Start date: April 2023

End date: June 2023, with the possibility for contract extension based on performance and availability of funds.

SUMMARY OF JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Assistant (Consultant) will support the Initiatives for Advancing Community Transformation (I-ACT) Project, a five-year project implemented by The Asia Foundation (“TAF”) with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (“USAID”) that aims to promote positive changes in public attitudes towards human rights using behavior change and evidence-based initiatives. I-ACT supports a community of human rights organizations through subgrants and subcontracts for the promotion of public support for civil and political rights. The primary responsibility of the consultant is to provide MEL support in accomplishing donor reporting requirements by providing accurate data analysis reports as part of I-ACTs closeout activities.

Internal

Extensive interaction with the MEL Specialist and with direct interaction with the following: Chief of Party, Program Officers and Assistants, and the Social Behavior Change Advisor.

External

Extensive interaction with I-ACT’s consultants and subgrantees.

REQUIREMENTS

Qualifications:

• A degree in a relevant field such as social sciences, development studies, or statistics.
• Three (3) years work experience in monitoring and evaluation, preferably in the same sector or similar projects.
• Knowledge of MEL frameworks, data collection and organization tools, and outcome harvesting methodologies.
• Strong research and written communication skills;
• The following qualifications are preferred:
  • Experience working with TAF;
  • Knowledge of the Philippine non-government organization (NGO) community and government agencies in human rights sector; and
  • Knowledge of USAID and other international donor agency requirements and regulations, including grantmaking and closeout processes;
• Discretion in handling sensitive and confidential information and compliance with policies on responsible use of data; and
• Must be able to work independently and must have strong attention to detail.

SPECIFIC JOB FUNCTION

The MEL Consultant (Consultant),under the supervision of the Deputy Chief of Party, will undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

• Collect, organize, safeguard and report project data from internal and external sources for processing and analysis.
• Co-develop methodologies for performance and impact evaluations and literature reviews.
• Analyze data collected and provide clear and actionable insights for program evaluation and closeout.
• Review project documents related to existing subgrants to project partners;
• Support MEL and Insights and Communications focal points in the development of Case Stories, Success Stories and other MEL-related reports.
• Provides feedback and technical MEL assistance to project teams.
• Attend team meetings, workshops, and consultation sessions with partners.
• Perform other functions related to the foregoing responsibilities as may be directed by the MEL specialist.

How to apply

APPLICATION GUIDELINES: Individual Applicants must complete and send in their The Asia Foundation Application Form, Employee Biographical Data Form (https://tinyurl.com/TAFApplicationReqs), and sample portfolio (optional).

Applicants may send in the requested documents to consultancyPH@asiafoundation.org before the set deadline.

The Asia Foundation is a nonprofit international development organization committed to improving lives across a dynamic and developing Asia. The Asia Foundation in the Philippines is working with the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) to conduct research and propose policies on key governance and finance issues. This research is supported by the Australian Government under Reform-Ed: Realizing Efficient Governance and Streamlined Reforms in Education.

Background of the Study

In 2022, EDCOM II was formed by the Philippine Congress to comprehensively evaluate the education sector and propose transformative policies that will address the country’s learning crisis, made evident by the country’s inadequate performance in local and international assessments. EDCOM II, in its Year One Report, concluded that the education system failed to provide quality services to Filipino students, in part due to decades of poor governance and financing of education. These issues are prominent in basic education, managed by the Department of Education, the government’s largest bureaucracy responsible for educating twenty-eight million learners.

EDCOM II’s Governance and Finance Committee indicated the need to decentralize and improve education governance for enhanced agility, participation, innovation, and responsiveness. Even prior to the creation of EDCOM II, proposals to restructure and decentralize education governance have been raised, which include deconcentration, devolution, and optimizing private delivery of education. However, given existing policies that provide for decentralization and historical challenges in devolution, there is a need to surface the issues that hindered implementation to ensure that succeeding recommendations will be implementable and sustainable.

