Program Background

Human Development Monitoring and Evaluation Services (HDMES) is a 4-year Australian Government program in Papua New Guinea. The purpose of HDMES is to provide the Australian Government and the Government of PNG with high quality advice and independent assessment concerning the performance of the Australian Government’s Health, and Education & Leadership portfolios. HDMES is supported by the Australian Government and is implemented by Adam Smith International and Clear Horizon through the PNGAusPartnership.

The functions of HDMES in Health, and Education & Leadership include:

• Advise and verify baselines and M&E frameworks of investments
• Conduct independent evaluations of DFAT investments
• Conduct annual reporting on Portfolio Program progress

Managed by Adam Smith International (ASI), the delivery partner, in collaboration with Clear Horizon, responsible for technical direction and oversight. This role will be contracted and managed by ASI, a global advisory company with 30 years’ experience managing staff and advisors in countries across the globe.

Job Specification

The responsibilities of the Team Leader will include, but not be limited to:

• Provide strategic leadership and management of the program and ensure achievement of the End of Program Outcomes; ensure annual objectives and client expectations are consistently met and exceeded;
• Act as the key program contact for Australian High Commission staff in Port Moresby and Canberra on all matters regarding DFAT’s health and education and leadership portfolio performance, and evaluative/research findings across the Human Development portfolio;
• Work effectively with ASI, Clear Horizon and collaboratively with DFAT Post to coordinate and lead program planning, technical inputs, reporting, ensuring such processes are carried out effectively;
• Provide strategic oversight and quality assurance for all evaluative and research study processes; ensuring they are effectively designed, commissioned, implemented, synthesised and communicated; ensure activities are appropriately managed and that outputs are delivered to a high quality and on time;
• Maintain collaborative and strategic relationships with DFAT and other stakeholders, including implementing partners, GoPNG agencies, NGOs, local and international research providers, external advisers;
• Work collaboratively Clear Horizon and relevant short term advisors to ensure GESI principals are mainstreamed throughout the program and in compliance with DFAT’s policies;
• Work with ASI and Clear Horizon to maintain a strong and motivated team within the program, ensuring effective capacity building, mentoring and performance assessment;
• Ensure program staff consistently deliver planned outputs of the highest quality;
• Utilise the Program’s existing risk and safeguarding resources to work collaboratively with the managing contractor and locally engaged staff to identify emerging programmatic risks and maintain an effective risk and safeguard management strategy;
• Work with ASI and short term communications experts to deliver effective and strategic communication products detailing program information, evaluation findings and progress, and ensuring findings and portfolio outcomes are understood by all stakeholders and that Program visibility and strategic fit is maintained in collaboration with the Australian Government and Government of PNG;
• Represent the program at meetings and portfolio coordination forums where appropriate.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• 15 years + work experience including demonstrated senior leadership experience of development programs in similar contexts, ideally including in PNG;
• An advanced university degree, Masters or above in any relevant field including, but not limited to: social science, political science, M&E or international development;
• Demonstrated high-level understanding and application of M&E frameworks, theories and methods within international development programs including DFAT’s M&E Standards. Experience utilising these within a health or education program desirable but not required if applicant can demonstrate adaptability of knowledge and experience;
• Demonstrated analytical skills, including experience in and knowledge of quantitative and qualitative methods for research and evaluation purpose.
• Demonstrated report writing skills on topics of social and economic development in a development context, preferably in a Pacific Islands context;
• Demonstrated professional and interpersonal communications skills suited for donor clients (including data visualisation, report writing and presentations), and experience in developing research dissemination products and protocols;
• Proven ability to train and mentor colleagues and counterparts (incl. donor clients and recipient government/ program delivery counterparts);
• Proven ability to manage diverse teams, including strong performance management of short term technical advisors;
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.