Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a not-for-profit institution that generates agricultural innovations to meet Africa’s most pressing challenges of hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and natural resource degradation. Working with various partners across sub-Saharan Africa, we improve livelihoods, enhance food and nutrition security, increase employment, and preserve natural resource integrity. IITA is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Monitoring and Evaluation Officer

Ref: IITA-HR-NRS2021-0022
Location: Ibadan, Oyo
Recruitment Type: National (1-year renewable contract)

Duties
Successful candidate will among other things perform the following duties:

Programme Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning:

• Coordinate the implementation of M&E activities across programme life cycle and ensure minimum standards are adhered to.
• Conduct baseline studies to establish baseline values for selected indicators.
• Coordinate the design and implementation of outcome monitoring sample surveys.
• Facilitate the execution of impact assessments and evaluations; oversee the scope of work, deliverables, and overall quality of work of other external led operational research and studies.
• Coordinate data collection activities across the various functions and implementing partners, analyse and share results within the country programme to increase learning and for global reporting.
• Organize M&E technical meetings to ensure regular programme planning across consortium partners, review progress, and document lessons/address challenges encountered.
• Undertake regular field visits to all project sites to support implementation of M&E and to identify where adaptations might be needed.
• Document processes and achievements to ensure best practices are captured and disseminated; this will contribute to continual reevaluation of programme activities and information, with resulting activity adjustments in keeping with new insights 2.
• Adapt and implement global M&E data quality guidelines to ensure that data generated in-country meets the required data quality criteria.
• Ensure programme data and analysis is used for learning by facilitating progress review and lesson learning reflection platforms with programme partners.

M&E System Design and Calibration:

• Design and implement a gender sensitive and results based MELA system and strategy.
• Develop and regularly review country programme’s Theory of Change (ToC) to ensure alignment with programme delivery strategy and changing realities.
• Develop country specific MELA system instruments including MELA operational manual, MELA plan, monitoring survey protocol, data quality assessment guidelines, reporting templates, technical data collection tools.
• Work with programme specialists and unit Heads to align M&E with programme objectives, develop monitoring tools and integrate M&E in work plans and across all programme components.
• Develop guidance materials that clearly indicate staff responsible for specific M&E products, orienting programme staff to their M&E roles and responsibilities as necessary.
• Coordinate the design, development and operationalisation of the country programme databases and mobile data collection applications.

Management Information Systems and Reporting:

• Advance the use of innovative ICT tools to simplify data collection and transmission to country and global programme database.
• Prepare consolidated progress and periodic reports to meet management and donor reporting requirements in accordance with approved reporting formats and timelines.
• Document achievements/impact of innovative programme components, produce written reports on activities, capturing the impacts of activities; Work with team members to generate practical information and analysis for use in decision-making while also capturing results at the impact level.
• Contribute to setting the overall programme direction by prioritizing and organizing actions and resources to achieve set objectives, in close coordination with the Country Manager.
• Contribute to the development of annual business plans and strategic work-plans for the country programme.
• Provide support functions in monitoring adherence to contractual agreement, HarvestPlus policies and procedures and relevant external rules and regulations.
• Provide support functions in ensuring programme activities align with donor and HarvestPlus standard policies and procedures.
• Participate in meetings - government, donors, national and international workshops and other relevant events.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Country Manager.

Qualifications

• Masters in Agricultural Economics, Economics, Statistics, Social Science, or related field with minimum of four (4) years’ experience performing monitoring and evaluation in a well-structured environment or donor funded organization.

Competencies
The ideal candidate must:

• Technical expertise in managing and developing M&E systems; theoretical and practical background in M&E.
• Knowledge of biofortification value chains, programming, and results chains.
• Experience in the use of mobile data collection platforms including CSPro and CAPI tools. Excellent quantitative skills, including advanced proficiency in the use of Microsoft
• Excel, and at least one statistical data analysis software.
• Ability to effectively convey programme goals, enlist partnerships, and work with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
• High degree of motivation, initiative, independence, reliability, adaptability, and professional maturity.
• Highly developed conceptual, analytical, and innovative problem-solving ability.
• Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to mentor colleagues.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Working experience with DFID, BMGF and USAID funded programmes.

Remuneration

• We offer highly competitive salary with equally attractive benefits and excellent working conditions in a pleasant campus environment.

Application Closing Date
30th September, 2021.