Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Director

Background

World Education, a division of JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. (JSI/WE) is dedicated to improving people’s lives around the world through greater heath, education and socioeconomic equity for individuals and communities, and to providing an environment where people of passion can pursue this cause. JSI/WE is seeking a Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Director for the anticipated USAID Malawi Secondary Success Activity, a program that will build on existing structures to increase the availability, access, and quality of education, including remedial skills, life skills, health and leadership, mentorship, and financial inclusion. Expatriates and Third Country Nationals will be considered.

To apply visit  https://www.jsi.com/ and follow the instructions in the application portal, or email CVs to recruitmentmalawi@worlded.org. 

Application Deadline: April 19, 2024

Job Summary

The Monitoring Evaluation & Learning Director's primary responsibilities are to provide oversight for program planning, evaluation, knowledge management and monitoring, and operation of the project monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system at the central, regional, and district levels. The MEL Director tracks activity progress toward achieving targets and results and ensures that performance monitoring, action research, and evaluations are consistent with program results. They manage and coordinate field-based monitoring and evaluation managers, and any other staff responsible for performance monitoring, oversight, and data collection and reporting. Finally, s/he will ensure secondary school access and retention rates, reading and learning outcomes, school safety, community engagement, gender, and disability-inclusion measures are being consistently and systematically tracked and reported. 

Responsibilities

• Design and implement an advanced data management system, performance monitoring and management plans, and data collection tools and protocols in collaboration with technical teams;

• Lead the development of M&E components of annual plans and budgets for relevant activities, and monitor work plans to ensure timely delivery of USAID M&E-related deliverables;

• Ensure regular reporting of M&E activities to all relevant stakeholders (including the Malawian Ministry of Education) and contribute to quarterly, annual, and project reporting for USAID;

• Collaborate with the technical team to monitor program progress in terms of USAID compliance requirements of results and indicators;

• Work closely with technical staff and with institutional partners to explain M&E processes and to understand how those processes relate to the technical work of the project, and provide M&E related training as needed;

• Supervise and build capacity of regional-level M&E project staff to carry out activities;

• Manage M&E informational resources and ensure M&E information and resources are current, available for staff, and widely disseminated;

• Oversee ongoing quantitative/qualitative data analysis at different points in the program leading to specific program/contract deliverables;

• Oversee technical assistance and training to regional- and district-level stakeholders to support increased use of education data for decision-making;

• Oversee the coordination of policy research studies;

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Education, ICT Management, statistics, or related field required. Master’s degree or equivalent preferred;

• At least 5-8 years of experience specifically developing and managing M&E of education programs to attain program objectives, particularly improved outcomes in education, health, and/or financial literacy;

• Must have demonstrated experience developing, assessing, and evaluating baseline studies, logical frameworks, performance monitoring plans, and performance and impact evaluations related to increasing access to quality education; 

• Must have knowledge of a range of approaches to performance monitoring, impact evaluation, and research in areas including design, instrument development, sampling design, data collection, data analysis, and dissemination;

• Ability to utilize a wide range of software applications, including database applications;

• Significant expertise in providing technical assistance to project/host country government staff working on MEL activities;

• Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills. Effective oral and written communication skills including demonstrated ability to make formal/informal presentations and compose professional, analytic reports;

• Demonstrated experience supervising, mentoring, and training staff; and,

• Prior experience supporting Malawian education is desirable but not required, preferably including experience coordinating with national and sub-national level stakeholders.