MONITORING, EVALUATION AND LEARNING SPECIALIST

DEADLINE: September 10, 2019
CLOSED JOB

The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) is an international non-profit, non-governmental organization committed to conducting high quality and policy-relevant research on population, health, education, urbanization and broader development issues facing sub-Saharan Africa. APHRC is implementing an innovative four-year project on “Challenging the Politics of Social Exclusion (CPSE)”, in which the Center acts as a key knowledge partner to the constellation of policy actors engaged in advancing the realization of regional commitments, made by the African States, to enhance the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of their populations. To this end, CPSE will (i) support the generation, synthesis and translation of relevant evidence at regional and sub-regional levels in Eastern, Southern and Western Africa as well as in seven focal countries (Burkina Faso, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Zambia); and (ii) help strengthen core capacities of key (sub-) regional partners to effectively marshal and use evidence in policy processes and engagements.

The project will be underpinned by an explicit Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning endeavor to monitor and learn from reflection on progress, impacts, successes of project activities and performance. Therefore, APHRC seeks a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Specialist who will be responsible for establishing and implementing an effective MEL system for the project, based, explicitly, on an outcome harvesting (OH) approach.  S/he will work with the team to establish systems and methods to gather, capture, analyze and report relevant data on progress; and to ensure routine reflection on implications for adapting the project’s strategies.  Building on his/her expertise and experience with the project-internal MEL, the Specialist will additionally provide support to strengthen the capacities of sub-regional policy or civil society partners to develop and use an OH-based MEL system. The position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Key responsibilities

  • Develop an appropriate and effective monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) system based on an outcome harvesting (OH) approach. Periodically review and revise the system so that it is adapted appropriately to changing operating contexts;
  • Ensure relevant and timely M&E information is utilized for routine project-internal reflection on the effectiveness or need for adaptation to strategies;
  • Provide relevant and timely MEL information and in user-friendly formats to key stakeholders (project beneficiaries, partners, APHRC senior management and the donor). Ensure all MEL reporting requirements are met;
  • Support the building of APHRC staff capacity in OH-based MEL and provide ongoing coaching;
  • Support the development of debate and knowledge generation on experiences with the application of OH-based MEL in the SSA context;
  • Act as a focal point to organize and manage monitoring reviews, evaluations and/or After Action Reviews (AARs);
  • Participate in and provide support to project design activities on CPSE;
  • Provide expertise in MEL planning and methodology with a focus on OH-based approaches to APHRC broadly;
  • Carry out day-to-day monitoring and evaluation activities of the project;
  • Lead the process of analysis, reporting and dissemination of evaluation findings and project results to donors and other stakeholders;
  • Spearhead knowledge management for the project and contribute to institutional learning processes;
  • Support capacity strengthening for sub-regional policy and civil society partners in the development and use of an OH-based MEL system.

Required qualifications and experience

  • A Masters’ degree in monitoring and evaluation, public health, statistics, or any other relevant discipline that has applied social science and/ or monitoring and evaluation component as course-work;
  • A minimum of 5 years of practical experience in designing and implementing M&E systems, including analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, for donor-funded development programs in sub-Saharan Africa and other parts of the developing world;
  • Technical knowledge and practical experience in the use of an outcome harvesting approach to MEL;
  • Experience in capacity building to undertake MEL of policy-oriented research projects in developing countries;
  • Experience working in a MEL role on a policy engagement or policy advocacy program;
  • Ability to work effectively with a variety of partners, including funding agencies, government departments, local communities, NGOs, and other key actors in the development sector;
  • Familiarity with impact evaluation and major donor (USAID, DFID, EU, etc.) regulations is desirable;
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills and relevant computer software skills with proficiency in Excel and other data management systems.

Interested candidates are invited to send via email, their letter of application and CV with contact details of three referees to jobs@aphrc.org no later than September 10, 2019.  Please indicate ‘Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Specialist on the subject line of the email. Cover letters should be addressed to:

The Human Resources Officer

African Population and Health Research Center, Inc

APHRC Campus, Manga Close, off Kirawa Road, Kitisuru

P.O. Box 10787-GPO, Nairobi

Website: www.aphrc.org

Only short-listed candidates will be notified. APHRC is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to the protection of children.