Fiji Program Support Platform Program Overview:

FPSP, also referred to as the ‘Platform’, a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) investment, will contribute to the delivery of Fiji’s national development priorities, in line with the Australia’s International Development Policy, the Fiji-Australia Vuvale Partnership and the Development Partnership Plan. 

The Platform will deliver key bilateral programs, such as health, education, scholarships, social infrastructure, governance, climate and emergency preparedness and response. Platform activities will identify and address climate risks, promote climate action, and gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) across and beyond the sector programs.

The Platform has three functional Outcomes: 

1. The Platform has delivered its sector program outcomes, including through supporting strategic coherence, planning, partnerships management, data and learning across the portfolio of investments.
2. The Platform has prioritised gender equality, disability-inclusive development, and climate and disaster resilience, in its systems and practices. This includes in how it undertakes sector programming and its engagement with selected Government of Fiji (GoF) agencies.
3. The Platform administers timely and efficient programming that is: value for money; maximises use of local supply chains; and supports good governance, and public diplomacy, effective decision making and risk management.

Position Summary: 

The Performance, Learning and Communications (PLC) Hub will facilitate cross-program learning, including through communities of practice, to drive continuous program improvement and strategic decision-making .The Hub is responsible for oversight of all sector programs, to optimise development results, the strategic coherence of the portfolio, a balance between individual sector diversity and consistent attention to cross-cutting issues, particularly GEDSI and climate change, efficient use of resources across programs and portfolio level attention to risk management and effective communications and public diplomacy.  

The PLC Lead forms part of the Platform Leadership Team and is responsible for the effective delivery and performance of the PLC Hub. The PLC Lead will manage and work in close collaboration with Abt partners Clear Horizon and Talanoa Consulting; and oversee Hub priorities including the development of high-quality Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) and Communications strategies and progressing activities as per the Platform Annual Work Plans and budgets.  

The PLC Lead plays a crucial role in linking and integrating Platform MEL and communications functions with sector programs. 

Key Responsibilities: 

MEL and Reporting

• Oversee MEL partner Clear Horizon’s inputs to the development and annual review and refinement of the Platform MEL Plan as well as the Performance Assessment Framework (PAF). 
• Ensure the MEL System and Management Information Systems (MIS) satisfies DFAT’s MEL standards, links to the International Development Policy PAF Tier 2 indicators and provides quality assured evidence and information on sector program outcome-level progress, as well as Platform level progress to enable DFAT to meet mandatory reporting requirements. 
• Oversee the development, coordination and application of processes that enable high quality and strategic performance reporting for the Platform in a way that balances accountability, rigor and learning to promote continuous program improvement.  
• Ensure that MEL and communications teams are responding to DFAT’s requirement for strategic coherence and an outcome-driven performance narrative for the Platform.  
• Work with sector program to provide support for sector MEL and reporting including the provision of advice, quality assurance, templates, tools and facilitation. 
• Provide technical support, quality assurance and promote coherence in annual work planning processes. 
• Scope, commission and oversee analytical exercises, including but not limited to baseline analysis, key stakeholder surveys to assess socio-economic impacts, quality assure the design of new initiatives, reviews of significant initiatives, VfM analysis. 

Learning and Coherence

• Ensure support and commitment for cross-sector learning, collaboration and coherence.  
• Lead on engagement with other cross-cutting functions including GEDSI, Locally Led Development (LLD) and climate from a MEL and communications perspective. 
• Oversee establishment and institutionalisation of mechanisms that support an enabling environment for reflection and learning, which will include dedicated talanoa workshops. 
• Ensure active and effective Communities of Practice on MEL and communications across FPSP that promote identification and sharing good practice and lessons, capacity strengthening, the use of common systems/formats where feasible and collaboration on common issues.  
• Promote learning, continuous improvement, and adaptive management: Monitor evidence of what works to promote greater gender equity, social inclusion, and other cross-cutting priorities and ensure evidence translated into changes in implementation. 
• Proactively engage with the sector programs to improve the understanding of, and adherence to, the updated DFAT MEL Standards and the International Development Performance and Delivery Framework. 
• Monitor and improve the quality of the work and products and building the capacity of the MEL and communications staff. 
• Oversee development of and functionality of the Platform’s Management Information System 

Communications

• Guide the Abt Strategic Communications and Engagement Adviser and the MEL team to establish, refine and implement processes and templates for development of high quality and strategic performance reporting for the FPSP.  
• Oversee implementation of the Transition Communications Plan in close coordination with DFAT Post. 
• Oversee the development and implementation of the Public Diplomacy and Communications Strategy and Plan, in consultation with DFAT Post and with advice from the Strategic Communications and Engagement Adviser. 
• Provide strategic advice and oversight to teams on public diplomacy and strategic communications content development, across traditional and digital media, and at local, national levels.    
• Establish and lead monthly (or as required) communications pipeline and quality review meetings with DFAT Public Diplomacy Team.  

