behavioural competencies
What can we offer you?
Annual Salary and Benefits -
Competitive Package
Internal Job Grade -
National C1
Contract type -
Fixed-term
Reporting to -
Regional Head of Programs
Staff reporting to this post -
Functional matrix management to country program quality and MEL roles
Locations -
Any country with an Oxfam Office within West African Region
How to apply:
Send your CV and motivation letter to recruitmentwaf@oxfamintermon.org
Please include in your motivation letter the following information:
i. In which country with an Oxfam Office within West African Region would you like to be based (Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Senegal or Sierra Leone);
ii. Annual gross economic expectations;
iii. If economic expectations would be negotiable or not.
Candidates with this information missing will not be considered
The deadline for applications is fixed on January 10th, 2018. Oxfam reserves the right to modify this date. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Oxfam is committed to the principle of equity, diversity and inclusiveness.