Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL)/Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) Director / Directeur/Directrice du Suivi, Évaluation et Apprentis At DAI Global

SCOPE OF WORK

USAID HARENA Activity

Position Title: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL)/Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) Director

Period of Performance: 2024 – 2029 (End of project)

Place of Performance:  Antananarivo, Madagascar

BACKGROUND

The five-year (2024-2029) USAID Madagascar HARENA Activity will use a multisectoral systems approach to reduce threats to biodiversity and forests, improve conservation, and build resilience to climate change; develop sustainable, economic opportunities for the poor; and improve environmental governance. Working across local economic and social systems, the Activity will address the root causes of poverty and food insecurity that drive communities in Madagascar to rely on areas of high biodiversity for their basic needs. To do so, the Activity will work through three key areas of interventions: 1) natural resource and protected area (PA) management, and biodiversity and forest conservation (nature); 2) improved, climate-resilient livelihoods and private sector engagement for enhanced human wellbeing and socioeconomic outcomes (wealth); and 3) natural resource/PA governance (power). Focused in three geographic zones with high biodiversity value and high land-based climate change mitigation potential, HARENA will implement five strategic approaches to achieve key results:

• Strategic Approach 1: Improve sustainable management of natural resources with a focus on biodiversity, land, forests, and protected areas (PA);
• Strategic Approach 2: Promote sustainable and climate-resilient, market-led diversified agriculture-based livelihoods, including complementary natural resource products (such as tree crops) to improve livelihoods and ecosystems services;
• Strategic Approach 3: Improve national, regional, and local-level governance, advocacy, and anti-corruption efforts around natural resource, land, and water management;
• Strategic Approach 4: Increase local resilience to prepare for and adapt to climate change and other shocks; and
• Strategic Approach 5: Strengthen land use management through spatial planning at the communal level and secure land rights through the effective implementation of the land tenure policy.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The MEL/CLA Director is responsible for the design and implementation of the project’s monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan and data collection system to measure overall project performance against established goals and objectives. S/he manages all aspects of the monitoring and reporting system, including development of the Activity indicators and data sources. This position oversees preparation of regular project reports and deliverables for USAID, highlights best practices and approaches for all project counterparts, and promotes collaboration and effective knowledge exchange among local partners and external stakeholders. S/he ensures that the Activity produces and disseminates high quality knowledge, tools, and lessons learned through routine monitoring and evaluation and the implementation experience.

The MEL/CLA Director analyzes information to ensure that project leadership has timely data on program progress to help decision making and performance improvement, in addition to tracking delivery against program targets. S/he uses existing evidence and identifies solutions to promote data-based decision making among program and technical staff.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Planning and Implementation:

• Design, revise, and implement MEL plan.
• Develop indicators, baselines, and targets to inform results-based annual work plans and provide useful data for reporting, communications, and organizational learning.
• Establish and coordinate effective mechanisms of monitoring and evaluation of HARENA implementation, including developing/adapting data collection tools.
• Oversee implementation of project indicators and tracking, measurement, and recording of targeted results.
• Oversee data quality assessment and address challenges in data and information management.
• Design/adapt project performance monitoring database and oversee timely collection, verification, and updating of data; monitor data accuracy, entry, and cleaning.
• Oversee development of data visualizations and reports, integrating a range of formats for use in planning and reporting.
• Lead the M&E team to ensure the MEL system accurately captures project and donor needs.

Knowledge Management and Capacity Building:

• Identify and analyze lessons learned from evaluations and studies.
• Provide training and capacity building on MEL/CLA methods, tools and best practices to HARENA staff, local partners, grantees, and other stakeholders. Support them to integrate and institutionalize CLA and adaptive management best practices.
• Support design and implementation of innovative approaches and solutions to data gathering and monitoring.
• Coordinate with grants team to support grant awards’ implementation and assessment in terms of appropriate M&E data collection and assessment of grant awards’ impact.
• Ensure coordination between MEL & CLA, communications, and technical teams to produce data for activity updates, newsletters, success stories, and performance reports.
• Ensure mainstreaming of gender equality in all aspects of M&E and reporting, and that required gender and youth related data are tracked, recorded, and reported properly.

