KEY INFORMATION
 
Job Title: Subnational Planning, Research and Data Officer
Sector: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning
Position Type: Full-time
Duration/Level of Effort: Long-Term
Position Location: SPRING Subnational Office (Indicative Provincial sites may include Occidental Mindoro, Leyte, Davao Oriental, Albay, Northern Samar, Agusan Del Norte)
 
SUMMARY OF PROJECT
 
The DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) Social Protection, Inclusion and Gender equality (SPRING) program is Australia's flagship investment of support to the Philippine Government on Social Protection, Gender Equality, Disability, Social Inclusion and Indigenous Inclusion. It is an AUD 40 million investment over 5 years that will support the joint Development Partnership Plan (DPP 2024-2029) between the Government of Australia and the Philippine Government. The investment will be the DFAT's primary avenue in the Philippines for supporting poverty reduction and bilateral funding on gender equality and social inclusion at the national level and with some select Local Government Units (LGUs). SPRING supports efforts under Australia's new International Development Policy and DFAT's forthcoming new strategies on gender equality, disability equity and rights, and translate these into implementation in the Philippines.
 
SPRING contributes to the goal that the social and economic transformation in the Philippines reduces poverty and provides equal opportunities to all Filipinos in line with the Philippines Development Plan.
The objective of SPRING is that Australia works in partnership with the Philippine Government to improve systems and structures that reduce poverty and inequality and advance gender equality and the rights of people with disabilities.
 
SPRING has four mutually reinforcing End of Program Outcomes (EOPOs):
 

1. Philippine Government social protection plans, policies and programs increasingly close gaps in the social protection floor.
2. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and select LGU systems increasingly deliver quality social protection that is inclusive, gender and shock responsive, and climate sensitive.
3. The Philippine Government increasingly invests in gender responsive policies, plans, programs and systems.
4. The Philippine Government improves data, systems and targeting to enable people with disability and Indigenous Peoples improved access to targeted services.

 
SUMMARY OF THE POSITION
 
Reporting to the Subnational Program Manager and working in close collaboration with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Lead and National MEL Officer, the Subnational PRD Officer will be responsible for the regular quantitative and qualitative monitoring and reporting of SPRING's activities at the subnational level, as per the MEL system. S/he will ensure MEL data, including baseline data collection is conducted as planned and that data is collected regularly against SPRING's logical framework indicators. The Subnational PRD Officer will assist in data collection, data handling, protection, and analysis, as well as in producing regular monitoring and evaluation reports, evidence-based case studies, and success stories for dissemination. Additionally, they will support SPRING Program partners to ensure application of performance monitoring, and evaluating the success in all planning, budgeting, implementation, reporting and knowledge management activities of the program at the subnational level.
 
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
 
Data Collection, Analysis and Management
 

• Assist in the development and maintenance of SPRING's databases to ensure that information is accurate and current.
• Monitor the implementation of all subnational activities on an ongoing basis through site visits, receiving reports from implementing partners and obtaining feedback from the recipients of assistance.
• Support the established data collection processes for tracking participation in program activities and achievement of outputs at subnational level.
• Oversee all subnational data collection activities in the field (e.g. monitoring of service availability, access, and quality) to support monitoring and evaluation.
• Conduct annual collation and analysis of selected subnational data in coordination with the SPRING MEL Lead, other Subnational PRD Officers, and the national Knowledge and Communications Officer.
• Coordinate with the SPRING Subnational Program Manager, Subnational GEDSI Officer, and SPRING technical team members, including the technical leads, Program Specialist, and the SP and GEDSI officers across the activity planning, delivery, and reporting cycle at the subnational level.
• Support the conduct of commissioned evaluative or research studies, in coordination with the MEL Lead
• Undertake field visits to confirm and triangulate reported findings, as necessary.
• Ensure a strong emphasis on information analysis and use, balancing the need for regular accountability and contract compliance focused information with the time required to collect, analyse, and use meaningful information.
• Support knowledge management and contributions to evidence that are relevant to advocacy and informing social protection policies and programs.
• Ensure M&E and data collection processes accord with ethical standards.

 
Platform Learning, Reporting and Dissemination
 

• Support and contribute to facilitation of regular reflection workshops to support learning and adaptation at subnational level.
• Support and contribute to the preparation and on-time delivery of required reports following prescribed format and quality standards, including progress and other reports for subnational local governments and external stakeholders at the subnational level, as needed.
• Support and lead (at subnational level) on data analytics and visualisation to support the team in reporting and presentations to subnational LGUs, Philippine Government partners at the subnational level, the DFAT, and the SP and GEDSI Technical Working Groups (TWG) and the Steering Committee, as required.
• Provide data, as required, for DFAT-commissioned independent evaluations and ensure findings from the evaluations are incorporated into enhancement of SPRING subnational policies and activities as appropriate.
• Identify any risks to SPRING's ability to report on its achievements at the subnational level.
• Ensure a strong communications focus in SPRING MERL at the subnational level, ensuring appropriate, quality, and accessible communications and knowledge products (e.g., program reports, stories of change, etc.) for a range of subnational audiences.
• Contribute to the facilitation of subnational events that support the transfer of ideas and experiences beyond SPRING.
• In coordination with the Subnational Program Manager, the MEL Lead and national MEL Officer, and the national KMC Officer, ensure SPRING's subnational results and lessons learned are communicated through high quality public reporting of program performance and accuracy in messaging of data, results and learnings.

