Senior Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Advisor at Project Hope

Position Summary:

• The primary responsibility of the Senior Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Advisor is to support better performance and greater accountability by implementing evidence-based program/project management at the field level, in order to guide and improve performance.
• Specifically, the Senior MEL Advisor sets up of effective monitoring systems to collect basic information about activities in the initial phase of emergency response; supports the design and implementation of sustainable monitoring and evaluation systems in coordination with relevant government agencies and headquarter-based M&E staff in line with Project HOPE’s MEL standards.  
• S/he analyzes, interprets and communicates information in a way that promotes informed decision-making for on-going and future programmatic activity. S/he supports establishing and maintains effective feedback mechanisms for decision making, to the Niger State Group Antenatal Care Deployment under the TA Connect/Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Program.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

•  To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty with satisfactory results with or without reasonable accommodation. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Policies, Guidelines, and Procedures

• Mainstream the Global MEL Guidelines across all related MEL activities at the field level and ensure the guidance notes for monitoring, evaluation, and accountability are functional at the field level.
• Map and detail the navigation, selection, application, and adaption of existing guidelines, tools, and templates at the relevant stages of the project cycle.
• Develop guidance and standards methodologies for the collection and analysis of data to allow for comparison and aggregation across time and the different projects.
• Actively promote Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) standards within Project HOPE and amongst its beneficiaries.
• Contribute to the creation of a positive image and overall credibility of the organization, notably through the application of the Code of Conduct, ethics, values, and standpoint with regards to internal and external actors.

Project Design and Planning

• Design and coordinate needs assessment and situation analysis through various approaches (e.g. direct data collection, secondary sources, problem tree analysis, SWOT analysis) and ensure that needs assessment and project design are linked.
• Support to program and MEL team with developing the results framework, theory of change, log frame and MEL plan including indicators for existing and new projects.
• Identify the budget/resources needed for MEL activities of projects.
• Represent the organization in the MEL and Assessment Working Groups promoting a positive image

 MEL System

• In coordination with the Field Team and MEL Focal Points, establish a reliable participatory MEL framework for the Mission to ensure quality.
• Design full MEL procedures and operating plans within the Mission and develop harmonized data collection tools involving the different stakeholders (project team, partners).
• Ensure that accountability to affected populations (AAP) data is collected routinely throughout the project cycle, enabling evidence-based programming and corrective action.
• Develop data gathering strategies and harmonize data collection, analysis, and reporting flows for projects in country.
• Collaborate with the Project’s information, communications, and telecommunications (ICT) section to develop and maintain the MEL technology system, including updating, troubleshooting, and promptly addressing all problems as they arise.
• Conduct regular site visits or when required to monitor service provision and ensure data quality.

Data Quality Management

• Develop strategies for assessing the quality of collected data for the indicators and manage tools and methods for assessing data quality for all indicators.
• Organize the planning for project data quality audits and monitor and coordinate routine data quality audits conducted in different sites, compile results at the level of a project and develop actions plans to implement corrective measure.
• Coordinate data gathering and data management of population-based surveys and surveillance activities.

Sampling

• Use proper sampling (probability and non-probability) techniques taking into account desired power, type of evaluation (e.g. single point or multiple point; baseline vs end line), the objective of the evaluation (e.g. testing for change or getting a point prevalence), and budget limitations.
• Ensure adherence to prescribed methodologies of sampling, data collection, and data entry.
• Facilitate, guide, and supervise external consultant (if applicable) in conducting needs assessment, surveys, evaluations, and contextual analysis. Review the methodology, sampling approach and other important details proposed by the expert/consultant.
• Lead the development of sampling frame, calculate the sample size, and draw samples for population-based surveys.

Qualitative and Quantitative Techniques

• Structured interviews, key informant interviews, in-depth interviews, group discussions, focus group discussions and direct observations as an M&E tool.
• Conduct trainings on quantitative and qualitative techniques for data collection for MEL, program, and interviewers.
• Develop and use different qualitative and quantitate methods of data collection including structured/ semi-structured.
• Prepare tabulation plan and perform quantitative data analysis.
• Perform qualitative textual analysis, develop topical outlines (coding) and support the team in narrating the findings.
• Keep the social dynamics, manage errors/bias and strategy to minimize them and to ensure the data collected is representative of populations without power (avoiding over dependence on community leaders, local authorities, and/or government authorities as primary sources for defining communities' needs and preferences).
• Develop Terms of Reference (ToR) outlining the objectives, methodology, sampling approach and other necessary details for the study to be conducted internally or by a consultant and oversee the logistics of data collection and data management and ensure adequate resources are available.
• Design questionnaires for monitoring purposes and apply the different interview techniques (structured/semi-structured).

