Job Profile

Introduction
Start Network is a consortium of 42 leading NGOs working together to connect people in crises to the best possible solutions. In order to meet the needs of crisis-affected people in a future of great uncertainty and complexity, we believe that the humanitarian sector must change. The Start Network members collaborate because the change that is demanded cannot be achieved by any single organisation acting alone.

We promote a way of working that enables international and local humanitarian actors to coexist. We envision a self-organising system where the agencies best placed to respond to a crisis are empowered to do so. To realise this vision, we are working to catalyse a humanitarian sector that is more diverse, decentralised and collaborative.

The Network works in three principal areas: Start Fund (rapid financing for emergency response); Start Engage (strengthening civil society capacity); and Start Labs (experimentation, rapid prototyping and learning). Furthermore, the Start Network is investing in the infrastructure to receive large funding streams to enable the Network members to programme effective responses at scale.

The Start Network legal structure enables resources and initiative to reach nearly 7,000 partner agencies, comprised of over a quarter million staff working in 200 countries and territories. Start is presently hosted and incubated by Save the Children UK on behalf of all Member Agencies and intends to become independent during in the coming years.

Context
The vast majority of front-line crisis relief (70%) is provided by civil society. However, these NGOs are constrained by a funding model in which attention from donors and the general public is triggered by media headlines. By the time these crises hit the media headlines they have already fully escalated and many lives have already been lost, livelihoods destroyed and hard-won development gains undermined. This is too slow.

The Start Network is working to move beyond the current reactive model of humanitarian response, towards a more organised, proactive way of managing risk and responding to changes in risk in a timely and appropriate way. This requires new, more impartial and timely funding channels.

The Start Network has designed the first NGO-managed pooled fund for rapid response by front line responders – the Start Fund. The Start Fund is built on a trust-based, iterative, flexible, speedy and decentralised decision-making mechanism. Funds are allocated within 72hours of a crisis, offering rapid support to everyday, small-medium scale crises.

With the Start Fund Global having run effectively for more than two years, there is now an opportunity to start building national Start Fund models. With support from DFID Bangladesh, the Start Network will establish a Start Fund in Bangladesh. Whilst the initial phase includes peer support from the Global Start Fund, the Start Fund Bangladesh will be gradually devolving all decision making and governance to the national level.

The Network is now focussing on internationalising and taking the Start Fund to scale. Scaling the Start Fund will involve recruiting new donor governments. There is no precedent for the evolution of the Start Fund.

1. Start Fund Annual Report 2015-2016 https://start-network.box.com/s/6apoxeu3s23c9wh01y1omsruytcgq8wz
   
2. The Start Fund Management Response to the evaluation of the design & build phase, January 2015 http://www.start-network.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Start-Fund-External-Evaluation-2014-Management-Response-290115.pdf
   
3. The Start Fund Induction Pack for members https://start-network.box.com/s/e8a99dahlwwbparn1k4vakvp3dxek7bt

Job Purpose
The Start Fund Bangladesh MEAL Manager will play a vital role in ensuring that the Start Fund in Bangladesh is able to capture, integrate and improve learning processes from inception.

Early 2017, the Start Network has received approval from DFID Bangladesh for the establishment of a Bangladesh Start Fund. This Fund will run parallel to the Global Start Fund, and the two Funds will work very closely together to ensure that the overarching Start Network principles are upheld in both Funds in a similar way.

The Start Fund Bangladesh MEAL Manager leads on the MEAL of the Start Fund Bangladesh during the development of the Design & Build phase (5 months) and the first phases of delivery (year 1 and year 2). During this time, the Start Fund Bangladesh is envisioned to i) successfully run disbursements with locally led Allocation and Project Selection, ii) completely devolve the Start Fund Bangladesh to the national level, iii) e integrate the existing coordination and quality systems into its decision making, iv) evidence the outcomes of this nationally run Start Fund and fundraise for additional contributions to the Start Fund Bangladesh, v) effectively feed into the global Start Fund structure.

We are seeking a dynamic humanitarian with experience in Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning of innovative, multi-stakeholder programmes.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Develop, in consultation with Start Fund Global MEAL team and members, a process/framework/tools that helps the 'Bangladesh Start Fund initiative' implement, learn from and demonstrate its value through the implementation cycle. This will include:
  
  • A focus on localisation and tracking localisation processes, outputs and outcomes as a Unique Selling Point of the Bangladesh fund
    
  • Local NGO perspectives on localisation and operating with INGOs through subsidiarity. This will include how we use MEAL for two-way accountability in the programme process and validation from communities.
    
• To join the Start (MEAL) Team UK in designing how learning from the national Start Fund model(s) feed into global Start Fund learning
  
• To integrate cutting-edge, diverse and innovative approaches to monitoring, evaluation and learning, especially in the context of joint and consortium programmes
  
• To support in building a community of practice to leverage the monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning expertise that exists within the membership in order to address key questions facing the Start Fund Bangladesh.
  
• To improve the technical quality of processes and outputs to ensure that international best practice and accountability is imbedded in the Start Fund Bangladesh’ programming and to provide quality assurance from a technical MEAL perspective
  
• To input into the strategic direction of Start Fund Bangladesh monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning activities, including real-time reporting and collaborative advantage
  
• To build relationships within the Start members in Bangladesh to influence uptake of lessons learned and their effective dissemination and use at the project, country and system levels and to broker partnerships to increase the uptake and impact of learning internally and externally
  
• To liaise with the relevant programme management and peer review management staff and structures (e.g. Start Fund Bangladesh Manager, Start Fund Bangladesh Steering Group etc.) to ensure that strategies are inclusive, participatory, jointly developed and effectively shared

On a day-to-day basis, the Start Fund Bangladesh MEAL Manager will have a close working relationship with all the Start Fund Team, and in particular with:

• Start Fund Bangladesh Manager (overall Start Fund oversight)
  
• Start Fund Bangladesh Programme Officer
  
• Start Fund Global MEAL team – hosted by World Vision UK (most notably: Start Fund Global MEAL Manager)
  
• Start Team Global (most notably: Start Fund Programme Officer(s))

This role is based in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Person specification

• Experience in Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning of programmes
  
• Demonstrated understanding of aggregated MEAL, including for programmes that work in partnership
  
• Demonstrated experience of working with MEAL systems of both international and national NGOs
  
• Knowledge of current practices, trends and standards in evaluation, monitoring, accountability and learning
  
• Research and analytical skills and application of those in information management within humanitarian organisations
  
• Experience of working in the humanitarian sector and good understanding of humanitarian principles and current sectoral issues
  
• Ability to write clearly and succinctly, for a range of audiences in English and Bangla
  
• Demonstrable skills in creating, establishing and negotiating relationships with various stakeholders
  
• Good level of interpersonal skills with a high level of English written and oral communication levels
  
• Knowledgeable about key humanitarian sector actors, including donors, UN system and NGOs
  
• IT literate
  
• Experience of working as part of a coalition or network

Desirable

• Experience and/or knowledge of Start Network to date
  
• Applications from Bangladeshi nationals are encouraged
  
• Start is welcoming secondments from Start Network member organisations
  
  

Application closing date: 28 March, 2017

Company No.  09286835   |   Charity No.  1159483