General

• Build and foster productive relationships with external stakeholders, partners and grantees. 
• Track, mitigate, manage and promptly report on operational, program and reputational risks.  
• Other duties as requested by Platform Leader. 

Key Deliverables:

• Development, submission and acceptance of MEL head contract deliverables including the MEL Plan, MEL System, PAF, Communications and Public Diplomacy Strategy, Quarterly Reports, Six-monthly Reports and Annual Reports.  
• Regular MEL and Communications Communities of Practice meetings to ensure cross-program learning and coherence. 
• Monthly Communication pipeline meetings with DFAT (or as required).  
• Annual review and updating (as needed) of all FPSP Theory of Change and PAF, and MEL Plans and Systems.  
• Deliver high-quality strategic input, technical contributions and support to other Hubs and Sector Programs including but not limited to workplans, service orders, and activity designs as demanded. 
• Work collaboratively with key Platform partners and stakeholders including Ninti One, Talanoa Consulting and Clear Horizon. 
• Ensure all reports are prepared in accordance with FPSP, Abt and DFAT’s reporting guidelines and submitted on time. 

Senior Leadership Team Deliverables

• High level of responsiveness to DFAT issues and requests measured by Program receiving a Partner Performance Rating of 5 or above. 
• Quality reporting, milestones, deliverables and KPIs are submitted on time and meet internal (Abt) and external (DFAT) requirements.  
• Program is delivered on time and within budget and value for money principles drive all Program resourcing decisions. 
• Build and maintain open, productive and outcome-oriented relationships with key internal and external stakeholders including DFAT.  
• Innovative approaches to the delivery of aid are actively pursed and incorporated into the delivery and design of the Program. 

Key Working Relationships: 

Reporting to

• Platform Leader

Other

• Senior executive team 
• Cross-cutting Priorities Hub 
• FPSP Whole-of-Program Personnel 
• FPSP PLC Community of Practice 
• FPSP Stakeholders including DFAT, Government of Fiji, Program partners 
• FPSP Consortium Partners: Talanoa Consulting, Clear Horizon, Ninti 
• Abt MEL Advisers 

Selection Criteria: 

Qualifications

• Post graduate qualifications in monitoring and evaluation, project management, economics, or another relevant discipline knowledge. 
• Qualifications in communications, public relations, journalism or other related field. 

Skills/Experience

• Excellent theoretical understanding of MEL, with the ability to translate theory into practice and deliver evidence-based reporting. 
• Ability to work effectively with internal stakeholders to collect, clarify, collate, and share data.  
• More than 10 years’ demonstrable experience in implementing MERLA, writing reports, and providing analysis, preferably in international development for donor and Government audiences. 
• Demonstrated experience in designing and implementing MERLA systems in the governance sector, including sub-national, decentralisation and participatory development (NGOs, FBOs, CSOs, etc.).
• Professional experience in communications, public relations, or a related field, preferably within international development.  
• Experience in overseeing complex communications and public diplomacy efforts for large-scale programmes.  
• Experience liaising with counterparts predominately at a strategic/ management level. 
• Excellent analytical, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a team and coach and mentor staff.  

Personal Attributes

• Ability to self-motivate and deliver outputs under minimum supervision. 
• High-level of personal integrity and accountability. 
• Natural predisposition to mentoring personnel. 
• Ability to work in a consultative, collegiate, and collaborative manner. 

About Us

Abt Global is a mission-driven, global leader in research and program implementation in the fields of health, social and environmental policy, and international development. Known for its rigorous approach to solving complex challenges, Abt Global is regularly ranked as one of the top global research firms and one of the international development innovators.  The company has multiple offices in the U.S. and program offices in more than 40 countries.

At Abt Global, we are committed to creating a lasting culture of equity, diversity and inclusion and recognize that in order to achieve full participation, our practices must be free of prejudice, discrimination, and bias that result in inequitable outcomes. We are actively working to advance equity for everyone, and while we still have much work to do, we know that racial and cultural diversity are an asset to our business and the communities where we live and serve. Our ongoing commitment is focused on creating business practices that advance racial and social equity, investments in community impact programs for the benefit of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), and expand upon project work related to racial equity and social justice.