Democratic Republic of the Congo: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Coordinator, DRC DFAP

Background:

Catholic Relief Services (CRS)/CRS will be submitting a proposal in response to the 2015-16 USAID Food for Peace (FFP) Development Food Assistance Program (DFAP) Request for Applications (RFA). CRS/DRC will serve as the prime on the application and will develop the proposal in consortium with other international non-governmental organizations, local implementing partners and international/national research institutions. The proposed program will involve a multi-sectoral response to addressing food insecurity and vulnerability across the former Kasai provinces in DRC. The estimated timeframe for this program is 2016-2021.

Primary Function:

The MEAL Coordinator will be responsible for the management, capacity strengthening and strategic direction in relation to the DFAP’s Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) system. S/he will collaborate closely with CRS team members and implementing and technical partners to develop and establish a MEAL system that adheres to CRS principles and norms and is adapted to project and consortium member needs. The MEAL Coordinator will develop gender-specific indicators and will ensure that all project indicators are monitored according to standard MEAL policies and procedures defined by the agency. S/he will lead all DFAP MEAL efforts in collaboration with the CoP, DCoP for Program Quality, DCoP for Operational Excellence, Technical Leads and Gender Advisor to ensure MEAL activities are coordinated across interventions. S/he will also oversee project assessments, evaluations and operational research, including the design of the Gender Analysis and participatory Gender Audits, and will serve as point person for M&E with the donor. This position will develop a learning agenda rooted in evidence-based approaches and will ensure the integration of information technology in monitoring processes.

Specific Responsibilities:

Project Refinement and Organizational Learning

· Work closely with the USAID consultant chosen to conduct the baseline, especially in establishing methodologies and coordinating data collection on the ground, and help in data analysis and dissemination of results

· According to donor requirements, participate in USAID M&E workshops and contribute to the finalizing of key MEAL documents (M&E Plan, IPTT, Logframe, etc.)

· Organize a SMILER workshop with HQ and regional staff to establish the project’s MEAL system

· Work closely with the Deputy CoP for Operational Excellence to establish a monitoring system for commodity distribution activities based on the use of ICT materials (Barcode, SMS, GPS, etc.) and integrate into the overall MEAL system

· Develop data collection tools in collaboration with Technical Leads and Gender Advisor during the refinement period and establish gender-sensitive feedback mechanisms on the quality of implementation on the ground

· Develop a learning agenda for project sectors during the refinement period and coordinate its implementation across the consortium

· Support SBCC Specialist, Technical Leads and Gender Advisor in developing Scopes of Work for formative research, including the Gender Analysis, and supervise these studies

Project Implementation and Reporting

· Oversee the project’s MEAL system while orienting project staff on CRS and donor MEAL policies and procedures

· Participate in Program Management Unit (PMU) meetings and establish a MEAL working group

· Train CRS and partner staff on the use of ICT for data collection and analysis

• Conduct regular monitoring visits with members of the MEAL Team to improve and modify the MEAL system as necessary
• Manage data consolidation and validate the quality of data collected by the project in collaboration with key DFAP staff
• Work with CoP to establish a system for reporting direct and indirect beneficiary numbers annually

· Coordinate midterm and final evaluations with consultants and DFAP team members

· Facilitate documentation, development and sharing of results, lessons learned, success stories, best practices in DFAP within the consortium and with external stakeholders

· Ensure that accountability and protection measures are in place at the community level, with an attention to gender dynamics, as part of regular monitoring

· Contribute to the development of PREPs, annual reports (ARR) and other DFAP reports according to CRS and donor requirements

Partnership/Capacity-Strengthening

• Support partners in establishing a community-based, gender-sensitive MEAL system with quality data controls using ICT4D and strengthen capacity as needed
• Train partner trainers and ensure that MEAL/ICT4D trainings are systematically cascaded down to the community level for community structures, traditional and religious leaders and government authorities
• Support partners in recruiting for MEAL positions to ensure that required competencies are found
• Support partners in developing and submitting quarterly and annual DIPs and progress reports according to project requirements

Management, Finance and Donor Compliance

· Manage and supervise a team of three CRS MEAL staff (Communications, Knowledge & Learning Officer, M&E Officer and ICT4D Officer)

· Conduct performance reviews of CRS MEAL staff and identify capacity-building needs

· Ensure that CRS administrative and financial policies and procedures are respected and donor requirements are met

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff):

These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.

· Serves with Integrity

· Models Stewardship

· Cultivates Constructive Relationships

· Promotes Learning

Key Working Relationships:

Internal: Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party for Program Quality, Deputy Chief of Party for Operational Excellence, MEAL Team, Purpose Leads, Gender Advisor, SBCC Specialist, Grants & Compliance Manage

External: CARITAS Kananga, CARITAS Mbuji-Mayi, REFED, NCBA CLUSA, HNI, community structures, beneficiaries, local authorities, TOPS (USAID), FANTA III, consultants for various evaluations/assessments

Knowledge and Skills:

· Demonstrated analytic capacity and ability to write high quality reports

· Excellent partnership skills and the ability to interact effectively with donors, collaborating agencies, local and government partners

· Excellent organization and planning skills and ability to resolve problems constructively

· Computer literate, with strong knowledge of MS Office applications, spread sheets, database programs, and statistical software packages.

· Flexibility, persistence, and ability to work well in a multi-sectoral and multi-cultural team

· Ability to work in a challenging and stressful environment with unexpected challenges

Qualifications:

· Master’s degree in Development Economics or related field

· Minimum of 5 years of experience in development, including experience in research, designing and managing systems for learning, organizational development and knowledge management

· Experience in establishing MEAL systems and conducting participatory research of qualitative and quantitative nature

· Demonstrated skills in quantitative and qualitative research methodologies

· Substantial understanding of Knowledge Management theory and practice

· Demonstrated ability to strategically lead high quality MEAL staff

· Substantial experience in working with information search/retrieval systems

· Excellent written and oral communication skills in French required

· Working knowledge of English is a plus

· Experience working with development research institutions/universities

· Experience with developing and managing learning agendas

· Demonstrated capacity to use ICT4D in the collection, analysis and reporting of data

· Ability and proven experience to build knowledge and skills through training, coaching and mentoring

Major Responsibilities of Position: Technical leadership, team building, strategic leadership, coordination, monitoring/evaluation, mentoring/training, supervision, and report writing.

Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skills, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with this position. Also, this position is conditional upon award of funding for the DFAP.

Note: All internal applicants are encouraged to apply within the 10 day internal posting period.

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Apply online: https://www5.apply2jobs.com/CRS/ProfExt/index.cfm?fuseaction=mExternal.showJob&RID=2961&CurrentPage=1