Evaluation Team Leader - Papua New Guinea COVID-19 Education Emergency Response and Recovery Plan (EERRP).

Job Description

Position - Evaluation Team Leader - Papua New Guinea COVID-19 Education Emergency Response and Recovery Plan (EERRP).

Program - Human Development Monitoring and Evaluation Services (HDMES)

Location/Duration - Remote with up to 45 days (across July – Dec), with 3 weeks in PNG.

Line manager - HDMES Team Leader

Salary range - ARF Level C4

HDMES Background

The Human Development Monitoring and Evaluation Services (HDMES) program provides the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and Government of Papua New Guinea (PNG) high quality advice and independent assessment of the performance of the Australian Government’s health, and education & leadership portfolios in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

HDMES is funded by the Australian Government and is implemented by Adam Smith International and Clear Horizon through the PNGAusPartnership.

Context - Papua New Guinea COVID-19 Education Emergency Response and Recovery Plan (EERRP) Evaluation

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted learning for 2.4 million students in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) funded a rapid assessment of the COVID-19 situation, identifying significant challenges in delivering safe and accessible education during the pandemic. Students faced barriers to accessing remote learning, including limited access to basic learning materials (i.e. writing materials and textbooks), as well as access to technology (including internet, telephones, or radio). Schools also faced challenges, including a lack of booster learning materials, as well as limited availability of clean water, sanitation, and handwashing facilities.

PNG Response

In response to these challenges, the PNG National Department of Education (NDoE) activated the Education in Emergencies (EiE) Cluster, to bring together key education stakeholders and agree on a coordinated response. The EiE Cluster, which is led by the NDoE and includes the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Australian High Commission (AHC), and GPE, developed the Papua New Guinea COVID-19 Education Emergency Response and Recovery Plan (EERRP). The goal of the EERRP is ‘to sustain learning and inclusion during and after the COVID-19 pandemic’ and is structured around four phases: (i) remote learning; (ii) returning to school safely; (iii) safe learning at school; and (iv) resilience-building.

To progress these phases/outcomes, a range of activities are being implemented including awareness raising initiatives (outreach sessions, print and online media, SMS blasts etc.), provision of training and materials to teachers to deliver remote learning, construction of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) facilities in target schools, back to school packs for students and teachers (e.g. personal protective equipment for teachers, stationary for students etc.), and supporting schools to develop and implement Disaster Risk Management Plans.

The EERRP Evaluation

This evaluation will assess the following: progress towards the EERRP’s intended outcomes; the extent to which the EERRP was implemented efficiently; the appropriateness of management and implementation arrangements; the extent to which gender equality, disability, and social inclusion (GEDSI) have been considered in the response; and key lessons from EERRP’s design and implementation. This assessment will then inform recommendations relevant to the ongoing implementation of the EERRP, as well as efforts to strengthen the resilience of the education system more broadly and specifically in the management, operational and policy settings.

Duties and responsibilities

The Evaluation Team Leader will be responsible for the overall delivery of the final evaluation report and will have primary responsibility for the following:

• Plan, guide and develop the overall approach and methodology for the evaluation.
• Ensure that the evaluation meets the requirements of the Terms of Reference and contractual obligations.
• Manage and direct evaluation activities; lead interviews/consultations with evaluation participants.
• Collate and analyse data collected during the evaluation
• Lead team discussions and reflection.
• Lead on the development of each deliverable.
• Manage, compile, and edit inputs from the other team members to ensure high quality of reporting outputs.
• Ensure that the evaluation process and report align with DFAT’s M&E Standards.
• Finalise a succinct evaluation report and delivery a presentation of the key finding and recommendations.

Qualifications and experience

The Evaluation Team Leader should meet the following:

• Senior experience (10+ years) leading similar evaluations and reviews in complex and challenging environments.
• Demonstrated experience evaluating and/or designing DFAT aid programs or similar in PNG or the Pacific.
• Prior experience of educations programs in PNG, the Pacific or a similar setting.
• Knowledge DFAT M&E guidelines, DAC evaluation criteria as well as DFAT key policy priorities such as gender equality, disability and social inclusion.
• Excellent analytical skills and communications skills (both written and spoken), including the ability to convey messages clearly and succinctly in complex multi-cultural environments
• Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to work collaboratively with DFAT managers and technical experts.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required

The Selection Process

Applications for the role of Education in Emergencies Team Leader will be evaluated against the selection criteria outlined above. Shortlisted applicants will be invited for an interview by the selection panel. Referees will be contacted following the interview, with the preferred candidate required to provide police checks.

How to Apply

Your application must contain the following:

• Your CV / Resume, and
• A two-page (max) letter describing how you meet the requirements of the role (as listed in the ‘qualifications and experience’)

Interested applicants are requested to send these documents with format [Candidate Name] – EiE Team Lead to Reception.PNG@hdmes-png.com

Application must be received no later than 5:00pm (PGT) 6 May 2022.

About the Organization

Adam Smith International is a global advisory company that works locally to transform lives by making economies stronger, societies safer, and governments more effective. We work on behalf of governments, foundations and companies that share our ambition to take on the big challenges facing the world. They come to us to develop strategies and to design, deliver and evaluate programmes that, in turn, stimulate growth, stability and good governance.

For nearly three decades in almost 100 countries, we have been working in partnership with governments, the private sector and civil society in countries at all stages of development.

Our core team of staff and technical experts, in multiple offices around the world, ensures the quality of delivery and high ethical standards that we and our clients require. We bring together a global network of specialist experts, who contribute their experience and know-how, where and when it is needed.

ASI is owned and operated by its employees. We are committed to corporate integrity and a triple bottom line of social, environmental and financial performance.