Given the political, administrative, and financial risks of restructuring and decentralizing the governance of basic education, there is a need to conduct thorough research and examination on the most effective governance structure. Thus, The Asia Foundation and EDCOM II will be conducting a study to:

1. Analyze basic education governance, policies, and implementation issues
2. Propose policy options to improve governance with consideration for the feasibility and impact of options

The findings will be part of a Policy Note published with EDCOM II.

Scope of Work

During this consultancy, the research consultants will work on the following:

• Policy Audit: Review of relevant laws and policies on education organizational structure, financing, and administration to map the intended governance and coordination of education at the national and local levels and specify which functions, whether financial or administrative, have been delegated at different levels.
• Implementation Review: Identify governance issues, including informal processes and rules that affect implementation, through a review of existing studies and conduct of key informant interviews and focus group discussions with education agency officials.
• International benchmarks: Desk review of education governance in countries with contexts similar to the Philippines will be undertaken to surface different practices in engaging the private sector and local governments and increasing the efficiency of government services.
• Local proposals: Review of local proposals to improve governance will be conducted to specify which governance issues, policies, and processes each proposal intends to address, surfacing converging ideas, if any. The review will be done through key informant interviews and consultations with central and local offices, including DepEd field offices and local government units.
• Recommendations: Analyze local proposals and international practices to improve governance based on equity and impact, absorptive capacity of institutions, and scalability/replicability. Scenarios built along the different options to restructure governance will be supported by an initial execution plan, including the necessary monitoring and oversight mechanisms that must be in place.

Reporting Structure

Research consultants will be working closely with The Asia Foundation’s Education Program Officers under the supervision of the Deputy Country Representative. Research activities and presentations will be conducted in coordination with the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II).

Research Consultants Composition and Qualifications

The Research consultants will be composed of an Education Governance Advisor, a Lead Researcher, and an Associate Researcher. Kindly note that applications are open for one (1) Lead Researcher and one (1) Associate Researcher.

The tasks of the Education Governance Advisor are provided for reference.

Education Governance Advisor

Tasks for reference:

• Provide strategic project direction on research coverage and deliverables within the timeframe
• Lead the research team in the development of a research framework and content outline
• Lead in the analysis of data
• Convene and facilitate discussions focused on research findings and analysis in coordination with The Asia Foundation and EDCOM II Team
• Supervise writing tasks based on agreed-upon outline and timeline
• Provide feedback and edits as necessary on working drafts produced by researchers
• Attend alignment meetings with the team on a weekly or biweekly basis as necessary based on the activities due in the project timeline
• Conduct revisions together with writers after an external program review of the working paper draft

Lead Researcher

Tasks

• Lead in collecting, organizing, analyzing, and interpreting data and research findings through interviews, focus group discussions, etc.
• Lead in the writing and submission of drafts based on the research framework, outline, and timeline
• Lead facilitation of external discussions and consultations for data analysis
• Lead data quality assurance of all documents, information, and materials
• Attend alignment meetings with the research team on a weekly or biweekly basis as necessary based on the activities due in the project timeline
• Conduct revisions and address comments after program review of the working paper draft

Qualifications

1. At least seven (7) years of research experience in education or public policy
2. Undergraduate degree in education, political science, public administration, or related fields required. A graduate degree is a plus.
3. Strong research writing and presentation skills with experience in both qualitative and quantitative research methods
4. Strong interview and communication skills, especially with external stakeholders and other key informants
5. Understanding of the Philippine basic education system and policy landscape, including current events and political developments
6. Experience working with international development or donor organizations for research projects or reports is a plus

