Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Coordinator 51 views0 applications

Farm Africa, founded in 1985, is an international non-governmental organization working in Ethiopia since 1988. We drive agricultural and environmental change to improve lives. Our strategy has three pillars: agricultural expertise, management and preservation of ecosystems, and the power of business to drive prosperity. We believe Africa has the power to feed itself and are helping make this happen by establishing and spreading the best farming and forestry techniques so that poor farmers and herders have more food to feed their families and to sell. We help smallholders manage their natural resources sustainably so that they can withstand climate change challenges and shocks and ensure their families have enough food in the future as well as now. Farm Africa works in partnership with communities, government, local and international organizations, and the private sector to innovate, learn and share best practices for maximum impact of our projects

BACKGROUND

Farm Africa is implementing a large number of projects/programmes in the areas of agriculture (crop and livestock), natural resources management and market engagement across Ethiopia. We are increasingly designing and implementing complex and integrated multi-sector projects, some by ourselves and others in partnership with like-minded organizations in the form of consortium.

Currently, Farm Africa is implementing SIDA funded programme in partnership with SOS Sahel Ethiopia, International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Population, Health & Environment Ethiopia Consortium (PHE EC) and Sustainable Environment and Development Action (SEDA, MELCA and TechnoServe) in the Central Rift Valley (CRV) and Majang Forest Biosphere of Ethiopia. The programme is implemented in different woredas of Oromiya, SNNP and Gambella Regional States.

The G4F II programme will test and demonstrate interventions in an integrated multi-sectorial landscape approach, to show how improved management of the environment will provide multiple socio-economic and ecological benefits in a way this ensures resilient and sustainable development. As the project follows an integrated and multi-sectorial landscape approach it focuses on Community-based NRM, agriculture, food security/livelihood, market development; water resources management, irrigation and landscape management; Social, economic and environmental programmes, behaviour change and policy influencing as well as environmental conservation, improved agriculture, women’s empowerment, agricultural value chains and disaster risk management.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Coordinator is a technical post, responsible for ensuring consistent and high quality data collection, analysis, utilisation and reporting of results for the G4F II Programme. The post holder will ensure that G4F II Programme that consists of CRV and Majang components develop and implement appropriate MEL plans, based on robust logical frameworks, and adhering to Farm Africa’s core standards and approaches. The role will also take on responsibilities at a Country Office level, for ensuring that projects across the Ethiopian project portfolio comply with Farm Africa’s minimum MEL standards, and building the capacity of staff across the portfolio in MEL.

Within the G4F II programme, the MEL coordinator will work with the Programme Manager and Project Coordinators, to ensure management decision making is evidence based. The MEL coordinator will work with the Project Officers and Community Development Staff to ensure a clear understanding of the programme’s MEL framework at the field level, with all methods and tools clearly understood and communicated. The post holder will develop appropriate tools, systems and training to support SIDA G4F II field teams to collect, understand and use robust evidence of project results as a vital input to management decision making.  This post holder will provide technical as well as capacity building support to partner organisations to ensure use of relevant FA’s standard data collection tools; provide critical analysis and technical input to project evaluation processes, ensuring Farm Africa can maximise the learning potential of all studies and evaluations undertaken within the project.

The role also acts as an interface between the SIDA G4F II programme and Farm Africa’s Country Office on issues relating to results measurement and reporting, working closely with the Programme Manager to ensure continual improvement of organisational systems and processes.

KEY TASKS AND RESPONISBILITES

Key roles and responsibilities are:

Planning

• Coordinate and facilitate the development and use of appropriate MEL systems and tools to track programme progresses and provide technical guidance and leadership to the programme PM and POs in implementing them.
• Take responsibility for ensuring MEL systems are fully compliant with the donor and Farm Africa’s reporting requirements and ensure project teams are familiar with these.
• Work with field teams, PM and PCs to ensure project indicators and targets are SMART, and the methods for collection and analysis are clearly understood and will fulfil information needs and reporting requirements at all levels.
• Take responsibility for ensuring the SIDA G4F II programme’s MEL systems are fully compliant with the donor and Farm Africa’s requirements for reporting results. Ensure project teams are familiar with these.
• Support the PC in developing an integrated work plan, inclusive of all MEL activities scheduled at an appropriate time to ensure achievement of the highest quality data collection, in order to help facilitate the implementation of the CRV and Majang components with shared responsibilities and joint efforts
• Liaise with the PC and consortium members to adequately budget for, and utilise resources to undertake MEL activities as part of the annual work plan and budget review process
• Identify learning questions and plan for data collection to inform them. During implementation and reporting: document and disseminate learnings.
• Provide a review function and technical backstopping across the project portfolio to ensure logframes and monitoring and learning plans are developed with SMART indicators and are executed as planned.

