MEAL Specialist at Wildlife Conservation Society

Overview:

• The MEAL Specialist will ensure the implementation, coordination, and administration of all activities supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Responsibilities:

• The MEAL Specialist will be responsible for coordinating the monitoring and evaluation of the program in addition to managing the Performance Monitoring Plan. These will include:
• Building and supervising the MEAL unit. The MEAL unit supports all departments and directly informs program management.
• Working with the Chief of Party and Deputy Chief of Party, managing the implementation of the results framework.
• Catalyse studies and collection of required data for the results framework to adapt programs and activities, inform decision-making and planning on several key dimensions, including:
• Quantifying the changes in the well-being of communities (ensuring that all data are disaggregated as appropriate).
• Measuring the impacts related to agricultural production and transformation.
• Measuring environmental impacts on critical habitats, ecosystem services, and conservation targets.
• Building a network of partners and collaborators to conduct surveys, collect data, and analyze.
• Promoting theory-of-change, design thinking, and results-based management.
• Promoting learning across the organization from analyzing and interpreting data and results.
• Developing data collection tools (including, for example, the use of KoBoToolbox) with department heads to ensure accurate data collection.
• Using and adapting appropriate monitoring and evaluation tools – KAP, METT, Capacity Scorecards, Financial Sustainability Scorecards, etc.
• Working with other team members to ensure that data required for donor reporting (including donor-specific results frameworks) are collected, collated, analyzed, and prepared for reports promptly.
• Assisting with the process of writing reports

Qualifications:

• Candidates will need to demonstrate clearly that they have the necessary experience and skills to i) work with other team members to collect and collate data, ii) carry out qualitative and quantitative data collection and analyses, iii) build and maintain databases, iv) contribute to the process of writing reports, v) providing rigorous analysis to feed into strategic decision-making processes and vi) promote learning from the monitoring and evaluation processes.

This requires:

• A post-graduate degree (master’s or Ph.D.) in a relevant subject.
• Five to seven years of relevant experience, with experience with a non-profit organization (s) and on donor-funded project(s) in developing countries, a plus.
• An interest in conducting rigorous analysis that will inform strategic decision-making.
• Strong qualitative and quantitative skills, proven IT skills including database management and knowledge of statistical software (e.g., R or Stata), and use of data collection tools such as KoBoToolbox (or equivalent).
• Knowledge of GIS is an added advantage.
• Experience in and commitment to working through community participation and accountability systems.
• Previous experience in managing a team and managing projects.
• Demonstrated skills in oversight of research, assessment, and evaluations.
• Hands-on experience in strategic planning processes.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills.
• Excellent understanding of different components of MEAL and skills in leading MEAL systems.
• Sound conceptual understanding in advancing gender equality in programming and the workplace.
• Written and oral fluency and excellent writing skills in English are required.
• Ability to work with a diverse, interdisciplinary team of people.
• Demonstrated openness and sensitivity to the socio-cultural environment.
• Dynamic, energetic, creative, and ambitious.