Senior MEAL Advisor

CARE is an international NGO with local staff and community partners in more than 90 countries. We create local solutions to poverty and inequality and we seek dignity for everyone every day and during times of crisis.  These solutions have a broad range, from clean water to access to education; from microfinance to ensuring that everyone has nutritious food; from agriculture and climate change to disaster response. CARE puts women and girls at the center of everything we do because they have proven to be the best hope for creating lasting change in the world.  Our staff live where they work, which makes us effective at understanding the challenges they face. We’ve been doing this for over 70 years, since World War II. It started with the world’s first CARE Package® of food for the post-war hungry in Europe.  Our work today is as important as ever, we believe that poverty and inequality are historic injustices that we can end within a generation, for good. If you share our core beliefs: poverty is an injustice; poverty is solvable; and together, we have the power to end it, join us.

I  Job Summary

Senior Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Advisor’s main responsibilities are to provide the overall organizational MEL technical leadership. This position will also provide technical assistance and guidance to other LDM managers within the CO. The Senior MEL Advisor will lead the CO design monitoring, and evaluation under program level. The Senior MEL Advisor will also coordinate higher level impact and CI indicators and closely work with CARE’s technical units based in Kenya and Atlanta.  S/he will ensure that the CO’s monitoring, evaluation, and learning is undertaken at a higher standard as per CARE’s protocols. This position is responsible to ensure strong MEL function across the CO through coordinated leadership of MEL community of practice. Their primary responsibility will be to work with each PDT and ensure that appropriate impact measurement plans are in place for the three programs and that an annual assessment of program impact is conducted.  The role will include designing and then commissioning consultants to conduct surveys and special studies. The advisor will provide technical backstopping and capacity building to all staff at all levels to develop organizational capacity related to monitoring, evaluation and impact measurement. This position holder will line manage MIS and Data Management Specialist and GIS Specialist at PQL. Moreover, all CO MEL will be dotted line managed by this position.

The senior MEL advisor will be responsible for organizational impact measurement system. S/he provides technical backstopping and organizing appropriate trainings for CO LDM managers.

The senior Advisor will lead the overall development and implementation of the MEL frameworks, through closely working with all technical advisors and MEL managers.

II.       RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS

Job Responsibility #1:  Program/Strategy Design, Monitoring Evaluation and Impact Measurement (35% of time):

• Lead the design and development of monitoring and evaluation tools and systems;
• Lead in the program design and implementation process to ensure the incorporation of impact measurement and knowledge sharing;
• Leads the development and implementation of evidence based MEL across the CO
• Develop and define MEL protocols and ensure its adherence across the CO
• Establishes all necessary relationships with CI to ensure that MEL issues can be shared;
• Lead reflective practice forums for the program/ across programs & among partners;
• Ensures detailed implementation, monitoring and evaluation plan are prepared for projects;
• Guides external and internal evaluations and project reviews for higher-level reflective practices;
• Documents and compiles learning and recommendations from evaluations to be utilized in designs of new initiatives/programs
• Undertakes/facilitates project baseline studies, annual reviews, midterm assessments and final evaluations and impact assessments;
• Leads or participate in diagnostic studies such as livelihood assessments;
• Reviews project evaluation reports, compile & share lessons for future project & program design
• Reviews and validates final evaluation results conducted by external evaluators;
• Develops and supports systems and works with PQL, Program Design Teams, PCs to ensure the incorporation of learning from other projects/program initiatives/ in to the new project design;
• Participates in project /program initiatives design including participating in design workshops and developing log frames and monitoring plans.
• Reviews and keeps current on Government of Ethiopia policies and practices in the field and ensures an active information flow regarding better practices;

Job Responsibility #2:  Learning and sharing/External networking (25% of time):

