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 Delegation, the primary purpose of this position is to provide strategic and technical support in planning, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting (PMER) for the programmes and 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 learning, 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

• 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.
• Support SARC in the formulation of evidence-informed strategies and operational plans, ensuring their alignment with national priorities and long-term strategic objectives. Promote evidence-based programming by facilitating the development and integration of robust theories of change and logical frameworks in collaboration with programme, finance, and technical teams—ensuring clarity of outcomes and measurable impact.
• Support proposal development and ensure coherence in targets, alignment with operational and strategic plans, and consistency across funding proposals.
• Set up a Federation-wide planning approach / system or cooperate on a Movement-wide approach as required within the operation e.g. for a One International Appeal.

Monitoring & Evaluation

• Design, develop, and oversee the implementation of robust Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) systems to enable evidence-based decision-making, performance tracking, and accountability across all SARC operations.
• Conduct quality assurance reviews of planning and reporting documents to ensure consistency with financial reports and budgets.
• Guide the design and manage evaluations that meet IFRC standards, ensuring timely dissemination of findings for learning and performance improvement.
• Inform the Operations Manager to operational bottlenecks, risks, or implementation challenges, contributing to timely resolution and adaptive management.
• In coordination with the Regional Office, lead the establishment and operationalization of a system for tracking lessons learned and best practices, integrating findings into adaptive programme design and future planning processes.

Reporting

• Maintain and manage a comprehensive reporting calendar and logbook, collaborating closely with Finance, SPRM, and the Regional PMER team to ensure streamlined and timely reporting processes.
• Provide technical support to SARC MEAL teams for systematic data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Coordinate with SARC to ensure timely, accurate, and quality reporting against planned targets and results under the Syria operational plans, including pledge-based reports.
• Support the development of high-quality and timely standard and pledge-based narrative reports.
• Collaborate with technical and support managers—particularly Finance and PRD—to ensure coherence and compatibility between narrative and financial information across all reports, including pledge-based reporting, in line with IFRC regional quality assurance standards and donor compliance requirements.
• Support PMER functions in the context of other emergency responses, ensuring business continuity for the Syria Country Office.

Learning

• Foster a culture of learning within SARC and the Syria Delegation by ensuring that findings from monitoring, evaluations, and community feedback mechanisms are systematically analyzed, disseminated, and translated into actionable improvements.
• Lead and facilitate After-Action Reviews, lessons learned workshops, and reflection sessions following major operations or evaluation milestones, promoting inclusive participation and organizational learning.
• 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 quality improvement.
• Contribute actively to cross-country and regional learning initiatives by sharing Syria-specific insights, challenges, and success stories enhancing collective PMER capacity and fostering peer learning 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.
• Support the PPSD Department with the development of departmental strategies and operational systems to ensure complementarity and cohesion between the constituent units (Information Management, MEAL, Partnerships, Community Engagement and Accountability).
• 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

• Minimum of 5 years relevant experience in PMER for an international organisation - Required
• Demonstrated experience in data management and modelling (Excel, Tableau, Power-Bi, GIS, Microsoft Office Suite and data analysis software) and reporting mechanisms - Required
• Proven experience in building the capacity of counterparts, including through training, coaching, or technical support - Required
• Knowledge of IFRC and National Society operating environment -Preferred
• Experience with the design and delivery of evaluations, After-Action Reviews, and lessons learned processes - Preferred

• Strong background in report-writing and product delivery to tight deadlines. Ability to write, edit and analyse complex reports in both English and Arabic - Required
• 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 - Required
• 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 - Required
• Sound understanding of basic project finance (e.g. ability to explain variance between budgeted and actual expenditure) - Required
• 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 - Required
• Basic understanding of legal framework of humanitarian operations, as well as gender, protection, social or human vulnerability issues - Required
• Excellent inter-personal skills and cultural sensitivity - Required
• Ability to work well under pressure and a willingness to work on weekends and during holidays if required - Required
• Fluent spoken and written Arabic and English - Required
• Good command of another IFRC official language (French or Spanish) - Preferred

• 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

Important note:

The selected national candidate will be contracted by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and seconded to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent.

IFRC Disclaimer

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.

If you appointed to or undertake a role within IFRC, whether as staff, staff on loan or secondees, you will be subject to the organization's Code of Conduct, which is available here and on our website.

Note: All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which include prior professional conduct checks and review of criminal records. IFRC will request a conduct check from all prior employers for a period of 5 years, including but not limited to employers who like IFRC participate in the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. For more details on the Scheme, please see ont-style: italic;">THE MISCONDUCT DISCLOSURE SCHEME — SCHR.

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