Right To Play DIRECTOR EVALUATION, RESEARCH, AND POLICY

BACKGROUND:

Right To Play is a global organization that uses the transformative power of play to educate and empower children facing adversity. Through playing sports and games, Right To Play helps children in more than 20 countries to build essential life skills and better futures, while driving lasting social change. Founded in 2000 by four-time Olympic gold medalist and social entrepreneur Johann Olav Koss, Right To Play is headquartered in Toronto, Canada and has national offices in Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States and regional offices in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and South America. Our programs are facilitated by 590 international staff and nearly 12,000 volunteer Coaches.

Visit us at www.righttoplay.com

JOB SUMMARY:

Right To Play is committed to monitoring and evaluating its program for impact and effectiveness and assuring strong internal systems and processes. Results from our programs can also contribute to the growing body of research on the impact of Sports For Development. Right To Play is committed to learning from sectoral best practices and research and we aim to constantly refine and improve our programs accordingly. Furthermore the promotion of evidence based policy positions is critical to assuring the supportive conditions for the provision of effective Sport For Development programming. Our policy and advocacy agenda is intended to not only create conducive government legislative and funding change, but also to build a vibrant civil society effort and a broad social movement. The Director, Evaluation, Research and Policy will advance this three-fold agenda during a period of organizational growth at the start of a new five-year strategic plan. The Director will deepen our existing capabilities, systems and knowledge base in monitoring and evaluation across the whole organization in multiple sites. The Director will also strive to fill current gaps in Sport For Development research by collaborating with with relevant insitutions and actively engaging in the sectoral dialogue at meetings, events and coalitions. The Director will also seek to deepen and grow Right To Play’s role and profile in advocating for policy change and in raising awareness on a selected range of areas in which sport and play can provide a positive impact, including health, education, and gender equality.

The ideal candidate will be a natural leader and mission driven self starter who brings a balanced perspective between the rigors of research and policy with the practicalities and challenges of building systems and processes that will be effective within Right To Play’s operating context. The candidate will promote the evidence for Sport For Development within Right To Play’s leadership team, partners in the field, funders/ stakeholders, and policy makers, while making recommendations that will allow Right To Play to improve design and influence policy change. Reporting to the Vice President of International Programs, the Director of Evaluation, Research, and Policy will manage an experienced team of 4 headquarters staff and work in close collaboration with members from the global leadership team, field staff, and sector partners.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Job Responsibility #1: Monitoring and Evaluation (% of Time: 50%):

Develop and promote a learning agenda that allows Right To Play to influence program planning, funding decisions, and strategic directions for the organization

Oversee all evaluations, ensuring evaluations strike a balance across core evaluation priniciples, including accuracy, propriety, feasibility, and utility

Ensure ongoing relevance of key measurements, standards, tools, and M&E processes by guiding the periodic review of Right To Play’s global M&E framework and implementation

Provide technical oversight to the global M&E and program teams to ensure effective implementation of internal monitoring and evaluation practices.

Ensure M&E findings are continually communicated in a timely and relevant way, influencing key programmatic, strategic, fundraising, and communication initaitvies.

Continually assesses and contribute to industry-wide evaluation trends, by incorporating and sharing the most innovative, effective and relevant standards of M&E practice.

Job Responsibility #2: Advocacy and Policy (% of Time: 25%)

Develop and strengthen core partnerships and networks with key stakeholders in the sport for development arena, including governments, global/regional networks, and multi-lateral institutions to contribute to the sport for development policy dialogue.

Guide the assessment and development of policy positions to inform the sport for development policy dialogue

Drive collective advocacy initiatives, at the global level, to advance key sport for development policy positions

Provide subject-matter expertise to RTP on all aspects of government and UN relations and to governments and multilateral organizations on the development of international or inter-governmental frameworks.

Work to advance UN and multi-lateral resolutions, frameworks, and policies relevant to sport for development and/or Right to Play’s work.

Job Responsibility #3: Research (% of Time: 15%):

Develop and strengthen core partnerships and networks with key universities, research institutions, international NGOS, and/or multi-lateral institutions to contribute to the broader sport for development research base.

