Senior Planning Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (PMEL) Manager

Leadership

Overview

Manage PMEL efforts and support WRI's programs to achieve strategic goals

You have:

• You have completed a Master’s degree in public policy, economics, environmental studies, or related field; certification in project management preferred.
• You have a minimum of 10 years of full-time work experience in a relevant field, with demonstrated experience in strategy development, project design, project management, implementation and adaptive management.
• Experience and expertise in program design and monitoring, evaluation, and learning.
• Demonstrated experience training adults, preferably in developing theories of change, strategy development, results frameworks, monitoring and evaluation or related subject areas.
• Experience with workshop planning and facilitation.
• Experience working with multi-cultural, international teams.
• Demonstrated sector-specific knowledge and experience related to WRI’s work in Food, Forests, Water, Energy, Cities, Climate and the Ocean.
• Excellent strategic communication skills, both oral and written.
• Fluency in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Proficient in written and spoken English.
• Existing work authorization is required where this position. WRI is unable to authorize visa work authorization.

This is a hybrid position requiring 8 days/month in office. You can be based in our office in Washington DC, London, or The Hague. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission as WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position.

About the Program:

As part of the department of Research, Data and Impact (RDI), the Managing for Results (MfR) team is integral to the successful delivery of WRI’s Strategic Plan, 2023– 2027: From Commitments to Impact. The strategy drives five major shifts in WRI’s approach: • Shift 1: An integrated approach for People, Nature, and Climate. • Shift 2: Focus on systems change. • Shift 3: Emphasis on country transitions to deliver impact. • Shift 4: A unified approach to measure success, including use of Theories of Change (TOC). • Shift 5: Shaping the institution. This strategy reflects a new level of rigor in how WRI sets targets, creates theories of change, tracks progress, and evaluates and learns from the results. We have set ambitious targets for the next five years to support a transition to a low-carbon economy that is good for people and nature at the organizational and for our focus countries. The MfR team ensures WRI is equipped to understand if its work is contributing to the longer-term positive changes WRI intends to make in the world and fosters a culture of learning and accountability. Over the next 5 years MfR will accelerate a “step change” in PMEL practices and culture at WRI to enhance programmatic effectiveness and demonstrate impact. The specific goals of the step change in PMEL are to have: 1. Robust, evidence- based theories (ToC) of change for programs and projects that are easily accessible for staff and partners to facilitate shared understanding and learnings 2. Intentional pause and reflect cycles to review ToCs and M&E data, discuss the learnings and changes needed to achieve the results in the strategic plan 3. Sufficient PMEL specialist capacity in every WRI team to support timely, evidence-based, adaptive management 4. WRI results that are easily verifiable, where contribution is well understood and WRI’s commitment to address social inequalities is reflected in the results 5. Iterative cycles of evaluation that support ongoing reflection and learning, systematization and publication of lessons learned.

Job Highlight:

Reporting to the Global Director - Managing for Results, you will be a senior manager within the MfR team and play an instrumental role in supporting WRI’s programs and country offices to deliver results against the organizational Results Framework. This position plays a key role in ensuring that WRI programs and country offices put in place and maintain high quality planning, monitoring, evaluation and learning systems, anchored in robust TOC. You may have up to three direct reports and you will be supervised by the Global Director for MfR. You will also work with the Managing Director for Strategy, Learning and Results and the Strategy Manager, as well as colleagues across the Institute, including global programs and country offices. The position will require travel approximately 20% of the time.

What will you do:

Lead the development and roll-out of robust, evidence- based Theories of Change aligned with WRI Global Results Framework (50% time in first year, deceasing to 20% once initial TOC process completed.)

• Lead the design and facilitation of in-person and virtual TOC workshops, working closely with Global Program and Country Directors and the Equity Centre, and bringing in other experts from across WRI
• Ensure strong project management of TOC activities with clear timelines and responsibilities
• Ensure completed TOCs and MEL plans are uploaded to interactive TOC platform and DevResults M&E platform
• Develop and manage MfR budget for relevant TOC activities
• Provide regular progress updates on TOC development for WRI leadership
• Set organization-wide standards for TOC development, including maintaining and updating how-to-guidance, based on lessons learned from implementation
• Oversee TOC working group to share lessons learned and cross-fertilize experience across the WRI PMEL community

