Research and Evidence Advisor, Child Poverty and Climate Change at Save the Children

ROLE PURPOSE:

The Research & Evidence Advisor is responsible for leading the research and monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (REALM) efforts of Save the Children’s child poverty and climate change work. The Advisor is responsible for measuring the performance and impact of our thematic work in this area. The role holder is also responsible for identifying, defining and accompanying robust research, evidence and learning agendas for common approaches that clearly demonstrate evidence-based practice, bring evidence and data from the country and regional levels up and contribute to bridging the global evidence gap both internally in Save the Children and externally in the wider sector. They will work to ensure that research and evidence is used in support of relevant strategic goals.

In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Essential

1. Demonstrated knowledge and experience of technical and program issues in development and humanitarian contexts, preferably applied to the Child Poverty and Climate Change thematic areas (e.g. child sensitive social protection, cash and voucher assistance, food security and livelihoods programming, adolescent skills development, disaster risk reduction, climate change mitigation and adaptation)
2. Curiosity and an orientation towards using data and evidence to drive continuous improvement
3. Demonstrated knowledge in the design and implementation of global monitoring and evaluation systems.
4. Proven ability to develop and apply monitoring and evaluation plans to determine program results and monitor impact within an international organization
5. Demonstrated skills in quantitative and qualitative data, including but not limited to research design, data collection, analysis and presentation, and communication of results
6. Knowledge and experience in capacity building around monitoring and evaluation, research and learning
7. Familiarity with issues of child participation, child safeguarding, ethics and data protection in relation to research
8. Experience using software packages including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and data analysis programs (e.g., SPSS, STATA)
9. Ability to adopt a proactive and creative approach to problem solving and strategic thinking working closely with colleagues as required to offer solutions and deliver results
10. Ability to influence, collaborate and liaise with a wide range of people at all levels and across different cultures and act with credibility, tact and diplomacy
11. Excellent writing, editing, and verbal communication skills, including the ability to summarize, synthesise and present technical information to non-technical audiences
12. Strong interpersonal skills and ability to develop and maintain relationships with key individuals and groups within and external to the organization
13. Ability to prioritize multiple tasks and maintain focus to achieve results
14. Ability to maintain a calm disposition and positive outlook when working under pressure
15. Verbal and written fluency in English
16. Willingness and ability to travel up to 20% of the time

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Lead monitoring of results and progress related to the child poverty and climate change thematic areas and related strategic goals 

1. Lead global results reporting against relevant strategic goals and targets to understand progress against targets and the impact of our thematic work in these areas. 
2. Lead on developing and securing agreement for the use of quality-assured and harmonised priority indicators 
3. Support the development of clearly articulated, measurable milestones and targets for strategic goals as part of country strategic planning
4. Work with thematic and REALM colleagues to ensure guidance and support is available to offices to collect relevant, high quality data
5. Coordinate collection and presentation of key indicator data relating to the thematic area, in line with Save the Children’s Global Results Framework 
6. Support the roll-out of Quality Benchmarks, prioritising those that relate to programmatic approaches and provide assistance to COs as required.
7. Support communications products for showcasing progress on strategic objectives, programme successes and learning, including visualisations and narrative analysis 
8. Lead thematic contributions to other Global Results Framework-related initiatives/activities, e.g. reach methodology revision, country strategic planning, etc.

Research, Evaluation and Learning

1. Support implementation of a Research, Evidence and Learning (REL) agenda of priority questions and topics for Child Poverty and Climate Change, which contributes to the Global REL Agenda. 
2. Develop a pipeline of member/country office research items and evaluative activities, support and analyse country office reviews and evaluations and produce learning papers and publications. 
3. Disseminate quality research and evidence outputs and findings to staff, including contributing to synthesising and summarizing key research and evidence for use in programming, advocacy and campaigns and new business development
4. Contribute to building research and analytic capacity across the organization in the areas of research design and ethics, data collection, data analysis and communication of results

Support Common Approaches Development and Uptake

1. Contribute to the development of learning/ capacity-building programs and to ensuring strong evidence bases for Common Approaches (i.e. our best, evidence-based understanding of how to address a particular problem facing children) 
2. Oversee data collection efforts for annual mapping of endorsed common approaches and baseline data collection for new common approaches to provide data for defining future ambitions and monitoring progress 
3. Engage with thematic leads to facilitate and support generation of evidence and learning from common approaches

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)

Accountability:

1. holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
2. holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

1. sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
2. widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children,
3. engages and motivates others future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

1. builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

1. develops and encourages new and innovative solutions willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

1. honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

QUALIFICATIONS:  

1. A Masters degree and experience in international development, social studies or similar. Demonstrated knowledge and experience of technical and program issues in development and humanitarian contexts 

DEADLINE: 31st March 2022