Department: International Programs

Location: Bangkok

National Position

Overtime Eligible: (per local law)

Job Overview/Summary:

IRC strives to produce quality proposals, reports and evaluations that illustrate measurement of contractual goals and activities, but also includes analysis of context and dynamic needs of beneficiaries at the community-level. Programming and program cycle management thus require a more strategic and technically sound approach to monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in order to better support program management, compliance to donor reporting and learning through consolidation and dissemination of lessons learnt from completed and ongoing programs.  

Leading the establishment and effective smooth running of M&E within the country program, the M&E Coordinator will provide strategic, technical, and managerial leadership for the IRC Thailand measurement efforts, including monitoring, evaluation, learning, and – above all – making decisions and taking action based on data.  This position requires oversight of M&E activities across country programs – including support to program staff – and coordination with field-based staff to ensure that data are of high quality and used effectively for decision making.

Major Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Leadership for Development of Robust M&E System

• Development and implementation of an M&E strategy for the country program that ensures technically sound and consistent approaches to:

-   Indicator development across projects and geographic locations, including incorporation of organizational core indicators
-   Routine monitoring of program activities
-   Assessments of beneficiary needs
-   Evaluations of the effectiveness of program interventions
-   Accountability feedback mechanisms to ensure responsiveness to needs and clients
-   Data collection, including digital data collection where feasible
-   Data storage and secure accessibility of data by project staff and country/regional management

• Support country-level knowledge management efforts and develop and implement systems that facilitate the sharing of information across regions and field sites within Thailand, specifically focused on use of data and analysis for decision making and donor influence.
• Work with IRC Headquarters technical units to ensure Thailand program provides quality input to global outcome indicators.

2. Technical Quality Oversight of M&E System Implementation

• In collaboration with the Regional Measurement Action Coordinator for Asia Region (RMAC) and the Deputy Director of Programs (DDP), develop a country M&E strategy
• Work with project teams to implement the M&E country strategy, with a focus on:

-   Coordinated monitoring of project activities, ensuring that activities are carried out or as planned or adjusted/adapted as needed

-   Coordinated assessments of beneficiary needs, ensuring that tools and methodologies are appropriate, so that results are actionable and easily communicated

-   Coordinated evaluation of projects, ensuring that activities are effectively addressing the beneficiary needs

-   Contributing to an organizational culture shift from a focus on data being primarily for donor reporting to using data for decision making and action

• Work with RMAC to ensure that country teams are using the right tools and have the proper procedures in place to achieve both collection of high quality data and the effective use of those data
• Work with technical and country teams to implement the IRC’s program data platform
• Support field teams in analysis of data, including going beyond simple Excel charts to more sophisticated statistical analysis, and including creative use of GIS
• Manage external evaluations in partnership with relevant stakeholders, such as donor or project managers, including the development of Terms of Reference, selecting consultants or evaluators, oversight of contract, reviewing outputs, etc.
• Support design and implementation of internal evaluations and project assessments with relevant program staff and technical advisors.
• Update and keep track of a country-wide evaluation plan to ensure projects are prepared for evaluations or internal assessments far in advance, and that each grant is subject to review in a systematic and timely fashion.

3. Capacity Building

• Conduct preliminary participatory capacity assessment of current IRC program/field staff to identify specific gaps in M&E technical skills. Based on needs identified by staff in the preliminary capacity assessment, support development of an M&E capacity building plan for the Thailand country office.
• Coach, train, and mentor project-specific M&E and/or relevant field staff with the aim of strengthening their technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the program team and providing professional development guidance.
• Support capacity development for IRCs local partners through technical training, coaching, mentoring.

4. Design and Learning

• Support the DDP, IRC Program Unit and other Coordinators to design evidence-based programming that aligns with the IRC’s country strategy and is relevant for the context and responsive to the needs on the ground as identified by the M&E team.
• Lead the proposal development process, ensuring that the theory of change is based on the results of participatory rural appraisal (PRA) processes, that the log frame is developed with the full participation of the field team, and that multiple technical sector inputs are integrated.

• Support country teams in developing log-frames and theories of change for new project proposals, including consistency with the IRC’s library of core outcomes and indicators.
• Conduct assessments of beneficiary needs to feed into the design of new project proposals.
• Analyze and translate data into recommendations to donors for new strategies, funding, etc. Work with DDP and the Country Director (CD) to develop advocacy and information sharing strategies to promote IRC’s learning.
• Leadership in supporting Thailand program’s participation in Research, Evaluation and Learning’s (REL) evidence based program initiatives and serving as the main focal point with HQ and regional M&E and research initiatives to be rolled out in the country programs.
• Support development of tools and systems that ensure recommendations/lessons learned from previous grants flow back into project design of new grants. Support project/program staff to properly document, organize and capture program progress and create a tools and library to increase institutional learning and disseminate lessons learnt.

Position Requirements:

• Advanced degree in statistics or the social sciences with emphasis on measurement
• At least seven (7) years of professional experience with demonstrated skills in

-   Developing and implementing M&E systems (including database design)

-   Strategic planning and performance measurement, indicator selection, quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methodologies

-   Collecting data

-   Remote monitoring

-   Data analysis

-   Using data for decision-making in multiple technical sectors

• Proven ability to think strategically about data and making decisions on the same
• Experience training and mentoring staff and local partners
• Proven ability to support M&E components in business development
• Excellent teamwork including abilities to coordinate well with diverse individuals and teams and to negotiate effectively with colleagues and stakeholders to achieve results;
• Knowledge of the trends and issues in international aid monitoring, knowledge management and measurement
• At least four years’ experience in developing countries and/or conflict-affected contexts
• Strong oral communication and presentation skills
• Fluency in English required

Working Environment: The position will be based in the IRC office in Bangkok, with extensive travel to the field sites.

How to Apply: Application letter and most recent CV in English stating qualifications and experience should be submitted to the IRC Human Resources Department at Thailand.HR@rescue.org

All applications will be treated confidentially and not returned. The IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, national origin, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, marital status or physical or mental disability. The IRC is an equal opportunity employer.