Management Sciences for Health (MSH) saves lives and improves health by helping public and private organizations throughout the world to effectively manage people, medicines, money, and information. Working from more than 30 country offices and our Arlington, Virginia and Medford, Massachusetts US headquarters, our staff from 65 nations is highly regarded for its technical expertise, integrity, and commitment to making a lasting difference in health. We live our mission to save lives and improve the health of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people by closing the gap between knowledge and action in public health.

MSH is seeking a Director for Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) for a USAID-supported health program in Nigeria. The proposed program will support USAID’s strengthening Quality of Care (QoC) through Primary Healthcare (PHC) health systems strengthening (HSS) with an emphasis on reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) to improve the capacity of the Federal and State Ministry of Health (F/SMOH), local organizations, and communities to deliver quality, integrated health services. The MERL Director will strengthen monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning elements of the scope; especially generating and sharing learning across states as well as ensuring alignment of the Theory of Change (TOC) framework with state, national and global measurement frameworks. This includes those related to RMNCH, Malaria, Immunization and Nutrition. Building on the achievements of current and past USAID-supported activities, MSH will work through partnerships with the Government of Nigeria (GON), civil society, and local implementers to 1) increase resiliency, responsiveness, and accountability of the health system; 2) increase coverage and equitable access to essential primary health care interventions; and 3) work to increase the quality of evidence-based primary health interventions, toward the ultimate goal of sustainable improvements to the health status of the Nigerian population.

This position is contingent upon project award and funding.

OVERALL RESPONSIBILITIES:

The MERL Director will be responsible for the monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning components of this project. The MERL Director will develop monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) systems and design applied research studies. The MERL Director will be responsible for designing the MEL system in alignment with the MoH HMIS system, leading the project data collection, conducting data analysis to inform the project implementation, and producing timely, accurate project reports. The MERL Director will be responsible for the overall management of the monitoring, evaluation, and research system for the project.

The MERL Director will ensure the smooth operation and quality performance of technical efforts and field activities by coordinating and overseeing quality programmatic reporting, quality of data management, and strategic information. The MERL Director is responsible for leading the development and implementation of a plan to monitor progress, evaluate effectiveness, promote learning and adaptive management, systematically disseminate results, as well as overseeing operations, research, and other data analysis to facilitate evidence-based improvements in project performance and expand understanding and lessons learned. The MERL Director will ensure adherence to the monitoring of project activities using developed tools and indicators.

The MERL Director reports to the Chief of Party (COP); participates in the project leadership team; collaborates with the Technical Directors; and provides direct supervision to other technical staff.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide in-country technical leadership, and support for monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL) . These tasks include, among others: Ensure the integration of MEL activities into all project components; Support the development and regularly update detailed annual work plans and selection of indicators and annual implementation plans with a view toward the project’s MEL requirements to assure alignment between technical and MEL strategies; Collect, report, and analyze information on project activities; Collect routine and non-routine data for the MEL plan; monitor project performance, including progress towards annual work plans, expected outputs, including selecting and monitoring progress in meeting indicators; and systematically review, reflect, and use those data to improve project performance in partnership with MEL and technical teams; Adapt and implement tools and techniques to improve data quality and the use of data for decision making; Compile information on lessons learned and expertise within and outside the project; Coordinate the preparation of all quarterly progress reports, annual project reports, inception reports, ad-hoc technical reports, and success stories for USAID funding in line with the required formats; Ensure timely and complete reporting from in-country executing partners by approved USAID and MOH reporting formats.
• Design and implement capacity strengthening focused on MEL to selected stakeholders and sub-contractors participating in project activities, including Federal and State Governments, Local Government Authorities, Ward Development Council, and local NGOs, faith-based organizations, and civil society. Specific topic areas of MEL capacity strengthening will ideally be demand driven; examples could include the following topic areas: reporting and management use of periodically collected health information, Data Quality Assurance, DHIS2, and LQAS. Example modalities include monthly seminars, hands-on training, mentoring, and coaching.
• Lead the design and implementation of operational research, including the development of scientific protocols for submission to the relevant institutional review board (IRB).

QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree in management, MEL, health sciences, public health, or related subject with at least 8+ years of relevant work experience in MEL donor-funded public health programs in Nigeria or West Africa, USAID experience required, MEL training and capacity strengthening experience required.
• Proven experience establishing data quality assurance systems with software applications related to project planning and monitoring. Prior experience with DHIS2 and other routine health information systems.
• Experience designing and conducting operations research. Understanding of human subjects research principles; prior experience developing scientific protocols for submission to institutional review boards. Knowledge of and experience implementation science frameworks preferred. Knowledge and experience with complexity aware methods, such as outcome mapping and outcome harvesting, preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to lead MEL staff and consultants within a consortium of international and local sub-contractors to achieve measurable results within an integrated health program.
• Proven experience in engaging MEL staff of the host country government, civil society organizations, international development organizations, and NGOs to support project implementation and/or to provide complementary resources.
• High levels of diplomacy, conflict management, team building, written and oral communication, and negotiation skills.
• Fluency in written and spoken English, and demonstrated capacity to effectively communicate and document, including the writing of quality reports and detailed analysis of strategic information. Fluency in a local language is a distinct advantage.

Qualified local female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.