MEL/CLA Specialist / MEL/CLA Specialist At DAI Global

SCOPE OF WORK

USAID HARENA Activity

Position Title: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL)/Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) Specialist

Period of Performance: 2024 – 2029 (End of Project)

Place of Performance: Antananarivo, Madagascar ; Morondava, Madagascar; Northern Madagascar (exact location TBD) ; Eastern Madagascar (exact location TBD)

BACKGROUND

The five-year (2024-2029) USAID Madagascar HARENA Activity will use a multisectoral systems approach to reduce threats to biodiversity and forests, improve conservation, and build resilience to climate change; develop sustainable, economic opportunities for the poor; and improve environmental governance. Working across local economic and social systems, the Activity will address the root causes of poverty and food insecurity that drive communities in Madagascar to rely on areas of high biodiversity for their basic needs. To do so, the Activity will work through three key areas of interventions: 1) natural resource and protected area (PA) management, and biodiversity and forest conservation (nature); 2) improved, climate-resilient livelihoods and private sector engagement for enhanced human wellbeing and socioeconomic outcomes (wealth); and 3) natural resource/PA governance (power). Focused in three geographic zones with high biodiversity value and high land-based climate change mitigation potential, HARENA will implement five strategic approaches to achieve key results:

• Strategic Approach 1: Improve sustainable management of natural resources with a focus on biodiversity, land, forests, and protected areas (PA);
• Strategic Approach 2: Promote sustainable and climate-resilient, market-led diversified agriculture-based livelihoods, including complementary natural resource products (such as tree crops) to improve livelihoods and ecosystems services;
• Strategic Approach 3: Improve national, regional, and local-level governance, advocacy, and anti-corruption efforts around natural resource, land, and water management;
• Strategic Approach 4: Increase local resilience to prepare for and adapt to climate change and other shocks; and
• Strategic Approach 5: Strengthen land use management through spatial planning at the communal level and secure land rights through the effective implementation of the land tenure policy.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The MEL/CLA Specialist will support the design, updating, and implementation of the project’s monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan and data collection system to measure overall project performance against established goals and objectives. S/he supports all aspects of the monitoring and reporting system, including development of the Activity indicators and data sources. This position helps with setting data collection tools, training the data collection team (the technical team), ensuring data quality and data verification before entry into the MEL system, preparing regular regional project reports and deliverables for USAID, highlighting best practices and approaches for all project counterparts, and promoting collaboration and effective knowledge exchange among local partners and external stakeholders.

The MEL/CLA Specialist analyzes information to ensure that project leadership has timely data on program progress to help decision making and performance improvement, in addition to tracking delivery against program targets. S/he uses existing evidence and identifies solutions to promote data-based decision making among program and technical staff.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Planning and Implementation:

• Support the design, updating, and implementation of the MEL plan.
• In collaboration with the MEL Director and all regional technical staff; establish and coordinate effective mechanisms of monitoring and evaluation of HARENA implementation, including developing, adapting, testing, and disseminating data collection tools.
• Oversee MEL systems and data management, including training of technical staff in data collection.
• Contribute to development of baselines, and targets to inform results-based annual work plans and indicator dash-board
• Support implementation of project indicators and tracking, measurement, and recording of targeted results.
• Support data quality assessment and address challenges in data and information management.
• Contribute to design/adaptation of project performance monitoring database and oversee timely collection, verification, and updating of data; monitor data accuracy, entry, and cleaning.
• Support the M&E team to ensure the MEL system accurately captures project and donor needs.
• Coordinates surveys and assessments including management of external firms.

