KEY INFORMATION

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Prospera Phase 2 is Australia’s flagship economic governance investment in Indonesia. The program supports the Government of Indonesia (GoI) to advance inclusive, sustainable and climate-resilient economic reform, while strengthening Australia–Indonesia bilateral partnerships.

Prospera’s MEL system is designed to generate credible evidence that supports accountability, guides adaptive management, and strengthens shared learning among Prospera, DFAT, Australian Public Service (APS) partners and Indonesian counterparts. The system operates at two levels: activity-level tracking of advisory quality and strategic relevance, and whole-of-program assessment of contribution to systemic reform outcomes.

The Strategic MEL Adviser is an ongoing short-term engagement that provides high-level technical MEL expertise at key points in the program’s annual performance cycle. The role supports the MEL Adviser with specialist methodological input, quality assurance of major products, and strategic advice on evidence generation and use.

The engagement is structured around Prospera’s MEL cycle, with scheduled inputs for annual planning, reflection and reporting periods, and additional responsive capacity for significant evaluations, assessments or reviews as they arise. The Adviser operates as a trusted technical resource, complementing the embedded MEL team rather than substituting for it.

SCOPE OF WORK AND KEY INPUTS

Annual MEL cycle support

• Provide specialist methodological advice during annual workplanning to ensure MEL design is proportionate, rigorous and aligned with DFAT’s Design and MEL Standards.

• Support refinement of program logic and nested theories of change for core governance workstreams, in response to changes in political economy and reform context.

• Review and provide technical quality assurance of MEL frameworks, indicator sets and evidence plans prior to DFAT submission.

• Contribute to six-monthly reflection and learning processes, supporting the program team to interpret evidence and apply findings to adaptive management decisions.

Evaluation and assessment design

• Lead or provide specialist support for the design and implementation of significant evaluations and assessments, including effectiveness assessments and outcomes assessments.

• Apply and advise on complex evaluation methodologies relevant to economic policy influence, including contribution analysis, outcome harvesting, process tracing and political economy analysis.

• Ensure evaluation designs capture GEDSI dimensions, including differentiated outcomes for women, people with disabilities and other marginalised groups.

• Quality-assure evaluation terms of reference, inception reports and final products before they are presented to DFAT or program leadership.

Evidence quality and use

• Advise on evidence standards and quality criteria appropriate to Prospera’s operating context, where direct attribution of policy reform outcomes is rarely achievable.

• Support the MEL team to develop and apply value for money indicators at activity and program levels.

• Advise on approaches to strengthen GoI and APS partner engagement in MEL co-design and evidence use, including capacity building for outcome measurement and adaptive learning.

• Provide technical input to strengthen Prospera’s knowledge management approach, ensuring evidence products are packaged for effective uptake across program and partner audiences.

Strategic advice and peer review

• Provide strategic advice to DFAT and Prospera Management on significant methodological decisions, emerging evidence challenges and MEL system improvements.

• Conduct peer review of major MEL and evidence products prior to DFAT submission, including annual reports, performance assessments and evaluation reports.

• Provide independent technical input to support DFAT quality assurance processes, including Quality at Implementation (QAI) reviews and independent evaluations, as required.

• Advise on emerging good practice in MEL for complex policy advisory programs, drawing on relevant international experience.

INDICATIVE INPUTS 

The engagement is structured around scheduled inputs aligned to Prospera’s performance cycle, with additional responsive capacity available as program needs require. Indicative inputs include:

Scheduled inputs (indicative)

• Annual planning period (approximately October–November): review of MEL frameworks, indicator refinement and evidence planning for the forthcoming year.

• Mid-year reflection (approximately May–June): support for structured learning process and review of evidence to inform adaptive management.

• Annual reporting period (approximately July–August): quality assurance of performance narrative and evidence products for DFAT.

• Theory of change refresh (annually): technical review and update of program logic and nested theories of change.

