SENIOR APPRAISAL, MONITORING AND EVALUATION OFFICER (SAMEO) – Re-advertisement At ACTED

Position: Senior AME Officer (In-charge of Database)**

Department:** AME_UNIT

Direct hierarchy: AME Manager**

Location: Hargeisa

Starting date: June 2022

I. Background on ACTED

ACTED is a French humanitarian NGO, founded in 1993, which supports vulnerable populations, affected by humanitarian crises worldwide. ACTED provides continued support to vulnerable communities by ensuring the sustainability of post-crisis interventions and engaging long-term challenges facing our target populations, in order to break the poverty cycle, foster development and reduce vulnerability to disasters. Their interventions seek to cover the multiple aspects of humanitarian and development crises through a multidisciplinary approach which is both global and local, and adapted to each context. Their 3,300 staff is committed in to responding to emergencies worldwide, to supporting recovery and rehabilitation, towards sustainable development.

ACTED is looking for professionally confident, self-motivated, experienced and committed team player to fill the Senior Appraisal Monitoring Evaluation (AME) Officer position based in Hargeisa with occasional travels to the field.

II. Position Profile

The Senior AME Officer is responsible for designing and developing appropriate and viable database systems that are in line with ACTED’s global AME procedures, and ensuring that these systems perform as planned.

III. Duties and Responsibilities

1. Establish and implement the database management system

1.1. Database Strategy

a) Develop and implement appropriate data collection methodologies and tools, analysis plans, reporting outlines, and data/information dissemination/utilization plans;

b) Ensure that proposal budgets capture appropriate cost and financial information to enable implementation of both internal and external database system components;

c) Establish and maintain data standards, best practices and adherence to these standards as required

d) Identify and design innovative practices to improve organizational efficiency and effectiveness in database management and incorporate them in the country AME strategy;

1.2. Database Systems Development and Implementation

a) Create, upgrade and maintain the country’s central and project-specific databases, ensuring continual development and strengthening of the system;

b) Create user-friendly data entry interfaces ensuring that they correspond to department needs and their information gathering system;

c) Ensure accurate and consistent data entry and that databases are up to date;

d) Maintain and further develop the structure or format of the databases as required, incorporating ideas and amendments from relevant staff and partners;

e) Provide additional updates and data analysis as required;

f) Evaluate need for and recommend system upgrades;

g) Coordinate and test modifications to the system;

h) Oversee day-to-day integrity of database and database procedures, which may include: conducting weekly and monthly audits of data to confirm use of accurate entry processes; identifying and eliminating duplicate records; and maintaining users security settings;

i) Compare and verify accuracy of data with source documents (quarterly reports, performance monitoring matrix, MCAs and OCAs, site visit reports, joint reviews etc.) for consistency

j) Train the relevant staff on the use of the databases; for example, train PDD on how to enter and use data on ACTED’s 16 global standard indicators;

k) Develop and implement proper backup, restore, data validation, and security procedures to ensure data integrity and availability;

l) Provide database technical support to ACTED teams, and troubleshoot both hardware and software issues.

2. AME Support

a) Oversee and manage the development of AME data collection methodologies and tools for all departmental activities

b) Ensure alignment of the tools developed with programmatic objectives for outputs and outcomes defined by key contractual indicators of donors

c) Take the lead in digitalizing AME tools including HH surveys, KII questionnaires, etc.

d) Oversee and manage the sampling methodologies for different departmental activities and reduce deviation during the data collection

e) Support the project team in the registration of beneficiaries through the supervision of the database team that clean the registration data by identifying duplicates for retargeting and correcting inconsistencies

f) Lead the beneficiary verifications to ensure targeted beneficiaries fit project’s set beneficiary selection criteria

g) Manage the analysis of data collected from field assessments and distributions, including identifying trends in the data, and ensure the production of reports in various formats including graphs, charts, etc., as required;

h) Ensure the verification of the accuracy of the data collected during assessments;

i) Supervise the cleaning of the data collected during assessments and flag any issues to the relevant departments;

j) Ensure adherence of the database team with the standard operating procedures for data cleaning and data analysis (developing new procedures and updating existing ones) to uphold data quality assurance.

k) Extract queries, figures, and reports from the database;

l) Support the improvements of the data collection tools and processes and pilot new ideas with assessment teams in the field.

3. Efficient Sharing and Usage of Information **

a) Continually gather information from the field in order to monitor the humanitarian situation, track trends, and provide basic forecasts to ACTED project teams;

b) Ensure effective and efficient information production, sharing and usage among all target groups and end-users;

c) Ensure an effective roll-out of database management systems to all staff and partners through training, site visits, manuals, and other technical support as needed. Ensure systems are well understood and properly implemented by staff and partners;

d) Develop and implement strategies to increase data use and demand amongst relevant staff and other data/information users;

e) Facilitate trainings for non AME staff (e.g. PMs, PDs, TCs) on the use of project databases and database related reporting; for example, reporting on ACTED’s 16 global strategic program indicators;

f) Provide capacity building on effective use of database products and systems.

4. Team Management and Training

a) Ensure that staff under their direct responsibility understand and are able to perform their roles and responsibilities;

b) Manage Database Officers and Assistants delineating their responsibilities and follow-up the work plans and day-to-day activities;

c) Provide capacity building on effective use of database products and systems, such as specific trainings on mobile data collection tools and methods;

d) Ensure a positive working environment and good team dynamics;

e) Manage interpersonal conflicts among team members;

f) Undertake regular appraisals of relevant staff;

g) Identify the AME training needs of team members and discuss plans with the AME Manager for both internal and external trainings;

h) Coach, train, and mentor Database Officers and Assistants with the aim of strengthening their technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the AME team;**

Other

a) Provide regular and timely updates on progress and challenges to supervisors and other team members;

b) Participate in AME-related conferences and workshops when possible, and stay up to date with best practices and new knowledge created in the field of AME;

c) Perform any other related activities as assigned by immediate supervisor

5 Qualifications/Skills and Experience Required

1. A masters /Bachelor’s Degree in Statistics, Economics or closely related to field
2. Strong statistical analysis and IT skills, including use of Databases, SPSS, Stata, and Excel for data analysis.
3. Knowledge in designing and deployment of mobile-based data collection tools (ODK) is an added advantage.
4. Proficient understanding of Monitoring and Evaluation, including the ability to work effectively with tight timelines, high quality standards, and demanding, potentially overlapping priorities.
5. Experience of social research methods to conduct monitoring and evaluation for humanitarian and development initiatives/interventions.
6. At least 4 years of work experience in a similar field; experience with humanitarian organizations is an asset.
7. Good English communications skills (both oral and written).
8. Strong team player of high integrity, pleasant personality, ability to work under least supervision and meet strict deadlines
9. High level of integrity, transparency and honesty.
10. Fluency in Somali language