Tell us a little about yourself, Harriet?
I joined JOA in 2022 as Monitoring and Impact Officer – before this, I was based in Amman with HelpAge International. I have experience in the design and implementation of development projects in Nepal and Jordan and I also hold a Masters in Global Development, with specialised interest in gender.
Tell us what your role of M&I Officer entails?
My core role is to monitor the impact of JOA’s international development grants in line with our Monitoring and Evaluation Policy to ensure that our funding is effective and sustainable. This includes working with our partners in the project inception phase to ensure their reporting frameworks are well designed to capture impact.
I'm also responsible for conducting in-country monitoring visits to each of our international development projects. The visits take place approximately halfway through a project’s implementation and present an opportunity to review project activities in-situ to see if they are on track to achieving their anticipated impact. The visits include in-depth discussions with project participants, project staff and other key stakeholders. The visits present a valuable opportunity to nurture a closer, learning-based relationship with our partner organisations and to understand how we as a donor can provide the most meaningful support. Find out more about what I do here.
Why is monitoring so important?
Monitoring projects is key to ensure that we – and the taxpayers we represent – can verify the projects we fund are on track to make a sustainable and effective impact. We also require our partners to conduct regular monitoring and evaluation as it presents valuable learning opportunities – from identifying key areas of success to identifying any challenges and addressing them accordingly.
How did your programme associate placement prepare you for your new role?
The placement gave me valuable experience working with an international NGO at a global and country office level. My time working in HelpAge’s Global Team gave me an opportunity to hone my qualitative and quantitative analytical skills through conducting case-study research and report writing. Working with HelpAge’s Country Office in Jordan also allowed me to continue to develop my proposal development skillset. I was also fortunate to work alongside the Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Officer – enabling me to gain valuable insight into the way projects are monitored at the implementation level.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I enjoy how varied the workload is – from drafting lines of enquiries in preparation for upcoming monitoring visits, to writing up monitoring reports and reviewing the M&E frameworks of recently submitted project proposals – I’m certainly kept on my toes.
What advice would you give to anyone looking to embark on a career in the international development sector?
I think being able to speak multiple language is so helpful for this career. I also think it’s important to remember that the route to a career in International Development varies widely, so keep an open mind!
