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.
Evidence to Action for Strengthened Family Planning and Reproductive Health Services for Women and Girls (E2A) is USAID’s global flagship project for strengthening quality FP/RH service delivery and is led by Pathfinder International. The project is designed to reduce unmet need for family planning by scaling-up proven best practices (BPs) to ensure that women and girls receive – and use – quality services through all stages of the reproductive life cycle. E2A promotes healthy FP/RH behaviors, gender-equality, and the application of compelling evidence for FP use. The project is in partnership with the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), IntraHealth International, Management Sciences for Health (MSH), ExpandNet, and PATH.
Pathfinder International is recruiting to fill the position below:
Job Title: Senior Advisor, Monitoring, Evaluation, Results and Learning
Job Ref: 15-39-E2A
Location Abuja, Nigeria
Program Overview
This 3 year, USAID supported project aims to contribute to the reduction in Mother to Child Transmission (MTCT) of HIV/AIDS by providing a standardized package of PMTCT and tuberculosis (TB)/HIV services integrated with quality reproductive MCH services in private healthcare facilities, as recommended by the National guidelines and by addressing the underlying gender, youth, and HIV stigmas that impede access, provision, and sustained utilization of these services in Akwa Ibom, Rivers, C/River and Lagos states of Nigeria.
Position Purpose
The candidate will be responsible for the design and implementation of monitoring and evaluation activities to measure the overall project performance against established goals and objectives, and report on project achievements. The SA (MERL) will work with and support national, state and local private sector partners to develop a system for continual collection, analysis, and presentation of results for periodic reports to the GoN and USAID. S/he will also provide expertise for implementing a knowledge management system for real time information on project implementation activities and documentation and sharing of best practices, results and project effectiveness. S/he will supervise 4 MERL officers at each of the 3 assigned state project offices.
Key Responsibilities
- Conceptualize, develop, and implement the monitoring and evaluation plan, including identifying appropriate indicators, and a data collection system for the project to collect and report on data to measure performance and achievement of objectives.
- Create and/or adapt monitoring tools and forms, including training materials to accompany them, for collection of project data with involvement of key stakeholders and assist relevant government of GON partners to collect data to measure progress against project targets and objectives.
- Design, implement or oversee implementation of and analyze the project’s baseline assessment and target setting process within the first quarter of the project in collaboration with relevant national government officials and with support from the field based M&E officers.
- Develop or adapt and disseminate guidelines, policies, and standard procedures for monitoring and evaluation activities building on and improving the existing guidelines, policies and procedure.
- Provide technical assistance to build capacity of project staff, Ministry of Health counterparts, and other collaborating partners including the private sector partners in M&E planning and implementation with emphasis on data collection, reporting and use of data for decision making.
- Provide oversight on data consistency and quality and consolidates data required for performance review by the Project Director, as well as for quarterly and annual progress reports and E2A/Pathfinder global achievement reports.
- Interpret project data for project technical staff and managers, assist with identification of action points and lessons learned and document the achievements and accomplishments of the project indicators against set performance targets.
- Develop narrative for quarterly and annual progress reports.
- Establish and maintain close collaboration on M&E with project partners’ especially relevant government counterparts, lead IP and with E2A/Pathfinder colleagues.
- Establish and maintain feedback mechanisms for M&E results with all stakeholders to identify and share lessons learned and encourage use of data for decision-making at all levels.
- Establish a knowledge management system for gathering and sharing project information and knowledge.
- Perform other duties as assigned by the PD.
Basic Requirements
- An advanced degree in demography, statistics, social sciences, public health, health information management or related field.
- Minimum of 5-8 years of progressively responsible experience successfully designing, implementing and overseeing monitoring and evaluation tasks for health and/or development projects.
- Familiarity with USAID/international indicators and standard measurement tools in the areas of reproductive health/family planning, maternal and neonatal health and other relevant technical areas.
- Competency in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and ACCESS, and a statistical software package (SPSS, EPI-INFO, STATA, SAS or similar).
- Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills and ability to work with various constituencies’ especially relevant government partners, USAID/PEPFAR, and other implementing partners.
- Good oral and /written communication skills and ability to effectively communicate technical material to both expert and lay audiences.
- Fluency in both written and spoken English in addition to one local language required.
- Ability to travel up to 50 % in-country travel depending upon program needs.
Preferred Qualifications
- Formal training in monitoring and evaluating health projects.
- Experience with database development and/or management.
- Familiarity with USAID/PEPFAR legislative and reporting requirements.
- Familiarity, good understanding and experience of working with or for the Nigeria health systems especially the private sector.
Application Closing Date
13th October, 2014
How to Apply
Interested candidates should:
Click here to apply online