The Senior Regional Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (MEL at TechnoServe

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

Provide direct technical assistance to projects (60% LOE):

• Lead internal evaluations or special studies; Manage external evaluators.
• Provide support and technical oversight to junior MEL staff (e.g. regular check-ins and sign-off on deliverables on projects that only have junior MEL Associates).
• Provide advisory and direct technical assistance on specific MEL deliverables.
• Support the effective utilization of data and technology systems through managing and facilitating the work of a Data Specialist.                                                               

Execute the core functions of the Global Impact Team, including (20% LOE):

• Promote TechnoServe’s Global MEL Standards through staff training, conducting diagnostics, and developing MEL improvement plans.
• Support or lead annual/semi-annual global initiatives in the region, including Corporate Measurement and the Program Quality Survey.
• Provide inputs to the Program Development team, including reviewing the MEL section of proposals and advising on logical frameworks.
• Hire and onboard country-level and project-level MEL staff
• Promote knowledge sharing across the West African region and between regions.

Provide leadership to the High Margin Agriculture practice (10% LOE):

• Work closely with practice area leadership to develop standards, best practices, and tools to improve the quality of MEL across the practice. This includes standard indicator guidance, analysis guidelines, database standards, monitoring dashboards, and data collection tools.
• Play a leading role in developing practice area learning agenda.

Provide regional leadership (10% LOE):

• Collaborate with the Impact Director, Regional Director, and country teams to systematically improve the structures, processes and resources that enable application of good MEL practices, including standardization of tools and technology use.
• Support the exchange of information and knowledge by participating and contributing to internal and external fora.
• Work the West African Regional team to have a coordinated management system at the project level for the planning of MEL activities, storing of MEL documents, and tracking of MEL deliverables.

Basic Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, such as economics, business administration, statistics or other; and a minimum of 10 years of experience designing, managing and implementing multidisciplinary and results-based MEL systems in an international context.
• Or a master's degree and 7 years of similar experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with project management systems that allow for effectively planning, tracking, and ensuring quality for complex projects.
• Background in a range of monitoring and evaluation methodologies, including both quantitative and qualitative research approaches
• Proven ability to translate research, methodologies, and data into accessible formats for colleagues with non-technical backgrounds
• Experience demonstrating the value of integrating gender into project approach
• Comfort delegating responsibility and thinking creatively about how to use the available resources to achieve the best results for the region.
• Hands-on capacity-building experience, including development of training materials, as well as delivering actual training sessions.
• A commitment to developing and promoting MEL staff skills.
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills and a demonstrated track record of producing high quality, well-written deliverables
• A demonstrated ability to effectively multi-task and manage projects, including staffing, work plans, deliverables, timelines and budgets
• A demonstrated ability to coordinate and communicate effectively and diplomatically with a range of external and internal colleagues including donors, partners and senior and junior team members across diverse cultures
• An ability to value and respect voices of staff at all levels, external stakeholders, and the men and women we work with.

Required Languages:

•  Verbal and written fluency in both English and French

Supervisory Responsibilities: 

• The Senior MEL Manager will supervise a Data Specialist. The Data Specialists is tasked with technology selection, system design and set up, backstopping data management processes, data visualization, and advancing data management best practices.