Responsive inputs

• Inputs into the design and establishment of the Prospera Program Logic and MEL System, and work planning.

• Design and quality assurance support for significant evaluations and assessments as commissioned.

• Technical input to DFAT quality assurance processes.

• Methodological advice in response to emerging evidence challenges or program adaptation needs.

The total indicative input volume and schedule will be agreed with Prospera Team Leader at the start of each program year and reviewed as part of the annual planning cycle. The engagement model allows for in-country and remote inputs, with the balance determined by task requirements and program needs.

QUALIFICATIONS AND SELECTION CRITERIA

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

Essential

• Postgraduate qualification in evaluation, economics, development studies, public policy or a related field.

• At least 12 years of experience in MEL for international development programs, with demonstrated expertise in complex, adaptive program contexts.

• Deep technical expertise in evaluation methodology, including contribution analysis, outcome harvesting, process tracing and political economy analysis.

• Proven experience designing and quality-assuring MEL systems for large DFAT-funded or comparable donor-funded programs, with direct knowledge of DFAT’s Design and MEL Standards.

• Demonstrated experience applying MEL to economic governance, policy advisory or institutional strengthening programs where reform outcomes are complex, emergent and difficult to attribute.

• Experience integrating GEDSI considerations into MEL design, including sex-disaggregated and disability-disaggregated data approaches and GEDSI-sensitive evaluation methods.

• Strong ability to communicate complex methodological issues clearly to non-specialist audiences, including program leadership and government counterparts.

• Excellent written English; proficiency in Bahasa Indonesia an advantage.

Desirable

• Experience providing MEL advisory support to programs operating in Indonesia or comparable Southeast Asian contexts.

• Familiarity with DFAT’s performance assessment framework and annual reporting requirements.

• Experience supporting government partner engagement in co-design and co-implementation of MEL.

• Experience with digital evidence platforms and management information systems in a development program context.

• Demonstrated experience advising on value for money frameworks for policy advisory programs.

REPORTING AND WAYS OF WORKING

The Strategic MEL Adviser reports to the Director, Performance and GEDSI and works closely with the MEL Manager on day-to-day coordination of inputs. The Adviser functions as a specialist technical resource: providing methodological rigour, independent peer review and strategic counsel, while the embedded MEL team maintains primary responsibility for system management and day-to-day delivery.

Prospera works in a transparent, accountable and collaborative way. All team members are expected to share information early, manage risks proactively, and be clear about decisions and responsibilities. We value respect, professionalism and collective responsibility for delivery.

PSEAH AND CHILD PROTECTION

The Personnel must read, understand and comply with all organisational and DFAT requirements relating to the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH) and Child Protection. Any suspicion, allegation, incident or concern must be reported as soon as possible, and at the maximum within 24 hours of becoming aware of the matter, in accordance with approved reporting procedures. Completion of required safeguarding training and adherence to reporting obligations is a condition of engagement.

ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE

The Personnel must comply with all DFAT policies, contractual obligations and Prospera operational requirements. All intellectual property developed under this assignment will be the property of Prospera and DFAT. The Personnel must comply with:

• DFAT Child Protection and PSEAH policies

• Fraud, bribery and corruption prevention requirements

• Program Code of Conduct

• Conflict-of-interest obligations

• Privacy and confidentiality requirements

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications can be sent to recruitment@prospera.or.id no later than 15 June 2026. 

For your application to be considered, please upload your documents as followed: Candidate Last Name, First Name, date, Title of the Position.

Cowater international strives to maintain a fair, transparent, and human centered recruitment process. As part of our commitment to responsible hiring practices and compliance with evolving recruitment regulations, we may use AI assisted tools to support limited aspects of our talent acquisition workflow, such as reviewing or shortlisting applications. These tools are used only to enhance efficiency and consistency in our processes. All assessments, interviews, and final hiring decisions are made exclusively by our human recruiting managers. Candidates may request additional information about the use of these tools or reasonable accommodations during the recruitment process.

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.

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.