Reporting to: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Specialist

Location: Remotely- based in Africa, Europe, or Central Asia

Main Purpose of the position

To ensure that it is fit for purpose, through enhanced organizational effectiveness, ICARDA adopted a results-based management (RBM) system, mainstreamed across and beyond the organization, under the custodianship of the ICARDA MEL team. The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) team at ICARDA is comprised of the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) sub-team, the Knowledge Management (KM) sub-team, the Data Management (DM) sub-team and the Research Software Development (RSD) sub-team. The ICARDA MEL team staff are located in several countries across the globe and work collaboratively with MEL, Data and Knowledge Management teams from the CGIAR System, other CGIAR centres and Research Programs, and non-CGIAR entities.

To further champion results-based management at ICARDA, associated CGIAR centers and research programs, ICARDA seeks to hire a self-driven and competent ‘M&E Officer’. The selected individual, under the guidance of the MEL Specialist, will contribute to the design, enhancement, and implementation of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) systems and tools.

About ICARDA

The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is a treaty-based international non-profit research organization supported by CGIAR.ICARDA’s mission is to reduce poverty, enhance food, water, and nutritional security, as well as environmental health in the face of global challenges including climate change. We do this through innovative science, strategic partnerships, linking research to development, and capacity development that take into account gender equality and the role of youth in transforming the dry areas. ICARDA works in partnership with governments, universities, civil society, national agricultural research organizations, other CGIAR Research Centers, and the private sector. With its temporary Headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, ICARDA operates in regional and country offices across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. For more information: www.icarda.org.

All CGIAR Centers are currently engaged into a reform process (“One CGIAR’”) that will help ICARDA and CGIAR achieve better impact through more strategically integrated research, unified governance, an integrated structure, and new research modalities across participating Research Centers. This transformation is supported by CGIAR donors who have committed to increased funding as a result of these reforms.

Main responsibilities

• Support the formulation and review of institutional- and project-level results frameworks, including logical frameworks, theories of change, impact pathways, indicators etc. This activity will be conducted in collaboration with scientists and the grants unit for new project proposals, active projects, and cross-cutting research themes.
• Support ICARDA indicators reporting through data collection, quality assurance, and analysis both at the research project level and institutional ICARDA level. This activity will be conducted in collaboration with scientists and ICARDA leadership to discuss data collection and key findings from a technical M&E perspective
• Participate in the development of methodologies for outcome and impact monitoring/forecasting and evaluation.
• Support research studies through the development of data collection tools and program or provide technical backstopping for their programming in mobile data collection platforms such as ODK, ONA, CSPro, KOBOToolbox, etc.
• Provide training on the use of the developed data collection tool(s) and manage the resultant data.
• Support ICARDA research programs in the development and review of Plans of Work Budget and reporting processes.
• Support the identification, documentation and sharing/ dissemination of lessons learned.
• Support evaluation processes initiated by ICARDA or partner/associated projects and research programs.
• Support user-based testing and piloting of new features to enhance web-based MEL platform (HTTP://mel.cgiar.org).
• Undertake other tasks relevant for the efficient and effective running of the monitoring, evaluation and learning function, as may be assigned by the MEL Specialist.

Requirements

Education, qualifications, and experience

Essential qualifications and competencies

• Master’s degree in Monitoring and Evaluation, Agricultural Economics, Water/Irrigation Engineering, Rangeland Ecology and Conservation, Plant Breeding, Livestock Management, Soil Science, Gender, or related disciplines.
• 3-5 years of work experience in monitoring and evaluation with an organization with a mandate similar to ICARDA’s.
• Previous experience in: a) coordinating an external evaluation; or (b) conducting a field study to measure Outcomes or Impacts.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English. Additional international language(s) proficiency is/are an asset.
• Ability to engage with high-level stakeholders in a clear and professional way
• Strong computer skills, including in using MS Office, and familiarity with web-based platforms.
• Knowledge of or experience working on international development issues, especially in areas related to ICARDA’s mandate.

• Demonstrated ability to consistently meet deadlines and manage time well.
• Professional level of attention to detail, accuracy of work & ability to multitask.

• Ability to work in interdisciplinary & multicultural teams.
• Knowledge of the CGIAR, its research portfolio and Centers.

Desirable qualifications and competencies

• PhD in Monitoring and Evaluation, Agricultural Economics, Water/Irrigation Engineering, Rangeland Ecology and Conservation, Plant Breeding, Livestock Management, Soil Science, or related disciplines
• 5-10 years of work experience in monitoring and evaluation with an organization with a mandate similar to ICARDA’s.

Benefits

Terms of appointment, salary and benefits

The successful candidate will be offered a one-year consultancy contract on a full-time basis, renewable subject to continued need for the position, availability of fund and satisfactory performance.

The Incumbent will be provided with a monthly honorarium.

Please be advised that ICARDA accepts applications only in English, as per the organization’s standard communication language. Applications in other languages will not be considered.

ICARDA is committed to increasing women representation in its workforce and strongly encourages applications from women.

Applications will be acknowledged, but only shortlisted candidates will be contacted