Knowledge Management and Capacity Building:

• Build capacity in data collection and analysis according to the project objectives.
• Build capacity in providing quarterly objectives updates and maintaining dashboard to evaluate if the project is exceeding, on-time, or behind on objectives.
• From dataset, in collaboration with the MEL Director, ensure internal accountability of results to prevent late delivery of results.
• Identify and analyze lessons learned from evaluations and studies.
• Provide training and capacity building on MEL/CLA methods, tools and best practices to HARENA staff, local partners, grantees, and other stakeholders. Support them to integrate and institutionalize CLA and adaptive management best practices.
• Coordinate with grants team to support grant awards’ implementation and assessment in terms of appropriate M&E data collection and assessment of grant awards’ impact.
• Contribute to coordination between MEL & CLA, communications, and technical teams to produce data for activity updates, newsletters, success stories, and performance reports.
• Contribute to mainstreaming of gender equality in all aspects of M&E and reporting, and that required gender and youth related data are tracked, recorded, and reported properly.
• Facilitates pause and reflect workshops and other knowledge management events.

Communications:

• Foster ongoing positive cooperation with stakeholders and HARENA staff.
• Help coordinate the dissemination of key lessons learned and knowledge/learning products through various communication channels.

Reporting:

• Generates timely and accurate MEL reports for regular reporting and ad hoc requests.

REPORTING:

The MEL/CLA Specialist will report to the MEL/CLA Director.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in monitoring and evaluation, statistics, research methods, or related field.
• At least 5 years of professional experience in M&E.
• Professional knowledge of MEL/CLA processes and procedures.
• Experience contributing to and developing MEL/CLA activities and related project components.
• Ability to solve complex M&E challenges, evaluate options, and advise strategic decision-making based on existing evidence, data trends, lessons learned, and other relevant information.
• Excellent communications and personnel management skills and ability to relate to people at all levels of an organization.
• Well organized and self-directed with strong technical skills, analytical ability, good judgement, and operational focus.
• Professional-level oral and written fluency in French and Malagasy is required; oral and written proficiency in English a plus.
• Experience in USAID MEL/CLA system would be an asset.

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 of our positions are therefore subject to stringent vetting and reference checks.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

USAID WEALTH

Job title: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Specialist / Collaboration, Learning and Adaptation (CLA)

Execution period: 2024 – 2029 (End of project)

Place of Performance: Antananarivo, Madagascar; Morondava, Madagascar; Northern Madagascar (exact location to be determined); Eastern Madagascar (exact location to be determined)

CONTEXT

HARENA is a USAID project in Madagascar. Lasting five years (2024-2029), HARENA will use a systemic and multi-sectoral approach to reduce threats to biodiversity and forests, improve conservation and build resilience to climate change; develop sustainable economic opportunities for the poor; and improve environmental governance. By working across local economic and social systems, HARENA will address the root causes of poverty and food insecurity that drive communities in Madagascar to rely on areas of high biodiversity for their basic needs. To do this, HARENA will act through three key areas of intervention: 1) management of natural resources and Protected Areas (PA), conservation of biodiversity and forests (nature); 2) improved, climate-resilient livelihoods and private sector engagement to improve human well-being and socio-economic (wealth) outcomes; and 3) governance of natural resources and protected areas (power). Operating in three geographic areas with high biodiversity value and high potential for mitigating terrestrial climate change, HARENA will implement five strategic approaches to achieve the following key results:

• Strategic Approach 1: Improve sustainable management of natural resources with a focus on biodiversity, land, forests and protected areas (PA);
• Strategic Approach 2: Promote sustainable and climate-resilient diversified agriculture-based livelihoods, including complementary natural resource products (such as cash crops) to improve livelihoods and ecosystem services ;
• Strategic Approach 3: Improve governance, advocacy and anti-corruption efforts at national, regional and local levels around the management of natural resources, land and water;
• Strategic Approach 4: Increase local resilience to prepare for and adapt to climate change and other shocks; And
• Strategic Approach 5: Strengthen land use management through spatial planning at the municipal level and secure land rights through effective implementation of land policy.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The MEL/CLA Specialist will support the design, update and implementation of the project’s monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan and data collection system to measure overall project performance against goals and objectives established. He/she supports all aspects of the monitoring and reporting system, including the development of activity indicators and data sources. This position will ensure the implementation of data collection tools and training of the data collection team (the technical team); quality and veracity of data before entering the MEL system; prepare regular regional reports on project data and deliverables for USAID; highlighting best practices and approaches for all project counterparts; and promoting collaboration and effective knowledge exchange between local partners and external stakeholders.

