Background

The Africa Trade and Investment (ATI) Activity is designed to bolster the U.S. Government’s ability to boost trade and investment too, from, and within the African continent. The continent-wide program is USAID’s flagship effort in support of the Prosper Africa initiative and will expand and accelerate two-way trade and investment between African nations and the United States.

Driven by market demand, ATI embraces innovative approaches to achieve its goals. ATI is designed as a small, core set of centrally coordinated technical and institutional support activities and a large, flexible performance-based subcontracting and grants under contract facility designed to support the needs and opportunities that USAID Missions and the private sector identify.

Summary of Primary Duties

The MEL Manager is responsible for managing ATI’s MEL systems, and the Buy-in MEL function, developing MEL plans, and conducting data analysis for the respective ATI and buy-in needs. They will directly support and manage the ATI database ensuring that ATI data and information needs are consistently provided and organized. They are responsible for the overall availability and consistent performance and optimizations of the database solutions. The MEL Manager will work with stakeholders to identify and implement the policies, tools, and processes for data management across ATI and shall take a lead in facilitating learning across the board. The MEL manager shall work closely with the MEL Director to design systems, track results, and provide strategic leadership to the ATI learning agenda. He/She is responsible for all activities related to the development and implementation of the ATI MEL and knowledge management strategy and systems, including operationalizing the Performance Management Plan and MEL system. The MEL Manager supervises the MEL Specialists, MEL Associates and Database Associates.

Overall Responsibilities

Support the MEL Director in setting the direction of the ATI MEL function and lead its management, enabling the program to develop the robust intelligence and analysis needed to develop, adapt, and improve its program strategy on an ongoing basis. To achieve this the MEL manager will be responsible specifically for the following:

• Provides MEL expertise on the design, review, and implementation of the project, as well as the modification of MEL information management systems in particular the MEL Database and DIS platforms.
• Ensuring that data on the ATI database as well as other platforms such as Salesforce and DIS is captured well and properly reported.
• Managing the overall security of the ATI MEL data and ensuring that all data is kept in data with data protection standards.
• With the support of the database associate develop guidelines for database and systems use, including training staff on any new upgrades.
• Provide day-to-day remote assistance and support to activity teams and project staff.
• Manages the data quality and assurance standards.
• Is responsible for ongoing support to the USAID reporting platforms such as Salesforce and DIS and shall ensure that all reports and data needs are provided as per Mission requirements and Performance monitoring plans.
• Leads ATI MEL data analysis including providing support to ATI Dashboards, and USAID reporting requirements, and effectively supports the Communications team with data analytics for reporting to different USAID requirements.
• Provide leadership to ATI Data Quality Assurance Processes. This includes setting up DQA assessments and ensuring all data in ATI MEL systems meets the USAID Data Quality Assurance standards.
• Liaise and coordinates with various buy-in mission to tailor strategic MEL support to meet individual mission buy-in objectives.
• Manages the indicator performance reporting and target setting for the USAID Missions’ quarterly and annual reporting and baselines for reporting progress and maintains reporting procedures and guidelines in compliance with USAID guidelines.
• Lead in the development of specialized monitoring and evaluation tools and data collection protocols to ensure accurate collection and verification.
• Lead the learning function and work closely with the MEL director to effectively implement the ATI learning agenda. The MEL manager tracks the ATI progress and evaluates its impact in an integrated manner allowing for ongoing learning and program adjustments.
• Coordinates, oversees and participates in project evaluation activities to assess the outcomes and impacts of the ATI activities.
• Provides training and mentoring to staff on MEL, including teams across the continent as well as in the US.
• Working closely with the ATI MEL Director, Coordinate annual performance reviews at Buy-in, Regional as well and Africa-wide levels.
• Support Buy-in MEL implementation including providing Prosper Africa Direct MEL support.
• Maintains an extensive and detailed technical body of knowledge of the latest MEL techniques, applications, and methodologies for use by staff and partners.
• Tracks performance progress and captures results, with a strong emphasis on bringing both quantitative and qualitative research methods to bear upon cross-cutting development objectives.
• Conduct regular and ad-hoc data analysis and work closely with the Communications team to develop reports (monthly, quarterly, annual) to demonstrate progress and facilitate continuous learning and project management.

Reporting

The MEL Manager will report to the MEL Director or designee.

The MEL Manager works independently to perform the duties and responsibilities of MEL-related work and is assigned to other program-related duties as needed upon the direction of the Director. The MEL Manager is expected to perform autonomously to execute the MEL responsibilities as outlined in this SOW. The MEL Manager is expected to develop his/her work schedule, and procedures for accomplishing tasks and independently resolve problems that may arise during the accomplishment of these objectives in compliance with the ATI and DAI’s procedures and regulations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field is required.
• At least ten (10) years of progressively responsible work experience, developing, implementing, and managing M&E and knowledge management of development projects.
• Professional work experience on M&E systems for trade and investment, agricultural development, market systems approach, or other similar development areas is strongly preferred.
• Experience in supervising is required.
• Demonstrated ability to implement, operationalize, and manage information collection and analysis systems.
• Demonstrated experience leading and building the capacity of teams of MEL associates, and officers, including remote, field-based staff, to meet program needs and deliverables.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong background and training in field research methodologies, including some knowledge of statistical analysis programs.
• A master’s degree in evaluation, social sciences, or other relevant fields is preferred.

Skills

• Excellent technical skills in quantitative and qualitative monitoring and results measurement (MRM) methods.

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex and conflicting information, generate ideas, and establish means of effectively testing them.

• Strong strategic thinking skills and good judgment – the ability to reflect on the variety of likely impacts or outcomes from an activity and to determine pragmatic approaches to getting results.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English and the ability to communicate complex issues with clarity and structure, and to deliver documents to the highest level of professionalism.

• Ability to think strategically and critically, and to bring imagination to solving problems with substantial complexity and ambiguity.

• Excellent interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence: a genuine team player with strong listening, negotiating, and persuasive skills.

• Ability to identify the key internal and external customers of the services provided by the MEL function, understand their requirements, and deliver services that they value within appropriate timescales.

• The ability to gain the trust and confidence of external and internal stakeholders at all levels.

• Genuine interest in business fundamentals and commercial analysis.

• Results-focused, consistent, and accurate with a strong commitment to data integrity.

• Able to plan and deliver work according to timescales and required milestones.

• Able to engage and work with a range of expert consultants and senior and middle management staff.

• Able to work with people of different professional, national, and cultural backgrounds.

• Able to work independently, analyze and solve problems, and prioritize issues.

  ABOUT DAI

• DAI is a global development company with corporate offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, EU, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Palestine and project operations worldwide. We tackle fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability. DAI works on the frontlines of global development. Transforming ideas into action—action into impact. We are committed to shaping a more livable world.

• DAI and its employees are committed to confronting racism and holding ourselves accountable for positive change within the company and in the communities, cultures, and countries in which we live and work. DAI is committed to attracting and retaining the best employees from all races and backgrounds in our continued effort to become a better development partner.

• DAI upholds the highest ethical standards. We are committed to the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment as well as other ethical breaches. All our positions are therefore subject to stringent vetting and reference checks.