Internal Job Grade : Proposed B2
Contract type : National contract
Job Type : Fixed Term
Hours : 40
Salary : Competitive package
Region : Regional Platform
Reporting to : Regional Manager/Programmes
Staff reporting to this post : Regional MEL Advisor if applicable (not included as part of core funding but may be discretionary); Functional matrix management to country program quality and MEL roles
Locations : Tunis, Tunisia, but possible elsewhere in the region
Annual Budget : No budget responsibilities foreseen at this stage
Shaping a stronger Oxfam for people living in poverty.
Job Purpose
To increase Oxfam’s programme impact in the region by working closely with country and regional teams to improve program quality – providing leadership, coordination and strategic support on program design, planning, monitoring, evaluation, learning and partnership. This role works across the spectrum of long-term development, humanitarian and influencing interventions.
The role of the regional Programme Quality Lead is firmly founded in Oxfam’s 2020 vision, in which Oxfam becomes a knowledge-driven organization.
Job dimensions
- Professional specialist required to manage resources and implement strategy in a distinct area in order to achieve specific goals or deliver a high level specialist advisory service
- Works with reasonable autonomy within established standards but may be required to review and make improvement
- Problem solves within agreed parameters requiring considerable information which may be complex
- High level strategic role requiring in depth experience in focused area of knowledge
- Provides front line/operational advice to managers and specialists, influences decisions that can affect OI, Oxfam Confederation and Donors
Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities
Provide Regional and Country Leadership with strategic analysis support
- Support Regional Director, Country Directors and regional colleagues in strategy development, prioritisation and resourcing to achieve high standards in program design, implementation and evaluation
- Ensure strategic use of program information to help the Regional Director and teams in making programme related decisions informed by evidence
- Act as a conduit for, and ensure use of, relevant strategic analysis from across the confederation
- Organize strategic support to regional leadership in identifying key cross-regional learning agendas as well as particular country-specific initiatives that provide significant opportunities for learning, and support the process of convening learning events
Strategic program quality resourcing
- Connect demand for support for foundational program quality advisory expertise in countries and the region, with supply of such support from across the confederation
- Connect practitioners to each other, and to internal and external sources of expertise within and between regions
- Coordinate thematic and foundational program quality processes and initiatives, ensuring that synergies are leveraged, duplication is avoided and gaps are addressed (but not directly acting to fill gaps)
- Work with regional colleagues including HR, advocacy, funding and other regional functions to embed programme quality in Oxfam’s ways of working in the region
External Profiling
- Profile Oxfam externally in the region by engaging with local/national authorities, sector peers, partners and allies on the basis of the knowledge that Oxfam is generating to influence the sector in the region and country and further Oxfam and partners’ profile
- Provide Country programme quality colleagues with support, guidance and prioritization
- Design and lead the delivery of proactive strategic regional program quality capacity building plan, designing and implementing capacity building initiatives and mobilizing resources for training, coaching and accompaniment, as appropriate
- Support region and countries in identifying required quality functions and team structure, identification, recruitment and induction of program quality staff in countries with a strong focus on promoting national staff in this area
- Offer guidance to country teams in establishing priorities for programme quality work
- In close coordination with regional and country gender staff monitor and report on extent to which programme quality initiatives are supporting effective gender mainstreaming
- When needed, provide technical advisory support for the larger strategic programme initiatives in the region (such as multi-country programmes), identified and agreed with Country Directors and the Regional Director
- Develop a supportive regional network for country and regional programme quality colleagues
- Coordinate corporate processes and reporting at regional level (output reporting, indicative outcome areas, Programme Quality Reviews, Partnership surveys etc) and provide feedback for improved corporate practice on programme quality initiatives
Connect regional and country program quality initiatives and information with the global Knowledge Network for Oxfam Worldwide (KNOW)
- Identify and create key opportunities to share Oxfam’s and partners’ program information and knowledge to profile all involved
- Proactively engage with Oxfam global programme quality and MEL networks, community of practices and working groups as relevant
- Engage with global level programme quality and MEL initiatives to inform new country and regional programme quality work
- Promote learning, best practices and knowledge sharing within the region and share these across the confederation with other regions
- Generate lessons concerning the regional program quality function and how this is resourced, shape up the JD based on practical application and develop a business case for ongoing funding, as appropriate.