M&E Specialist (National Volunteer)

Job Description

Introduction to VSO

VSO is the world’s leading international non-governmental organisation that works through volunteers to create a fair world for everyone. Its work centres on those left out by society, including people living in extreme poverty, people with disability or illness, and individuals facing discrimination or violence due to gender, sexuality, or social status. It also supports those at risk from disaster, disease, and conflict. These individuals are not passive recipients of aid but are considered the primary actors who define issues, opportunities, and solutions that drive sustainable, locally led change. They are the key agents of their own transformation.

Our Approach

VSO’s Volunteering for Development method supports the most vulnerable and marginalised to achieve their rights and bring about lasting change. Rooted in addressing the fundamental causes of marginalisation and vulnerability, the organisation applies three core approaches: social inclusion and gender, social accountability, and resilience together with social cohesion and a conflict-sensitive approach. These guide work across inclusive education, health, and resilient livelihoods to improve wellbeing and create stable lives.

This method recognises the importance of relationships in building collective action for lasting change. With the majority of volunteers being national volunteers, VSO forms blended teams of community, national, and international volunteers to unite diverse perspectives and experiences. This collaboration generates insight, innovation, and action that addresses the complex issues faced by communities and encourages active citizenship worldwide.

Project Background and Contextual Information

The Philippines has a long history of conflict and instability driven by political, socio-economic, and climate-related grievances. The Women, Peace and Security agenda promotes women’s equal and meaningful participation in peace-building and security. This project supports nationwide implementation of the WPS agenda through strengthened capacities and participation of civil society organisations and local community groups throughout the WPS policy process.

The National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (NAPWPS) 2023–2033 serves as the government’s roadmap for advancing the WPS agenda. It consists of four pillars—participation, protection, prevention, and relief and recovery—and includes 26 action points aligned with key policy instruments such as UN Security Council Resolution 1325, the Magna Carta of Women, and the Joint Memorandum Circular 2014-01 between OPAPRU and the Philippine Commission on Women.

The NAPWPS emphasises strong collaboration between government and civil society and aims to ensure effective implementation at national and local levels. It also places strong focus on monitoring, evaluation, and learning to promote accountability among all WPS stakeholders.

This project supports the implementation of the NAPWPS at local and regional levels across three regions in the Philippines, working closely with government entities, civil society organisations, and local communities. It will be delivered through a consortium led by VSO together with three implementing partners responsible for project delivery in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, including the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Role Outputs

Strengthened monitoring and evaluation capacity of project consortium partners and other stakeholders, including CSOs, WROs, and CBOs across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Implementation of the Measuring Impact for Learning & Empowerment (MILE) approach alongside the MERL coordinator, applying participatory monitoring, evaluation, learning, and forward accountability.
Input into the development of evaluation and data collection tools, including the survey for a localised WPS Index study.
Support for participatory workshops for the WPS Index study and the risk and resilience vulnerability study.
Support to the MERL coordinator in analysing data and drafting the WPS studies.
Support for developing and using the WPS digital dashboard.
Support for WPS dialogue, implementation, and monitoring processes.
Generation of learning and evidence on WPS localisation for localised WPS reports and digital dashboards.
Collaboration with communications and advocacy volunteers and other stakeholders to identify priority advocacy actions for CSOs, CBOs, and WROs.
Close work with partners to localise evaluation data tools and outputs.
Contribution to the MERL technical working group for GPACT and collaboration with other Evaluation NVS.
Leadership in lobbying local government units, national agencies, and other stakeholders for integrating WPS key performance indicators into the Community-Based Monitoring System.
Additional support to the project as needed.

Experience and Skills Required for This Volunteer Placement

Experience in monitoring and evaluation of donor-funded projects.
Knowledge of evaluation tools and methods.
Facilitation skills.
Excellent interpersonal and verbal communication skills.
Report writing skills.
Collaborative and team-oriented mindset.

Deadline: 31 Dec 2025

About the Organization

VSO is an international development charity that works through volunteers. Our vision is a world without poverty in which people work together to fulfil their potential. We bring people together to share skills, creativity and learning to build a fairer world. VSO welcomes volunteers from an ever increasing range of countries, backgrounds and ages. National agencies in Canada, Kenya, the Netherlands and the Philippines recruit volunteers from many different countries worldwide and this international approach allows us to combine and learn from a rich variety of perspectives. Tackling Disadvantage at "Grass Roots" Level Ours is a very individual "people to people" approach to development. Instead of sending food or money, we send women and men from a wide range of professions who want the chance to make a real difference in the fight against poverty. These volunteers work in partnership with colleagues and communities to share skills and learning and jointly achieve change. But we have to be realistic in our expectations. We commit to long-term development goals and long-term partnerships and focus on sustainable development rather than the short-term relief of certain problems. VSO also works to address the structural inequalities and barriers that prevent people from exercising their rights. We use our experience and our supporter networks to work for changes in policy and practice - rich and poor countries - that reduce disadvantage. VSO is by far the largest independent volunteer-sending agency in the world. Since 1958, we have sent out more than 29,000 volunteers to work in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, the Pacific region and, more latterly, Eastern Europe in response to requests from our overseas partners. At the moment we have around 1,500 people working in placements in these regions. Shared Partnerships, Shared Benefits You only have to talk to VSO volunteers to realise that they gain from their experience, personally or professionally, as much as they contribute. Many will enthuse how fascinating it was to explore a different culture at first hand. Others will point to the friendships they have made. But many will also tell you how their professional talents have been stretched, and how they have learnt new skills that will significantly enhance their career prospects on their return home. If ever it was true that "you get out what you put in", VSO is proof positive. This experience makes volunteers passionate in challenging misconceptions about developing countries. In the current climate, it is more urgent than ever that we work to achieve a global community where people of all cultures are seen as equal, learn from each other and share a common sense of rights and responsibilities as global citizens. VSO builds on this experience and passion to support a range of global education activity. To find out more about volunteering with or supporting VSO visit our website at www.vso.org.uk