Program Quality & Partnership Manager

Department purpose: The Oxfam in Asia regional platform contributes to and implements Oxfam’s Global Objectives and Strategy and leads the implementation of Oxfam in Asia’s Strategic Framework, by providing vision and strategic direction to all of Oxfam’s work in Asia. This includes Oxfam’s humanitarian responses and the localization of humanitarian leadership, long-term development programming, and influencing work. Responsible and accountable for the strategic direction and effective management of the programming in Asia, effective management of financial and human resources in line with Oxfam policy, and providing high-level support and representation for advocacy, fundraising, and any other representational purposes in support of Oxfam’s work and interest while ensuring gender justice and feminist principles are adopted.

Team purpose: The Mekong Regional Water Governance Program (MRWGP) focuses on inclusive and equitable water governance, addressing climate change, water security, and social accountability. MRWGP oversees regional projects funded by DFAT and SDC, ensuring sustainable water governance across Cambodia, Thailand, Lao PDR, Vietnam and Myanmar.  The Mekong Inclusive Water Governance and Climate Resilience Program 3 (IP3) (2025-2029) integrates water governance and climate resilience for regional policy impact. The program aims for - More sustainable and resilient livelihoods of riparian communities in the Mekong Sub-region and prioritises three interconnected pillars. Pillar 1: Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) and Feminist Influencing; Pillar 2: Inclusive Water Resource Governance; Pillar 3. Climate Resilient Communities.

Job purpose: The Program Quality and Partnership Manager strengthens IP3 Program Quality and Partnership Management through leadership in learning, evidence use, and strategic documentation. The role ensures consistent, high-quality, and timely monitoring, reporting, and evidence sharing across the IP3 program.

They advise Oxfam country offices and partners in the Mekong region to track and document progress and demonstrate evidence of change toward program impacts. The Manager ensures strong alignment between regional and country-level implementation, annual plans, and reports that meet donor requirements and Oxfam quality standards.

In collaboration with the IP3 Manager and with support from the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, they will lead the development of an effective Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) framework and system, aligned to the IP3 Theory of Change and Theory of Action.

Working closely with country teams, regional partners, and the Oxfam Asia team, they will build systems for evidence and program wide learning, and deliver capacity strengthening for women leaders, Indigenous Peoples, civil society actors, and other stakeholders involved in the program.

The Program Quality and Partnership Lead/Manager will work with partners to analyze outputs and outcomes and support the Policy and Communications Lead in the timely use of evidence for policy engagement and influence.

DIMENSIONS of the Role

Strategic Leadership and Program Quality: The role is responsible for finalising and implementing the MEAL Framework and ensuring key MEAL activities (baseline, reviews, evaluations) are conducted to a high standard and inform program implementation.

Provides strategic partnership management and coordination across the three pillars — GEDSI and Feminist Influencing, water resource governance, and climate resilience — in the Mekong Sub-Region, working closely with the respective technical leads who provide direct subject matter expertise.

External Engagement and Representation:  Represent the program externally, engaging with governments, regional partners, civil society, and donors on MEAL, Program Quality, and Partnership management to facilitate knowledge sharing and promote good practices in inclusive water resources governance, climate resilience, women’s leadership, and indigenous knowledge and practices.

Technical Expertise and Advisory Support: The role serves as the senior technical specialist on program quality and MEAL - advising internal teams and managing the Partnership and Grant Coordinator, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer and providing support to country offices and partners. Facilitates knowledge sharing within and between programs, particularly technical knowledge (e.g. climate resilience, disaster risk management, water resource governance, and GEDSI.)  Provides strategic technical leadership on MEAL and Program Quality frameworks, standards, and practices, ensuring integration across IP3 countries and program pillars.

Capacity Strengthening and Technical Support:  Provides targeted capacity development to Oxfam teams and partners across multiple countries on MEAL, Program Quality, specific MEAL tools and knowledge that facilitates high quality documentation of evidence, program progress and impact.

