Skills strengthening opportunities for Samoa nationals only

Location: Vientiane, Laos | Full-time |Fixed term contract until 30 June 2028

• Long term strategic role on Australia's flagship program investing in education
  development in Lao PDR.
• Creative and diverse role building on a well established and highly regarded MEL system.
• Opportunity to go beyond Program MEL by contributing to capacity building for the
  Ministry of Education and Sports in Lao PDR in evidence-based decision making.

Contribute to a world where people, communities and the planet thrive.

Tetra Tech International Development is a leading development consulting firm working with government, businesses, and NGOs to solve complex development challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. For more information please visit our website 

The Program

Phase 2 of the Basic Education Quality and Access in Lao PDR (BEQUAL) Program builds on the successful 7-year partnership between the Government of Australia and Government of Lao PDR in Phase 1 with the goal that “more primary school-aged children in Lao PDR, particularly those experiencing disadvantage, demonstrate increased engagement in learning and improved learning outcomes”.

BEQUAL Phase 2 continues to directly support the education priorities of the Lao Government described in the Education and Sports Sector Development Plan and is aligned to the strategic directions set out in Australia’s International Development Policy 2023.

BEQUAL Phase 1 (2015-2022) was focused on supporting MoES to revise the national primary curriculum to integrate a student-centred approach in which student engagement and learning is facilitated through activities, hands-on experience, and practical application. With BEQUAL support, MoES developed accompanying teaching and learning materials for teachers and students and rolled out nationwide curriculum orientation training for in-service teachers.

With the completion of the primary curriculum revision in school-year 2023-24, BEQUAL Phase 2 has shifted focus to establishing a system for teachers’ continuing professional development (CPD) that is school-based and responsive to locally-identified needs. Three Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) and 30 districts in their catchment areas are receiving targeted support to design and implement the new CPD system. BEQUAL Phase 2 continues to focus on ensuring gender equality and promoting inclusive education across all activities.

The opportunity

The MEL Manager is responsible for implementing the Program's Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) system across all areas and themes. This includes planning, managing, and delivering program reports in various formats.

The MEL Manager will collaborate with stakeholders to monitor, evaluate, and report on the Program's achievements and outcomes. They will also promote the use of MEL data for continuous improvement, ensuring that performance information informs strategic and operational decisions.

The MEL Manager will train and support Program staff and partners in the MEL system, as well as in data collection, analysis, and reporting. They will ensure compliance with DFAT MEL standards and work to incorporate Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) performance information throughout the program.

Tetra Tech International Development, the Managing Contractor for the Australia Awards Papua New Guinea (AAPNG) is seeking Service Providers to tender for the design and delivery of the Pre-Departure Training for Australia Awards Scholarships Intake 2026.

AAPNG will exclude a Service Provider on the grounds of bankruptcy, insolvency, false declarations, or significant deficiencies in performance of any substantive requirement or obligation under a prior contract with Tetra Tech International Development or AAPNG.

Position Summary

Under the direction of the Finance and Procurement Manager, the Program Accountant will be responsible for undertaking all local accounting matters and will work closely with the ASI Corporate Head Office Finance Department. The Program Accountant will be responsible for managing all transactions through the program’s local Fijian bank account, including managing local payroll and withholdings to the proper authorities, managing accounts payable, the asset register, preparing monthly Field Office Expense Reports, keeping local registrations updated, and working with local authorities to ensure compliance with all rules and regulations.

Location: Suva, Fiji (Flexible arrangements considered) Duration: Full-time, fixed term to 30 June 2027

• Lead MEL and performance systems to strengthen humanitarian infrastructure across the Pacific.
• Champion inclusion, localisation and green humanitarian action in a regionally led program.
• Join a brilliant team as a member of the executive leadership team, driving resilience and impact in the Pacific.

Contribute to a world where people, communities and the planet thrive.

Tetra Tech International Development is a leading development consulting firm working with government, businesses, and NGOs to solve complex development challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. For more information please visit our website 

About the Program 

Investing in Women: Women In Inclusive Sustainable Economic Recovery (IW) is a multi-country Australian Government initiative in Southeast Asia that seeks to accelerate women’s economic empowerment through increased and equitable opportunities in the private sector, contributing to inclusive, sustainable economic recovery and growth in targeted countries. 

Building on the results, partnerships, learnings and credibility established under the first eight years of the program, IW’s new phase will extend and deepen Australia’s contribution to supporting women in the region and advancing gender equality through continuing to influence an ecosystem of policymakers, business leaders, capital providers and women’s economic empowerment actors. 

Positioning women at the centre of economic resilience and recovery and accelerating their economic empowerment is critical to achieving a wide range of objectives pertaining to sustainable development in Southeast Asia. As the region recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, gender-sensitive economic recovery strategies will be critical to prevent further deterioration in women’s economic empowerment indicators seen during COVID-19. Focus on an inclusive recovery seeks to harness the productivity, skills, capacity, talent, innovation, and leadership that women offer, and realise the benefits of women’s economic empowerment for themselves, their families, and their communities.

IW continues the ambitious agenda of advancing women’s economic empowerment through:

• Workplace Gender Equality – we support business coalitions that work with influential businesses on shifting workplace cultures, practices, and policy barriers to achieve workplace gender equality;

• Enabling Policy Reforms – we support locally identified policy reform agendas to encourage private sector participation in the care economy;

• Influencing Gender Norms – we support locally driven campaigns that positively shift gender norms that inhibit women’s economic participation; and

• Gender Lens Investing – we work to increase access to capital by women-led small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through partnering with capital providers, increase demand for gender lens investing strategies and product, and catalyse the supply of financial instruments available to growth-oriented small businesses led by women.

In collaboration with corporations and business leaders, policy stakeholders, capital providers, entrepreneurs, and advocates, we are working with those who are driving change for women’s economic equality in our region.   

