Description
HPI is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identify, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability.
Heifer Project International in Uganda is set to implement a 5-year project funded by the Master Card Foundation under its program the Young Africa Works. The project seeks to improve socio-economic wellbeing and resilience of young people in the Busoga sub-region by 2028. The project target is to reach 250,000 young people between 16-35 years (70% females and 3% youth with disabilities). The project will achieve this target by facilitating collaboration with like-minded partners to include, The Corsortium for Enhancing University responsiveness to Agribusiness Development Limited (CURAD), The Federation fo Small & Medium Enterprises (FSME), Financial Sector Deepening Uganda (FSDU) and ASIGMA group.
FUNCTION
The Stimulating Agribusiness for Youth Employment (SAYE) Monitoring, Learning and Evaluation officer will directly report to the MLE (SAYE) manager. She/He will provide technical support to the project and work in close collaboration with the respective SAYE consortium partners and their MLE leads with the view to support the project MLE function.
The MEL Officer will play a key role in providing support for monitoring, evaluation and learning at a cluster level and S/he will be the lead MEL per in the location. S/he will be responsible for overall strengthening of the MEL function, MEL capacity building, ensuring quality assurance, documentation, and learning needs for improvement of the cluster area and will come up with findings based on real data to show the performance of the programme area and the project. Under the guidance of the SAYE MLE manager, the officer will work with partners to strengthen the partners information system, prepare periodic reports and promote pragmatic learning.
ESSENTIAL CHARACTER TRAITS
Respect, accountability, courage, analytical, proactive problem-solving, numerical accuracy.
RESPONSIBILITIES & DELIVERABLES
A. Program effectiveness (50%)
- Support the Implementation of MLE framework and plan of SAYE at cluster level.
- Maintain an update project data and MELS systems to capture data to feed into management decisions.
- Recommend steps for strategic adjustments and steps and provide follow up to implementation based on data captured through MLE framework and plan.
- Responsible to ensure quality data is captured through the MLE system and incorporating adjustments as needed.
- Responsible for building MLE capacity.
- Coordinate MLE activities between researches, evaluators and internal MLE staff.
- Play an active role in the development of a comprehensive M&E plan for SAYE including development of approaches, process, tools, schedules, among others.
- Maintain updated SAYE data management system at country level.
- Update the program database and other relevant systems.
- Data analysis and dissemination, conducting regular data quality audits.
- Periodic data collection and analysis in accordance with the monitoring plan.
- Timely roll out of data collection tools, schedules among others to the hubs.
- Working with the MLE manager to design data collection tools along with the respective implementation guidelines.
- Provide hubs with key M&E and reporting tools and support them in their use and enhance technical capacity of the hub managers on M&E
- Monthly identification of lessons learned and developing case studies to capture qualitative outputs of the project and provide advice to the supervisor on improving project performance using M&E findings.
B. Project Reporting and Documentation (25%)
- Produce monthly, quarterly and annual reports that are compliant with requirements of data quality and timeliness.
- Provide technical support to the hub teams in documentation of success stories and relate project impacts.
- Work with the MLE manager on reporting results to the regional team by providing written documentation on M&E activities and indicator results for progress and annual reports as appropriate.
- Provide technical leadership in building the capacity of the hubs management team on documentation and record keeping.
- Capacity building through training, feedback, coaching, and mentoring of staff in data collection and analysis
- Maintains accurate information in project database as well as accurate and timely electronic files.
- Collaborate with the different units to periodically monitor the quality of data collected and the reports produced.
- Prepare project progress reports (monthly, quarterly, annually) and ensure they are compliant with expected quality standards and timelines.
- Project lessons learned documented and disseminated to stake holders on a quarterly basis.
- On a monthly basis update and maintain a project database at all levels needed as per the MLE frameworkand ensure compliance with expected quality standards and timelines.
- All hubs have updated records/databases.
C. Management and compliance (20%)
- Coordinate project reviews and planning workshops and assist the Project Director in dessesminating relevant reports.
- Ensure high-quality implementation, consistent with HPI’s and Mastercard Foundation monitoring and evaluation guidelines, protocols, information and reporting systems.
