New Vacancies at Catholic Relief Services (CRS), 26th April, 2019

Job Title: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Specialist
Job Ref Code: MEL250419
Location: North East Nigeria
Department: Programs
Band: 7
Reports to: Chief of Party

Background

• CRS is bidding for a multi-million-dollar, multi-year USAID/Nigeria Small Town WASH program.  The program will be implemented in the Northeastern region of Nigeria.
• This program seeks to develop and implement interventions that will sustainably increase access and management of water, sanitation and hygiene services in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states of Nigeria.
• This effort will contribute to ongoing efforts to promote resilience, recovery and development within Nigeria and neighboring countries around the Lake Chad Basin.

Job Summary

• The MEL Specialist will oversee all Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) activities across the USAID/Nigeria Small Town WASH programthat leads to robust evidence for data use and decision making, including assessments /surveys; routine programdata collection; accountability to beneficiaries, donors and other stakeholders; document retention and archival; capacity development program staff on MEL; compliance with USAID MEL requirements; cross-learning among programs; and, internal and external reporting.

Specific Job Responsibilities
Strategic guidance and leadership on MEL:

• Use SMILER method to lead the development and regular updating of program MEL tools, approaches, frameworks and databases, these include but not limited to: Theory of Change, Theory of change narrative, Proframe, Logframe, IPTT, DIP, MEL plan, FRM, Data flow, Stakeholder analysis, reporting flow mapetc
• Ensure application of standardized MEL tools and approaches across the program with respect to the MEL Policies and Procedures.
• Support the CoP to monitor USAID/Nigeria Small Town WASH programimplementation progress on a regular basis against USAID and CRS quality standards and international humanitarian principles through monitoring visits, data quality audits, spot check against reports and review of implementation reports.
• Build the capacity of program staff and implementing partners in collection and analysis of data (method, formats, software, etc.), indicator measurement, feedback and responsemechanisms, negative impact analysis, etc.
• Provide technical support to program staff for the implementation of monitoring and evaluation activities, data management and integration of cross-functional issues.
• Directly lead on program wide assessments and surveys including baseline, midterm and end line evaluative surveys.  This might entail leading recruitment, orientation, deployment and management of external consultants.
• Support iterative program development ensuring lessons learnt from implementation / assessments are incorporated into implementation.
• Foster a learning environment, lead learning and knowledge management within the program and ensures such best practice is communicated across CRS Nigeria.
• Ensure that program data is protected and shared according to CRS and donor principles.
• Encourage the integration of good ICT solution to ease the process of collecting, management, analyzing and protection

Vertical and horizontal accountability:

• Work closely with CRS and partners’ Gender and Accountability Specialists to ensure robust and participatory beneficiary accountability and feedback mechanisms are established, used and reported against.
• Support the CoP in compilation of donors, government ministries’ and departmental agencies (MDAs) and CRS reports as per the agreed upon reporting schedules.
• Build the capacity of program staff in humanitarian accountability frameworks including ‘Do No Harm’ and ‘Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability’ (CHS) (HAP, People in Aid and SPHERE).

Cross-cutting:

• Directly supervise the program’sMEL Staff and consultants.
• Coordinate consortium partners’ MEL staff attached to the program.
• Build capacity of CRS and consortium partners’ MEL Coordinators / Managers / Officers to address their job requirements.
• Provide technical review and support across all components of the program.
• Incorporate required and emerging good practices into CRS regional MEL efforts and ongoing technical support
• Integrate the MEL community of practices
• Create opportunities for reflection and learning among MEL advisors and practitioners within the Consortium, Country Program and the Region.
• Communicate agency approach to MEL and key findings, to Consortium Partners, Country Program and Regional colleagues.
• Contribute to regional and agency technical guidance.
• Share MEL learning and experiences in broader regional and global agency discussions, and with peer organizations.
• Determine and address regional or sub-regional priorities for advancing MEL.

Key Working Relationships
Supervisory:

• TBD.

Internal:

• USAID/Nigeria Small Town WASH program DCoP, Program Managers and Sectoral Team Leads; Consortium Partners; Director of Early Recovery and Resilience, CoPs and Program Managers of other CRS Programs; MEL coordinator at the CP level, TA MELSupport Departments including Operations etc.

External:

• MDAs, UN agencies, Peer agencies (NGOs) and Community Representatives.

Agency Wide Competences (for all CRS staff):
These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

• Serves with Integrity
• Models Accountability and Stewardship
• Cultivates Constructive Relationships
• Promotes Learning
• Committed to Continuous Improvement and Innovation

Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Monitoring and Evaluation or any other related field.
• At least 5 years’ hands on experience designing, developing and using MEL systems.
• Demonstrated ability to develop, contract and manage consultancies.
• Prior MEL experience on programs of a similar size, theme (WASH) and scope in developing countries; experience in providing MEL services on multi-sector, multi-year programs is desirable.
• Experience with USAID rules, regulations and requirements is preferred.
• Experience working in similar context (i.e. conflict and harsh environments) in sub-Saharan Africa required.  Prior experience in North East Nigeria is preferred
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.  Knowledge of local languages preferred.
• Strong computer literacy with a full knowledge of office applications.

Required Travel:

• To field locations in Nigeria

Interested and qualified candidates should download the “CRS Application Form” using the link below, fill and send with a detailed Resume as one document (in a PDF Format) indicating position being applied for and the Job Ref Code as the subject of the application (e.g. MEAL Specialist MEL250419) to: ng.recruitment_agriculture@crs.org

Click here to Download Application Form – Dropbox

Click Here for Job Details (Doc)

Equal Employer Opportunity:

• “CRS is an equal -opportunity employer, does not discriminate based on race, color, religion and we are committed to gender sensitive programming and management’. etc.
• Qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply”

Statement of Commitment to Protection:

• ‘’CRS’ recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation’’