Research Associate

Tasks

• Assist in the writing and submission of drafts based on the research framework, outline, and timeline
• Assist in coordinating with research respondents for interviews, consultations, or focus group discussions
• Assist team with compilation of relevant research and policies
• Assist in referencing, footnotes, and citation
• Assist in data gathering through interviews, focus group discussions, etc.
• Assist in roundtable discussions and external consultations for data analysis
• Attend alignment meetings with the research team on a weekly or biweekly basis as necessary based on the activities due in the project timeline
• Conduct revisions and address comments after program review of the working paper

Qualifications

1. At least three (3) years of research experience in education or public policy
2. Undergraduate degree in education, political science, public administration, or related fields
3. Strong research writing and presentation skills with experience in both qualitative and quantitative research methods
4. Strong interview and communication skills, especially with external stakeholders and other key informants
5. Understanding of the Philippine basic education system and policy landscape, including current events and political developments

Period of Engagement

The consultancy is expected to run for five (5) months, from April 2024- September 2024, with a possibility of extension depending on the project scope of work and deliverables.

How to apply

Interested applicants must submit the following documents to consultancyPH@asiafoundation.org by April 23, Tuesday 2024:

1. TAF Application Form https://tinyurl.com/TAFApplicationReqs
2. EBD Form https://tinyurl.com/TAFApplicationReqs
3. Expression of Interest
4. Sample of written works

The Asia Foundation, a leading international development NGO with headquarters in San Francisco and offices in 18 Asian countries seeks a qualified Philippine national based in Metro Manila.

Summary of Job Responsibilities

The successful candidate will support the IT Manager and deliver prompt and cost-effective technology support and solutions to the PH Office.

The successful candidate will have an essential role in assisting and meeting compliance of devices and users with IT policies and best practices, ensuring business resilience and continuity, regular maintenance and repairs, and developing staff IT skills and technology to improve business outputs and processes.

The successful candidate will need good analytical and interpersonal skills, a strong customer service-oriented mindset, should be open to help, support, and address their colleagues’ IT concerns.

Requirements

Experience

Minimum of two (2) years of relevant experience in IT infrastructure, hardware, and software.

Education

Minimum of Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electronics and Communication Engineering, Information Technology, or related field.

Knowledge and Skills

• Professional training on computers, competent in Windows and Apple computers and mobile devices, endpoint support, protection, and management
• Experience on server management, AD, TCP/IP protocol, file shares, permissions, group policies, and networking equipment configuration, and troubleshooting
• Proficiency with Microsoft and Google platforms
• Possesses basic business written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to actively listen, communicate, and work effectively in a diverse global environment with various levels of user training
• Customer service skills and user-oriented in their performance of duties
• Working knowledge of the industry’s change management, documentation, and best practices
• Initiative to manage own time and solve problems with appropriate upward referral
• Ability to learn, follow, and adapt The Asia Foundation’s policies and technical procedures to achieve optimum operational capacity

Job Responsibilities

IT Administration

• Administer the day-to-day network processing, operation, monitoring, data backup and recovery, and troubleshooting of the TAF PH offices' network
• Respond to user support tickets and requests and escalate as needed
• Inteact and liaise with Foundation staff, partners, and service providers
• Conduct onboarding and other IT-related training for staff
• Maintain IT data room and network services, IT equipment and peripherals, such as firewalls, routers, switches, servers, data communication, and video conference equipment
• Assist in the development of the office’s business site and applications
• Perform other duties related to IT Support, as may be assigned by senior management

IT Management and Control

• Manage IT systems and computing devices for the Foundation’s endpoint management and protection. Document specifications, applications, utilities, and other relevant interfaces
• Assist in ensuring user compliance with internal policies and procedures and that equipment meets specifications and hardware standards, and generate technical and administrative reports periodically
• Give technical recommendations related to the organization’s acquisition of hardware, software, and other network equipment

How to apply

APPLICATION GUIDELINES:

Applicants must complete and send in The Asia Foundation Application Form (https://tinyurl.com/TAFApplicationReqs), and portfolio (optional). Applicants may send in the requested documents to recruitmentPH@asiafoundation.org before the set deadline.