Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Advisor

Job Description

Description

The Pacific Community (SPC) is the principal scientific and technical organisation in the Pacific region, supporting development since 1947. We are an international development organisation owned and governed by our 27 country and territory members. In pursuit of sustainable development to benefit Pacific people, our unique organisation works across more than 25 sectors. We are known for our knowledge and innovation in such areas as fisheries science, public health surveillance, geoscience, and conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.

The Strategy, Performance and Learning Division (SPL) is a specialised unit within SPC’s Office of the Director-General. SPL has staff based at our headquarters in Noumea, as well as our regional office in Suva. The team has the following core functions: (i) guiding strategic direction through development of the Pacific Community Strategic Plan and facilitation of the Subcommittee of the Council of Representatives of Governments and Administration (CRGA) that oversights the implementation of the plan (ii) increasing development effectiveness through leading and coordinating corporate monitoring, evaluation, reflection, reporting and learning; (iii) supporting the Director-General and the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) in undertaking strategic corporate initiatives, including organisational planning, organisational improvement or research and co-design of innovative and integrated projects and programmes, and iv) serving as a strategic coordination point for key relationships with external stakeholders, including member countries and territories, donors and development partners.

The role – the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Advisor will lead the quality and impact of SPC work through monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) and related planning across the organization. The purpose of the role is to lead OneSPC methods and practices for the strategic results framework of the Strategic Plan, 2022 – 2031 including evaluative evidence for improvements and adaptation, portfolio wide results monitoring and reporting and coordinating the SPC-wide MEL Community of Practice (MELnet) and Strengthening Pacific MEL project and associated initiatives.

The key responsibilities of the role include the following:

Co design and steward organisation-wide results monitoring, reporting, learning and reflection

• Provide analytical thinking and in depth understanding of current and emerging approaches to monitoring and evaluating and learning at whole of organisation / portfolio and trans-disciplinary /system levels.
• Provide high level technical analysis and advice to the regular review and implementation of SPC’s Strategic Results Framework (SRF) for the Strategic Plan.
• Support the Lead Quality and Impact with coordinating the MEL focal points across the organisation to support consistency, data quality, capacity, and availability of evidence for organisation-wide MEL. Currently there are 35 MEL focal point members.
• Support the Lead, Quality and Impact with the development, regular revision and implementation of policies, processes, and systems to support MEL and planning for SPC’s Strategic Plan.
• Co design and develop tools within the PEARL toolkit to support quality and coherent MEL practice across the SPC portfolio.
• Provide technical support and advice to SPC-wide integrated work (e.g., SPC’s Flagships and other integrated cross-organisational programmes), and advise on quality and coherence of Division-level results frameworks, high-level partnership agreements, large-scale investments, and other strategic initiatives.
• Contribute high level understanding of core principles of good practice in development covering areas such as: gender and social development dimensions; multi-sector and integrated work and planning/programming for outcome.

Provide MEL support to SPC divisions, flagships, operations and members

• Support the Lead Quality and Impact in co designing and stewarding the annual calendar of MEL activities (mid-year and end of year).
• Coordination of the SPC-wide Annual Results Reporting process and product.
• Steward the planning and execution of strategic-level evaluations, management responses and the evaluation dashboard.
• Implement participatory and culturally responsive processes to develop theories and models of what success in country and at sector and divisional mean.
• Contribute expert MEL inputs, advice, and support towards coherence and quality of SPC work from projects, up to Divisions, with line of sight to strategic, whole of organisation and broader development commitments.

Contribute to healthy engagement and exchange in SPC MEL Communities of Practice

• Support the Lead Quality and Impact in stewardship of SPC’s internal MEL Community of Practice (MELnet) of 90 staff.
• Facilitating technical MEL workshops, cross divisional MEL group meetings; learning events, coordinating MEL network exchanges, and supporting integrated ways of working.
• Support the development of MEL capability, through SPC-wide MEL group (MELnet), member countries and partners on the development of results frameworks and results reporting, and through facilitating action learning, intra-organisational networks and learning events on monitoring evaluation and learning.
• Support the development and implementation of a fit for purpose and future ready MEL data management system that is interoperable with SPC systems.

Contribute to OneSPC and OneCROP innovation, transformation and impact

• Provide technical leadership, coordination, and support to Lead, the Director and ultimately the Office of the Director General.
• Contribute to an environment that fosters effective working relationships, sharing of knowledge, building trust and wellbeing.
• Contribute across all pillars of SPL and the Office of the Director General, OneSPC and OneCROP as required.

