Monitoring, Evaluation & learning (MEL) Officer – Farm Africa
Job Title: Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Officer (Livestock for Livelihoods – UG)
Organization: Farm Africa
Duty Station: Moroto, Karamoja sub-region, Uganda (with regional and national travel)
Reports to: Project Coordinator.
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.
About Project:
Farm Africa has the ambition to be the leading European NGO specialising in Agriculture, Natural Resource Management and Market Engagement. Farm Africa is mid-way through delivering our £5m Livestock for Livelihoods (L4L) programme in Uganda’s Karamoja sub-
region and Ethiopia’s South Omo zone funded by the UK government (UK Aid)
Under this programme Farm Africa is working with local civil society, SMEs, cooperatives and farmer organisations to develop market systems that support livestock services and enterprises for 21,000 women, contributing to women’s economic empowerment, reduced poverty and improved nutrition of women and children. The project is addressing market failures in animal health and breeding services to improve livestock productivity, building capacity and assets of herders, establishing trade and enterprise opportunities and improving household nutrition practices through behavioural change. It will also demonstrate how nutrition interventions can build on women’s economic empowerment to contribute to both increased income and improved household nutrition.
Job Summary: The Monitoring, Evaluation & learning (MEL) Officer is a technical post responsible for ensuring the consistent and high quality collection, use and reporting of results data throughout the project cycle. The post holder will develop and implement appropriate M&E plans, based on robust logical frameworks that are suitably updated to reflect changing situations. The post holder will adapt Farm Africa’s appropriate tools and systems to support the project team in collecting and analysing robust evidence of project results and enable use of its evidence as a vital input to management decision making.
The MEL Officer will provide critical analysis and technical input to project learning and evaluation processes, ensuring Farm Africa can maximise the learning potential from the project.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
The key responsibilities of the MEL Officer will be:
- Plan and deliver project monitoring and evaluation activities for L4L Uganda
- Working with the Project Coordinator (PC) and Chief of Party (CoP) execute the Monitoring & Learning Plan (MLP) for the L4L project in Uganda
- Ensure that the project delivery team fully understand the MLP and the role that they will be playing in ensuring the outcomes of the project and delivered and the data required to demonstrate that
- Develop (as appropriate), and disseminate data collection tools to project delivery staff and ensure that they are fully understood
- Coordinate data collection by the project delivery team – and in particular support the delivery team to integrate regular data collection into their routine activities
- Ensure that all monitoring data as outlined in the MLP and requested by the PC and CoP is accurately entered on to the project databases in a timely manner and is readily available to support quarterly donor reporting requirements
- Organise and facilitate bi-annual community feedback sessions
- Work with nutrition partner (AFRII) to support with developing data collection tools (as required), and ensure collection of dietary diversity monitoring information throughout the project lifetime
- Work with PC, CoP and MEL Officer (Ethiopia) to plan and deliver annual data collection exercises and the final project evaluation.
- Work with the PC and the Project Accountant and Administrator (PA&A) to ensure all activities are planned and conducted according to the organisation’s and the donor’s financial and procurement requirements and procedures
- Work with the COP, MEL Officer (Ethiopia) and London team to ensure coherent delivery of monitoring, evaluation and learning activities across the entire programme.
- Work with the MEL Officer in Ethiopia to ensure consistency of approach in indicator
- reporting across the two countries of implementation
- Work with the MEL Officer in Ethiopia to develop and produce data collection tools for use by project staff and partners
- Work closely with the MEL Officer in Ethiopia to ensure harmonization of all M&E tools and processes and coordinate with them on the learning components of the project
- Work closely with the Quality and Impact team in London to ensure their input and review in planning, implementation and reporting of all the above activities
- Supporting project planning and reporting
- Lead regular reviews of the project’s log-frame and data collection plans, and ensure that the project is collecting the breadth of indicators required at a frequency and timing in line with reporting purposes
- Lead on the preparation and reflection processes leading to the annual project performance review (PPR) and ensure integration of the PPR’s conclusion and action points into further project planning
- Support the PC & COP to compile donor reports, and in particular ensure availability and timely cleaning and analysis of both outcome and output data
- Participate in reviews of the project’s work plan and budget as part of the quarterly and annual planning processes
- Work closely with the PC to collect and compile lessons learned, ensure dissemination and maintain dialogue on key project findings
- Play a key role in delivering the wider objectives of both the L4L programme, and Farm Africa’s work in Uganda.
