Senior Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Specialist At ME&A, Inc.

Summary:

The Senior MEL Specialist will be a member of the core advisory team. S/he will work with the Chief of Party, CLA Advisor and MEL Specialists (local staff) to provide MEL technical advice and support services as described in the Activity SoW. The Senior MEL Specialist will work closely with the Chief of Party to promote coordination, collaboration, continuous learning, and adaptive management across all Mission development objectives, projects, and implementing partner (IP) activities. The Senior MEL Specialist will be responsible for mentoring and coaching locally hired MEL Specialists to assume progressively greater responsibilities during contract performance.

Responsibilities:

• The Senior MEL Specialist is responsible for all MEL technical advice and support services to successfully complete activity objectives.
• The Senior MEL Specialist will support the COP to promote coordination, collaboration, continuous learning, and adaptive management across all Mission development objectives, projects, and implementing partner (IP) activities.
• The Senior MEL Specialist will provide mentoring and coaching to locally hired MEL Specialists that will progressively assume greater responsibilities.
• Throughout the process, the Senior MEL Specialist will demonstrate cultural sensitivity, particularly when interacting with a range of stakeholders.
• The Senior MEL Specialist is responsible for reviewing all relevant documentation, producing a collaborative work plan, planning and oversight of data collection efforts, and ensuring the timeliness and quality of deliverables.
• Work with Mission staff to define scopes of work for research and evaluation assignments, including defining a concise set of appropriate research questions.
• Develop initial study and evaluation plans, including identifying the type and number of short-term experts required to staff them.
• Recruit, interview, and onboard short-term experts for study and evaluation teams
• Oversee the development of detailed research and evaluation plans, including the creation of data collection instruments.
• Contribute to the process of hiring external data collection/survey firms if necessary, such as by developing scopes of work and reviewing bids.
• Supervise research/evaluation teams during fieldwork, data analysis, and report writing.
• Review draft reports, provide comments, and ensure final reports are of the highest quality.
• Build the capacity of sub-awardees and contractors to collect and use MEL data.
• Develop USAID’s capacity to utilize MEL data in program design and their decision-making process.
• In collaboration with the COP and CLA Specialist, assume a leadership role in identifying critical knowledge gaps and needs related to key strategic risks and assumptions.
• The Senior MEL Specialist reports directly to the COP.

Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in a relevant field of study such as in development evaluation, economics, statistics, demography, international development or other social science fields. At least five years of progressive professional experience with USAID’s program cycle. OR
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field of study such in development evaluation, economics, statistics, demography, international development, or other social science fields. At least seven years of progressive professional experience with USAID’s program cycle.
• Experience designing and managing evaluations.
• Proven ability to gather and analyze data and to prepare concise and well-written reports/presentations for different audiences – technical, management, and other stakeholders.
• Experience in designing systems for cleaning, analyzing, reporting, and archiving data to facilitate evidence-based organizational learning.
• Experience with data visualization tools, techniques, and methods preferred.
• Proficiency in statistical analysis and good knowledge of at least one statistical package (e.g., SPSS, R, Stata, SAS) preferred.

All applications and CVs must be submitted in English.

ME&A, Inc. is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. ME&A will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. For our EEO Policy Statement and a copy of our EEO Policy Statement and information on your EEO rights under the law.

ME&A is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all applicants