Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Advisor at Helen Keller International / USAID Advancing Nutrition Project

Helen Keller International is a global health organization dedicated to eliminating preventable vision loss, malnutrition and diseases of poverty.Cofounded by Helen Keller – and guided by her fierce optimism and belief in human potential - the organization delivers life-changing health solutions to vulnerable families where the need is great but access to care is limited.In the US, Africa, and Asia, Helen Keller’s proven, science-based programs empower people to create opportunities in their own lives and build lasting change.

The USAID Advancing Nutrition implements and provides technical support to nutrition interventions across sectors and disciplines for USAID and its partners. The project’s multi-sectoral approach draws together global nutrition experience to design, implement and evaluate programs that address the root causes of malnutrition. Committed to using a systems approach, USAID Advancing Nutrition strives to sustain positive outcomes by building local capacity, supporting behavior change and strengthening the enabling environment to save lives, improve health, build resilience, increase economic productivity and advance development. The overall purpose of the project in Nigeria is to provide technical support to the Government of Nigeria, and other nutrition stakeholders and generate evidence to enhance nutrition programming toward achieving the overall goal of improving nutrition for a healthy, productive, and resilient Nigeria.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Advisor

Location: Abuja (FCT)

Background

• We are seeking a Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Advisor who will be the focal point for M&E activities, including operational research (OR) for the USAID Advancing Nutrition Project.
• S/He will have overall responsibility for M&E including establishment of an M&E strategy and framework for monitoring performance of the IDIQ and all Task Orders (TOs), development of an M&E plan that specifies baselines, output, outcome and impact indicators, annual targets, data sources, and major assumptions for TOs.
• The UAN project will strengthen systems, programs, and platforms; applying evidence and innovation; and bringing multi-sectoral actors together to build country-level commitment and capacity to scale up what works.
• This project will also strengthen the enabling environment for innovation, commitment, capacity strengthening, coordination, collaboration, and support for multi-sectoral nutrition policies and programs among government, donors, civil society and private sector stakeholders in Nigeria.
• The overall purpose is to provide technical support to the Government of Nigeria, and other nutrition stakeholders and generate evidence to enhance nutrition programming toward achieving the overall goal of improving nutrition for a healthy, productive, and resilient Nigeria.
• The project will provide technical assistance, and in some cases will undertake direct implementation at the community and/or state level, to enhance nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive programming to improve diets, nutritional status, and resilience of vulnerable populations, especially women, adolescents, and children aged 0-59 months.

Specific responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and management for overall monitoring and evaluation functions of the UAN. These tasks include, among others:
  • Develop and implement M&E technical strategy for the IDIQ for the project specifying baselines, outputs, outcome and impact indicators, annual targets, data sources, and major assumptions.
  • Develop detailed annual work plans for the project
  • Develop and implement a project work plan performance monitoring framework/plan that ensures that project activities align with required deliverables and project targets.
• Establish a system and tools for collecting, analyzing and reporting on IDIQ and Task Order performance; and take the lead for timely and complete reporting by all project staff, consortium partners, and grantee partners.
• Tailor the data to each core audience’s needs and organize internal data review meetings to ensure data is used to improve project performance, and flag underperformance or issues with the Nutrition/Food Systems Advisor and the Chief of Party
• Provide TA in adapting M&E tools and techniques to improve the quality of data generated and reported.
• Provide TA to government and other partners in the areas of data quality, data analysis and visualization
• Compile lessons learned from project implementation and make strategic technical inputs at technical meetings and TWGs to support adoption of M&E best practices.
• Lead the design and conducting of project studies and research
• Coordinate the preparation of all IDIQ and Task Orders quarterly progress reports, annual project reports, inception reports, ad-hoc technical reports, and success stories for submission to USAID.
• Recruit, supervise and appraise project M&E staff at the state levels, and strengthen their technical and managerial capacity through hands-on training, mentoring and coaching.

Qualifications and Experience

• A Master's Degree in Social Science, Epidemiology, Statistics or other relevant field and at least 10 years of relevant work experience in monitoring and evaluation of donor-funded public health programs or equivalent combination of skills and experience; Excellent understanding of M&E and systems strengthening in Nigeria; Experience with USAID systems is an asset.
• Successful experience designing and implementing M&E programs, including developing logical framework, M&E strategies and approaches.
• Experience establishing data quality assurance systems, proven analytical skills and ability to design data collection instruments, and analyze and interpret data. Evidence of successful implementation of quantitative, qualitative and participatory research methods.
• Knowledge of and experience in training and developing local capacities on M&E.
• Prior experience in design and implementation of a project learning agenda.
• Demonstrated experience with software applications related to project planning and monitoring.
• Experience working on complex projects.
• Experience integrating gender in M&E plans.
• Demonstrated strategic agility, diplomacy, conflict management, team building, and negotiation skills; experience leading teams and ability to make timely effective decisions.
• Willingness to travel within project areas as needed.
• Must possess excellent management, documentation, presentation, and written communication skills.

Physical Demands:

• Ability to travel regularly to the project states (Bauchi, Ebonyi, Kebbi,FCT, and Sokoto) as needed.

Terms & Conditions

• This is a local posting in Nigeria, and as such, is subject to local terms and conditions.

Application Closing Date
25th August, 2022.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should submit their Resume and Cover Letter to: nigeria.recruitment@hki.org using the Job Title as the subject of the mail.