Staff Supervision:

• Train, supervise, and mentor M&E staff.
• Provide overall guidance and manage all the M&E related efforts, communicating and coordinating as needed with DAI home office staff.
• Establish and maintain a culture of collaboration, learning, and adaptive management.

Communications:

• Foster ongoing positive cooperation with the stakeholders and HARENA staff.
• Coordinate dissemination of key lessons learned and knowledge and learning products through diverse communication channels.

Reporting:

• Coordinate and contribute to preparation of HARENA quarterly and annual reports.
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting of progress and results to project stakeholders.
• Serve as the point of contact for all official communication dealing with M&E management.

REPORTING:

The MEL/CLA Director will report to the Chief of Party, with additional oversight provided by the Deputy Chief of Party.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in monitoring and evaluation, statistics, research methods, or related field.
• At least 10 years of professional experience in M&E.
• Professional knowledge of MEL/CLA processes and procedures.
• Experience managing staff and leading MEL/CLA activities, related departments, or project components.
• Ability to solve complex M&E challenges, evaluate options, and advise strategic decision-making based on existing evidence, data trends, lessons learned, and other relevant information.
• Excellent communications and personnel management skills and ability to relate to people at all levels of an organization.
• Well organized and self-directed with strong technical skills, analytical ability, good judgement, and operational focus.
• Professional-level oral and written fluency in English, French and Malagasy is required.

ABOUT DAI

DAI is a global development company with corporate offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, EU, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Palestine and project operations worldwide. We tackle fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability. DAI works on the frontlines of global development. Transforming ideas into action—action into impact. We are committed to shaping a more livable world.

DAI and its employees are committed to confronting racism and holding ourselves accountable for positive change within the company and in the communities, cultures, and countries in which we live and work. DAI is committed to attracting and retaining the best employees from all races and backgrounds in our continued effort to become a better development partner.

DAI upholds the highest ethical standards. We are committed to the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment as well as other ethical breaches. All of our positions are therefore subject to stringent vetting and reference checks.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

USAID WEALTH

Job title:  Director of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) / Collaboration, Learning and Adaptation (CLA)

Execution period:  2024 – 2029 (End of project)

Place of Performance:  Antananarivo, Madagascar

CONTEXT

USAID’s five-year (2024-2029) HARENA Madagascar project will use a systemic, multi-sectoral approach to reduce threats to biodiversity and forests, improve conservation, and build resilience to climate change; develop sustainable economic opportunities for the poor; and improve environmental governance. By working across local economic and social systems, the Activity will address the root causes of poverty and food insecurity that drive communities in Madagascar to rely on areas of high biodiversity for their basic needs. To do this, the Activity will act through three key areas of intervention: 1) management of natural resources and protected areas (PA), conservation of biodiversity and forests (nature); 2) improved, climate-resilient livelihoods and private sector engagement to improve human well-being and socio-economic (wealth) outcomes; and 3) governance of natural resources and protected areas (power). Targeted in three geographic areas with high biodiversity value and high potential for terrestrial climate change mitigation, HARENA will implement five strategic approaches to achieve key results:

• Strategic Approach 1: Improve sustainable management of natural resources with a focus on biodiversity, land, forests and protected areas (PA);
• Strategic Approach 2: Promote sustainable and climate-resilient diversified agriculture-based livelihoods, including complementary natural resource products (such as tree crops) to improve livelihoods and ecosystem services;
• Strategic Approach 3: Improve governance, advocacy and anti-corruption efforts at national, regional and local levels around the management of natural resources, land and water;
• Strategic Approach 4: Increase local resilience to prepare for and adapt to climate change and other shocks; And
• Strategic Approach 5: Strengthen land use management through spatial planning at the communal level and secure land rights through effective implementation of land tenure policy.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Director of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning / Collaboration, Learning and Adaptation (acronym MEL/CLA in English) is responsible for the design and implementation of the project’s monitoring and evaluation plan and the data collection system to measure the overall performance of the project in relation to established objectives. He/She manages all aspects of the monitoring and reporting system, including the development of Activity indicators and data sources. This position oversees the preparation of regular project reports and deliverables for USAID, highlights best practices and approaches for all project partners, and promotes collaboration and effective knowledge exchange among local partners and external stakeholders. He/She ensures that the Activity produces and disseminates high quality knowledge, tools, and lessons learned through routine monitoring and evaluation and implementation experience.

