Counterpart International is seeking a Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Manager for its anticipated USDA-funded McGovern-Dole Food for Education Project in Malawi. Under the supervision of the Chief of Party, the MELManager will be responsible for developing Counterpart’s systems, skills and approach to planning, monitoring, evaluation and learning. He/she will promote, enable and improve our culture and practice of measuring progress against plans, and learning from evidence and successes, or otherwise, of our work. He/she will champion monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEL) within Counterpart International Malawi, providing leadership and technical oversight.

The location of this position has not been determined, but is likely to be based in Blantyre. The position will be engaged though a host-country national (Malawian) contract with no assistance for relocation to Malawi and/or work permit.

Responsibilities

The MEL Manager will work under the direction of the Chief of Party to manage all aspects of the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEL) plan for the McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition project. The Manager will work to develop MEL strategies (in line with the approved MEL plan) outlining M&E systems for data collection, targeting and monitoring and USDA indicators, knowledge management, impact evaluations, learning activities and reporting. He/she will ensure that the project delivers high quality programming and reporting, while continuously improving the impact of its programming and advancing Counterpart’s technical vision. The Manager will be responsible for:

• Developing and overseeing monitoring systems to report on program implementation.
• Designing research and evaluation efforts to assess the impact of the McGovern Dole program.
• Improving data systems — collection, storage, use — to increase the efficiency and scalability of M&E systems.
• Acting as the key technical lead for MEL quality design, including tools, methods and budget, tailored to the domain, context and technical requirements of project design and proposal development.
• Exploring and providing recommendations for innovative technologies to streamline monitoring, evaluation and other operational functions.
• Promoting learning with project staff and partner teams and facilitate Collaboration, Learning and Adaptation (CLA) strategies, including oversight of partner learning and research staff.
• Managing and implementing all MEL activities throughout the relevant project cycles — project design, start-up, implementation and closure — to ensure efficient and effective implementation in line with
• Counterpart’s MEL policies and procedures, donor requirements, program quality principles and standards, best practice and budget.
• Ensuring project team and partner staff use appropriate MEL systems and tools, including adaptive learning and management. Coordinate with Counterpart-led consortium partners to ensure quality
• implementation of project performance and impact evaluations, in line with the donor-approved evaluation plan and terms of reference.
• Ensuring the quality and proper functioning of data management systems and practices, with specific attention to compliance with data security and privacy regulations and standards.
• Analyzing MEL data (both qualitative and quantitative), and work with the Chief of Party to integrate analysis, reflection, interpretation and use of data into ongoing project activities for evidence-based decision-making.
• Preparing high-quality reports for both internal and external audiences, including donor and host government.
• Building an organizational knowledge base through research and partnerships.
• Developing and maintaining partnerships with international academic and research institutions to provide additional technical support for evaluation.
• Effectively managing talent and supervising the Field M&E Manager and data analysts in data collection and analysis and ensuring that M&E activities are completed on schedule.
• Mentoring and strategically adapting individual development plans, contributing to the recruitment process for MEL staff, and completing performance management for direct reports.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in international development, international relations, statistics or education required. Additional experience may replace some studies.
• Minimum 8 years’ MEL experience required, particularly with systems mapping, activity monitoring, data collection, training data quality assessments, third-party monitoring and evaluation, and adaptive learning and management methods.
• Minimum 7 years’ relevant field experience in coordinating or managing light to moderately complex projects, preferably with an international NGO.
• Knowledge of the main quantitative and qualitative monitoring methodologies and proven ability to design monitoring instrumentation tools
• Advanced data analysis presentation and report writing skills combined with a proactive, energetic approach to problem solving.
• Experience with a variety of partner organizations is an asset.
• Previous experience working with USAID, USDA, or other international donors required.
• High level of proficiency in Windows Excel and/or statistical software (SPSS, STATA)
• Professional command of written and spoken English required.
• Malawian or significant Malawian experience with Malawian residency.