Synthesize and disseminate learnings from regular program of Pause and Reflect moments to review M&E data and update TOCs, and propose changes needed to achieve expected results in WRI Strategy. (25%-time first year, increasing to 35% of time in second year)

• Regularly review and synthesize insights from DevResults, Pause and Reflect, evaluations, annual reports and other data sources for presentation to Management and Global Executive teams
• In collaboration with country offices and global program teams, update TOCs based on learnings from Pause and Reflect moments, including review of M&E data and changes in context
• Produce data synthesis and visualization for Strategy Scorecard to report progress to Board and other key stakeholders
• Drive increased rigor and excellence in WRI’s annual plan, informed by progress against WRI’s overarching Results Framework, country TOCs and lessons learned on what is working and what isn’t
• Present at external conference and publish lessons learned from WRI’s approach to delivering integrated action for people, nature, and climate

Strengthen capacity for impact measurement in programs and projects across the Institute (20% after TOC process is completed):

• Ensure that large proposals are aligned with WRI’s global results framework and contain impact indicators that will contribute toward one or more target
• Ensure that large proposals include MEL plans and adequate resources and staffing for MEL
• Review terms of reference for evaluations and strengthen rigor of evaluation practice
• Review draft evaluation reports to ensure high quality, coherence and alignment with terms of reference

Strengthen capacity in WRI to use innovative approaches to planning, monitoring, evaluation and learning (25%):

• Prepare and deliver regular trainings on TOC/PMEL fundamentals, DevResults and Interactive Theories of Change Tool
• Lead work component of DANIDA grant for institutional strengthening of PMEL, including donor reporting
• Stay abreast of cutting-edge PMEL practices used by peer organizations, bringing relevant innovations to WRI
• Partner with WRI’s Data Lab to explore the use of new approaches, including AI, to strengthen WRI’s PMEL work, including conducting context analysis and tracking performance
• Support the creation of a vibrant PMEL community of practice across WRI including inviting external thought-leaders as speakers
• Other responsibilities as identified

What will you need:

• Education: You have completed a Master’s degree in public policy, economics, environmental studies, or related field; certification in project management preferred.
• Experience: You have a minimum of 10 years of full-time work experience in a relevant field, with demonstrated experience in strategy development, project design, project management, implementation and adaptive management
• Experience and expertise in program design and monitoring, evaluation, and learning
• Demonstrated experience training adults, preferably in developing theories of change, strategy development, results frameworks, monitoring and evaluation or related subject areas
• Experience with workshop planning and facilitation
• Experience working with multi-cultural, international teams
• Demonstrated sector-specific knowledge and experience related to WRI’s work in Food, Forests, Water, Energy, Cities, Climate and the Ocean
• Demonstrated passion for WRI’s mission in service of People, Nature, and Climate
• Excellent strategic communication skills, both oral and written
• Self-starter with ability to juggle multiple assignments at one time.
• Attention to detail with Ability to work across a large, complex matrixed organization
• Friendly, positive demeanor and determined attitude; sense of humor and team focused
• Fluency in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Languages: Proficient in written and spoken English
• Requirements: Existing work authorization is required where this position. WRI is unable to authorize visa work authorization

Potential Salary: US salary range is between 116,000 and 139,000 USD. UK: 65 - 82k GBP.NL: 80K – 101K EUR. Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors.

How to Apply: Please submit a resume with a required cover letter by the date of 05 April 2024. We are unable to consider your application without a cover letter.

You must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

What we offer:

• Access to the WRI global network with the opportunity to exchange with and learn from passionate colleagues working at the cutting edge of their fields across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the US
• The chance to have an impact and to develop your career within a mission driven organization with access to varied learning and training opportunities.
• A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work
• The opportunity to join and get involved in different working groups and affinity groups to shape the future of WRI
• Commitment to hybrid working model with flexible working hours
• Generous leave days that increase with tenure

About Us:

Founded in 1982, World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean. WRI has a global staff of over 1,800 people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps, and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.

Our mission and values:

WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Integrity, Innovation, Urgency, Independence and Respect.

Our culture:

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices. We are committed to providing equal opportunities in employment; we embrace all diversity and encourage women, the LGBTQ+ community, persons with disabilities, Afro-descendants, and Indigenous people to apply. Recognizing our strong commitment to gender equality, WRI has also been awarded EDGE certification.

Our team in Human Resources carefully reviews all applications.

Apply now

Potential interview questions

Added 2 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: wri.org