For a more detailed account of the key responsibilities, please refer to the online job description.

Key selection criteria

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant field such as evaluation, international development, public sector policy and administration or equivalent body of knowledge and experience.

Technical expertise

• At least 10 years of relevant experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning, on donor/grant-funded projects or programmes, with good understanding of international best practices in development effectiveness.
• Experience working on development sector MEL in the Pacific.
• Experience in the design, leadership, and management of programmes and projects.
• Experience managing and leading consultants and or complex projects at portfolio level.
• Experience training, mentoring and coaching staff and stakeholders in MEL.
• Strategic thinker with well-developed analytical skills and attention to detail.
• Skilled user of databases for entering processing/cleaning, and extracting data.

Language skills

• Excellent communication skills in English (both oral and writing skills) to target a range of audience.

Interpersonal skills and cultural awareness

• Excellent interpersonal skills and experience in working with and across the organisation in a multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary and gender-sensitive environment.

Salary, terms and conditions

Contract Duration – This vacant position is budgeted for 3 years and is subject to renewal depending on performance and funding.

Remuneration – The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Advisor is a band 11 position in SPC’s 2025 salary scale.

For a Noumea based position – a starting salary range of SDR (special drawing rights) 4,397-5,400 per month, which converts to approximately XPF 642,655-789,288 (USD 5,848-7,182; EUR 5,385-6,614).SPC salaries are not presently subject to income tax in New Caledonia.

For a Suva based position – a starting salary range of 3,245‒4,057 SDR (special drawing rights) per month, which currently converts to approximately FJD 9,768–12,211 (USD 4,316–5,395; EUR 3,975–4,969).  Remuneration of expatriate SPC staff members is not subject to income tax in Fiji; Fiji nationals employed by SPC in Fiji will be subject to income tax.

An offer of appointment for an initial contract will normally be made in the lower half of this range, with due consideration given to experience and qualifications. Progression within the salary scale will be based on annual performance reviews.

Benefits for international staff employees – SPC provides a housing allowance (or subsidised housing in Noumea). Establishment and repatriation grant, removal expenses, airfares, home leave travel, health and life and disability insurances and education allowances are available for eligible employees and their eligible dependents. Employees are entitled to 25 working days of annual leave per annum and other types of leave, and access to SPC’s Provident Fund (contributing 8% of salary, to which SPC adds a 10% contribution).

Languages – SPC’s working languages are English and French.

Recruitment principles – SPC’s recruitment is based on merit and fairness, and candidates are competing in a selection process that is fair, transparent and non-discriminatory. SPC is an equal-opportunity employer, and is committed to cultural and gender diversity, including bilinguism, and will seek to attract and appoint candidates who respect these values. Due attention is given to gender equity and the maintenance of strong representation from Pacific Island professionals.  If two interviewed candidates are ranked equal by the selection panel, preference will begiven to the Pacific Islander. Applicants will be assured of complete confidentiality in line with SPC’s private policy.

Application procedure

Closing date: 29 June 2025 – 11:00 pm (Noumea time)

Job Reference: CR000431

Applicants must apply online at http://careers.spc.int/

Hard copies of applications will not be accepted.

For your application to be considered, you must provide us with:

• an updated resume with contact details for three professional referees
• a cover letter detailing your skills, experience and interest in this position
• responses to all screening questions

Your application will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed at shortlisting stage if all the above documents are not provided. Applicants should not attach copies of qualifications or letters of reference.  

Please ensure your documents are in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format.

SPC does not charge a fee to consider your application and will never ask for your banking or financial information during the recruitment process.

Screening questions (maximum of 2,000 characters per question):

1. Please describe how you have developed an organisational level results framework and results reporting and facilitating action learning, in your answer, please include technical and interpersonal processes.
2. SPC values monitoring and evaluative processes that inform learning, adaptation and planning. Please describe an example where you have used your MEL inputs, advice, and support towards coherence and quality of your organisation’s work to generate and apply learning for performance improvement.  
3. SPC has a network of monitoring, evaluation and learning staff across the organisation in an established community of practice (MELnet). Describe how you would strengthen their role in transforming the organisational culture towards evidence-based decision making through contextually and culturally responsive MEL practice.

About the Organization

The Pacific Community (SPC) is the principal scientific and technical organisation in the Pacific region, supporting development since 1947. We are an international development organisation owned and governed by our 27 country and territory members. In pursuit of sustainable development to benefit Pacific people, our unique organisation works across more than 25 sectors. We are known for our knowledge and innovation in such areas as fisheries science, public health surveillance, geoscience, and conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.