Vacancy Announcement: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Officer

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Officer (FNT/EOI/82/2022)

We are currently seeking to engage a passionate, dynamic, and enthusiastic Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Officer, on a two-year renewable contract. The holder of the position will report to the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL). This is a full-time position and will be based at FEMNET’s secretariat in Nairobi, Kenya.

Job purpose

The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning officer will be working closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Coordinator and the Policy and Programmes Manager to support a Feminist culture and practice of reliable programme design, planning, review, monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and reporting for FEMNET programmes. This includes developing, updating and coordinating monitoring, evaluation and Learning (MEL) activities and events for FEMNET programmes and partners, strengthening the capacity of FEMNET staff, members and partners in MEL, promoting MEL knowledge transfer internally and externally and supporting research and documentation of policy issues. The position will ensure that MEL systems and capacity strengthening efforts effectively serve FEMNET members and partners while taking note of FEMNET Feminist MEL Framework, guidelines and policies.

Terms of Reference

Main Duties include:

General:

• Work with project leads to develop feminist data collection tools, adapting existing tools to ensure that they are sensitive to power dynamics and that they are adapted to capture differences of experiences of all genders
• Ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of project quality, using donor monitoring tools as appropriate
• To ensure that differential impacts of young men, young women, men and women are measured. Ensure that measurement is inclusive of lived experiences facing different people, and measures both feminist and gender transformative changes
• Tracking of Key Performance Indicators as approved by funding partners
• Support project leads in routine data collection and documentation of project information that confirms status of project activities based on log-frames for donor reporting
• Ensure log frames and routine data collection are feminist and integrate measurement that goes beyond solely measuring reach and vulnerability (so not simply counting #men/women reached, and not solely measuring ‘vulnerable women’)
• Carry out data quality assessments/ audits regularly for MEAL data based on agreed indicators making sure that they are gender transformative to guide adaptive decision making based on evolving power dynamics
• Provide periodic alert to the respective project leads on corrective actions required to avoid delays in implementation, including flagging operational issues and risks requiring timely actions.
• Supporting programme design -Developing program concepts, managing proposal process and timeline for proposal submissions, drafting program objectives, Theory of Change, results and indicators and contributing to program strategy. The MEL Officer will ensure that all programme concepts and proposals adequately reflect FEMNET’s feminist and gender transformative strategic objectives
• Managing assigned program areas and anticipating program and administrative needs;
• Travelling as necessary to support field-based teams in program implementation, reporting, and monitoring and evaluation.

MEAL Tool Development and Data Management

• Develop/ Adopt an integrated database of all FEMNET’s projects/ programmes and ensure accountability through regular data updates Ensure that the lived experiences of all genders, especially women, results in actionable change.
• Work with project leads to ensure the collection of relevant and appropriate data needed for an effective Feminist MEAL system which will be utilized in monitoring strengths, weaknesses and gaps in existing projects/ programs and services and for reporting on donor commitments.
• Review existing data collection tools for current FEMNET projects
• Incorporate staff and partners feedback to ensure the continuous improvement of data collection and management

Monitoring and Reporting

• Support FEMNET partners to develop M&E plans for their projects and offer technical assistance to the partners during implementation
• Ensure all FEMNET partners have updated work-plans and performance management plans (PMPs) in line with all approved proposals, regularly reviewing and updating as needed
• Review Quarterly progress reports from partners and ensure they have evidence to back-up and provide feedback to the respective project leads
• Support the M & E Coordinator in data analysis and timely preparation of Quarterly and Annual M&E Reports and donor reports
• Ensure that inclusion and diversity issues such as participation, gender, age, sexual orientation and disability among others are effectively addressed/ mainstreamed in project implementations and reporting as part of ensuring accountability according to FEMNET values and in line with Feminist values and principles

Research and Documentation

• Analyze the impact of projects and promote learning by documentation of best practices with FEMNET staff and partners
• Support FEMNET partners in designing and disseminating research studies by providing relevant inputs
• Undertake research using appropriate tools with the aim of providing information and analysis on the key policy issues that FEMNET works on to shape policy advocacy work
• Sharing findings back to relevant constituents and ensuring that respondents in research/MEAL are able to understand what happens with their voices/opinions upon such research

MEL Capacity Strengthening: –

• Review the reporting needs of FEMNET’s partners to have an understanding of the demand for reporting results;
• Review reports, audits and evaluations, identify learning opportunities based on identified problems, review solutions and identify how to feedback this information into programmes, training and capacity building;
• Identification of FEMNET staff capacity development gaps in terms of Feminist MEL and work with department Heads to improve the quality of the MEL;
• Conduct trainings and continuous capacity to FEMNET’s relevant staff members and partners/members in line with the MEL -identified gaps
• Any other duties as may be assigned.

Academic qualifications

• Be a Bachelor and/or a master’s degree holder in social sciences, Monitoring and Evaluation, Development studies or other relevant disciplines from a recognized university.
• Persons with additional relevant trainings in monitoring and evaluation will have added advantage.

Knowledge skills and experience

• At least 5 years relevant work experience at international, regional or sub- regional level.
• Experience in MEL system design and implementation;
• Proven experience in, exposure to, and capability for collaborative work, nurturing of networks and alliances and motivate people.
• Sound knowledge on gender and its mainstreaming strategies, leadership development and generally women’s rights issues in Africa
• Have good and proven knowledge on different monitoring and evaluation frameworks and tracking tools.
• Identify with FEMNETs Feminist values and principles; • Understanding of feminist methods and innovative approaches is strongly desired;
• Knowledge about women’s human rights at the regional and/or international level.
• An understanding of feminist issues, advocacy and/ or donor environment around women’s rights.
• Proven experience in, exposure to, and capability for collaborative work, nurturing of monitoring and evaluation skills at FEMNET.
• Persons with French language proficiency will have an added advantage

Behavioral Competencies (behaviours Critical to the Job)

• Integrity and ethics: High integrity and ethical behavior in all dealings and ensure that own behavior is consistent with FEMNET’s values and standards
• Professionalism: Demonstrates high standards and expertise in all areas of work
• Demonstrated commitment to gender equality and women’s and girls’ rights
• Result oriented: Consistently to work to meet strict deadlines and set goals; responsive and highly self-motivated, and ability work under time pressure
• Strong analytical, documentation and presentation skills.
• Team oriented/ Interpersonal relations: Establish and maintain positive working relationships within and between organizational units and externally to achieve the goals.
• Strong communication skills– given M&E professional’s day-to-day work involves reports and data

Must have:

1. Knowledge on Women Rights and Gender Equality issues is non-negotiable.
2. Knowledge of relevant national, regional and international gender mainstreaming strategies and frameworks in the areas of gender and development, strengthening of institutional and operational capacities of CSOs, technology transfer, advocacy and campaigns.
3. Skills in adaptive programming
4. Skills in monitoring, evaluating and programming for influencing and advocacy work.
5. Exceptional knowledge of the major evaluation methodologies (e.g. qualitative, quantitative, mixed-method, and impact) and data collection and analysis methodologies.