 
Research and Analysis
 

• Manage research and analysis functions at the subnational level, including the commissioning of relevant analytics, research, and learning, and providing input to methods proposed and quality assurance of implementation and findings, and final products.
• Ensure that any relevant findings from studies feed into SPRING's subnational implementation strategy and communications, are accessible to a broad range of subnational audience, and contribute to the achievement of subnational program objectives.
• Monitor progress of research projects at the subnational level, manage corresponding contract milestones and compliance issues and reporting deadlines when and where needed, and proactively seek the advice of technical colleagues as necessary.
• Support the review final research reports, engage with the thematic leads as required to help with the review and QA process, and negotiate revisions and/or additional research requirements.

 
Partner Level Activities
 

• Generate and monitor data on project progress at the subnational level and provide support to subnational partners to improve MERL and data related issues throughout the project management cycle.
• Monitor and support subnational partners to execute the partner level M&E plans.
• Contribute to development of project design, results chains and M&E plans for new activities and/or grants.
• Encode revised results chains, indicators, and updated work plan into the MEL MIS.
• Carry out data quality assessment and measurement for data quality assurance.
• Collect necessary local data as required.

 
REQUIREMENTS
 
Education
 

• Bachelor's degree in economics, statistics, data analytics, international development, public administration, social sciences, research methodology, or related discipline. Advanced studies and post-graduate units or degree in the above fields would be an advantage.

 
Minimum Experience
 

• Minimum of 3 years of experience working on a similar development program (DFAT-funded program an advantage) in a role that involved monitoring, evaluation, and/or research and data analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to use data analytics and visualisation tools and software. (Knowledge and experience with Tableau, Power BI, Stata, SPSS, etc. is an advantage).
• Demonstrated ability to process and analyze technical information from different sectors.
• Demonstrated experience in quantitative and qualitative research methods, field data collection, analysis, and management.

 
Key Abilities
 

• Commitment to social protection, gender equality, and inclusion, as foundations of SPRING Program goals and objectives.
• Exceptional organizational and planning skills
• Demonstrated strong computer skills including MS Office (Word, Excel, PPT, Outlook, and SharePoint), MS Visio, or similar software.
• Demonstrated experience with various approaches to program planning, monitoring and evaluation.
• Strong monitoring and reporting skills with experience on development projects.
• Experience maintaining relationships with different stakeholders (government, international and local NGOs, and at community level).
• Experience facilitating participation of marginalized groups and strengthening their voice and input in community initiatives would be an advantage.
• Ability to work productively as part of a team, while taking initiative and working independently.
• Strong communication skills, including full professional proficiency in written and oral English and Filipino.
• Demonstrated commitment to and understanding of GEDSI principles, with knowledge or experience in promoting gender equality, disability, and social inclusion especially within adaptive programs like SPRING. This includes a clear understanding of and practical experience in safeguarding, particularly in the context of child protection (CP) and Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (SEAH), with the ability to integrate safeguarding measures into program implementation.
• Compliance to DFAT policies on fraud control, financing terrorism, child protection and other social safeguards

 
APPLICATION PROCESS
 
This is a rolling recruitment. Applications will be reviewed and vetted sequentially as they are received. We encourage interested individuals to apply as early as possible.
 
For your application to be considered, please upload your documents as follows: Candidate Last Name, First Name, date, Title of the Position.
 
Please send your cover letter addressing the position selection criteria and CV with name and contact details (phone and email) of three professional referees to hr@springphilippines.org, mentioning the position you are applying for in the subject line "SPRING Subnational Planning, Research, and Data Officer " or apply online.
Women, persons with a disability and Indigenous Peoples are highly encouraged to apply.
 
Cowater International is an equal opportunity employer, basing employment on merit and qualifications as they relate to professional experience and position expectations. Cowater does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, religion, sex, gender identity, disability, age, or any other basis protected by law. Persons with disabilities may send a request for reasonable accommodation to participate in the recruitment process to hr@springphilippines.org.
 
Cowater International adheres to the highest standards of protection of children and vulnerable adults in the delivery of programs and services. Cowater is committed to the prevention of sexual abuse, exploitation and harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination.
Cowater International upholds standards of ethical conduct and has zero tolerance against fraud and bribery.
Prior to any offer of employment, applicants will be subject to appropriate background checks.
 
We thank all applicants, however only those shortlisted will be contacted.
 
ABOUT US
 
Founded in 1985, Cowater International is a leading global development consulting company. Headquartered in Ottawa and with corporate hubs in Auckland, Berlin, Brussels, Helsinki, London, Madrid, Manila, Nairobi, Singapore and Stockholm, Cowater International has successfully delivered a portfolio of over 2500 projects and assignments in more than 95 countries. We work with governments, private sector actors and communities implementing projects that support socio-economic development, institutional strengthening, environmental improvements and advance equal opportunities for all. We are a diverse and experienced team committed to building a better tomorrow for the people we serve. Our adaptive approach to management has led to our yearly award-winning work and recognition as one of Canada's Best Managed Companies since 2017.
 
We thank you for your interest in building a better tomorrow with Cowater International.