MELSA Assistant at Oxfam

Req ID: 7431
Location: Kebbi
Internal Job Grade: E 1 - national
Contract type: 5 Month
Job Family: MELSA Assistant
Reporting to: Program Manager, Resilience & Private Sector Engagement
Staff reporting to this post: None

Job Purpose

• Oxfam seeks to hire a (MELSA) Assistant for its food security and resilience-building projects in Kebbi State. To assume a technical role in implementing, and maintaining effective and appropriate Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning Systems for all project activities in Kebbi State.
• The Position will involve coordination with CSO partners and State Project Team, and in line with EU reporting requirements, and with Oxfam Common Approach to Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and Social Accountability (CAMSA) guidelines and best practices to Oxfam and policies.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities
The  State Monitoring & Evaluation, Learning, and Social Accountability (MELSA) Assistant  will perform the following specific duties:

• Based on the project proposal, implementation plan, and donor reporting requirements, implement the system for capturing and documenting data and relevant information on project activities, beneficiaries, outputs, outcomes, and impacts, which is feasible, practical, and “user friendly”, and will obtain valid and reliable information.
• Ensure an effective MELSA data collection and reporting system with all partners through mentorship, on the job training, site visits, and other technical support as needed. Ensure systems are well understood and properly implemented by all partners.
• Work with partners and state teams to maintain reporting processes to ensure that all information and data is collected, documented, and collated in an accurate and timely manner.
• Support the conduct of periodic supportive supervision and Data Quality Assessment visits to state teams, partners, and communities.
• Facilitate the sharing of information obtained with communities, and other stakeholders through a regular feedback mechanism.
• Ensure project implementation is aligned to targets and indicators contained in the project proposal.
• Constantly update project CSO partners and State teams on activities progress
• Support the CSO Programme Assistant to implement, monitor expenditure and budget appropriately, ensuring timely disbursement, activities, reporting, and documentation, monitoring variances, and troubleshooting as needed.
• Provide on-going support to partners, and communities to maintain MELSA systems; identify skill gaps that can be addressed in subsequent training.
• Analyse information about the program and make recommendations for improvement.
• Prepare and submit monthly reports in ensuring the utmost quality.
• Update the project database routinely as at when required.
• Support monthly data review meetings in the States.
• Work closely with the Abuja based Program Quality Development Manager to ensure that all project reporting and MELSA framework and systems are effectively implemented and that required information and reports are submitted accurately and on time.
• Any other duties as may be assigned by the State Project Manager and or Program Quality Development Manager.

Education, Experience & Competence
Essential:

• First degree or equivalent in Economics, Agricultural Economics, Demography/Social Statistics, Rural Development, Development Studies, and another related discipline.
• Minimum of 2 years’ experience performing a similar role.
• Training and experience in designing MELSA systems, in particular:
• For grassroots community programs that support women, small-scale farmers and families, through local groups and structures.
• For programs that address issues affecting small scale farmers and families affected by food and nutrition insecurity.
• That capture accurate and relevant information, but which are user-friendly and can be managed by “non-IT experts”.
• That captures both qualitative and quantitative information.
• That will be used and coordinated by multiple levels of staff, partners, and community groups, across multiple geographical areas of operation.
• That complies with all EU and Oxfam reporting requirements.
• Involvement in agriculture projects, and/or those involving families and women.
• Involvement in projects utilizing grass-roots approaches and addressing issues of power, diversity, exclusion, participation, and gender.
• Proven ability to prepare timely and accurate reports and well-written documents.
• Strong training and facilitation skills for various groups at multiple skill levels.
• Excellent analytical, conceptual and strategic planning skills
• Proven ability to multi-task engages in long-term planning, meet deadlines, and handle last-minute demands.
• Language Requirements: Excellent in both Oral and Written English.
• Level of IT Expertise: Excellent (SPSS, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
• Experience developing or using M&E systems in projects with agriculture components and/or interventions.
• The ability to speak Hausa language is desirable.

Key Behavioral Competencies:

• Decisiveness: We are comfortable to make transparent decisions and to adapt decision making modes to the context and needs.
• Influencing: We have the ability to engage with diverse stakeholders in a way that leads to increased impact for the organization We spot opportunities to influence effectively and where there are no opportunities we have the ability to create them in a respectful and impactful manner.
• Humility: We put ‘we’ before ‘me’ and place an emphasis on the power of the collective, nurture the team, and play to the strengths of each individual. We are not concerned with hierarchical power, and we engage with, trust, and value the knowledge and expertise of others across all levels of the organization.
• Relationship Building: We understand the importance of building a relationship, within and outside the organization. We have the ability to engage with traditional and non-traditional stakeholders in ways that lead to increased impact for the organization.
• Listening: We are good listeners who can see where deeper levels of thoughts and tacit assumptions differ. Our messages to others are clear and consider different preferences.
• Mutual Accountability: We can explain our decisions and how we have taken them based on our organizational values.  We are ready to be held to account for what we do and how we behave, as we are also holding others to account in a consistent manner.
• Agility, Complexity, and Ambiguity: We scan the environment, anticipate changes, are comfortable with a lack of clarity, and deal with a large number of elements interacting in diverse and unpredictable ways.
• Systems Thinking: We view problems as parts of an overall system and in their relation to the whole system, rather than reacting to a specific part, outcome, or event in isolation. We focus on cyclical rather than linear cause and effect. By consistently practicing systems thinking we are aware of and manage well unintended consequences of organizational decisions and actions.
• Strategic Thinking and Judgment: We use judgment, weighing risk against the imperative to act. We make decisions consistent with organizational strategies and values.
• Vision Setting: We have the ability to identify and lead visionary initiatives that are beneficial for our organization and we set high-level direction through a visioning process that engages the organization and diverse external stakeholders.
• Self-Awareness: We are able to develop a high degree of self-awareness around our own strengths and weaknesses and our impact on others. Our self-awareness enables us to moderate and self-regulate our behaviors to control and channel our impulses for good purposes.
• Enabling: We all work to effectively empower and enable others to deliver the organization's goals through creating conditions of success. We passionately invest in others by developing their careers, not only their skills for the job.  We provide freedom; demonstrate belief and trust provide appropriate support