Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Manager at Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO)

VSO is the world's leading independent international development organisation that works through volunteers to fight poverty in developing countries. Our highimpact approach brings people together to share skills, build capabilities, promote international understanding and action to change lives and make the world a fairer place.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Manager

Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Job Type: Full Time, 36 hours per week
Report Direct report to: Head of Programs

Job Purpose

• The MEL Manager will provide programme research, monitoring, and evaluation support to the country office team. 
• He/she will take the lead in designing and implementing research and evaluation strategies, improving programme monitoring systems and processes, monitoring programme performance, and building monitoring and evaluation capacity of the programme team.

Responsibilities
Research:

• Build on identified opportunities to lead the design and implementation of research in accordance with VSO’s vision and approach to development, VSO strategic direction, and in recognition of the distinctive contribution of volunteering.
• Lead on identifying research partnerships and possible collaboration with the academia, research institutes, the private sector and potential consortia with other NGOs.
• Ensure that the Country Offices and partners have a timely and accurate measurement of change in conditions in the countries or regions, including monitoring of socio-economic trends and the countries’ wider policy, economic or institutional contexts, to facilitate planning and to draw conclusions about the impact of programmes or policies. 

Programme Performance Monitoring:

• Lead on the development, improvement, and delivery of the country office MEL strategy, systems, and operational plans, in accordance with VSO’s MEL global standards and the People First Programme Framework. Provide technical inputs in programme design (program area review, annual country review and country strategy development, program regeneration, etc.).
• Develop and harmonize VSO’s MEL related tools and processes with those of donor requirements on specific projects. Working closely with programme team, develop results framework for specific projects.
• Coordinate with programme team members to ensure that data collection and analysis from field visits are standardized across programmes to feed into programme performance monitoring.
• Lead to conducting data quality assurance and verification process to ensure that accurate and verifiable reporting data or results are captured.
• Working closely with the programme teams, design and implement MEL reviews such as baseline/midline/project end and other surveys and impact based case studies. Support program teams to effectively monitor and report progress. Coordinate with programme team members to complete the quarterly data collection and analysis of programme data and projects’ statistics.
• Support thematic monitoring, evaluation, and periodic reporting and provide technical advice on the design and delivery of internal reviews and externally commissioned evaluation studies.
• Drawing on monitoring and analysis of key programme performance and management indicators, provide professional input to management reports, including relevant sections of the annual reports.
• Assist in preparations for donor monitoring visits.
• Support the compilation of internal and external reports and program documentation as necessary.

Evaluation:

• Lead in designing suitable evaluation strategies and methods for the country offices, when relevant drawing on the know-how of knowledge institutions, in compliance with the VSO’s evaluation policies. 
• Monitor and ensure the quality of the field work and data management during the implementation phase, and the quality of the analysis and ease of understanding during the report writing phase. 
• Disseminate evaluation findings and recommendations to the intended audiences in user-friendly methods.  In particular, support programmes to ensure that effective participatory feedback is provided to community and civil society stakeholders.
• Monitor and ensure that a management response to the findings and recommendations of the evaluation is completed, recorded, and followed up with implementation.

MEL Capacity Building:

• Promote the awareness and understanding of the shared responsibility of MEL function among all staff members and volunteers through communication, training, learning and development activities. 
• Collaborate to implement capacity building strategies as a joint commitment with other developmental partners. Utilize a range of appropriate skills building strategies including self-learning, seminars and workshops and practical experience in order that VSO volunteers and partners staffs have the basic knowledge and skills in understanding and applying new MEL policies, tools, methods to fulfill their responsibilities. 
• Actively seek partnerships with knowledge institutions for the identification of capacity gaps and development of strategies to address them. Coordination and Networking  
• In partnership with Global MER team, ensure that current and accurate MEL data and results are included in regional and global reports, multi-country studies, and knowledge sharing networks.
• Undertake lessons-learned reviews on successful and unsuccessful MEL practices and experience at the national level, and ensure they are shared as appropriate.  Similarly, pay attention to MEL knowledge networks to identify innovations and lessons learned that may be relevant for the country offices and partners to improve their MEL function.
  

Key Performance Indicators

• Improvement in quantity and quality of thematic research studies for programme planning and implementation. 
• Research partnerships are identified and collaboration agreements reached 
• Increase in the dissemination and uptake of VSO generated knowledge products. 
• Appropriate and rigorous use of research tools and methodologies. 
• MEL strategy, systems, and operational plan are in place, maintained and updated as necessary. 
• MEL Tools and templates are developed, harmonized and maintained on a regular basis. 
• Baseline framework and review reports are developed to track progress. 
• Information use and storage protocols are in place. 
• Programme staffs are supported and trained to integrate new MEL tools and processes in their work. 
• Adequate high-quality data is generated and updated for programme review and future planning.
• Programme progress is effectively and efficiently monitored and evaluated. 
• High quality and timely reports are submitted. 
• Research-base and data-driven programme evaluation.  
• Satisfactory feedback and outcomes of donor visits and external evaluations.  
• Program knowledge is efficiently stored and documented.
  

Competencies

• Working together - Adds Value Proactively enables and encourages teamwork in others
• Communicating and Influencing - Adds Value Proactively builds constructive relationships through clear communication and generates effective discussion and mutual support for plans and ideas. 
• Managing Knowledge - Adds Value Proactively seeks out new knowledge sources (people and data); uses and shares knowledge effectively; shares learning identified through research, MEL activities and suggests programmatic improvements based on generated evidence. 
• Striving For Excellence - Aware Wants to learn and improve; responds to feedback and strives to meet objectives set by others
• Managing Resources - Aware Spends VSO’s money responsibly; organizes own work to meet objectives on time and is aware of team workloads
• Developing People - Aware Gives constructive feedback that helps others identify and meet development needs.
• Leading for the future - Aware Is enthusiastic about VSO’s work, lives VSO’s values and is open to new ideas.
• Thinking Strategically - Aware Understands the context of own role; considers the impact of own work on that of others.
• Delivering results - Adds Value Analyses objectives, considers options, plans and manages appropriately; holds self and team accountable for achieving goals.
  

Skills and Knowledge
Essential:

• Bachelor Degree in social sciences and or social research;
• Good experience or Knowledge of  monitoring, evaluation and/or research using participatory practices and either/both quantitative and qualitative methodologies; 
• Good Knowledge of developing and implementing MEL systems and frameworks in an NGO environment.
• Sound understanding of formative/summative design; impact evaluation design and implementation
• Strong computer skills and data management  
• Skilled in handling data and the ability to analyze and synthesize data and evidence from different sources
• Experience of reporting to donors in the development sector
• Experience of use of communications materials to influence others.

Desirable:

• Work experience with INGOs and/or UN agencies
• Being up-to-date on the current international debate around development effectiveness and research and evaluation methodologies.
• Experience of developing a communications strategy and ensuring buy-in from other staff
• Experience of using online communications methods (e.g. social media) for work purposes
• Monitoring and Evaluation - Experience of supporting monitoring and evaluation activities and writing reports - desirable 
• Relationship Building - Ability to work effectively with team members and community members.
• Good organization and planning skills.
• Commitment to VSO’s work and values.

Application Closing Date
9th January, 2018.

Interview/Assessment Date(s)
January, 2018

Start Date
February, 2018.

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

Click here for more Information (PDF)