- Participate in project team meetings as requested by the PC
- Provide technical support to the project and country team and ensure high quality of all project M&E deliverables
- Build capacity of local communities, partners and staff on data collection, management, analysis and results-based monitoring principles
- Review and contribute to the development of various project or organizational presentations, reports, or other publications on M&E and knowledge management at Farm Africa.
- Support the implementation of the project’s visibility strategy in line with donor guidelines.
- Contribute to the relevant forum to share M&E and knowledge management experience of the project and contribute to the growth of Farm Africa’s expertise in these areas
- Maintain regular and effective communications with the wider project team, Uganda Country Office and implementing partners.
- In consultation with the PC, act as an ambassador, promoting the project and the work of Farm Africa, including hosting visitors, speaking at workshops, conferences and meeting donors and other officials as and when required.
- Contribute to the development of relevant Farm Africa policies and strategies
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
Education, qualifications & other knowledge Essential
- Relevant academic qualification (Degree or equivalent) in numerate/ analytical subject (e.g. statistics, economics, econometrics, applied social science)
- Demonstrable understanding of monitoring and evaluation principles and practices, including the application of the log frame approach
- Knowledge of rural development issues in Uganda
- Understanding of market-based approaches to development and particularly approaches which encourage greater participation of women
- Understanding of project learning processes and knowledge management within and across projects
Desirable
- Advanced (Masters or equivalent) Academic qualification relevant to Farm Africa’s areas of operation and the role
Experience Essential
- Minimum of three years’ relevant work experience in the area of monitoring and evaluation (or similar)
- Experience of conducting quantitative and qualitative field research and analysis
- Experience in synthesising data and drafting clear written reports/ briefings
- Experience of producing and delivering monitoring and learning plans
- Experience of organising and overseeing the execution of ongoing internal data collection exercises
- Experience of designing data collection tools and disseminating them to colleagues in the project delivery team
- Experience of designing and/or maintaining databases of project information
- Experience of designing and deploying a wide range of beneficiary feedback mechanisms
Desirable
- Experience of working in an M&E or knowledge management role in an INGO
- Experience conducting field research in pastoralist communities
- Experience of commissioning and managing external consultant teams to deliver large- scale data collection exercises
- Experience of working in Karamoja
Skills & abilities Essential
- Ability to inspire and capacity build colleagues to collect high quality data during their daily project delivery duties.
- Ability to draw key learnings from both qualitative and quantitative data and make project delivery recommendations based upon it
- Strong communication skills (verbal & written)
- Methodical, thorough approach with attention to detail
- Expert in data management and manipulation, especially using Excel
- Fluent written and spoken English
Desirable
- Fluency in Karamojong
- Managing partner relationships
- Excellent network and excellent relationship with government partners
Purpose of The Role
Investing in smallholder farming is the number one way to combat poverty in rural Africa.
Farm Africa is a leading NGO specialising in growing agriculture, protecting the environment and developing businesses in rural Africa.
EXPERT. Deep expertise and insightful evidence-based solutions are at the heart of everything Farm Africa does.
GROUNDED. Positive change starts with Africa’s people, so our experts work closely with
local communities, engaging them in every level of decision-making.
IMPACTFUL. We take a long-term view so we can deliver lasting changes for farmers and their families.
BOLD. We model innovative new approaches and are not afraid to challenge strategies that
are failing.
How to Apply:
All candidates please submit your CV, salary history and a one page supporting statement explaining how you meet the criteria laid out in the person specification to
ugandarecruitment@farmafrica.org
Please do not submit certificates etc. at this stage.
Interviews are expected to take place w/c 11th November 2019 at Farm Africa's office in
Kampala or Moroto.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Should you have any enquiries, please email ugandarecruitment@farmafrica.org or call the
Kampala Office on +256 394 823 131.
Deadline: Thursday 31st October 2019 – 5.00pm EAT
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