Regional Research and Learning Officer 262 views1 applications

About SIHA

The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) is a coalition of civil society organizations from Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia and Somaliland. SIHA was founded in 1995 by a collection of women’s groups with the view of strengthening the capacities of women organizations in the Horn of Africa countries. SIHA advocates for social change and gender equality for men and women in the Horn region and works specifically on: gender equality, women rights activism, women economic empowerment, eliminating violence against women and girls, promoting human rights, peace building and conflict transformation, enhancing women’s leadership and political participation and the production and dissemination of knowledge. More information about SIHA is available at www.sihanet.org.

Our Values:

Equality, Solidarity, Ethical, Diligence, Transparency, Humility, Resilience, Critical-thinking, disciplined, Courageous, Integral, Empathy, Collectiveness, determination, Rationality, Diversity, Innovation, Democracy, learning, Self-critical

Job Summary

The Regional Research and Learning Officer (RRLO) will be responsible for the design, coordination and implementation of the monitoring and evaluation, research, and learning framework of the organization and individual projects. In collaboration with program staff, he/she will develop a systematic monitoring framework to improve the qualitative and quantitative evidence gathered by program staff across the region at the project and program level. He/she will also provide technical assistance to the project staff, particularly in relation to monitoring, reporting and governance issues.

Main Tasks and Responsibilities

In collaboration with SIHA staff and under the supervision of the Regional Program Manager:

· Develop the overall monitoring and learning frameworks and plans for each SIHA project including the development of specific monitoring tools and formats;

· Review SIHA’s M&E framework and develop the data base and relevant tools to monitor progress against targets;

· Develop a plan for project-related capacity-building on M&E and for any computer-based support that may be required;

· Support the capacity enhancement of SIHA staff in order to implement monitoring and learning plans through the development of training modules and webinars that can be shared across the region;

· Where applicable, develop or revise project log frames, including performance indicators and the development of tools for their measurement;

· Organize and undertake training with collaborating partners on M&E as required;

· As needed, design and implement monitoring or evaluations of project activities and report on progress;

· Provide regular reports at the organizational and project levels as required.

Implementation of M&E and coordination:

· Collect data on a regular basis to measure achievement against the performance indicators.

· Check data quality.

· Maintain and administer the M&E database; analyse and aggregate findings.

· Support project progress reporting, project mid-term review and final evaluation.

· Identify areas where technical support to project partners is required. Organize refresher training on M&E for partners as required.

· Identify lessons learned and develop case studies to capture qualitative outputs of the project. Provide advice to the supervisor on improving project performance using M&E findings.

Communication:

· Produce reports on M&E findings and prepare presentations based on M&E data as required.

· Provide the Project Manager with management information she/he may require.

· Check that monitoring data are discussed in appropriate forum and in a timely fashion in terms of implications for future action. If necessary, create such discussions to fill any gap.

· Perform other duties as may be assigned by the Programme team and the Regional Director

Profile

The candidate for this position must have a degree in a relevant subject area and practical experience in monitoring and evaluation. S/he should have strong knowledge and understanding of the Horn of Africa, specifically, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, Kenya and Ethiopia. A commitment to women’s rights and the principles of gender equality and interest in social movements is essential, with proven track-record on right-based programming being a precondition for shortlisting. SIHA will be interested in individual applicants with commitment to indigenous civil society organizations and their essential role in promoting the improvement of conditions for women and girls across the Horn of Africa.

Other Requirements

Education: Advanced Level university Masters degree in statistics, demographics, public policy, international development, economics, or related field. Advanced certificate in Monitoring and Evaluation, statistics, project planning and management or economics is preferred.
Experience:

• Minimum of three (3) years of professional experience in an M&E position responsible for implementing M&E activities of international development projects.
• Experience in designing, implementing, and operating project M&E systems from project initiation to closeout stages.
• Experience in designing and managing beneficiary monitoring and database systems.
• Experience in strategic planning and performance measurement, including indicator selection, target setting, reporting, database management, and developing M&E and performance monitoring plans.
• Knowledge of the major evaluation methodologies (e.g. qualitative, quantitative, mixed-method, and impact) and data collection and analysis methodologies.
• Experience in developing and refining data collection tools.
• Experience with data quality assessments and oversight.
• Experience in managing and providing training to partners and target beneficiaries.
• Ability to facilitate and serve as project liaison for externally-managed evaluations.

Languages: Excellent written and spoken command of English.

Competencies:

• Good knowledge of programme implementation, monitoring and evaluation techniques and practices.
• Familiarity with impact assessment
• Good knowledge and experience regarding gender mainstreaming.
• Good moderation, facilitation and training skills.
• Demonstrated ability to liaise and negotiate with stake holders and partners.
• Ability to perform a variety of conceptual analyses required for the formulation, administration and evaluation of projects.
• Excellent analytical skills.
• Ability to work in a team and good interpersonal skills.
• Good computer applications skills.
• Good organizational skills.
• Ability to deal with people with tact and diplomacy.
• Ability to build on relevant knowledge within and outside the SIHA as well as actively share her/his experience and expertise with colleagues and partners.
• Ability to work independently with a minimum of supervision.
• Ability to work under time pressure and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work in diversified environments.

NB: SIHA is committed to offer a fair remuneration based on qualifications and experience. Qualified females are encouraged to apply.