Lead a collaborative, cross organizational process to inform a comprehensive program of research to advance the evidence base for the sport for development movement

Provide oversight on selected research initiatives that will be identified to test essential hypotheses as they relates to sport for development and peace

Contribute to core publications, articles, books and panels to share research results and practice

Job Responsibility #4: Team Leadership (% of Time: 10%)

Develop and manage strategic and operational plans for the global Evaluation, Research, and Policy team

Create and sustain a continuous improvement culture of innovation, achievement, support and learning within the Evaluation, Research, and Policy team.

Provide ongoing mentorship and leadership for a growing team of Direct Reports (currently 3), including core management duties (performance planning, monitoring, and performance appraisals).

Lead ongoing efforts to assess and address the organization’s capacity needs in M&E and advocacy

Continually stay abreast of external trends and coordinate with program teams to ensure best practices in monitoring, evaluation, research, and advocacy are integrated in RTP’s work.

EDUCATION/TRAINING/CERTIFICATION:

Required (must have):

Masters degree in social sciences, public policy, international development/affairs, business administration or other relevant areas

Training/Professional expertise in evaluation and research methods

Professional expertise in policy development and government relations

Desired (asset):

PhD in evaluation, social sciences, public policy, or international development/affairs

Fluency in French, Arabic, and/or Spanish

EXPERIENCE

Required (must have):

15+ years of professional experience in role(s) with comparable levels of international complexity and technical relevance in monitoring, evaluation, research and policy development.

Solid knowledge of issues related to development and humanitarian programs, as well as international bodies and policy.

Experience in managing staff and initiatives within complex, cross-functional organizations/projects.

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS REQUIRED:

•Knowledge and understanding of International Development Sector including key players, key stakeholders, the legislative environment, the research environment, role of United nations.

•Knowledge of policy and advocacy discipline, able to set a policy agenda, articulate policy positions, working within policy spheres both with INGOs, funders, governments, etc.

•Deep knowledge of standards of practice in research and evaluation in RTP’s core thematic areas: child/youth development, health, education.

•Deep knowledge of evaluation design and data collection methodologies particularly when working with children in developing countries.

•Expertise in quantitative and qualitative methodologies and analysis

•Substantive understanding of the development of policy agendas and positions and the tools and means to effect policy change.

•Familiar with government decision-making as well as intra/inter-governmental policy development processes

•Able to transform and communicate technical findings to a variety of stakeholders, including donors, management & board, program staff, fundraisers, governments, and technical peers

•Knowledge and skill in managing and mentoring staff, and providing technical support and oversight to those who are not direct reports.

COMPETENCIES / PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES:

•Consistently communicates a com¬pelling vision that gener¬ates excitement, enthusiasm and commitment to the group’s mission, purpose and goals

•Uses developed persuasive skills to convince others to accept recommendations that will involve their considerable support or commitment. Is able to provide strong arguments that will change firmly held opinions or positions to ones that will better advance the organization’s interests. Anticipates and manages related conflicts.

•Sets priorities and takes calculated risks in order to optimize resources and improve operational effectiveness and program/service delivery. Reviews and modifies contingency strategies to address potential issues.

•Assesses impact (cost, risks etc) associated with changes to current processes, systems, services or operations. Considers the wider implications to the organization, partners, donors, governments etc.

•Ensures approved change initiatives are implemented and sustained. Manages key user/client expectations.

•Champions the culture of continuous improvement that institutionalizes learning, innovation, achievement and support. Ensures these attributes are given priority attention while conducting the business of the organization.

•Identifies and pursues opportunities to build and strengthen partnerships and alliances that are mutually advantageous and support strategic interests of Right To Play.

•Values and recognizes individual and team contributions. Expresses positive expectations of staff and provides specific coaching and feedback.

Compensation: We offer a competitive salary and benefits package
Employment Start Date: Immediately
Contract Duration: Full time, Indefinite

How to apply:

If you are interested in applying for this position, please send your resume and cover letter to:hr@righttoplay.com and kindly include “Director Evaluation, Research, Policy-reliefweb” and your name in the subject line. Please indicate your salary expectations in the cover letter.
While we thank all applicants for their interest, only those selected for interviews will be contacted. Right To Play is a child-centered organization. Our recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to the safety and protection of children in our programs.

To learn more about who we are and what we do, please visit our website at www.righttoplay.com .