Senior Officer, Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies (NSs). The overall aim of IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by NSs with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises. 

IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality. 

IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services.

IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. IFRC also has country cluster delegations and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. 

As a member of the IFRC Syria Country Office, the primary purpose of this position is to coordinate strategic and technical support in planning, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting (PMER) for the Syria operations. The role ensures alignment with IFRC’s regional and global PMER standards, systems, and initiatives. This includes ensuring the quality, consistency, and timely delivery of key planning and reporting documents, such as Emergency Appeals, operational updates, pledge-based reports, and emergency plans of action, while also strengthening monitoring and evaluation frameworks. A core component of the role also involves supporting and building the capacity of the SARC MEAL team, contributing to the long-term institutional development of the National Society.

Planning

• In coordination with the MENA RO PMER team, lead planning processes with the Operations Manager for Unified Planning, revisions of Emergency Appeals, and Emergency Plans of Action—ensuring quality, coherence, and adherence to regional planning guidelines.
• Coordinate Membership support in the design of strategies and operational plans for SARC, ensuring linkage with long-term strategic objectives.
• Promote evidence-based programming, including contributions to theories of change and logical frameworks in collaboration with programme, finance, and technical teams.
• Lead proposal development and ensure coherence in targets, alignment with operational and strategic plans, and consistency across funding proposals.

Monitoring & evaluation

• Develop and oversee the implementation of robust M&E systems to ensure evidence-based decision-making and traceability in SARC operations.
• Conduct quality assurance reviews of planning and reporting documents to ensure consistency with financial reports and budgets.
• In coordination with the MENA RO PMER team, guide the design and delivery of evaluations that meet IFRC standards, ensuring timely dissemination of findings for learning and performance improvement.
• Alert the Operations Manager to bottlenecks or implementation challenges.
• With support from the Regional Office, lead the development of a system for tracking lessons learned and best practices to inform adaptive programme design.

Reporting

• Lead reporting of all operations of SARC supported by IFRC. This includes DREFs, Emergency Appeal, Unified Plans and Pledge Based Reports.
• Coordinate Movement-wide reporting among Membership on SARC operations especially on Unified Plans and Federation Wide Reporting System (FDRS).
• Develop and manage a comprehensive reporting calendar and logbook, collaborating closely with Finance, SPRM, and the Regional PMER team, aligned with the MENA RO framework.
• Coordinate with SARC to ensure timely, accurate, and quality reporting against planned targets and results under the Syria operational plans, including pledge-based reports.
• Ensure proactive technical support to SARC MEAL teams for systematic data collection, analysis, and reporting, and advice if any improvements.
• Be responsible for the development of high-quality and timely standard and pledge-based narrative reports.
• Ensure full alignment between narrative reports and financial documentation in accordance with IFRC regional quality assurance standards, project proposal and plans of actions.
• In close collaboration with Regional PMER unit, develop and maintain an updated dashboard for pledges earmarking, reporting deadlines and other such commitments.
• Coordinate PMER functions in the context of other emergency responses, ensuring business continuity for the Syria Country Office.

Learning

• Promote a learning culture within SARC and the Syria Country Office by ensuring that findings from monitoring, evaluations, and community feedback are systematically analyzed, shared, and acted upon.
• Lead After-Action Reviews, lessons learned workshops, and reflection sessions following key operations or evaluation milestones, aligned with the MENA RO standards.
• Establish and maintain a system to document, store, and disseminate best practices, innovations, and lessons learned to inform future programme design and strategic planning.
• Collaborate with SARC and regional teams to ensure that evidence generated through MEAL processes is used for decision-making, adaptive management, and continuous improvement.
• Contribute to cross-country or regional learning initiatives, sharing Syria-specific insights to strengthen PMER practices across the network.

Capacity Building

• Promote a results-oriented culture by increasing understanding of shared M&E responsibilities among SARC managers and staff.
• Drive accountability and programme quality through effective communication, targeted training, and organizational learning initiatives.
• Strengthen and maintain technical working groups (TWGs), ensuring strategic outputs and harmonized approaches to indicator development and reporting across all sectors.
• Advocate for live data collection and display for SARC. Support SARC in establishing a system to collect and visualize live data from assessments, distributions, services delivery and monitoring.
• Provide technical support to:
  • Conduct PMER capacity assessments at all operational levels.
  • Develop and deliver tailored training materials for SARC staff and volunteers.
  • Facilitate hands-on PMER trainings and knowledge transfer sessions.
  • Introduce and support the use of innovative data collection and analysis tools to promote data-driven decision-making.

• Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, international development, or related field - Required
• Further training in PMER or related area - Required

Required

• Minimum of 7 years relevant experience in PMER for an international organisation
• Demonstrated experience in data management and modelling (Excel, Tableau, Power-Bi, GIS, Microsoft Office Suite and data analysis software) and reporting mechanisms
  

Preferred

• Knowledge of IFRC and National Society operating environment

Required

• Strong background in report-writing and product delivery to tight deadlines. Ability to write, edit and analyse complex reports in both English and Arabic
• Sound background of social research methodologies, including a highly developed analytical and communication skills and ability to assimilate and process information for wide-ranging audiences
• Excellent computer skills. (e.g. Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, Adobe Acrobat). Ability to perform page-layout, incorporating text, photos and other graphic elements for a printed page
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English
• Sound understanding of basic project finance (e.g. ability to explain variance between budgeted and actual expenditure)
• Knowledge and commitment to Red Cross Red Crescent Fundamental Principles, and ability to model those Principles in relationships with colleagues and partners and translate them to development practice
• Basic understanding of legal framework of humanitarian operations, as well as gender, protection, social or human vulnerability issues
• Excellent inter-personal skills and cultural sensitivity
• Ability to work well under pressure and a willingness to work on weekends and during holidays if required
• Fluent spoken and written English and Arabic

• Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability
• Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National Society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust

RC ensures equal employment opportunities!