Oxfam, one of the leading global development organizations, mobilizes the power of people against poverty. We are a diverse confederation of 17 strongly interconnected national affiliates working in over 90 countries, either directly, or with partners to enable transformational change, using a unique combination of long-term development, campaigning and humanitarian programs.
We are looking for a Regional Program Quality Lead Asia, national position for a period of two years
Purpose of the Position
To increase Oxfam’s program impact in the region by working closely with country and regional teams to improve program quality – 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 Lead is firmly founded in Oxfam’s 2020 vision, in which Oxfam becomes a knowledge-driven organization.
Main Tasks
Provide Regional and Country Leadership with strategic analysis support
- Support the OI Regional Platform and Asia Leadership Team 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 OI Regional Platform and Asia Leadership Team in making programme related decisions informed by evidence.
- Act as a conduit for, and ensure use of, relevant strategic analysis from across the Oxfam 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.
- Support the development of adequate knowledge systems in Asia in line with Oxfam’s wider knowledge ambition.
Strategic program quality resourcing
- Support the connection and coordination of Program Quality advisory expertise at country, region and global levels ensuring Asia receives the support from across the confederation but also adds value to the wider 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, funding, advocacy, humanitarian and other regional functions to embed programme quality in Oxfam’s ways of working in the region and in funding proposals and country and regional resource planning.
External Profiling and strategic partnerships
- 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.
- Build strategic regional partnerships to profile and leverage Oxfam’s work in Asia.
Provide Country Program Quality colleagues with support, guidance and prioritization
- Design and lead the delivery of an effective and strategic ‘regional program quality capacity building plan’ that includes capacity building initiatives and that mobilizes resources for training, coaching and accompaniment, as appropriate.
- Support region and countries in identifying required programme 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 Platform.
- 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.
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.
Job Requirements
Essential
- Demonstrable experience and successes in providing strategic leadership on Programme Quality (including Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning and Knowledge) at a regional level.
- Experience of improving effectiveness of development programs and demonstrating tangible outcomes for poor and vulnerable women and men.
- Senior level program advisory or management experience and understanding of program realities at country, regional, (global desirable) levels.
- Proven experience in supporting strategic thinking and quality improvement on partnership and knowledge.
- Experienced in managing, advising, training and coaching others on program quality issues.
- Effective negotiation 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.
- 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.
- Understanding of and commitment to Oxfam’s One Program Approach (linking humanitarian, development & influencing work) and the mainstreaming gender in programmes.
- Good organizational skills including accuracy, consistency, attention to detail, tenacity and the ability to work under pressure.
- Demonstrable ability to think creatively and practically to improve program quality.
- Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills with demonstrable ability to lead, influence and motivate others in a diversity of contexts and functions, both internally and externally.
- Strong self-awareness, as well as strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
- Superior verbal and written communications skills in English.
- Support Oxfam’s values and culture, including being gender sensitive.
- Ability to make effective, timely decisions and take prudent risks.
- Ability to carry out unaccompanied travel up to 3 months per year.
- Excellent computer skills, including various office applications and internet navigation.
Desirable
- Additional language skills.
- Good knowledge and awareness of issues related to Oxfam’s strategic objectives and theories of change and an understanding of one of these themes: Gender Justice, Economic Justice, Inequality, Resilience, Water Governance (Desirable).
What we offer
We are looking for national candidates of one of the following Asian countries who will be based in one of the locations mentioned: Bangladesh - Dakha, Cambodia - Phonm Penh, Hong Kong, India – Delhi, Indonesia – Jakarta, Laos – Vientiane, Myanmar – Yangon, Nepal – Kathmandu, Pakistan – Islamabad, Philippines – Manila, Sri Lanka – Colombo, Thailand - Bangkok, Timor Leste or Vietnam – Hanoi. We will offer a competitive and fair national pay and benefits package that is justifiable to our donors.
Are you the Regional Program Quality Lead we’re looking for?
Are you interested? Please use the ‘apply [1]’ button. Your application must be received by March 20, 2017 at the latest. Please note that only applications received via the link provided can be taken into consideration.