The MEL/CLA Director analyzes information to ensure that project management has timely data on program progress to assist in decision making and performance improvement, in addition to tracking delivery against to program targets. He/She uses existing evidence and identifies solutions to promote data-driven decision-making among program and technical staff.

MAIN TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Planning and Implementation:

• Design, review and implement the MEL plan.
• Develop indicators, baselines and targets to inform annual results-based work plans and provide useful data for reporting, communications and organizational learning.
• Establish and coordinate effective mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of HARENA, including the development/adaptation of data collection tools.
• Oversee the implementation of project indicators and the monitoring, measurement and recording of targeted results.
• Oversee data quality assessment and address challenges in data and information management.
• Design/adapt the project performance monitoring database and supervise the collection, verification and updating of data on time; monitor data accuracy, entry and cleaning.
• Oversee the development of data visualizations and reports, incorporating a range of formats for use in planning and reporting.

Knowledge Management and Capacity Building:

• Identify and analyze lessons learned from evaluations and studies.
• Provide training and capacity building on MEL/CLA methods, tools and best practices to HARENA staff, local partners, grant recipients and other stakeholders. Support them to integrate and institutionalize best practices in CLA and adaptive management.
• Support the design and implementation of innovative approaches and solutions for data collection and monitoring.
• Coordinate with the grants team to support grant implementation and evaluation in terms of collecting appropriate M&E data and assessing grant impact.
• Coordinate between MEL & CLA, communications and technical teams to produce data for activity updates, newsletters, success stories and performance reports.
• Ensure the integration of gender equality in all aspects of monitoring and evaluation and reporting, and that required gender and youth data are tracked, recorded and properly reported.

Staff Supervision:

• Train, supervise and supervise monitoring and evaluation staff.
• Provide overall direction and manage all M&E related efforts, communicating and coordinating as needed with DAI Headquarters staff.
• Establish and maintain a culture of collaboration, learning and adaptive management.

Communications :

• Foster positive cooperation with HARENA stakeholders and staff.
• Coordinate the dissemination of lessons learned and knowledge and learning products through various means of communication.

Report :

• Coordinate and contribute to the preparation of HARENA’s quarterly and annual reports.
• Ensure accurate and timely reporting of progress and results to project stakeholders.
• Serve as point of contact for all official communications regarding M&E management.

REPORT :

The MEL/CLA Director will be under the direction of the Chief of Party with the additional supervision of the Deputy Chief of Party.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in monitoring and evaluation, statistics, research methods or similar field.
• At least 10 years of professional experience in M&E.
• Professional knowledge of MEL/CLA processes and procedures.
• Experience managing staff and leading MEL/CLA activities, MEL components of the project, or associated departments.
• Ability to resolve complex M&E challenges, evaluate options and advise strategic decision-making based on existing evidence, data trends, lessons learned and other relevant information.
• Excellent communication and people management skills and ability to get along with people at all levels of an organization.
• Well organized and self-starter with strong technical skills, analytical ability, good judgment and operational focus.
• Professional fluency in oral and written English, French and Malagasy is required.

ABOUT DAI:

DAI is a global development company with corporate offices in the US, UK, EU, Nigeria, Pakistan and Palestine and project operations worldwide. We address fundamental problems of social and economic development caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance and instability. DAI works on the front lines of global development. Turning ideas into action—action into impact. We are committed to shaping a more livable world.

DAI and its employees are committed to confronting racism and holding ourselves accountable for positive change within the company and in the communities, cultures and countries in which we live and work. DAI is committed to attracting and retaining the best employees of all races and backgrounds in our continued effort to become a better development partner.

DAI adheres to the highest ethical standards. We are committed to preventing sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment and other ethical violations. All our positions are therefore subject to rigorous checks and references.