Overview of Resilience Learning Activity: The Resilience Learning Activity (RLA) USAID/East Africa flagship learning award was fully executed effective October 1, 2019. It will support regional and country-level institutions to conduct and act upon resilience learning for key knowledge gaps in the Horn of Africa, contributing to the region’s Journey to Self-Reliance.
By building the capacity of institutions to improve analytical capacity, increase the evidence base for resilience programming, and strengthen CLA systems and networks, RLA will contribute to the HoRN’s objective to strengthen regional and cross-border collaboration and improve evidence-based learning.
Project: Resilience Learning Activity
Department: M&E
Reports To: Technical Lead for Data Analytics
Grade: 6
Job Summary: The Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Learning (MERL) Manager will work on the USAID funded Resilience Learning Activity (RLA). RLA supports regional and country-level institutions to conduct and act upon resilience learning for key knowledge gaps in the Horn of Africa, contributing to the region’s Journey to Self-Reliance.
Position Summary: The MERL Manager will coordinate project impact and results data in conjunction with the project team under RLA. He/she will be responsible for guiding the overall design and implementation of the RLA AMEL Plan in coordination with the RLA Technical Lead for Data Analytics.
Key to this position will be management of the RLA M&E functions that include data collection, analysis, reporting, and knowledge management for learning and promoting accountability in project management.
Critical to this position is setting up a project M&E system and ensuring effective implementation of the M/E system. The MERL Manager will champion learning as a critical function of M&E unit through various avenues such organizing review and reflection feedback sessions with all project stakeholders.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Project Monitoring and Evaluation
Oversee implementation of RLA MERL, develop performance monitoring indicators, AMEL Plan, and employs ACDI/VOCA M&E LEAP system.
Recruits and supervises the work of two interns per year to assist with DQA, data collection/analysis, OPI measurement for RLA grantees, and assessments/studies/desk review exercises.
Establish M&E systems and data collection efforts in collaboration with key stakeholders to ensure a process of evidence-based learning that improves understanding while strengthening local capacity, institutional development and sustainability of livestock market system activities.
Coordinate with RLA program staff to undertake
1) routine monitoring of program activities,
2) the longitudinal baseline analysis as outlined in the program design document,
3) an end line survey; and
4) special studies or reports as determined necessary by program progress.
Ensure impact on gender and resource utilization are tracked, monitored, analyzed and reported via the RLA M&E system; disaggregate all baseline and monitoring data by sex (and any other level of disaggregation as outlined in the indicator reference sheets) in data collection forms, databases and data collection processes;
Works with RLA staff to ensure effective SLI with donor activities, and monitors learning, results, and adaptations using GIS data. Responsible the coordination of PREG layering databases and GIS mapping; coaches and trains PREG partners and RLA on GIS applications and geo-mapping data management.
Designs data collection methodologies, ensures data quality, and analyzes data using PowerBI on RLA LEAP Page. Collaborates with Leader to select RLA Performance indicators, document PIRS and to synthesize and analyze M&E data.
Manages ongoing data collection process on market actors and end markets in each county, in close consultation with County Teams. Trains RLA staff on survey design, questionnaires and ODK applications to collect, store and analyze data collected.
Develop data quality standards and implement standard operating procedures to mitigate risk. Conduct periodic internal Routine Data Quality Assessments (RDQA) to assess the validity, reliability, integrity and timeliness of reported data and, where necessary, to adjust as per the data audit findings. Ensure accuracy and timely data reporting by working closely with partners and data enumerators by putting in place data collection and management procedures.
Facilitate capacity building of staff, RLA partners, and grantees on M&E systems, data collection and understanding of indicators including strengthening the MEL capacity of our partners, particularly of local sub-grantee partners, is important for obtaining high-quality data and facilitating learning. Leads information/coaching sessions at Pause and Reflect events, RLA meetings, grant review/selection exercises to ensure constant alignment of activities and proposed investments with indicators and targets.
Implement routine data quality spot check field visits to check the accuracy of reported data and the correct use of data collection tools. Through these visits, informal/refresher training will be provided to those involved in data collection. Also, verify all RLA M&E collected data including provision of dditional documentation for data verification will be added on a case-by-case basis, to assess consistency between the original data and that entered in the database.
Recruits and manages Research Assistants and Data Entry clerks in support of the above activities.
Reporting
Work with Tech Lead for Data Analytics to write project performance reports by proving analytical data in line with project performance indicators
Review project and other partners reports by extracting and synthesizing performance data and use the same undertake further analysis.
Learning
Guide the process for identifying key learning questions and parameters for monitoring project performance and comparing with targets, and spearhead the overall project learning agenda through quarterly reviews, reflection and planning sessions.
Facilitate the project team to document lessons learned through case studies and other methods such as most significant change
Provide leadership in sharing lessons learned through workshops, seminars and other forums
Promote best practices as well as contribute to regional (Nairobi) and headquarters (Washington) efforts to build effective learning systems as well as contribute to knowledge transfer during communities of practice.
Coordination and Compliance
Liaise and coordinate with RLA Partners, RLA program staff, and ACDI/VOCA’s project management, M&E staff based in the regional office and ACDI/VOCA home office in Washington DC.
Coordinate with other stakeholders and organizations working in ACDI/VOCA’s implementation area, to share data management tools, project activity data and lessons learned, as well as to maximize cost effectiveness of data collection, ensure use of existing information and avoid duplication of results tracking.
Represent ACDI/VOCA on external M&E-related working groups at USAID, other PREG partners, task forces, conferences, publications and panels.
Ensure compliance with USAID policies and procedures, as well as ACDI/VOCA’s corporate M&E policy and procedures.
The MERL Manager will carry out other roles and responsibilities in accordance with ACDI/VOCA policy and the applicable laws of Kenya.
Qualifications:
Master’s degree in social sciences, environmental science, development or any related field, and with relevant training in monitoring and evaluation;
Five (6) years’ experience in monitoring and evaluation in complex organizational set-ups, preferably working with USAID is strongly preferred.
Experience working in arid and semi-arid experience as well as working with pastoral communities
Strengths in GIS and design of data collection tools
Fluency in English is required
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