Mobile and Manual Data Collection

• Determine the appropriate data collection tool based on the purpose, advantages and disadvantages of mobile data collection techniques.
• Design simple and complex questionnaire using XLS or form builder (Kobo form builder, ONA form builder, etc.).
• Support in installing and configuring mobile data collection tools (OKD collect, Kobo collect, ONA collect, etc.) on smart phones or tablets and manage data on mobile servers (Kobo form builder, ONA form builder, etc.).
• Increase capacity of other staff in developing XLS form and setting up mobile data collection.
• Conduct regular site visits or when required to monitor and assist partners in the data collection process to ensure data quality.

Data Analysis and Use of Statistical Software

• Develop guidance and standards methodologies for the collection and analysis of data to allow for comparison and aggregation across time and the different projects.
• Support MEAL and the project/program team on conducting statistical analysis including descriptive (univariate and bivariate data analysis) and inferential analysis using statistical software.
• Support the qualitative analysis and develop topical outlines (coding).
• Analyze data and develop spatial data models and maps.
• Triangulate findings from several qualitative and quantitative sources.
• Interpret statistical data for use in decision-making and synthesize quantitative and qualitative information for write-up/reports and decision making.

Evaluation Design

• Develop TOR for internal and external baseline survey, mid-term evaluations, final evaluations and frame the different types of study questions such as barrier analysis, market analysis, Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Surveys (KAP).
• Make a comprehensive situation analysis to inform an evaluation.
• Identify the needed resources for evaluation, such as information, expertise, personnel, instruments, and budget.
• Manage the administrative and logistic process of evaluations involving external evaluators.
• Train and supervise data gathering of internal performance evaluation and design and synthesize the findings from participative evaluation techniques (actively involving affected communities in the evaluation exercises).

Information Presentation

• Write full narrative reports (needs assessments, internal reviews, progress reports) and executive summaries.
• Present information and ‘tell the story of’ the project to multiple audiences and decision makers based on the findings from the analysis and monitoring.
• Verify reports' accuracy and presentation of information, including the use of appropriate graphs and tables.
• Presents AAP data in simplified yet informative formats, depicting disaggregated community perceptions on quality of humanitarian actions and accountability commitments.

Management and Leadership

• Support in identifying the human resources needs in MEL.
• Provide technical supervision and coordination of the MEL Officer activities.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.

Capacity Development and Training

• Identify the gaps in staff knowledge of MEL concepts and skills and provide trainings in these topics.
• Provide coaching/mentoring of staff and on-the-job training to improve skills of the staff in MEL.
• Deliver intermediate-level training to the MEL team and conduct a training on qualitative techniques for data collection.

Knowledge Management and Learning

• Develop KML mechanisms and processes for response while ensuring these mechanisms are in line with Project HOPE’s guidelines.
• Establish basic learning systems that incorporate response studies’ findings, lessons learnt, achievements and gaps, and develop all the tools required to support learning practices.
• Organize internal reviews and lessons learned workshops and present practical recommendations.
• Ensure after-action reviews and lessons learned exercises, including data collected through Community-Based Feedback and Response Mechanism (CBFRM) and other participative forms of community engagement and feedback collection.

Feedback and Response Mechanism

• Provide technical support to the team on establishing and maintaining effective feedback mechanisms for decision making, fully in line with commitments regarding accountability to affected populations (AAP).
• Lead the implementation of methodologies to consult communities on their preferences based on the operational context.

Conflict Sensitivity

• Support the implementation of the Conflict Sensitivity approach across the response activities.
• Monitor and report on Project HOPE’s adherence to Do No Harm and the conflict sensitivity (Safe and Effective Humanitarian Response) approach at the field level.

Educational and Professional Experience Requirements:

• Master's-level or a higher degree in social sciences, public health, statistics, or international development, with experience or background in M&E, epidemiology, public health, and health information management.
• Minimum of five (5) years of applied experience with a humanitarian organization in designing, implementing, and overseeing monitoring and evaluation tasks.
• Demonstrated experience in managing teams and building staff capacity within complex programing.
• Experience with M&E approaches for key donors such as CDC, OFDA, ECHO, EU, DfID, UN and USAID.
• Experience in database design and other tools for information management like DHIS2.
• Experience in use of qualitative and quantitative software for data analysis.
• Experience with mobile data collection platform.