Position: Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Action (MELA) Officer
Ref:IITA-HR-NRS2019-0014
Recruitment Type: National (1-year renewable contract)
Closing Date: 17th May 2019
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture on behalf of HarvestPlus seeks suitable Nigerian for the position below at its country office in Ibadan.
DUTIES
Successful candidate will among other things perform the following duties:
• Contribute to setting the overall programme direction by prioritising and organising actions and resources to achieve set objectives, in close coordination with the Country Manager
• Contribute to the development of annual business plans, strategic work-plans for the country programme
• Provide support functions in monitoring adherence to contractual agreement, HarvestPlus policies and procedures and relevant external rules and regulations
• Provide support functions in ensuring programme activities align with donor and HarvestPlus standard policies and procedures
• Support the finance teams to ensure proper financial management, procurement, administration, human resources and logistics for programme activities
• Provide support functions in coordinating information sharing with contractual and collaborating partners, and other implementers
• Represent HarvestPlus when required at meetings – government, donors, national and international workshops and other relevant events
M&E System Design and Calibration
• Design and implement a gender sensitive and results based MELA system and strategy
• Develop and regularly review country programme’s Theory of Change (ToC) to ensure alignment with programme delivery strategy and changing realities
• Develop country specific MELA system instruments including MELA operational manual, MELA plan, monitoring survey protocol, data quality assessment guidelines, reporting templates, technical data collection tools
• Work with programme specialists and unit Heads to align M&E with programme objectives, develop monitoring tools and integrate M&E in work plans and across all programme components
• Develop guidance materials that clearly indicate staff responsible for specific M&E products, orienting programme staff to their M&E roles and responsibilities as necessary
• Coordinate the design, development and operationalisation of the country programme databases and mobile data collection applications
Programme Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning
• Coordinate the implementation of M&E activities across programme life cycle and ensure minimum standards are adhered to
• Conduct baseline studies to establish baseline values for selected indicators
• Coordinate the design and implementation of outcome monitoring sample surveys
• Facilitate the execution of impact assessments and evaluations; oversee the scope of work, deliverables and overall quality of work of other external led operational research and studies
• Coordinate data collection activities across the various functions and implementing partners, analyse and share results within the country programme to increase learning and for global reporting
• Organize M&E technical meetings to ensure regular programme planning across consortium partners, review progress, and document lessons/address challenges encountered
• Undertake regular field visits to all project sites to support implementation of M&E and to identify where adaptations might be needed
• Document processes and achievements to ensure best practices are captured and disseminated; this will contribute to continual re-evaluation of programme activities and information, with resulting activity adjustments in keeping with new insights
• Adapt and implement global M&E data quality guidelines to ensure that data generated in-country meets the required data quality criteria
• Ensure programme data and analysis is used for learning by facilitating progress review and lesson learning reflection platforms with programme partners
Management Information Systems and Reporting
• Advance the use of innovative ICT tools to simplify data collection and transmission to HARVESTAT and global programme database;
• Create a programme beneficiary tracking database, allowing for monitoring of stakeholders;
• Prepare consolidated progress and periodic reports to meet management and donor reporting requirements in accordance with approved reporting formats and timelines;
• Document achievements/impact of innovative programme components, produce written reports on activities, capturing the impacts of activities;
• Work with team members to generate practical information that can be used for ongoing analysis and decision-making while also capturing results at the impact level.
Capacity and Team Building
• Strengthen staff and partners capacity in the use of data collection and office/work tools through comprehensive and continuous training and coaching;
• Provide on-going guidance to team members and partners in the implementation and review of their reports and statistics
• Adapt and implement global M&E capacity building strategy at country staff and implementing partner level
• Promote a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence;
• Support the recruitment, orientation, professional development and ongoing training of staff to ensure the successful implementation of activities;
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Country Manager.
QUALIFICATION: Master’s degree in agricultural economics, economics, statistics or social sciences with minimum of 4 years working experience in monitoring and evaluation.
COMPETENCIES: The ideal candidate must have:
• The ability to manage multiple priorities/tasks effectively;
• Good knowledge of monitoring and evaluation systems development
• The ability to work with little or no supervision under pressure in agricultural working environment;
• Good interpersonal and communication skills;
• Have strong computer skills;
REMUNERATION
We offer highly competitive salary with equally attractive benefits and excellent working conditions in a pleasant campus environment.
METHOD OF APPLICATION
Interested applicants should complete the online application attaching detailed cover letter and curriculum vitae saved with their names in Microsoft word format to IITA website: http://www.iita.org/about/jobs/ no later than Two Weeks from the date of this publication. The application must include the names and e-mail addresses of three professional referees which must include the applicant’s current or previous direct Supervisor, professional colleague and evidence of current remuneration package.
IITA is an equal opportunity employer and particularly welcomes applications from female candidates.
