Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Coordinator UK NGO Jobs – Farm Africa

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Coordinator UK NGO Jobs – Farm Africa

 

 

 

Job Title:    Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Coordinator

Organisation: Farm Africa

Duty Station:  Kampala, Uganda

Reports to: Programme Manager – Uganda (line management); Regional Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Advisor (technical leadership)

 

About US:

Farm Africa, founded in 1985, is an international non-governmental organization working in Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania. We drive agricultural and environmental change to improve lives. Our strategy has three pillars: agricultural expertise, management and preservation of ecosystems, and the power of business to drive prosperity. We believe Africa has the power to feed itself and are helping make this happen by establishing and spreading the best farming and forestry techniques so that poor farmers and herders have more food to feed their families and to sell. We help smallholders manage their natural resources sustainably so that they can withstand climate change challenges and shocks and ensure their families have enough food in the future as well as now. Farm Africa works in partnership with communities, government, local and international organizations, and the private sector to innovate, learn and share best practices for maximum impact of our projects.

 

Job Summary:  The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Coordinator (MELC) will be a key member of the Uganda Country Office Team. Reporting the Programme Manager, he/she will provide direct support to project teams to deliver against their MEL objectives, as well as supporting with programme design, and the start-up phase of new projects. The MELC will use their strong analytical and communication skills to support field teams to effectively monitor, evaluate and learn from their projects; ensuring timely collection, analysis and use of robust project monitoring data, effective evaluations and clear reporting of findings, both internally and externally. Working in close collaboration with the Regional Programme Quality Team, the MELC will also be responsible for ensuring that the Farm Africa Uganda team are operating in line with the Organisational MEL minimum standards, and positively contributing to the organisational-wide MEL strategy and learning ambitions.

 

Key Duties and Responsibilities: 

Provide direct support to project teams in Uganda, and ensure that they achieve the required organisational MEL standards:

• Ensure that project teams have in place appropriate data collection tools that align with ongoing data collection and reporting requirements, and a suitable digital system for recording and analysing the data they are collecting
• Ensure that project teams are maintaining an accurate, up-to-date, hard-copy MEL filing system, and regularly updating their digital database.
• In particular, work directly with field-based staff to ensure that meaningful beneficiary feedback is routinely being obtained, recorded and acted upon
• Ensure that field teams and implementing partners are familiar with, and making effective use of, Farm Africa’s standardised MEL approaches, indicators, tools and templates.
• Support field teams with keeping the Monitoring & Learning Plan (MLP) for their respective projects up-to-date, and ensuring that they deliver against it
• Regularly review existing project MEL systems and provide practical recommendations to strengthen the quality and use of evidence
• Provide technical guidance, as well as capacity building support, to project staff
• Support field teams with preparing for the annual, and mid-year project performance review process (PPRs), and in particular ensure that:
• Weaknesses in data quality are identified, understood by respective teams, and acted upon Learnings from ongoing data collection are identified and acted upon in order to improve project delivery

Coordinate external evaluations (including baseline/endline surveys) for all projects in Uganda

• With input from project delivery teams, draft Terms of Reference for external evaluations in line with organisational templates and processes
• Leading the procurement process, including technical and financial evaluation, to identify suitable consultants who will deliver high-quality MEL services on our behalf that represent good value for money
• With support from the central MEL team, ensure that external evaluators are deploying high-quality, appropriate, data collection methodologies, and making use of existing organisation tools where appropriate
• Lead each stage of the technical review process for external evaluations, seeking input from colleagues across the organisation as appropriate
• Ensure that all external evaluations meet minimum organisational standards, and are aligned with donor requirements
• Maintain a simple database of external consultants and their track record of working with Farm Africa Uganda
• Support the delivery of donor-led post project evaluation performance reviews where required

