United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the world’s premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results. USAID’s work advances U.S. national security and economic prosperity, demonstrates American generosity, and promotes a path to recipient self-reliance and resilience.
We are recruiting to fill the position below:
Job Title: USAID Project Management Specialist – Strategic Information / Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (SI/MEL)
Solicitation No: 72062024R10021
Lagos: Abuja
Statement of Duties
General Statement of Purpose of the Contract:
- The USAID Project Management Specialist (Strategic Information/Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning [SI/MEL]) is located in the Health Office, Strategic Information Division.
- The specialist plays a leading role in the development of effective PEPFAR strategic information and monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems to support the full range of Contracting/Agreement Officer’s Representatives (C/AOR) in managing Mission PEPFAR programs, projects, and activities.
- The Senior Specialist applies evaluation research to monitor program, project, and activity implementation to document results and translate SI/MEL and other data into meaningful policy and program improvements.
- This role also provides senior-level technical guidance to Health Office leaders, the broader USAID Mission, implementing partners (IPs) involved in PEPFAR program monitoring and evaluation, and within the host government. The Senior Specialist serves as a C/AOR or Activity Manager, responsible for providing technical and programmatic guidance to assigned activities.
- Note: This is a Standard Position Description (SPD), designed for use in multiple locations; therefore, percentages of time for each Major Duty are omitted.
Statement of Duties to be Performed
Program / Project/Activity Performance Management and Reporting:
- Provides senior/high-level technical guidance to Health Office, Mission staff, IPs, and other USG agencies on MEL concepts, processes, design, training, and best practices.
- Provides expert direction and technical guidance in implementing the Health Office portions of the Mission Performance Management Plan (PMP) and SI/MEL services and support to IPs in developing and implementing Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plans.
- Advises IPs on the Performance Monitoring Plan systems and specific measurement techniques appropriate for their programs, projects, and activities.
- Provides technical SI and M&E expertise to the Program Office, USAID/Washington, and other USG agencies to plan and manage Health Office responsibilities related to the PMP, including data collection, validity assessment, and data quality improvement.
- Develops innovative and cross-cutting monitoring tools, including Data Quality Assessment and Improvement (DQA/I) tools, and ensures the proper collection of data and appropriate measurement of indicators.
- Provides technical leadership to CORs/AORs and IPs to ensure that activity work plans and monitoring plans include relevant and effective performance measures.
- Leads, designs, and performs assessments, studies, and research that require independent analysis and interpretation on a regular basis, often involving substantive and sensitive topics.
- Provides expert guidance to Health Office technical staff on defining measurable indicators and targets and editing quarterly, semi-annual, and annual performance reports.
- Leads USAID’s support to the host government for developing and managing a national information system and a central repository (data warehouse) for health data, serving as the USAID point of contact for Health data and information systems.
Evaluation and Organizational Learning:
- Provides technical guidance and leadership to ensure evaluations are properly planned and carried out professionally, aiding Health Office CORs/AORs in drafting appropriate Scopes of Work (SOWs) for evaluation teams.
- Leads a team in developing and executing an evaluation plan that ensures compliance with USAID Evaluation Policy, advising thematic teams on planning, designing, and implementing appropriate Evaluation Plans.
- Provides technical guidance and leadership to other USG agencies in developing, preparing, and disseminating results of Public Health evaluations, Demographic Health Surveys, etc.
- Leads cross-cutting evaluations, supports the prioritization and implementation of recommendations, and manages the Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) component of Health Office activities.
- Organizes and leads roundtables and consultations with Health Office staff, IPs, and other stakeholders to develop a Learning Agenda for health interventions and manages the implementation of research and evaluation activities and dissemination of results.
- Provides technical leadership and oversight to the Ministry of Health and other host-country government staff to ensure national-level data is available and reliable, working with inter-agency Heads of Departments and senior technical staff.
Project Management:
- Serves as a C/AOR and/or Activity Manager for SI/MEL programs, projects, and activities awarded through the Health Office, providing financial and programmatic oversight to ensure contracts and grants achieve anticipated results.
