The CO will consist of one senior Asia researcher/research manager, one Asia research coordinator, and Asia research assistant administrator. Ideally, the senior Asia research manager and research coordinator will have research skills critical to the provision of technical assistance to the research teams, be an excellent communicator and coordinator, and an experienced manager. The Coordinator should be an Asian national, but not necessarily the national of the country in which the CO is located. The administrator will also support the administrative needs of the Chair and SC. Should an additional administrator be required, that can be discussed pending greater understanding of the work burden of the CO.

MANDATE AND DUTIES

The Coordinating Office serves as the executive secretariat team of the Steering Committee and as the Network’s coordinating body. The CO provides substantive and administrative support to the activities of the Network, as well as assisting the SC, and managing the day-to-day organization of the network. An active functional CO, by working with all network members, plays a key role in helping APEIR achieve its targets and goals.

ROLE OF THE COORDINATING OFFICE

Specific CO duties focuses on three (3) strategic objectives of the Network, including:

1. As the Network coordinating body

• Being the main hub of communication between all elements of the Network, as well as among the Networks and the external parties
• Managing information sharing for the Network and research teams, partnership networking, as well as other communications to enable the smooth running of all Network activities.
• Supporting country coordinators in national activities (e.g. conducting country network meeting, and country consultations; encouraging the emergence of new research ideas and implementing a mechanism for deciding if they should proceed towards concept and proposal development; reaching out to funders and other resource persons and institutions; disseminating the research work of the Network and pushing for evidence-based policy change; planning relationship building activities for the Network, including among research institutions, funders and others, within the region and internationally)

2. Managing research including funding management for research

• Supporting the work of the research groups by providing technical and administrative assistance, where possible
• Supporting the research groups on writing research proposals, and implementing research studies, including helping to keep research studies on track to meet agreed milestones and timelines through capacity building, knowledge translation, and resource facilitation as needed
• Conducting M&E system for research
• Bridging the communication between the SC and the research team (e.g. communicate through PACs on the input of the research including connecting research teams to resources, such experts, other institutions, and funders that could be helpful)
• Supporting the work of the research groups (e.g. organizing their capacity building and KT activities with input from the research study leader; providing comments and support on documents produced by the research teams)
• Assembling, with the help of the SC and input from the research teams, the project advisory committee (PAC), the scientific advisory panel(s) as appropriate. This might be one overall group or may be specific to projects, or a combination

3. APEIR executive secretariat team

• Implementing and supporting the various organizational activities of the Network and SC, including with the input of the SC, managing organizational and logistical arrangements for Network meetings, i.e. setting the agenda, arranging facilitation if necessary, managing travel arrangements etc.
• Setting the agenda and purpose for each meeting, and designing/structuring the meeting to ensure it will go smoothly with fruitful and constructive results
• Writing up the various types of documentation required by the Network including: minutes of SC meetings, meeting reports (possibly with the assistance of external report writers), an annual report to the SC of Network activities and achievements.

4. APEIR Resources Mobilization Hub

• Engaging with development partners, country partners, and others partners that potentially are beneficial for the networks
• Facilitating the resource mobilization from partners (development partners, country partners and others partners)
• Initiating and facilitating new ideas and concepts from research members, and supporting grant competitions for the research network's activities (knowledge generation, capacity building, and knowledge translations)
• Writing up proposal activities on knowledge generation, capacity building, and knowledge translations for the research network on grant competitions/resource mobilization for network sustainability