Implementation

• Coordinate and implement baseline surveys, review and evaluation activities of G4F II programme.
• Provide technical backstopping to Ethiopian projects support them to develop their MEL tools and deliver on Monitoring and Learning Plans
• Provide technical backstopping for baselines, evaluations, household surveys, and other data collection activities within the project portfolio.
• Build capacity of field staff and local partner staff on data collection, management, analysis and results-based monitoring principles and ensure understanding of Farm Africa’s core standards and approaches.
• Conduct analysis of project data on a regular basis to support the timely utilisation of data for effective project delivery and decision making.
• Work to ensure project team are able to disaggregate data by gender and age, where appropriate, by devising and disseminating simple data collection methods.
• Provide a ‘quality assurance’ function to ensure that data reported by project components within the programme is relevant, accurate and verifiable.
• Ensure the project’s log-frame and data collection plans are regularly reviewed and refreshed, and the project is collecting the breadth of indicators required at a frequency and timing in line with reporting purposes.
• Support the PC to ensure that the project is keeping to its MEL plan. This involves organising and conducting MEL activities regularly and on time. Activities will include a mix of qualitative and quantitative approaches, including, but not limited to: Household surveys, KIIs, FGDs, community feedback sessions, SME records’ reviews, etc.
• Lead on appropriate cleaning, storage, analysis and reporting of all data.
• Identify learning questions, ensure appropriate data is collected, analyse data accordingly, and to document and disseminate learnings
• Ensure data reported by the two components of the programme is relevant as per the standards and requirements and is used for programme management and decision making.
• Provide technical and capacity building support to programme implementing partners; and ensure that partners meet their data collection, analysis and reporting obligations
• Participate in the project quarterly review meetings and biannual Project Performance review (PPR) workshops;

Reporting

• Ensure regular and sufficient communication with the Programme Manager to coordinate and cascade any learning that will enhance MEL activities at the Country Office and programme level.
• Work with the MEL officers to develop tools and methods for capturing and documenting lessons learned from the programme’s implementation, and ensure that they are shared with the communities, partners and across the organisation.
• Work with HQ MEL team Quality Advisor to ensure that all of Farm Africa Ethiopian projects meet Farm Africa’s minimum MEL standards
• Work with the HQ MEL team and Senior Programme managers to deliver the biannual Project Performance Reviews
• Ensure that the quarterly reports produced by the projects have case studies, success stories and lessons learnt so that there is continuous information that will feed into the overall learning process.
• Collate monthly, quarterly and annual reports from all consortium partners – ensuring required quality, and report to the PM with specified deadlines.
• Prepare progress quarterly reports, outlining progress, issues and actions being taken in the standard format to the PM.
• Prepare and submit MEL updates to the programme at any time as deemed necessary
• Together with the PM participate in quarterly project progress review sessions with the Steering Committee (including Country Director) including: output plan, and a forward look on whether the project is achieving against its objectives.
• Support the PM in ensuring reports are informed by the relevant data

These essential functions are not to be interpreted as a complete statement of all duties performed. Employees will be required to perform other job related duties as required. All work responsibilities are subject to having performance goals and/or targets established.

DURATION & HOURS: Three years with probation period of 45 days

Job Requirements

PERSONAL SPECIFICATIONS

Education, Qualifications & other knowledge

Essential

• /MA in numerate discipline (e.g. statistics, economics, applied social sciences)
• Training in applied econometrics/statistical analysis and research methods
• Demonstrable understanding of quantitative and qualitative data collection methods and best practice

Desirable

• Demonstrable knowledge of broader trends in the international donor landscape, relating to monitoring and evaluation, and results – based monitoring
• Knowledge of NRM, value chain development and climate smart agricultural practices

Experience

Essential

• A minimum of 5 years proven experience delivering monitoring, evaluation and learning aspects of programmes/projects.
• Demonstrable experience in conducting quantitative and qualitative field research and analysis of large, multi-purpose projects.
• Demonstrable understanding and practical experience of monitoring, evaluation and learning concepts including the application of the log frame approach

Desirable

• Demonstrable experience in knowledge management
• Previous NGO work experience in rural development context
• Proven experience in training and capacity building in MEL practices

Skills & Abilities

• Demonstrable experience in knowledge management
• Previous NGO work experience in rural development context
• Proven experience in training and capacity building in MEL practices
• Highly numerate, confident in analysing data to extract findings, lessons and recommendations, and to further develop monitoring and evaluation systems
• Excellent writing skills with significant experience of delivering analytically sound technical documents and briefings to a wide range of audiences
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, responsive and informative in communication to both Ethiopian and UK staff.
• Firm belief in team work and gender equality
• Ability to provide challenge and critique others in a constructive and open manner
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Amharic
• Highly organised, methodological, and thorough approach with attention to detail
• Strong computer literacy skills (MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint, analysis software)

Desirable

• Strong partner relationship management
• Using evidence for impact communication

Our VALUES

Investing in smallholder farming is the number one way to combat poverty in rural Africa. Farm Africa is a leading NGO specialising in growing agriculture, protecting the environment and developing businesses in rural Africa.

EXPERT. Deep expertise and insightful evidence-based solutions are at the heart of everything Farm Africa does.

GROUNDED. Positive change starts with Africa’s people, so our experts work closely with local communities, engaging them in every level of decision-making.

IMPACTFUL. We take a long-term view so we can deliver lasting changes for farmers and their families.

BOLD. We model innovative new approaches and are not afraid to challenge strategies that are failing.

How to Apply

Those who meet the above requirements should submit their short CV (maximum of 3 pages) and a cover letter (maximum 1 page) addressing [email protected] with the subject MEL Coordinator for G4F II Programme by March 21, 2019.

Documents cannot be returned and due to large number of applications, only short listed candidates will be contacted. Applications are especially welcomed from female applicants.