Technical Specialist (Human Development), Australia Awards

Job Description

TERMS OF REFERENCE – Technical Specialist (Human Development)

• Title: Technical Specialist (Human Development)
• Agency: Australian High Commission, Education and Leadership Portfolio (ELP)
• Reports to: Review Team Leader/M&E Specialist
• Performance Reporting: Counsellor, Education and Leadership, Australian High Commission and Team Leader, Human Development Monitoring and Evaluation Services
• Period: Up to 33 days over 4 months (February to May 2020), availability to travel to Papua New Guinea in March/April 2020 required
• Special conditions: Travel within provinces may be required
• Location: Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea and remote
• Remuneration: Adviser Remuneration Framework (ARF) Category: C Level: 3
• Authorised by: Counsellor – Education & Leadership Portfolio, Australian High Commission

Background

Australia has provided more than 11,000 Australia Awards scholarships and fellowships to Papua New Guineans since scholarships started in the early 1950s. Papua New Guinea (PNG) represents one of the largest global scholarship programs for the Australian Government. Australia Awards continues this tradition of supporting PNG’s future leaders to contribute to PNG’s social and economic development and to foster links between Australia and PNG.

The Program has four streams:

• Australia Awards Scholarships (in Australia) – offers approximately 90 mostly masters level awards per year plus ongoing award management.
• Papua New Guinea and Pacific Awards (In-PNG) – offers approximately 180 post-secondary qualifications per year – in critical areas, such as education, midwifery, nursing – plus ongoing award management.
• Alumni Engagement – a program primarily designed to build alumni networks in PNG and to strengthen people to people links with Australia and links to Australia.
• Professional Development and Partnerships (including short courses in Australia) – approximately 4-8 short courses per year across various sectors and in line with the bilateral aid partnership agreement priorities.

Under-pinned by its gender equity, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) strategy, the Program recognises the need to address barriers to participation and reflects a commitment to the participation of women, persons living with a disability and those from regional areas in PNG. Within each sector GEDSI is prioritised actively promoting GoPNG’s Gender Equity policy, DFAT’s GEDSI principles and its own GEDSI strategy.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is undertaking a mid-term review of the AAPNG Program implemented by Coffey International (the Contractor), through the Human Development Monitoring and Evaluation Services (HDMES) provider. HDMES provides monitoring and evaluation support to health and education programs managed by the Australian High Commission in Port Moresby.

Purpose

The purpose of the Technical Specialist position is to support the Team Leader in the delivery of the mid-term review.

Methodology, reporting and working relationships

The terms of reference (ToR) for the mid-term review will be provided to the successful candidate.

The primary purpose of the review is twofold:

• Prove: To assess if the AAPNG Program is achieving what it set out to do and is demonstrating adaptability? This will involve an assessment of AAPNG progress against program outcomes (effectiveness), the mix of activities (relevance/appropriateness) and the program’s ability to support the evolving PNG-Australia Partnership context more broadly (adaptability), efficiency, and inclusivity
• Improve: To assess what has been learned and recommend improvements to AAPNG

The team will seek evidence (and examples of good practice from the Program), to explore to what extent the AAPNG investment is contributing to building a qualified workforce, filling critical human resource gaps, supporting good leadership in the public and private sectors, building people-to-people and institutional links with Australia, and promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

This will require the Technical Specialist to work sensitively with a range of stakeholders including non-government organisations, the Contractor, national and provincial government counterparts, school community representatives, and representatives from the Australian High Commission in Port Moresby.

The Technical Specialist will apply their expertise to the review and support the other review team members to conduct thedocument review, design the review plan, develop a draft and final report, and any other documentation required under the review.

Other members of the review team will include the Team Leader and a Leadership Adviser (National Consultant). HDMES will also provide administrative, financial and logistical support to the team including: managing logistics for in-country work, providing transport, security and monitoring services, and managing any performance-related issues.

Scope of work

The Technical Specialist will report to and be responsible for supporting the Team Leader and review team members to deliver on the finalised Terms of Reference of the Mid-term Review. This will include responsibility for:

• Supporting the Team Leader in ensuring the review is implemented and delivered as per the Review Terms of Reference including contributing to the Desktop review, review plan, interviews and data analysis, preliminary findings meeting, and draft/final reports;
• In close coordination with the Team Leader and PNG Leadership Adviser take principle responsibility for finalisation of the document review; with a focus on the education, leadership and GEDSI sectors, to ensure that data collected and analysed is sex disaggregated (wherever possible);
• Ensuring that the collection of women’s voice and experience in AAPNG is collected appropriately to inform the Review;
• Ensuring that the Review explores ways in which gender, disability and social inclusion have been integrated into the Program and how and why these contribute to overall impact of the Program;
• Clearly articulate a revised gender equality outcome for the program

The Technical Specialist will also be required to:

• Work constructively with HDMES on finalisation and quality assurance of deliverables
• Work with the review team in consultation with DFAT and in peer reviews, as required
• Work sensitively and collaboratively with stakeholders and other team members
• Apply technical expertise to the review in order to inform judgments and conclusions about effectiveness and recommendations.

Qualifications and capabilities

Essential:

• At least a Master’s Degree in the Social Sciences
• Significant experience conducting reviews/evaluations in the education sector including innovative practice experience
• Demonstrated human development/GEDSI experience within the education sector in the Pacific
• Demonstrated understanding of social, economic and cultural issues that affect education programming in contexts similar to Papua New Guinea
• Experience in collecting, analysing and reporting GEDSI disaggregated data
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a team to deliver results on time
• Demonstrated high level cross-cultural, interpersonal, written and oral communication skills, adaptable to a wide variety of audiences
• Demonstrated excellent report writing skills (English)
• Fluency in spoken and written English

Desirable:

• Experience working in PNG or Pacific
• Familiarity with decentralised education systems
• Qualifications in education and international development with a focus on human development/GEDSI)

Terms and Conditions:

The Adviser will be employed for up to 33 days for this assignment. The terms and conditions of the contractor’s employment are contained in the Australian Government’s Adviser Remuneration Framework (ARF). This position is defined as a short-term C3 position under the ARF. The position will work a maximum of a 6-day work week. The Adviser will be expected to comply with HDMES and Australian policies including, code of conduct, risk, fraud, PSEAH and child protection. The Adviser will be subject to performance assessment at the discretion of the HDMES and DFAT.

The following documents must be submitted:

• Expression of Interest Letter – demonstrating experience required for the assignment (including previous work with national ministries of education, or similar government or private organisations).
• Curriculum Vitae detailing project engagements and at least three professional referees.

Applications close on 23 February 2020.

ASI is committed to continually improving the diversity of our workforce through the attraction, retention and development of a diverse range of talented people. We want people to be comfortable bringing their whole self to work and recognise that inclusion brings further opportunities for innovation and creativity.

About the Organization

Adam Smith International is a global advisory company that works locally to transform lives by making economies stronger, societies more stable, and governments more effective. Our clients are governments, international organisations, companies, and foundations. They come to us to develop strategies and to design, deliver and evaluate programmes that address the big challenges facing the world.

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 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.

That is the way we work and that commitment was formally recognised when we became a certified B Corp. The certification indicates we balance profit and purpose through the highest standards of transparency and accountability as well as social and environmental performance.