Counterpart International is currently seeking a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Manager for the implementation of the upcoming USAID Burundi Itongo Ryanje, Itunga Ryanje Activity. The overall objective of the Activity is to improve the livelihoods of women growers and small holders in Ngozi province, Burundi, and subsequently improve their ability to influence their family and community due to increased social status. The Activity will support land titling and certification, improve agricultural productivity and climate resilience, and increase women growers’ access to resources and markets. The position will report to the Chief of Party of the project. The MEL Manager will be responsible for all aspects of program monitoring, evaluation, and learning and related reporting, research, and communications. He/she will be responsible for the project’s MEL plan and related reporting as well as the research and learning agenda. In addition, the MEL Manager will lead the implementation of regular learning activities and all MEL reporting and communications. The successful candidate will bring experience providing local staff and sub-grantee partners with the evidence, capacity, tools, technical assistance, and/or services required to design, implement, monitor, and/or evaluate program interventions as well as implement learning activities.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and oversee the program’s performance management and reporting system, including preparing and reporting against the project’s MEL Plan.
• Implement flexible mechanisms for adaptive management and learning throughout the project cycle
• Establish and provide training on data collection and management systems to local project staff.
• Design, conduct, and manage internal assessments and evaluations to assess program impact.
• Support external evaluators in the implementation of evaluations of the project, as required.
• Ensure the collection of quality quantitative and qualitative data through sound data collection methodologies and data analysis and by conducting periodic data quality assessments.
• Ensure data integrity throughout the process of data collection, storage, entry, verification, cleaning, analysis and reporting.
• Conduct regular visits to project sites to ensure proper monitoring of project activities
• Collect, analyze, and synthesize data for reports to USAID and Counterpart HQ.
• Work closely with the COP and HQ staff to review program performance and propose adjustments to reflect best practices and learning.
• Produce high-quality, accessible written analysis to inform priorities, stakeholders, and donors.
• Design and implement a learning dissemination strategy and hold regular learning activities to identify and address knowledge gaps by prioritizing learning questions and planning and resourcing learning activities.
• Report on monthly, quarterly, and annual progress providing information to all relevant stakeholders, including project participants.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in economics, data analytics, international development, social sciences, statistics, or another relevant field; master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum 8 years of experience working on international development programs. Experience working on monitoring and evaluation for agriculture, economic growth, market systems, women’s empowerment and/or land rights programs strongly preferred.
• Experience managing MEL functions for donor-funded international development programs, including designing and implementing MEL results frameworks; developing performance management plans, work plans, and indicators; developing and implementing learning agendas and activities; and monitoring on-going programs for USAID or other large donor organizations.
• Ability to produce displays, summaries, reports, research briefs and other data-based products to facilitate user-friendly consumption of information.
• Experience with data analysis and presentation using Excel and data analysis and visualization packages. Additional software and technical skills (databases, mobile technology, GIS, and statistical packages) preferred.
• Experience linking research and program findings into program design and implementation.
• Experience in producing program-level reports that assess the progress of broad programmatic interventions toward strategic objectives.
• Experience with quantitative and qualitative research methods.
• Demonstrated ability to develop gender-sensitive indicators and targets for women and other historically marginalized groups.
• Experience working effectively with government officials, non-governmental partners, and USAID and/or other donors.
• Knowledge of and experience applying CLA methodologies.
• Experience working on USAID-funded programs is preferred.
• Prior work experience in Burundi or the region.
• Fluency in English and French required; Kirundi preferred.