The MEL/CLA Specialist analyzes information to ensure that project managers have up-to-date data on program progress to facilitate decision-making and performance improvement, as well as monitoring of execution by relation to the program objectives. He/she uses existing evidence and identifies solutions to promote data-driven decision-making among technical and program staff.

MAIN TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Planning and Implementation:

• Support the design, update and implementation of the MEL plan.
• In collaboration with the MEL Director and all regional technical staff; establish and coordinate effective mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of HARENA, including the development, adaptation, testing and dissemination of data collection tools.
• Oversee MEL systems and data management, including training technical staff in data collection.
• Contribute to the development of benchmarks and targets to inform results-based annual work plans and the indicator dashboard.
• Support the implementation of project indicators as well as monitoring, measuring and recording targeted results.
• Support data quality assessment and address data and information management challenges.
• Contribute to the design/adaptation of the project performance monitoring database and supervise the timely collection, verification and updating of data; monitor data accuracy, entry and cleaning.
• Support the M&E team to ensure the MEL system accurately captures project and donor needs.
• Coordinates investigations and evaluations, including management of external firms.

Knowledge management and capacity building:

• Ability to collect and analyze data according to project objectives;
• Ability to provide quarterly targets and a dashboard to assess whether the project is over, on time or behind schedule.
• From the dataset, in collaboration with the MEL Director, ensure internal accountability for the results to avoid late delivery of results,
• Identify and analyze lessons learned from evaluations and studies.
• Provide training and capacity building on MEL/CLA methods, tools and best practices to HARENA staff, local partners, beneficiaries and other stakeholders. Help them integrate and institutionalize best practices in CLA and adaptive management.
• Coordinate with the grants team to support grant implementation and evaluation in terms of appropriate M&E data collection and grant impact assessment.
• Contribute to coordination between MEL & CLA, communications and technical teams to produce data for activity updates, newsletters, success stories and performance reports.
• Contribute to the integration of gender equality in all aspects of M&E and reporting, and that required gender and youth data is tracked, recorded and reported correctly.
• Facilitates pause and reflection during workshops and other knowledge management events.

Communications :

• Foster ongoing positive cooperation with HARENA stakeholders and staff.
• Help coordinate the dissemination of key lessons learned and knowledge and learning products through various communication channels.

Report :

• Generate accurate and timely MEL reports for regular reporting and ad hoc requests.

REPORT :

The MEL/CLA Specialist will be under the direction of the MEL/CLA Director.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in monitoring and evaluation, statistics, research methods or similar field.
• At least 5 years of professional experience in M&E.
• Professional knowledge of MEL/CLA processes and procedures.
• Experience managing staff and leading MEL/CLA activities, MEL components of the project, or associated departments.
• Ability to resolve complex M&E challenges, evaluate options and advise strategic decision-making based on existing evidence, data trends, lessons learned and other relevant information.
• Excellent communication and people management skills and ability to get along with people at all levels of an organization.
• Well organized and self-starter with strong technical skills, analytical ability, good judgment and operational focus.
• Professional fluency in oral and written English, French and Malagasy is required.
• Experience with the USAID MEL/CLA system would be an asset.

ABOUT DAI

DAI is a global development company with corporate offices in the US, UK, EU, Nigeria, Pakistan and Palestine and project operations worldwide. We address fundamental problems of social and economic development caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance and instability. DAI works on the front lines of global development. Turning 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 of all races and backgrounds in our continued effort to become a better development partner.

DAI adheres to the highest ethical standards. We are committed to preventing sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment and other ethical violations. All our positions are therefore subject to rigorous checks and references.