Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Director At Heifer International

Heifer International is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identify, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability.

Description

Heifer Project International is seeking qualified applicants for the following positions for an anticipated USAID-funded 5-year Feed the Future Nigeria Livestock Development Activity in Nigeria. The Activity will potentially explore practical, cost effective, and multi-stakeholder adaptation solutions to improve livelihoods of poor and vulnerable communities in target states through; i) Improved agricultural productivity, livelihood and agroecosystem resilience through climate-smart practices; ii) Improved ecological and environmental services and functions, including enhanced climate-resilient water and other resource management and supply systems in vulnerable agropastoral communities; iii) Strengthened institutional capacity to reduce risks associated with climate-induced socio-economic losses and livelihood failures in the target states; and iv) Improved and productive livestock systems to improve food security and nutrition by (potentially) improving consumption of animal source/protein foods, providing income generation opportunities, and fostering mutual relationships among targeted households and communities. These positions are contingent upon funding and donor approval.

Function

The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Director will oversee and implement the programs’ Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) approach, MEL plan, and learning agenda. S/he will manage the learning agenda, design and implementation of the MEL system, and the gathering and analysing of, and reporting on data.

RESPONSIBILITIES DELIVERABLES

1. Oversee the program’s CLA process in collaboration with the Chief of Party; ensure that the program’s CLA approach is applied with consistency and rigor; work with leadership team to apply program learnings in pursuit of adaptive management.
2. Develop annual performance plans, annual MEL plans and implement a monitoring, evaluation, and learning plan across all activity components including identification of process, output, and outcome indicators.
3. Develop monitoring activities that capture necessary data to report on program results.
4. Work with partners to ensure application of high-quality MEL activities and data collection; oversee partner capacity building as needed.
5. Ensure monitoring activities are conducted on schedule and participate in evaluations.
6. Communicate information obtained through M&E activities to IREX staff and various external stakeholders, notably donors and partners.
7. Be a primary MEL resource to the field office and field personnel; liaise regularly with Heifer’s MEL team in Africa regional office and HQs in the US.
8. Ensure data collection process is functioning in all activity locations to provide quality data within deadlines.
9. Regularly review data collection processes, perform data quality assessments, and adjust as needed.
10. Conduct regular visits to program sites to provide technical assistance and ensure proper monitoring of program activities.
11. Produce M&E reports for the Chief of Party and donors, as needed.
12. Performs other duties and responsibilities as required.

Minimum Requirements

1. Master’s degree or higher in Monitoring and Evaluation, Project Management, Agriculture, Statistics, Economics, or Business Administration.
2. A minimum of eight (8) years of demonstrated experience in managing performance monitoring plans, evaluation, collaboration, learning, and adapting (CLA) approach (preferably with knowledge of USAID’s CLA approach), and an understanding of agriculture production, market systems and livelihood programming in Nigeria.
3. At least 8 years of practical experience in using monitoring, evaluation and learning activities to inform activity implementation and results.
4. Proven success in designing, implementing, and operating program M&E systems from program initiation to closeout stages required.
5. Knowledge of the major evaluation methodologies (e.g., qualitative, quantitative, mixed method, and impact) and data collection and analysis methodologies.
6. Experience in strategic planning and performance measurement, including indicator selection, target setting, reporting, database management, and developing M&E and performance monitoring plans.
7. Familiarity with innovative MEL methods to ensure data collection in areas with minimal connectivity and with participants with minimal literacy skills.
8. Experience in designing, managing, and implementing multi-disciplinary and results-based surveys, and developing and refining data collection tools.