- Ensure protection and confidentiality of SAYE and participant data during SAYE reviews and evaluation processes.
- Organize periodic learning days and annual learning summits with country and hub staff to help them identify successes and make decisions about adapting activities and approaches to achive results.
- Maintain monthly updated program database at country level as per the MLE framework.
- On a monthly basis closely review data and indicators progress to ensure that corrective recommendations are provided on a timely basis.
- Maintain updated accurate information in project database as well as accurate and timely paper electronic files.
- Ensure that production of training and education materials reflects information needs identified by the MLE system.
- Contractual obligations realized.
- Implementing and tracking of all the proposed corrective measures to ensure the project is on track within the planned period.
- Ensuring that all monitoring and evaluation processes integrate safeguarding measures.
- Develop monitoring and evaluation indicators in routine project activities and ensure periodic reporting on the indicators.
May perform other duties as assigned (5%)
Minimum Requirements
- Bachelor’s Degree in monitoring and Evaluation, Economics and/or Statistics, Social Reseach or an equivalent with an academic focus on Monitoring and Evaluation plus four (4) years of direct relevant experience in MLE management of large-scale projects.
Preferred requirements
- In-depth knowledge on MEL and development issues.
- Proven ICT skills, especially MS Excel, MS word and MS PowerPoint.
- Expertise in analyzing data using statistical software, especially SPSS and STATA.
- Solid MLE experience, gained in working in the development context.
- Demonstrated social reseach experience.
- Experience in supporting and monitoring field-based programs in the country.
- Proven experience in staff and partner training.
- Experience in developing field data collection tools.
- Experience in quantitative and qualitative data collection .
- Experience in developing MLE plans.
- Demostrated experience in data analysis.
- Report writing.
Most Critical proficiencies
- Innovative, analytical, and solutions oriented.
- Demonstrated effective organizing and planning skills.
- Ability to write clear and concise reports and to make effective oral presentations.
- A good understanding of and sensitivity to issues associated with poverty, hunger and the environment, and knowledge of the context in which non-profit organizations operate.
- Knowledge of youth workforce development issues, especially in rural communities of the East Africa region.
- Good understanding of the different value chains within the agricultural sector.
- Excellent organizational skills, including strong attention to detail.
- Proven experience in building the capacity of partner institutions to document and disseminate industry information, manage knowledge, measure progress and plan and advocate within the industry.
- Proficient knowledge of word processing, spreadsheets, presentation tools, electronic mail (Microsoft Office preferred) and Internet.
- Demonstrated proficiency in English, both oral and written.
- Ability to work in a team.
Essential Job Functions and Physical Demands
- Ability to prepare and present documents in a well-designed and attractive format with superior attention to detail.
- Demonstrated creativity, ability to think systematically, willingness and ability to incorporate innovative solutions.
- Quantitative and qualitative approaches to evaluation and ability to communicate MLE concepts clearly with leadership, partners, and staff at all levels.
- Willingness and ability to assign and review the work of direct reports and to use participatory management skills with junior and senior staff.
- Proven team leadership and supervisory skills with the ability to train and work cooperatively with a diverse staff, including field staff in various locations.
- Constant face-to-face, telephone and electronic communication with colleagues and the general public.
- May require constant sitting; working at a computer and focusing for extended periods of time and performing office environment activities while on the road and/or in remote conditions.
- Working with sensitive information and maintaining confidentiality.
- Ability to manage and execute multiple tasks with little supervision while meeting sometimes inflexible deadlines.
NOTE: The Mastercard Foundation adheres to the highest standards of care related to its programs, those involved in carrying out its mission, and the millions of young people it supports in accessing dignified and fulfilling work. The Foundation has a zero-tolerance policy for all forms of misconduct and takes seriously its responsibility to improve the safety and well-being of the young people who participate in its programs. This duty of care is shared by the Foundation’s partners. As such, during recruitment of staff for Foundation supported programs, all necessary mechanisms are put in place to ascertain that candidates under consideration share our commitment to safeguarding.
Deadline for Application: 26th February 2023.