IW supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 Agenda and the leveraging of private sector investments to achieve the Goals. The SDGs recognise that gender equality is not only an essential human right, but a necessary foundation for peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable societies.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has contracted Abt Associates Australia to implement IW. Abt Associates Australia is a mission-driven, global leader in research, evaluation, and implementing programs in health, social and environmental policy and international development. 

IW’s new phase is anticipated to be up to AUD 80 million in value, initially for four years (from January 2023 to June 2027), with an option to extend for a further six years. Initial countries of focus will be at least Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, with some activities engaging at a regional level.

Further information about IW can be found on www.investinginwomen.asia

About the Program 

Investing in Women: Women in Inclusive Sustainable Economic Recovery (IW) is a multi-country Australian Government initiative in Southeast Asia that seeks to accelerate women’s economic empowerment through increased and equitable opportunities in the private sector, contributing to inclusive, sustainable economic recovery and growth in targeted countries. Our objective is to support women to thrive in the workplace and succeed in business.

Building on the results, partnerships and lessons established under the first seven years of the program, IW’s new phase will extend and deepen Australia’s contribution to advancing gender equality in Southeast Asia through influencing and growing an ecosystem of policymakers, business leaders, capital providers and women’s economic empowerment actors.

Positioning women at the centre of economic resilience and accelerating their economic empowerment is critical to achieving a wide range of sustainable development objectives in Southeast Asia. As the region recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, gender-sensitive economic recovery strategies will be critical to prevent further deterioration in women’s economic empowerment indicators as seen during COVID-19. Focus on an inclusive recovery seeks to harness the productivity, skills, capacity, talent, innovation, and leadership that women offer, and realise the benefits of women’s economic empowerment for themselves, their families, and their communities.

IW continues the ambitious agenda of advancing women’s economic empowerment through:

• Workplace Gender Equality (WGE) – We support Business Coalitions that work with influential businesses on shifting workplace cultures, practices, and policy barriers to achieve workplace gender equality, with member companies together employing more than one million people;

• Enabling Policy Reforms – We support locally identified reform agendas that promote women’s workforce participation, generate support for the business case for WGE, and build the case for the value and importance of the care economy to business, the economy and women’s economic empowerment; 

• Campaigns and Communities of Practice – We support locally driven campaigns in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam that highlight positive examples of gender equality to strengthen public support for women’s economic participation. Through fostering a community of gender equality advocates, IW will continuously build evidence that supports the broader adoption of progressive attitudes and behaviours; and

• Gender Lens Investing – We work to increase investment in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that disproportionately benefit women in Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. We do so by increasing capital providers’ demand for Gender Lens Investing strategies and products, catalysing the supply of financial instruments available to small businesses owned or led by women, and investing in the growth of SMEs that support women through a ‘fund of funds’ strategy. 

In collaboration with corporations and business leaders, policymakers and implementers, capital providers, entrepreneurs, and advocates, we are working with those who are driving change for women's economic equality in our region.

Investing in Women supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 Agenda and the leveraging of private sector investments to achieve the Goals. The SDGs recognise that gender equality is not only an essential human right, but a necessary foundation for peaceful, prosperous and sustainable societies. 

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has contracted Abt Associates Australia to implement Investing in Women. Abt Associates Australia is a mission-driven, global leader in research, evaluation and implementing programs in health, social and environmental policy and international development.

Investing in Women’s new phase is anticipated to be up to AUD 80 million in value, initially for four years (from January 2023 to June 2027), with an option to extend for a further six years. Initial countries of focus will be at least Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, with some activities engaging at a regional level. Further information about Investing in Women can be found on the website: www.investinginwomen.asia.   

About Palladium

Palladium is a global leader in the design, development, and delivery of Positive Impact – the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value.  We work with governments, businesses, and investors to solve the world's most pressing challenges. With a team of more than 2,000 employees operating in 75-plus countries and a global network of over 35,000 experts, we help improve economies, societies, and, most importantly, people's lives.

About the Program

The New Colombo Plan (NCP) is an initiative of the Australian Government which aims to lift knowledge of the Indo-Pacific in Australia by supporting Australian undergraduates to study and undertake internships in the region. Students undertake scholarship programs, participate in Mobility projects, and on completion become alumni. About the New Colombo Plan | Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Palladium is contracted by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to manage the NCP Managed Administrative and Support Services (MASS) program which underpins the effective operation of the scholarship, mobility and alumni streams, and provides the cross-cutting functions of finance, communications, business engagement, risk management, and monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL).

The Fiji Program Support Platform (the Platform) implements over fifty percent of Australia’s bilateral development support to Fiji across a range of sector programs in education, health, Australia Awards, disaster response, cyclone recovery, social infrastructure, and technical assistance to improve public sector governance in Fiji. 

This will be achieved through three End of Program Outcomes (EOPOs):

EOPO 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 (development results)

EOPO 2: The Platform has prioritised gender equality and 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 agencies (performance priorities) 

EOPO 3: The Platform administers timely and efficient programming that is: value for money, maximises use of local supply chain, and supports good governance and public diplomacy, effective decision making and risk management (enabling management support)

The Program Activity Coordinator will be required to help ensure that project management systems are built around all technical assistance assignments from the commencement of the activity while also assisting the Technical Leads in assuring the quality of all assignments’ outputs and deliverables. The Program Activity Coordinator will work predominantly with the Health Technical Lead, focusing on coordinating and implementing health-related initiatives, programs, and interventions. A sound understanding of public health, and healthcare systems, and a strong commitment to promoting health and well-being with flexibility to support other technical areas as needed would be highly beneficial. A strong understanding of the social issues and the dynamics needed to combat these through a cross-sectoral approach will also be desirable.