- Conducts site visits as required to monitor progress and provide technical and programmatic recommendations to ensure the effectiveness, efficiency, and judicious use of USG funding.
Representation:
- Represents the Health Office, Mission, and USG at national and/or international technical and programmatic meetings and in consultations with other social sector donors, government officials, and IPs.
- Provides technical and strategic leadership in preparing key annual and mid-term planning reporting documents, including the Country Operational Plan, Operational Plan, Congressional Budget Justifications, Technical Notifications, and Quarterly, Semi-Annual, and Annual Progress Reports.
- Drafts talking points and/or speeches for the Office Chief, Mission Director, Ambassador, and others as required, and prepares briefing papers, and presentations, and coordinates site preparations for VIP site visits.
Supervisory Relationship:
- The USAID Development Assistance Senior Specialist (Strategic Information/Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning [SI/MEL]) works under the general supervision of the Health Office Chief and the closer but general supervision of the Strategic Information Division Chief.
- The supervisor makes assignments in terms of overall objectives and resources available. Completed work is reviewed in terms of achievement of program, project, and activity goals, effectiveness in meeting host-country and USAID objectives, and integration with other initiatives in the Office and Mission portfolio.
- Some technical direction may come from other professionals in the Office; however, the Senior Specialist is generally expected to exercise considerable autonomy and judgment in discharging the duties of the assignment.
Supervisory Controls:
- Continuing supervision of other Division and Office staff is not anticipated. The Senior Specialist may be assigned as a group or Team Leader but will not serve as a full supervisor. The Senior Specialist is expected to serve as a mentor to C/AORs, Assistant-level staff, and others in SI and MEL systems and processes and to provide other work guidance as assigned.
Physical Demand:
- The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.
Minimum Qualifications Required for this Position
Education:
- Completion of a US-style University Master’s Degree in a field related to Social Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, Computer Science, Epidemiology, Health Informatics, Public Health, Infectious Disease, Zoonotic Disease, Biology, or another quantitative discipline, or the local equivalent, is required.
Prior Work Experience:
- Five years of progressively responsible job-related professional-level experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) and other surveillance systems, evaluation of program, project, and activity implementation, in direct program, project, and activity management, or in a closely related activity is required.
- At least two years of this experience in a development-oriented workplace or a related field, for USAID, other donor agencies, host-country organizations, or private-sector institutions, which included project design, performance monitoring, and/or the analysis and interpretation of large amounts of data, is required.
Language Proficiency:
- Level IV (fluent proficiency) in English, and in the appropriate host-country business language, both written and spoken, is required. Language competence may be tested.
Job Knowledge:
- The Senior Specialist must have in-depth, professional-level knowledge of development approaches and methods for performance analysis, data visualization, and program design, monitoring, and evaluation.
- The Senior Specialist must have excellent knowledge of MEL systems, public health programming, and international donor operations in the sector.
- The Senior Specialist must also understand the economic, political, social, and cultural characteristics of the host country, development problems in the health sector, resources, resource constraints, and overall development prospects and priorities of the host country and the region.
- Working knowledge of USG legislation, policy, and practice related to monitoring, evaluation, and learning, as well as USAID programming policies, regulations, procedures, and documentation, is required.
Skills and Abilities:
- The Senior Specialist must have the ability to plan, organize, and execute complex SI/MEL activities, including the ability to provide technical leadership and apply this ability to programming in the host country and the region.
- The Senior Specialist must have the ability to issue precise and accurate factual reports using rigorous analytical and interpretive skills.
- Excellent communication skills, both in writing and speaking, are required, especially in being able to communicate technical subjects to individuals with nontechnical backgrounds. The role requires the ability to respond professionally and adjust in fluid situations to meet deadlines in the face of competing priorities and time pressures.
- Excellent computer and software skills, including proficiency in Excel, SPSS, STATA, R, and/or other analytical databases, are also required.
Application Closing Date
12th September, 2024.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should forward their CV to: abujahr@usaid.gov using the Job Title as the subject of the email.
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