Director of Monitoring and Evaluation at Pathfinder International

Pathfinder International is a global leader in sexual and reproductive health. We place reproductive health care at the center of all that we do-believing that it is not only a fundamental human right, but is critical for expanding life opportunities for women, families, communities, and nations, and paving the way for transformations in environmental stewardship, decreases in population pressures, and innovations in poverty reduction. Pathfinder provides women, men, and adolescents with a range of quality health services - from contraception and maternal care to HIV prevention and AIDS care and treatment. Pathfinder strives to strengthen access to family planning, advocate for sound reproductive health policies, and, through all of our work, improve the rights and lives of the people we serve.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Director of Monitoring and Evaluation

Job Ref 2015-23
Location: Nigeria
Job Type: Full-time

Program Overview

• Pathfinder seeks a Director of Monitoring & Evaluation for the anticipated RMNCH project in Nigeria.
• The purpose of the project is to increase access to and uptake of high quality Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (RMNCH) services in Nigeria.
• This project will contribute to state-level reduction in under-five and maternal mortality, and to increased capacity of health systems (public and private) to sustainably support access to primary health care.
• The project will work closely with and support state governments, while strengthening their capacity in developing a robust plan for the health sector annually and provide support for its implementation.

Position Purpose

• The Director of Monitoring & Evaluation will provide leadership and oversight of the design and implementation of the Project's M&E plan and data collection system to measure the overall project performance against established goals and objectives.
• S/he develops a cost-effective, results-oriented monitoring system to provide USAID with the necessary information to assess the progress, effectiveness and impact of activities.
• The Director of Monitoring & Evaluation coordinates the preparation of reports for USAID and develops policy and standard procedures for evaluation guidelines.
• S/he ensures the timely collection and processing of data for making program decisions and for identifying and solving problems with RH/FP services.
• Additionally, the Director of Monitoring & Evaluation strengthens and builds institutional and individual capacity in M&E and operations research.
• S/he supervises all M&E related staff.

Key Responsibilities

• Works closely with USAID to develop and implement program and state-level performance monitoring plans, including identification of project outputs, performance indicators, and targets as well as establishing a baseline; designs and implements data-collection and performance reporting systems; provides field-based technical assistance and monitoring of M&E systems; and reporting.
• Consults with USAID and other stakeholders to establish a transparent, reliable, and valid M&E system that can easily be tracked and verified.
• Ensures that the M&E system is a cost-effective, results-orientated system that provides USAID and the program with necessary information to assess the progress, effectiveness, and outcome of activities.
• Collaborates with partners to develop individual and M&E work and training plans as appropriate.
• Develops/adapts tools for data collection; designs and implements surveys and other data collection tasks.
• Designs/adapts project performance monitoring database to report national and global indicator and performance indicator data quarterly to project managers, COP, and Pathfinder headquarters.
• Ensures that the findings of service-oriented, strategic analysis and research (e.g., cost studies, client-segmentation studies, unmet need studies, client-satisfaction studies) are used to inform program strategies and to refine performance monitoring plans and planning frameworks.
• Ensures that the performance monitoring plans and strategic implementation frameworks are complementary and consistent.
• Maintains effective working relationships with all government agencies, donors, and international partners.
• Oversees implementation of the project’s baseline and end-of-project surveys.
• Documents project achievements against targets using monitoring data and works with project staff to document the factors behind gaps and over achievements.
• Institutes regular use of performance monitoring data among project managers, Country Offices, and other relevant Pathfinder staff.
• Identifies best practices and state-of-the art approaches to the program activities and evaluates them.
• Plans for and selects qualified consultants and critically assesses consultant reports and other deliverables.
• Disseminates information on project evaluations through written reports, conference presentations, and publications, and assists project staff to do likewise.
• Uses data to systematically and consistently document achievements, success stories, and best practices.
• Supervises M&E team members to:
• Manage production of data to meet all reporting requirements including quarterly and annual reports, research, technical reports, presentations, etc.
• Ensure that all data are up to date and ready for immediate use.
• Review quarterly reports prior to submission to donors and headquarters.
• Assist project technical staff with preparation of reports as appropriate.
• Builds capacity of Pathfinder staff, especially project staff, on the use of data for decision making and performance improvement.
• Conducts field-based monitoring, technical assistance and training to program teams and partner organizations as necessary.
• Provides overall guidance and manages all the M&E related efforts, communicating and coordinating as needed with headquarters M&E and other staff.
• Carries out other duties and special assignments, as required.

Basic Requirements

• Masters-level Degree in Demography, Statistics, Public Health, Social Sciences or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years' experience in successfully managing and implementing the monitoring and evaluation of developing country health programs, including; developing reports and data analyses, as well as overseeing data collection at various levels to ensure accuracy and clarity of data interpretations and definitions.
• Strong background in field research in health programming.
• Experience in qualitative and quantitative methods and analysis.
• Experience designing and conducting operational research studies.
• Experience managing analysis, synthesis, documentation and dissemination of lessons for a range of stakeholders.
• Experience leading a project team in M&E activity design and implementation.
• Proven ability to manage, motivate and mentor staff at all levels and create a positive team environment.
• Thorough knowledge of family planning and reproductive health issues related to effective M&E including solid knowledge of key indicators related to FP service delivery programming, contraceptive security, and advocacy/policy.
• Comprehensive knowledge of the health context and structural issues in Nigeria including socioeconomic, institutional and policy issues that are related to essential services in population, health, and nutrition.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with various constituencies including headquarters, donor agencies, international and local partners, host country government agencies, and other stakeholders.
• Strong problem-solving skills, capacity to analyze Project Management Plan data, evaluate progress, and recommend necessary recourse for maximizing program progress and impact.
• Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of USAID reporting requirements.
• Experienced user of software packages, including ACCESS, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and at least one statistical software package (SPSS, STATA, SAS or similar).
• Experience working with complex programs involving short deadlines, multiple tasks, in coordination with multiple partners, to achieve expected results.
• Strong presentation skills including the ability to present and undertake high-level policy dialogue with USAID and other key stakeholders.
• Excellent diplomatic, interpersonal and communication skills.
• Fluency in English required.
• Ability to travel throughout Nigeria; occasional travel to the US Headquarters may also be necessary.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note: This is a five year position contingent upon project award and funding.