Monitoring & Evaluation long-term consultant At Women’s Global Education Project

Women’s Global Education Project
Monitoring & Evaluation Long-term Consultancy

Organizational Background
Women’s Global Education Project (WGEP) addresses the educational needs of rural and marginalized girls in West and East Africa. Since 2003, through the Sisters to School program, WGEP has been providing access to quality education, developing training programs that empower women and girls in rural Senegal and Kenya to build better lives and foster equitable and sustainable communities. WGEP uses a comprehensive multi-sectoral approach, working with local partners and community leaders to help girls access education, and to assist teachers, families, and community members in promoting and supporting girls’ education.

WGEP’s flagship program, Sisters to School, accomplishes the following goals: 1) helps girls enroll in school through providing primary school scholarships; 2) helps girls stay in school though providing secondary school scholarships, mentoring, and after school tutoring; 3) promotes community awareness around the importance of girls’ education in rural villages; and 4) strengthens the capacity of local partner organizations so that they can successfully implement girls’ education programs and serve as effective leaders in their communities.

WGEP operates programs in rural regions of Senegal and Kenya, where less than 20% of girls complete secondary school. Many factors contribute to girls’ non- attendance and high drop-out rates including: lack of resources and school fees, systemic favoritism toward boys, concern for girls’ safety, dependence on girl labor within the home, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), early marriage, and undervaluing the importance of education. WGEP’s holistic strategy works on multiple levels to address the numerous obstacles to girls’ enrollment as well as to strengthen the family and broader communities’ ability to promote and support the needs of girls’ using a grassroots engagement approach. Program interventions include scholarships, health education workshops, mentoring, tutoring, psychosocial counselling, parent workshops, adult literacy classes, and community engagement meetings.

WGEP implements two other programs that also build on the success of its flagship program, continuing its partnership with local leaders to promote literacy, through the Our Sisters Read program, and girls’ leadership through the Sisters Lead program. Community engagement and partnership with local leaders is a central facet of all WGEP programs and contributes to success by ensuring that programs are driven by the needs of the local communities where they operate and involve local leaders and key stakeholders. WGEP extends its multi-sectoral approach to these additional programs working with local partners to develop interventions that address the needs of the communities and engaging with community members to ensure program success.

Position Description
WGEP is seeking an M&E expert to assist in developing and refining monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) tools and systems to monitor the efficacy of interventions used in all three of its programs across Senegal and Kenya, including identification of best practices in data collection, analysis of existing data and identification, and closure of gaps in existing program data.

In addition, the M&E expert will conduct an impact evaluation of WGEP’s programs assessing the efficacy of activities and interventions implemented over the years in achieving program goals, and create a learning plan in order to be more effective. Responsibilities include:

M&E System Design:
• Review and assess existing monitoring approach, identify gaps, improvements, and adaptations required to promote more rigorous and impact-oriented monitoring system
• Design monitoring tools and/or modify existing tools, pilot, and validate quantitative and qualitative monitoring measures as well as corresponding data collection procedures
• Review and modify the theory of change, including indicators, for our overall program as well as for individual country programs
• Develop procedures for collecting, storing, and reporting indicators, establishing baselines, measuring changes in status, attributing results to project activities, and assessing overall impact of project
• Design, introduce, and advance collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA) practices to facilitate regular reviews of evidence to inform programs
M&E System Implementation and Support:
• Supervise and coordinate the implementation and application of monitoring tools to track program performance in line with program goals
• Offer technical support and build capacity of project staff in the implementation of monitoring responsibilities to ensure correct and timely collection of quality monitoring data
• Train local staff and build technical capacity in M&E systems

Data Management:
• Develop system for analysis of real-time program data collected on regular basis
• Lead and conduct analysis of quantitative and qualitative data on program inputs, outputs, and outcomes
• Review and verify M&E findings and follow-up on implementation of the recommendations
• Ensure compliance with international standards by developing and implementing quality assurance mechanisms, data quality audits, and documenting lessons learned and best practices according to USAID guidelines

Impact Evaluation / Study:
• Design, pilot and validate quantitative and qualitative evaluation tools to measure program efficacy and impact
• Lead impact study including administration and implementation
• Design data analysis in line with the program and conduct impact data analysis on program outcomes
• Produce, elaborate and design impact report based on impact evaluation results
• Identify gaps, lessons learned, and suggest improvements to achieve greater impact

Deliverables

• Impact evaluation
• M&E system designed for all Kenya and Senegal programs
• M&E manual*
  Qualifications*
  Education:
  • Master’s degree in international development, social science, economics, statistics, or related discipline.
  Prior Work Experience:
  • Minimum of seven years of professional experience in a monitoring and/or evaluation role within an international development organization
  • Experience in Education/Girls Education sector
  • Work experience in rural Kenya and/or Senegal is desirable
  • Experience working and conducting M&E amongst rural communities
  • Experience conducting M&E for USAID-funding projects
  • Experience working with diverse teams across different cultural backgrounds
  • Proven management experience within the field of M&E
  Skills and abilities:
  • Significant experience in designing tools and strategies for data collection, analysis, and production of reports
  • In-depth knowledge of quantitative and qualitative monitoring methodologies and proven ability to design monitoring tools
  • Significant experience in design and implementation of M&E capacity building activities
  • Advanced skills in data analysis presentation and report writing
  • Proficient computer literacy, specifically Excel and Word and in the development of MIS software using database software, Statistical Software (SPSS, STATA), or NVivo
  • Excellent analytical skills combined with a proactive, energetic approach to problem solving
  • Good organization, planning, and problem-solving skills
  • Proven people and project management skills and experience working cross-culturally
  • Self-motivated, flexible, and proactive
  • Analytical skills, including ability to identify key points from complex material or information
  • Ability to work remotely, and willingness to travel to Kenya and Senegal as needed
  • Knowledge of SurveyCTO (or similar data collection software) would be helpful
  Languages:
  • Fluent oral, spoken, and written English is required
  • Knowledge of French is highly desirable