Senior MERLA Advisor at Creative Associates International

POSITION SUMMARY

Ensure performance monitoring, action research, and evaluations are consistent with program results and track activity progress towards achieving targets and results.

REPORTING & SUPERVISION

The Senior MERLA Advisor will report to the Chief of Party.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ensure methodologies proposed by the contractor to measure program impact on access, retention, literacy and learning outcomes, school safety, community engagement, gender, disability-inclusive, conflict sensitive and foundational measures are consistently and systematically tracked and reported.
• Manage and coordinate evaluation of program effectiveness, including quality implementation of early grade literacy assessment.
• Manage and coordinate field-based monitoring and evaluation specialists, and other staff responsible for timely performance monitoring, budget management, oversight, data collection, and reporting.
• Liaise with Senior TA Coordination and Learning Advisor to develop plans to monitor and support TA MERLA gaps and provide On-Demand support as needed.
• Provide capacity building, coordination, and monitoring support to MERLA TA staff and consultants in Abuja and in Legacy, Launching, and On-Demand states.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Requires a master's degree in the social sciences, sciences or a related field.
• At least eight years designing, monitoring, and evaluating results-based MERLA programs required.
• At least four years of direct supervisory experience of monitoring and evaluation teams required.
• Demonstrated progressive experience in monitoring and evaluation of education programs, working with development agencies and organizations, government officials, civil society leaders, community leaders, project beneficiaries and project staff.
• Prior experience organizing, implementing, monitoring, and reporting on USAID-funded early grade literacy assessments, especially assessments of oral literacy fluency highly desired.
• Extensive knowledge of reporting procedures, best practices, guidelines, and tools for monitoring, evaluation, and learning, including impact evaluation.
• Demonstrated experience working in the education sector in Africa region, preferably sub-Saharan countries preferred.
• Fluency in written and spoken English required.

Preferred Experience & Skills

• Previous experience in similar role.
• Proven experience directly and indirectly supervising and managing staff and teams.
• Experience with a USAID-funded or other international organization implementing a program operating in insecure areas is desired.
• Strong ability to deploy and use various forms of tracking tools.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills are required.
• Excellent record keeping, and documentation skills are required.