Summary
Date Posted: Friday, October 15, 2021 , Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
Activity: USAID/Zambia Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Platform Activity
Company Background:
SoCha (a portmanteau of Social and Change) is an independent Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (ME&L) firm that provides bespoke solutions to social challenges. Since our inception in 2010, we have grown into a fully-fledged ME&L services firm that specializes in advancing innovative methodologies and changing the way donors find solutions to social problems.

Activity Background:
USAID/Zambia has a diverse portfolio with programs in the following areas: Health (HIV/AIDS, Maternal and Child Health, Family Planning and Reproductive Health, Water Supply and Sanitation, Nutrition, Malaria, Tuberculosis); Education (basic education and early child development); Economic Development and Environment (Agriculture policy support, private sector, economic opportunity, energy, environment, global climate change, wildlife conservation, energy); and Democracy, Rights, and Governance (rule of law and human rights, good governance, political environment, and consensus-building, civil society).

USAID/Zambia’s Performance Management Plan (PMP) aligns to its Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) 2019-2024.
To support the alignment and the implementation of the PMP, USAID/Zambia Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Platform (Z-MELP)is defined as an implementing mechanism that gives the mission access to technical and advisory services to design and carry out specialized multiple, third-party, MEL tasks including practices, processes, and requirements that support Program Cycle implementation.

Overview of the Role:
The MEL Specialist is part of Z-MELP’s Senior Management Team and plays a critical role in the technical delivery of services to the client. The role oversees two Z-MELP service components, namely Performance Monitoring, and Data Management, and is key to mobilizing and strengthening the capacity of Z-MELP’s technical team.
Suitably qualified local candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Job Responsibilities
Contract Management
• Oversee the quality of technical outputs to ensure the contract is executed in compliance with contract requirements;
• Provide MEL support, including on-demand support, to USAID and its implementing partners;
• Advise USAID and implementing partners on the technical quality of their MEL plans;
• Represent Z-MELP as a member of senior management and serve as the primary point of contact for Z-MELP’s engagement with the Education and Health technical offices;
• Work across technical offices to advise them on their portfolio review presentations;
• Attend the portfolio review with notetakers/rapporteurs and support the timely delivery of summary notes from these reviews;
• Incorporate USAID and stakeholder feedback into the report, then post on DEC, DLL and,
• Help USAID/Zambia develop a group of PMs to manage and update PMELPs biannually
Management of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Activities
• Serve as lead for Objective A: Performance Monitoring Support, as well as for Objective C: Data Management;
• Serve as the day-to-day manager and technical lead on specific monitoring tasks;
• Proactively provide support to the delivery of work requests across Z-MELP objectives and contract deliverables, as needed;
• Work with client on daily basis to understand needs and respond with draft work orders;
• Lead on work orders specifically under objective A such as data quality assessments, site visits, PMELP and AMELP reviews, indicator assistance, and third-party monitoring;
• Carry out capacity building and related activities with Mission personnel and with IPS;
• Coordinate with PMs to ensure PMELP indicators sync with AMELP requirements and produce PMP, PPR, and presidential initiative data;
• Help PMs align PMELPS and project-level learning agendas;
• Work with the Mission to ensure it complies with ADS 201, including establishing Project Managers to oversee IRs;
• Draw from the pool of MEL Advisors to deliver services;
• Oversee and lead on indicator development and DQAs tasks;
• Field consultants and issue purchase orders to local organizations;
• Disseminate findings per the plan, update the evaluation from feedback received, upload appropriate content to DEC and DDL;
• Scope a TPM initiative by identifying the technical office’s requirements (locations, data for verification, period of performance);
• Provide day-to-day supervision of the work of Z-MELP’s data management sub-contractor and,
• Support the rollout of technical data management outputs (e.g., DIS, GIS) across technical offices and support IPs.
Communications and Information Management
● Responsible for oversight and delivery of Objective A: Performance Monitoring Support and Objective
Data Management;
• Prepare contract reports and client updates;
• Establish and socialize best practices for project plans and reports;
• Conduct MEL training;
• Participate in Mission portfolio reviews;
• Support the advancement of learning agendas and evidence that improves USAID’s programs;
• Coordinate pre-and post-meeting communication;
• Write high-quality, comprehensive reports, as well as effective data visualization outputs.
• Support associated learning documents and events;
• Regular communication with the COR, PRM, and technical teams;
• Coordinate with the Mission, IPs, and other stakeholders to outline the scope and expectations;
• Active facilitation of communities that could include IPs, USAID technical staff, and external stakeholders;
• Produce a portfolio review synthesis that can advise learning agendas and highlight areas for adaptive management;
• Help new IPs establish USAID-compliant monitoring and data management systems and,
• Help the Program Office facilitate effective portfolio reviews that share data that shows activities’ progress toward the Mission’s strategy.
Personnel Management
• Supervise MEL Advisors and work collaboratively to strengthen the technical capacity of MEL Advisors;
• Coordinate with Z-MELP objectives leads to assign MEL Advisors to work orders, based on resource needs and availability, and for strategic personnel development and,
• Coordinate with SoCha’s home office to identify STTA and develop a plan and budget for TOCOR approval to deliver the service.
The tasks outlined above are indicative, but not exhaustive for the role and other tasks may be assigned by the supervisor, the COP, or their designee.

Qualifications
• An advanced degree;
• A minimum of five years of experience in MEL working on international development programs;
• A minimum of three years of experience of working on USAID-funded activities or directly with the Mission;
• Familiar with ADS 201 MEL related requirements;
• Strong experience in developing, managing, and reviewing MEL Plans, particularly with respect to performance monitoring aspects;
• Strong experience building and operating monitoring systems, including indicator development and the implementation of DQAs;
• Experience in effectively utilizing field visits for data verification, accountability, and learning;
• Demonstrated experience with different forms of data visualization and producing quality written MEL outputs (reports, learning briefs, presentations) and,
• English language proficiency.
Reporting: Reporting to the Deputy Chief of Party
Place of performance: Lusaka, Zambia with occasional travel within Zambia

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 60

Level of Education: Postgraduate Degree

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Job application procedure
To lodge an application, please lodge your CV via the following link: https://jobs.socha.net/monitoring-evaluation-and-learning-specialist-zambia-2021-10-14/
Applications close on 28th October 2021, and promising candidates may be selected before this deadline.

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