Title: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Officer
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Open to: Kenyan Nationals & Residents
Application Deadline: September 11, 2019
Background
Pedagogical Leadership in Africa (PedaL) is one of nine partnerships supported by Strategic Partnerships for Higher Education Innovation and Reform (SPHEIR). SPHEIR was established by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) to deliver systemic and sustainable change within higher education systems, enabling them to meet labour market needs and generate the job-ready, entrepreneurial graduates needed to accelerate development, build inclusive societies and promote strong economic growth. SPHEIR partnerships seek to transform the quality, relevance, access and affordability of higher education to achieve sustainable, systemic change.
The PedaL partnership implements a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) plan to track, assess and report progress made towards attaining the desired outputs, outcomes as well as impact. The MEL plan also facilitates the harnessing of lessons from emerging intentional and unintentional results to enhance the expected impact of PedaL. The MEL work cuts across interlinked activities in PedaL partner institutions and other participating universities. It also involves working closely with the University PedaL Implementation Teams responsible for implementation of PedaL in respective partner universities.
PASGR is an independent, non-partisan pan-African not-for-profit organisation established in 2011 and located in Nairobi, Kenya. Currently engaged in more than 12 African countries, PASGR works to enhance research excellence in governance and public policy that contributes to the overall wellbeing of all.
PASGR is recruiting for the position of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Officer to be situated in the Higher Education Programme. The right candidate should be able to provide technical expertise and overarching support for successful implementation of the MEL plan reporting directly to PASGR Director of Higher Education who provides oversight for successful implementation of the MEL plan.
Role Profile
Summary of Key Responsibilities:
Coordinate implementation of MEL plan across the partnership:
- Monitor progress and effects of PedaL against strategic priorities;
- Support UPITs to monitor and evaluate progress and effect of PedaL in respective universities as well as coherence with the overall strategic priorities; and,
- Facilitate monitoring of cross cutting issues by all stakeholders at all levels.
Ensuring quality and accountability of MEL:
- Ensure the systems used to collect data on indicators and to generate relevant MEL reports comply with established quality standards;
- Analyse lessons learned for quality and accountability; and,
- Facilitate external reviews/audits as agreed with UPITs and PedaL Steering Committee.
Provision of technical support to each of the UPITs to:
- Monitor and evaluate implementing partner universities contributions towards PedaL indicators of success and set milestones;
- Develop and use simple and value-adding monitoring strategies and tools;
- Identify best practices as well as opportunities for MEL capacity building;
- Undertake reporting responsibilities ensuring coherence with existing reporting requirements.
Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing on MEL:
- Lead on the analysis, interpretation and reporting of MEL results;
- Identify and formulate MEL findings, lessons learned and recommendations and avail results for decision-making processes and further project development;
- Facilitate dissemination of lessons learnt across the PedaL partnership, other SPHEIR partnerships, donors and other stakeholders as need arises.
Information Management:
- Design and frequently update the PedaL database;
- Liaise with UPITs to provide data; lead the aggregation of data across the partnership and facilitate access.
Any other duties that the PASGR Executive Director and Higher Education Programme Director/PedaL Team Leader may assign you.
Summary of Key Responsibilities:
Coordinate implementation of MEL plan across the partnership:
- Monitor progress and effects of PedaL against strategic priorities;
- Support UPITs to monitor and evaluate progress and effect of PedaL in respective universities as well as coherence with the overall strategic priorities; and,
- Facilitate monitoring of cross cutting issues by all stakeholders at all levels.
Ensuring quality and accountability of MEL:
- Ensure the systems used to collect data on indicators and to generate relevant MEL reports comply with established quality standards;
- Analyse lessons learned for quality and accountability; and,
- Facilitate external reviews/audits as agreed with UPITs and PedaL Steering Committee.
Provision of technical support to each of the UPITs to:
- Monitor and evaluate implementing partner universities contributions towards PedaL indicators of success and set milestones;
- Develop and use simple and value-adding monitoring strategies and tools;
- Identify best practices as well as opportunities for MEL capacity building;
- Undertake reporting responsibilities ensuring coherence with existing reporting requirements.
Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing on MEL:
- Lead on the analysis, interpretation and reporting of MEL results;
- Identify and formulate MEL findings, lessons learned and recommendations and avail results for decision-making processes and further pro
Information Management:
- Design and frequently update the PedaL database;
- Liaise with UPITs to provide data; lead the aggregation of data across the partnership and facilitate access.
Any other duties that the PASGR Executive Director and Higher Education Programme Director/PedaL Team Leader may assign you.
Competencies
- Education:
- Master’s Degree or above in the social sciences or any other relevant discipline
2. Knowledge / skills:
- Knowledge of principles and current approaches to MEL;
- Strong skills in collecting, analysing, interpreting qualitative and quantitative data;
- Knowledge of stakeholder engagement;
- A high level of written and verbal communication, including an ability to write clear and concise reports; and,
- Sound knowledge of design and delivery of higher education programmes.
3. Experience:
- Minimum of five years professional experience in a senior MEL position responsible for implementing MEL activities of international development projects;
- Hands-on experience at the national or international level in design, monitoring and evaluation of complex projects, preferably across multiple locations;
- Proven capacity to build the MEL skills of colleagues and/or partners;
- Experience in evaluation of higher education programmes; and,
- Experience in the use of office software packages and handling of web based project management systems.
4. Personal characteristics:
- Excellent interpersonal and intercultural skills and ability to interact professionally with partners, donors, stakeholders and staff at all levels of the organisation;
- Skilled at multitasking and prioritising, working independently with minimal supervision, leading and designing projects autonomously;
- Team player, facilitating open communication in the team and building relationships;
- Flexible and adaptable: willing work irregular hours in accordance with the needs of the role;
- Initiative taker, makes sound judgment, creates synergy and manages conflict; and,
- Open to learning and sharing knowledge.
5. Functional Competencies
- Building partnerships: maintains an established network of contacts for data collection as well as general information sharing and remains up-to-date on partnership related issues;
- Innovative: documents and analyses innovative strategies and new approaches for purposes of updating the MEL plan; and,
- Stakeholder orientation: establishes, builds and sustains effective relationships within the work unit, partnership, and with internal and external stakeholders; anticipates the needs of partners and addresses them promptly.
Salary
This position attracts a competitive package that includes basic salary, medical, group life and group personal accident insurance and provident fund up to pre-set limits.
How to apply:
Applications must be submitted electronically via email to PASGR (recruitment@pasgr.org) by 11/09/2019, at 1700hrs. Canvassing will lead to disqualification.
All applications must contain:
- Application letter stating why you are best suited for this role
- Curriculum Vitae with a list of 3 references
PASGR is an Equal Opportunity Employer