Support with programme design and start-up of new projects in Uganda

• Support the business development team, technical teams and SMT with project design, with a particular focus on developing the results framework, and ensuring MEL activities and requirements are appropriate resourced and planned for
• Ensure that data and evidence generated from existing and previous projects is being effectively used to guide future programming
• With support from the Regional Programme Quality Team and Programme Manager, develop the Monitoring and Learning Plan (MLP) for new projects as and when they are secured, and ensure that it fully understood by all relevant members of the implementing team
• Work with the implementing teams to develop data collection tools and data management systems that meet the ongoing data collection requirements of projects and align to the MLP
• Lead on delivery of pre-start up MEL activities on new projects

Work in close collaboration with the Regional Programme Quality Team to ensure that data, learning and evidence generated in Uganda is contributing to the wider organisational results measurement framework and learning agenda

• Ensure that project-level MEL plans, data collection tools and skills are in place, to gather and use results data for effective results-based programming and wider organisational learning
• Coordinate the bi-annual Project Performance Review (PPR) process, ensuring all teams successfully complete PPRs, generating and disseminating project learning amongst the wider country office and Head Office teams.
• Ensure that project learnings are disseminated to the Farm Africa Uganda team and the wider organisation.
• Conduct ad-hoc analysis of project monitoring data and communicate key findings both internally and externally, as required.
• In collaboration with the Regional Programme Quality Team, ensure that all new programme delivery staff are trained on, and utilise, Farm Africa’s MEL systems and tools
• Contribute to the development and review of Farm Africa’s strategic plan

 

These essential functions are not to be interpreted as a complete statement of all duties performed. Employees will be required to perform other job related duties as required. All work responsibilities are subject to having performance goals and/or targets established.

 

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• The ideal candidate for the Farm Africa job opportunity should hold a graduate degree in a numerate discipline (e.g. agri-economics, statistics, applied social sciences)
• Demonstrable understanding of monitoring and evaluation tools, principles and best practices
• Significant experience of working in a specialist MEL role within a NGO
• Experience of recruiting and managing external consultants carrying out evaluations such as baseline surveys or endline evaluations.
• Experience of conducting quantitative and qualitative field research and analysis
• Significant experience in drafting clear written reports/ briefings for both internal and external audiences
• Experience of developing monitoring and learning plans, and supporting teams to deliver against them
• Experience of designing qualitative and quantitative data collection tools, and supporting other team members to effectively use them
• Experience of designing databases and/or data storage systems appropriate for ongoing data storage and management at a project level.
• Experience of designing and deploying a wide range of beneficiary feedback mechanisms
• Experience of coaching and capacity building others
• Fluency in Microsoft Office tools, particularly MS Excel and MS Word
• Highly numerate, confident in synthesising and interrogating data (both quantitative and qualitative) to draw and explain evidence-based conclusions
• Strong written and verbal communications skills, particularly ability to communicate technical information clearly to a wide range of audiences
• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves.
• Willingness to learn on the job and take strategic direction

 

Desired:

• Academic training in statistical analysis or monitoring & evaluation
• Experience of working at a country office level, providing direct and/or technical MEL support to multiple projects at the same time
• Experience of working on projects focused on livelihoods or rural development issues
• Experience of using complex tools to measure attitudinal or behaviour changes such as women’s empowerment
• Confident, flexible and initiative-taking, with the ability to be proactive in working with others
• Ability to multi-task and work well under pressure, with a methodical approach and attention to detail. Highly driven and able to work with minimal supervision
• Future orientated, thinks strategically.

 

How to Apply:

To apply, please send a CV, salary history and a two-page supporting statement detailing how you meet the person specification to ugandarecruitment@farmafrica.org including ‘MEL Coordinator ’ in the subject line.

 

NB: Please DO NOT send additional documents such as certificates and references with your application. Successful candidates ONLY will be required to provide these documents during the referencing process.It is anticipated that first round interviews will take place over Skype w/c 22nd February 2021. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

 

Deadline: Tuesday, 16th February 2021 by 5:00pm

 

 

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