Role: Technical Coordinator – Learning and Compliance
Position Type: Pro-Innovator Volunteer
Project: EMBRACE
Partner: ADRA Philippines
Reporting to: Project Manager
Supervises: None
Location: Goa, Camarines Sur, Philippines with frequent travel to Project target areas
Duration: 10 months
Start Date: February 2018
Eligibility Requirements: Volunteer must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
Application deadline: December 17, 2018

Youth Challenge International

Youth Challenge International (YCI) is a leading global youth development organization that promotes youth innovation to drive positive change. Over the past 25 years, YCI has supported youth-led initiatives and volunteer engagement with over 250,000 youth in 13 countries around the world. YCI’s programs are a unique and effective opportunity for individuals to participate in development programming. By combining the energy and skills of volunteers with local youth and partners, YCI provides volunteers with the opportunity to contribute to innovative programming while developing personal and professional skills.

The EMBRACE Project

EMBRACE (Enhancing Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health through Revitalized Health Services and Community Engagement) is a four-year program designed to improve the maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) of vulnerable women, girls and boys in Cambodia, the Philippines, Rwanda and Burma. The program is funded by the Government of Canada and is being implemented through a consortium led by ADRA Canada in partnership Youth Challenge International (YCI) and the Hincks-Dellcrest Centre (HDC).

ADRA Philippines

ADRA (Adventist Development and Relief Agency) Philippines is a development and humanitarian organization in operation for over 30 years in the Philippines. ADRA Philippines works with people in poverty and distress to create just and positive change – regardless of their ethnicity, political affiliation, gender, or religious affiliation through empowering partnerships and responsible actions.

Position Details

The EMBRACE Philippines project is seeking an analytical Learning and Compliance Management Specialist with an ability to grasp new concepts and assignments quickly and add value to an on-going project. The Specialist will provide support to the EMBRACE Philippines project by ensuring that all provisions in the EMBRACE Contribution Agreement are adhered to. The Specialist will also travel to project communities to document processes, practices and new knowledge in key project components, in order to determine and share best practices across the project. Key components include, but are not limited to, child and maternal nutrition, community savings, WASH, sexual reproductive health and rights and the integration of cross-cutting themes of gender, environment and governance.

The volunteer will be based in the EMBRACE project office and will be working and living in the field for the duration of the placement. ADRA Philippines is a Seventh-day Adventist faith-based organization and the volunteer will be expected to respect and reflect the values and lifestyle of the organization while in the field.

Key Responsibilities

Working in coordination with the EMBRACE team, the ideal candidate will:

• Develop a full understanding of the EMBRACE Project Contribution Agreement;
• Prepare and/or review information and reports ensuring compliance with Contribution Agreement requirements;
• Support the Project Manager to ensure fiscal and programmatic compliance with grant requirements, e.g. all pre-requisite steps fulfilled for WASH construction;
• Analyse and document key project interventions, which include child and maternal nutrition, community savings, WASH, sexual reproductive health and rights, health worker/volunteer training and the integration of cross-cutting themes of gender, environment and governance, community savings, WASH (which includes construction);
• Ensure the cross-cutting themes of gender, environment and governance in the project proposal and baseline planning documents are effectively integrated into project reporting and are accurately documented in the project outputs and outcomes;
• Work collaboratively with the M&E Specialist to jointly document project results, distil and synthesize lessons, innovations and best practices, and develop knowledge products for project integration and sharing to EMBRACE partners, government partners and MNCH practitioners;
• Identify new knowledge and best practices and ensure project-wide knowledge sharing;
• Champion the integration of new knowledge into project interventions and recommend additional monitoring and evaluation plans as needed;
• Perform other duties as designated by the Supervisor.

Essential Professional Background/Competencies

• Bachelor’s degree in International Development, Social Sciences or any related field;
• Strong analytical skills;
• Demonstrated experience effectively documenting processes;
• Project management skills and experience;
• Excellent written & verbal communication skills with well-developed interpersonal skills;
• Highly motivated and self-directed;
• Team-player;
• A passion for social justice and community service;
• Flexible and adaptable to a challenging and high-pressure working environment and unpredictable workload;
• An ability and willingness to work in rural areas and new cultural and professional settings.

Desirable Academic Qualifications

• Master’s degree in health or social sciences with an emphasis on international development;
• Certification or studies in public health, rural development, community development, or project monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning.

Desirable Professional Background/Competencies

• Experience implementing health projects, with specific MNCH experience considered a strong asset;
• Experience in drawing and synthesizing lessons from individual and team reflection;
• Experience in packaging knowledge products that are publication-ready;
• Experience in using and/or developing sharing platforms;
• Experience in action research;
• Health promotion or service delivery;
• Project planning and report writing experience;
• An awareness of gender-sensitive behavior-change strategies;
• Demonstrated experience conducting successful training and coaching, particularly in a developing country context;
• A strong understanding of process workflows and operating controls;
• Experience living, working or volunteering abroad.

Important Information for Candidates

This is a ten-month subsidized skilled volunteer placement. YCI will provide the following for the volunteer:

• Pre-departure training and debrief in Toronto (including travel and accommodation)
• In-country orientation
• Return airfare and visa/permit fees
• Vaccinations allowance (up to $300)
• Emergency medical and evacuation insurance
• $1,200 CDN per month stipend to cover accommodation and food expenses
• Work-related communication and transportation expenses are all to be provided by the Project

YCI does not cover the following:

• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance (recommended)
• Social activities
• Personal travel

Application Instructions

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the deadline. To apply for this position, please complete our volunteer application form. We thank all applicants for their interest, but will only contact those that have been selected for an interview. We will not accept any phone calls about this position.