Pact seeks a Director of Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MERL) for the anticipated USAID Madagascar Access Miahy Activity. USAID Access Miahy’s goal is to accelerate sustainable reductions in maternal, neonatal and child morbidity and mortality through increased access and availability of quality primary health care (PHC) services. Access Miahy will continue building the capacity of Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) actors and other relevant stakeholders at district, facility and community levels to design, develop, manage, deliver, monitor and evaluate health services and programs aligned with the intervention packages in their catchment areas.

USAID Access Miahy is anticipated to be a $50-$99M cooperative agreement; the anticipated release date is August 16, 2024, with an anticipated award date of October 31, 2024. This position is subject to project award; please note that the position title, requirements, and responsibilities are subject to change depending on USAID’s final qualifications for this role.

This position is anticipated to be based in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

The Director of MERL will provide strategic guidance, vision, and management for successful monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning components of the Access Miahy program. The position will develop monitoring, evaluation, and reporting (MER) systems that include appropriate indicators, baseline data, targets, and a plan to evaluate performance. The Director will develop a research agenda for the activity, and ensure methodological rigor of research undertaken, strategic learning and data use within the program. The position will also oversee the development and submission of timely, accurate, and complete reporting and supervise MERL staff, ensuring the strategic and functional integration of all MERL activities as well as active collaboration with sub-awardees and USAID.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and implementation of the program’s MERL system in collaboration with Pact’s LEAP (Learning, Evidence, and Impact) [Monitoring and Evaluation] Team to develop key RMNCH and health systems performance indicators, targets, tools, and appropriate MERL responsibilities across the project.
• Overss data collection, collation, storage, analysis, and reporting, ensuring that data is of high quality and audit worthy.
• Train, supervise, and mentor a team of MERL staff and oversee consortium partners’ compliance with the MEL system.
• Conduct and manage Routine Data Quality Assessments (RDQA); ensuring implementation of corrective actions to improve data quality and accountability of staff and partners.
• Oversee the development and maintenance of a comprehensive strategic information management system roll-out and ensure accurate usage for timely program monitoring, performance tracking, learning and adaptation.
• Design and manage a flexible research agenda, ensuring methodological rigor of research and lead/ facilitate the implementation of studies and coordinate presentation of findings, with support from Pact’s LEAP Team.
• Lead the program team on routine reviews and interpretation of data for learning and adaptation; package and disseminate timely findings in a meaningful way, and make suggestions for adaption, using USAID collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA) approaches, tools and strategies.
• Liaise with USAID MERL staff and with counterparts at international, government, non-government agencies involved in related activities and collaborate in promoting high quality results and complementary efforts.

Basic Requirements

• Master’s degree in statistics, evaluation, public health, international development, social sciences, or other relevant field and a minimum of 9+’ years of relevant experience working in monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning on public health programs in sub-Saharan Africa or other resource-limited settings. Bachelor’s degree and 11 years of experience may be substituted, pending release of final position requirements from USAID.

Preferred Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years of management experience.
• Minimum of 5 years leading the MERL component of a USAID-funded project of similar size and scope. Experience in Madagascar strongly preferred.
• Documented hands-on practical experience setting up and managing MER systems for health programs in developing countries, including data quality assurance.
• Demonstrated expertise in rigorous quantitative and qualitative research and experience in M&E capacity building.
• Proven ability to produce professional quality English-language documents such as progress reports, case studies, and research protocols. Full professional proficiency in English and French.
• Malagasy candidates are encouraged to apply.

Pact is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, citizenship status, genetic information, matriculation, family responsibilities, personal appearance, credit information, tobacco use (except in the workplace), membership in an employee organization, or other protected classifications or non-merit factors.

At Pact, we recognize your impact, offer you opportunities and support your total well-being. Our comprehensive benefit offerings may include healthcare, retirement (8.8% to 13% based on service tenure) and savings plans, paid time off, disability and life insurance programs, learning and development opportunities, wellness programs as well as other optional benefit elections .

With the continuing impacts of COVID-19 around the world, we are taking action to protect the health and well-being of our colleagues and maintain the safety of the communities where we operate. Pact seeks an environment free from COVID-19 and prefers all employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Attestation of vaccination status will be required for employment with Pact. Unvaccinated employees may be subject to additional health and safety requirements to include any federal, state and/or client restrictions.