Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Adviser – Strongim Wok Long TVET

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Adviser – Strongim Wok Long TVET

Fixed term contract up to November 2027 (with possible extension) Based in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea Open to PNG and International candidates

About Palladium

Palladium is a global leader in the design, development, and delivery of Positive Impact – the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. We work with governments, businesses, and investors to solve the world's most pressing challenges. With a team of more than 2,000 employees operating in 75-plus countries and a global network of over 35,000 experts, we help improve economies, societies, and, most importantly, people's lives.

About PNG-Australia Strongim Wok Long TVET (SWLT)

The PNG–Australia Strongim Wok Long Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) (SWLT) program is a four-year, AUD 80 million investment by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to support Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) efforts to strengthen its TVET sector. Aligned with PNG’s national priority to build an educated and skilled workforce for resilient economic growth, SWLT aims to enhance the quality, relevance, and inclusiveness of skills development. The program supports improvements in national quality assurance systems, technical college standards, graduate employability, and Australia’s visible and trusted development partnership with PNG.

The program aligns with the broader goals of the Australia–PNG Development Partnership Plan 2024–2029, which emphasises locally led development, education investment, and inclusive growth, as well as PNG’s Higher and Technical

Education

• Reform Act 2020.

• This Opportunity

• As Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Adviser you will provide MEL and performance management advisory support to PNG’s Department of Higher Education, Research, Science, and Technology (DHERST) to strengthen its capability to monitor, evaluate, report on and learn from implementation of priority higher education and TVET reforms. You will support improved decision-making, accountability, learning and adaptation by helping DHERST establish practical systems and processes for tracking reform progress, outcomes and longer-term impacts.

• About you

You will demonstrate proven experience in the following areas:

• MEL and performance systems

• Review DHERST’s existing MEL and performance management frameworks, systems, tools, processes, indicators, data sources and reporting requirements.

• Support DHERST to develop or refine a practical MEL framework, underpinned by a theory of change or similar logic, to monitor and evaluate reform implementation, outcomes and learning.

• Support the development of outcome, output and process indicators aligned with DHERST’s Corporate Plan, reform priorities and reporting commitments.

• Identify practical data sources, baselines, targets, collection methods, collection frequency, roles and responsibilities, data storage arrangements, analysis approaches and reporting formats.

• Support the development of dashboards, performance reporting systems and other tools that strengthen DHERST’s ability to access, analyse and use performance information.

• Reform monitoring, reporting and learning

• Support DHERST to monitor, evaluate and report on implementation and outcomes of priority higher education and TVET reforms.

• Provide advice and support to improve reporting against GoPNG, DHERST and related sector commitments, including commitments under the Joint Statement of Intent where relevant.

• Support DHERST to establish or strengthen regular forums and processes for reviewing progress, identifying emerging trends, discussing risks and opportunities, and adapting implementation approaches.

• Contribute to reports, briefs, factsheets, communications products and other knowledge products that use performance information to support evidence-based decision-making.

• Support DHERST to identify baseline information and develop practical approaches for tracking progress over time.

• Coordination and integration

• Work closely with DHERST counterparts, SWLT team members and other related activities to ensure approaches are coherent and complementary, including participation in schedule coordination meeting within SWLT, DHERST and DFAT.

• Support alignment between MEL, planning, budgeting, reporting, reform implementation and digital systems development where relevant.

• Engage with relevant GoPNG stakeholders, development partners and other sector actors as required to support coherence, avoid duplication and strengthen the use of existing systems and processes.

• Ensure proposed MEL approaches are proportionate, contextually appropriate, GEDSI sensitive and responsive, locally led and sustainable.

• Capacity strengthening

• Mentor and support nominated DHERST counterparts to strengthen their capability to lead and manage MEL and performance management functions.

• Provide practical coaching, training, orientation and on-the-job support to DHERST staff to operationalise agreed MEL systems, tools and processes.

• Support the development of standard operating procedures, templates, guidance notes and other practical resources that enable DHERST staff to sustain MEL functions beyond the assignment.

• Participate in self-reflection, feedback and pulse-check activities to monitor the effectiveness of the capability strengthening approach and adjust support in response to feedback.

• Cross-cutting priorities

• Ensure MEL approaches consider and address a) gender equality, b) disability and c) social inclusion, locally led development, child protection and PSEAH safeguarding, sustainability and other SWLT cross-cutting priorities.

• Support the collection and use of disaggregated data where practical and appropriate, including data relevant to gender, disability, youth, location and other priority groups.

• Ensure proposed systems, tools and reporting processes are practical, ethical, inclusive and aligned with SWLT and DHERST requirements.

• General SWLT

• Contribute to the development and implementation of solutions that deliver value and ensure SWLT principles are embedded within program delivery.

• Comply with all safeguarding, child protection and PSEAH requirements, and promptly report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with SWLT and Palladium policies and procedures.

• Support and uphold the organisation’s commitment to environmental sustainability, such as reducing resource use and promoting climate-friendly practices.