Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Officer 390 views1 applications

Project Name:                     USAID TB South Africa Project
Type:                                    Regular/Full Time
Salary:                                 Commensurate with required experience and qualifications
Reports to:                          Manager: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

Project Overview:

The USAID TB South Africa Project is five-year contract which builds upon interventions and achievements from URC’s current USAID TB CARE II South Africa and the prior TB Program South Africa. TB CARE II activities supported the South Africa National Department of Health’s (NDOH) TB prevention and control efforts, working closely with national and provincial partners to close identified gap areas and further develop sustainable systems that can carry forward long-term improvements in TB and drug-resistant (DR) TB diagnosis, care, and treatment services.

TB South Africa Project will help the government of South Africa further reduce TB infections, with the ultimate goal of ending TB once and for all. To reach this goal, TBSAP will continue to improve the long-term sustainability of effective TB response systems and improve TB care and treatment for vulnerable populations.

Job Summary

The Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Officer will support the project team unit in all data collection, analysis, and learning activities to help ensure accountability and efficiency from start to finish for all project interventions.  S/he will provide technical field support to the MEL team at national, provincial level and district level.  The MEL Officer will work closely with Project teams to assess field conditions for implementation of the TB project, support capacity building initiatives, and facilitate the collection of quality data under the supervision of the MEL Team Lead.  S/he may be assigned to focus on supporting one or more specific project innovations within the main USAID TB South Africa project as assigned by the MEL Team Lead. Key responsibilities include:

Minimum Key Roles and Responsibilities:

Project Management Support

• Support all MEL initiatives including monitoring data quality, tracking the progress of activities, and contributing to staff capacity building initiatives as necessary;
• Manage data collection, analysis and reporting on all performance indicators;
• Collect data on a regular basis to measure achievement against the project performance indicators and targets;
• Oversee the development and implementation of beneficiary tracking and database management systems to collect, process, and manage all project data;
• Check and organize data quality audits with partners;
• Maintain and administer the MEL databases; analyze and aggregate findings;
• Identify areas where technical support to project partners is required;
• Provide advice to the project team on improving project performance using M&E findings;
• Lead the project’s electronic and mobile Health platforms (mHealth and eHealth);
• Organize logistics of software and hardware for the project’s mHealth initiatives;
• Train organizations involved in mHealth;
• Manage the mHealth dashboard including internal and external dissemination of dashboard;
• Lead the geo-mapping exercises and provide hotspot maps/reports in formats that will support project planning.

System Development

• Assist in the update and revisions of the project MEL framework, particularly in the areas of project performance indicators and their measurement;
• Assist in the development and/or finalization of the project Work Plan and keep it updated in accordance with project activities, targets and timeframes as relevant with key updates sent regularly to the project management team;
• Review and regularly report the quality of existing data in the project supported provinces and districts, the methods of collecting it, and the degree to which it provides quality data for planning, management and evaluation;
• Review and ensure availability of yearly baseline data for each project component;
• With collaborating partners, review their existing approaches and management information systems and agree on any required changes, support and resources;
• Develop a plan for project-related capacity-building on MEL and for any computer-based support
• Facilitate M&E trainings in the districts;
• Provide leadership, guidance on rollout of innovative and mHealth technologies to improve TB management;
• Support the MEL team in defining and implementing the key project performance indicators (KPI) as well as monitoring them throughout the duration of the project;
• Support project staff on ways to properly document, organize and capture program progress;
• Draft tools and their revisions as well as data collection procedures (e.g. logical framework, project performance tracking, indicators, data flow chart, MEL manuals);
• Support in reviewing the performance of existing management information systems to help identify potential modifications or resources.

 Data Management and Analysis

• Keep abreast of developments in project changes and progress to advise and recommend tools and strategies to increase project performances and results;
• Suggest ways to facilitate data collection and flow within Project teams;
• Identify strengths and weaknesses in existing data collection and management systems and propose solutions along with the MEL Team Lead;
• Perform regular field visits to ensure the quality and accuracy of data collected;
• Analyze changes and patterns in KPI indicator data and performance reports;
• Ensure that donor, partner, and management data queries are addressed in an accurate and timely manner.

Communication and Reporting

• Track and analyze project indicators and other useful statistics and prepare high-quality and timely reports using appropriate formats and leads writing of quarterly technical reports;
• Produce reports on M&E findings and prepare presentations based on MEL data as required;
• Ensure monitoring data are discussed in appropriate forum and in a timely fashion;
• Review and analyze weekly and monthly reports with the MEL Team Lead to identify the causes of potential bottlenecks in project implementation and to enhance quality of reporting.

Reports

• Provide monthly and quarterly status reports to the supervisor;
• Provide activity-based reports a per the project guidelines to the supervisor.

Minimum Educational Qualifications, Skills and Experience required:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Biostatistics, Information Management, Project Management, or other relevant academic background (essential);
• Master’s Degree in a related field is an added advantage;
• At least 5 years of MEL experience within a related and reputable organization;
• Capacity to produce high-quality briefs and reports in English;
• Demonstrable experience working with any of the following software Stata, SPSS, Epi Info and Excel;
• Experience working with National Tuberculosis Electronic Reporting systems among others: The TB, HIV Integrated System (THIS); (TIER.Net); ETR.Net, WebDR; District Health Information System (DHIS);
• Demonstrated ability to train and build capacity of others;
• Strong interpersonal skills;
• Must be a very well-organized individual;
• Good Computer skills in Excel, Power Point and MS Word;
• Excellent English language, written and oral skills;
• South African national or Permanent Residence is preferred;
• A valid driver’s license and ability to travel locally.

To Apply:        

Suitable and interested candidates should send CV/Résumé, Cover Letter “quoting the position name on the email subject line and completed USAID Form 1420 Contractor Employee Biographical Data Sheet (link: https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/AID1420-17.doc) to [email protected].

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. If you do not hear from us within 3 months, kindly accept that your application was unsuccessful.

URC is an E-Verify Employer.

URC is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We value and seek diversity in our workforce.