Key Responsibilities:

Program Quality Leadership and Strategic Support

• Finalise the Program Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Framework (MEAL) for IP3, ensuring relevance and usability for partners and compliance with Oxfam quality standards.
• Ensure the IP3 MEAL Framework embeds GEDSI and Feminist indicators in its regular monitoring activities and milestones.
• Lead baseline studies, mid-term reviews and evaluations.
• Ensure the preparation and quality assurance of all donor reports, ensuring that written outputs meet the highest standards of clarity, synthesis, and strategic communication.
• Maintain and update quality management processes across multiple countries, basins, activities and partnerships.
• Analyse and report on monitoring and evaluation findings and provide strategic advice to inform program adaptation and improvement.
•  Apply gender and feminist analysis, ensuring integration of gender and disability inclusion across the program cycle, with a strong focus on program design, MEAL, and accountability.Lead the implementation and use of a systematic approach to programme quality and MEAL, Partnership and Safe Programming, ensuring that Oxfam and partners can effectively demonstrate progress on programme outputs and outcomes - both qualitative and quantitative, for reporting and learning purposes.
• Coordinate with regional programs in Asia, sharing best practices and creating cross program collaboration.
• Coordinate all reporting requirements of IP3 for donors and Oxfam requirements, ensuring high quality and timely reports.
• Support the Program Management Unit (PMU) and implementing countries in developing the Theory of Change and MEAL Framework of IP3 at a country level and ensure its implementation.

Learning

• Lead the use of MEAL analysis in policy influencing, communication and advocacy, including capacity strengthening with partners.
• Connect program partners and practitioners to each other, and to external and internal sources of expertise.
• Ensure learning feeds into program development and compliance with quality standards and policies.
• Integrate Gender Analysis, Disability Inclusion, and Youth Inclusion within the program strategies and partnerships.
• Provide/mobilise program quality technical advice and guidance to partners, networks, affected communities and the Program Management Unit.
• Ensure project Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability Learning frameworks are regularly updated through a participatory process, ensure learning informs project implementation and adaptive management.
• Plan, design and facilitate learning forums, identifying collaborative learning opportunities with Oxfam’s regional programs, and regional programs of donors, networks and platforms in Asia.
• Capture and synthesise learning from the MEAL systems – design documents, implementation plans, research studies, evaluations to ensure products contribute to strengthened programming and influencing work.

Knowledge management, communication and Partnership management

• Produce, coordinate and commission policy learning briefs on key issues related to Water Resource Governance, Climate Resilience and GEDSI contextual to in the Mekong Region.
• Build an understanding of Oxfam’s partnership principles, safe programming, and mainstream these in partnership approaches
• Communicate and advocate on the benefits of program quality approaches to IP3 stakeholders, Oxfam in Asia and the wider public.
• Deliver production of regular knowledge sharing materials and the dissemination of key information to stakeholders.
• Ensure the findings from review and evaluation are taken on board and management response actions are implemented.
• Undertake capacity assessments and facilitate technical training advice and learning events for staff at all levels in water governance, resilience, GEDSI and Feminist Influencing.
• Develop a network of supportive program quality colleagues.

Job Requirements

Essential

• University degree in International Development, Community Development, Program Management or Monitoring and Evaluation or relevant degree with comparable level of professional experience
• At least 8 years’ experience in a similar regional role
• Demonstrated experience in documenting management practices and working with quality management systems
• An analytical understanding of GEDSI and Feminism in water governance and climate resilience, and disability inclusion and how to integrate this into MEAL practice
• Demonstrated experience building effective partnership relationships with a range of key stakeholders
• Experience in developing and maintaining an internal program quality management system
• Strong knowledge of the Mekong countries context, actors and stakeholders
• Project management experience in the international development sector
• Experience in political and economic analysis and commissioning research gained in an INGO or public policy context
• Champion of feminist leadership principles and practices and values including commitment to diversity and inclusion
• Exceptional written communication skills in English, with demonstrated ability to produce high-quality, donor-facing reports, strategic documents, and knowledge products to tight deadlines.
• A high level of initiative and drive, ability to work independently with demonstrated self-organisation skills

Desirable

• Spoken and written fluency in at least one Mekong language
• Familiarity with Oxfam-supported programs on water resource management, climate resilience in Asia.
• Experience in delivering tailored capacity development to civil society partners and internal teams, including training, mentoring, and technical accompaniment.  Ability to facilitate learning exchanges and co-create context-specific tools and strategies that strengthen locally led and feminist approaches.

How to apply

Please upload an up-to-date CV and a cover letter, clearly explaining your suitability against the essential criteria in the job profile through the website:

https://jobs.oxfamnovib.nl/job-invite/13970/

Kindly note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted- usually within 2 weeks of the closing date.

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Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty.

That means we tackle the inequality that keeps people poor. Together we save, protect and rebuild lives. When disaster strikes, we help people build better lives for themselves, and for others. We take on issues like land rights, climate change and discrimination against women. And we won’t stop until every person on the planet can enjoy life free from poverty.

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