Position Title: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Director

Location:  Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

Reports to: Chief of Party

General summary/purpose

The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Director will oversee all monitoring, evaluation, learning, and quality assurance/continuous quality improvement activities/components of the USAID-funded Support to Vector Control Activity (SVCA). This position will support collaboration, learning, and program adaptation. They will coordinate the development of M&E systems and promote the use of information to guide performance management through well analysed rapid and timely feedback. The MEL Director will work to include appropriate indicators, baseline data results, and a plan to monitor and evaluate performance, produce timely, accurate and complete reporting. The Director will be responsible for ensuring effective bi-directional communication and learning between the activity and service delivery implementing partners. This will include coordination, collaboration and integration through the development of knowledge management systems, and work processes, fostering a culture of collaboration.

Travel within Tanzania will be required.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.
Oversight and development of MEL systems and tools

• Coordinate the development and implementation of the MEL plan and corresponding M&E systems
• Provide strategic oversight for the entire MEL plan, including the design of the monitoring framework and on-going configuration of digital platforms (including visualization dashboards) to track outputs
• Make adaptations to the activity MEL plan each year based on new or shifting program objectives, and ensure adherence to the plan
• Lead and supervise the development and updating of M&E tools as needed and the collection and analysis of process data to monitor activity programs
• Develop standard operating procedures (manuals, trainings) for data collection, data entry, data analysis and management of devices related to data collection or use
• Ensure ethical procedures and adherence to Institutional Review Board (IRB) protocol and liaise with the local ethics review board
• Develop a coordinated approach to data collection of activity partners, followed by the collation and sharing of results both internally with the team and externally with stakeholders
• Supervisor activity staff

Data collection and quality assurance

• Supervise implementation of data collection activities (including all mobile data collection and GIS data, where relevant)
• Develop and implement quality assurance procedures for data collection to ensure data accuracy and the validity and reliability of monitoring data and study results
• Conduct site visits to ensure quality, reliability and consistency of data and seamless flow from the field to central office and onto the Baltimore HQ
• Supervise the collection of data related to performance indicators required by the activity, and report data on a regular basis into CCP’s global dashboard

Data storage

• Create, maintain and safeguard electronic databases and any other data collection files in compliance with JHU data security requirements
• Manage access permissions for data entry and dashboards to view monitoring output
• Help prepare data for archiving as required by USAID’s Digital Data Archive policies

Data analysis and reporting

• Track, analyze, and produce comprehensive and succinct reports and documentation on indicators and measures
• Conduct data monthly cleaning and analysis and produce graphs and reports for quarterly reporting

Capacity strengthening and training

• Co-facilitate training workshops, including development of agenda, curriculum, manuals, and materials necessary to appropriately train individuals involved in monitoring activities and data use

• Train and oversee regional MEL officers and other field staff on the use of monitoring tools
• Carry out field visits as needed and work with staff in a collaborative manner to increase their technical capacity for monitoring and evaluation

Coordination and communication

• With the chief of party, coordinate with partners and stakeholders within the MOH
• Ensure timeliness and quality of service delivery data from partners
• Work with the program team to ensure proper documentation via knowledge management approaches
• Participate in the development and writing of strategies, work plans and assessments
• Maintain efficient communication with Baltimore-based program and MEL teams

Minimum Qualifications

• Eight years of experience managing MEL systems for donor funded health Initiatives
• Master’s degree in public health, demography, sociology, epidemiology, or biostatistics
• Demonstrated experience and familiarity with surveys, research methodologies, qualitative and quantitative research methods, data analysis, sampling methods, and establishment of MEL systems in developing country contexts
• Three years’ experience in malaria vector control, including insecticide-treated nets
• Exceptional communication skills in written and spoken English

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

• Knowledge of data collection protocols for quality data collection and verification
• Experience with monitoring and evaluation of health programs demonstrating progressively increasing level of responsibility
• Experience developing and tracking performance indicators to measure success in health especially in vector control programs
• Skills in qualitative and quantitative analytic statistical software (e.g., STATA, SPSS) and qualitative software (e.g., Atlas.ti, NVivo), and proven ability in data visualization using graphs, charts, maps, and GIS
• Experience in web-based data management system (preferably DHIS2 and/or Open Data Kit), and/or mHealth and mobile data collection
• Experience in successfully guiding and monitoring the use of data, analysis, and evaluation findings to inform program actions
• Ability to guide quality assurance/continuous quality improvement in development
• Excellent writing skills and ability to articulate oral and written technical information clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills
• Excellent past performance references

Preferred Qualifications

• Tanzanian citizenship
• Fluency in Swahili

Travel Requirements:

May require up to 25% travel

Please note: this position is contingent upon securing award.