• Implements formative research in all CARE operational regions.
• Formulate impact measurement strategies & guide other MEL managers and technical advisors.
• Formulate strategies to work with other partners and consortium to support efforts to measure the impact and document lessons learned and best practices
• Develops ways of working and sharing information which enables us, CARE staff, learn from our own experience and that of others, and to share that learning with each other and with our partners and the wider development communities.
• Ensures the communication of monitoring, learning and impact measurement concepts and procedures within the organization, with partners and other stakeholders;
• Initiates researches/studies, particularly in relation to updating UCP/V assessments and analyses for programs and share results;
• Links the country office with CARE USA & CI member partners in sharing impact & PIIRS data;
• Keeps contact with other CARE member countries to share experiences in the area of monitoring, learning and impact measurement;
• Networks with other development organizations working in the country;
• Meets and works with policy makers such as government officials, MEL team, donors, etc. to facilitate better understanding and coordination among the actors in improving policy environment for proper monitoring evaluation and learning for the rural poor in the country;
• Takes a leading role in the organization of national and international level MEL workshops;

Job Responsibility #3 Information Management (20% of time):

• Develops and maintains program/project design, M&E information management system;
• Works as a team with program staff to develop and periodically review learning and monitoring guidelines and ensure their applications in measuring program/project performance and impact;
• Streamline paper based reporting system including formats and systematize information flows;
• Leads maintenance of project information using appropriate database management system and in a way accessible to staff and other stakeholders at CO level;

Job Responsibility #4: Training and Capacity building (15%):

• Develops capacity of CARE and partner’s staff on Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning protocols;
• Facilitates the development of capacity of CARE and partner’s staff on monitoring, learning and impact measurement and related themes;
• Advises and guides the monitoring and learning staff members in field offices on issues for better implementation and sharing of good practices;
• Work with PQL team for coordinated actions to enhance program quality and impact
• Organizes and delivers training courses and/or arranges for the delivery of training programs aimed CO MEL staff, partner staff including government and NGO staff;   Advises the PQL coordinator, Program Director, other consortium partners and field office LDM managers on MEL on issues for better decision making;

Job Responsibility #5:  Perform other duties as assigned (5%)

• The person could be given with new tasks as are needed and is expected to execute to meet expectations as any employee of the organization.

III.      PROBLEM SOLVING (Thinking Environment)

• All the three levels of problem solving apply to the incumbent. But category numbers two and three are most applicable to this position because, the incumbent must use interpolative skills to pick and choose the right strategy to address a given problem and also has to deal with variable situations, which need analysis, problem definition and development of alternative solutions.  

IV.     GENDER EQUALITY

•  Understanding and demonstrated commitment to the importance of gender, youth and social inclusion issues.
• Demonstrated commitment to principles of Gender Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and PSEAH (safeguarding), as evidenced in previous positions / programming.

I. QUALIFICATIONS (KNOW HOW)

A. EDUCATION

 Required:

• MA/MSc. in social science or equivalent combination of education & work experience.

Desired: 

• M.A. Degree in Social Sciences, Economics, Statistics, or Development Studies.

B. EXPERIENCE:

Required:

• 9-10 years of work experience in DM&E, MEL, MIS, needs assessment, baseline surveys, regular progress monitoring, project evaluation.

Desired:

• NGO experience

C. TECHNICAL SKILLS

Required:

• Knowledge and understanding of SPSS
• Computer skills (Word processing, database management);
• Excellent written and verbal communication in English Language;
• Firm belief in teamwork, gender equality, sensitivity to HIV/AIDS, participatory approach and sustainable development.

D. COMPETENCIES

• Transformation, Integrity, Diversity, Equality, Excellence, building partnership, commitment, contributing to team success, innovation, pro-active problem solving, and analytical ability.

VI.  CONTACTS/KEY RELATIONSHIPS 

• This position will be responsible to maintain smooth relationship and frequent contact with program design teams for the impact groups and strategic partners to promote learning from different initiatives and subsequently apply across programs. S/he will work closely with PQL teams & Units.