Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, Kenya Irrigation Project at Land O Lakes

Project Description:

Kenya Irrigation Project is a 5-year $14M-$18M project funded by the USDA Food for Progress Program. The project will work closely with the National Irrigation Board and act as a steward of USDA funds to design and construct small and medium sized irrigation projects that demonstrate a strong potential for expanding agricultural production and trade.

Job Summary:

The Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Specialist will be responsible for the development and oversight of all monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) activities for Kenya Irrigation Project. This will include developing and implementing a robust MEL system that meets the requirements of USDA and Land O’Lakes’ MEL policies. Specifically, the M&E Specialist will manage a team of field-based MEL coordinators to create quantitative and qualitative data collection tools and processes documented in a monitoring, evaluation and learning plan (MELP), train staff and partners in MEL system implementation, coordinate all data collection efforts, ensure data quality, process and analyze the data for donor reporting, adaptive management, and learning purposes, and provide oversight support to external evaluators. Additionally, the M&E Specialist will support the development and roll-out of a tablet-based data collection system that will assist in tracking indicators. The M&E Specialist will also take an active role in adaptive management through active participation in stakeholder, learning and work planning meetings. This individual will report to the Chief of Party with technical support from the headquarters Global MEL staff.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the development of the MELP and update as necessary throughout the life of the project;
• Implement appropriate mechanisms for monitoring and tracking of program activities and results;
• Train all project staff in project monitoring and learning;
• Manage a tablet-based data collection platform, including training staff ensuring timely data entry.
• Select and manage appropriate consultants for required evaluations and monitor these activities, including the following:
• Review survey design and tools in consultation with Global MEL Team and/or appropriate consultant
• Assist with selection of consultant with skills appropriate to conduct study,
• Oversee quality control/monitor progress of the consultant’s work, and
• Review and comment on content of evaluation reports.
• Regularly review data collection processes, perform data quality assessments, and adjust as needed;
• Undertake regular visits to the field to support implementation of MEL and to identify where adaptations and improvements might be needed;
• Provide regular updates on project progress against key metrics to the Chief of Party for inclusion in donor reports, work planning and learning events
• Lead the regular sharing and learning from the findings of M&E data with program staff and partners.
• Assist project staff to use project data to report and disseminate evidence of project work to the wider community, USDA, Land O'Lakes, Host Government, and other external stakeholders.
• Demonstrate the highest degree of integrity throughout all activities, and raise any concerns with implementation quality immediately with the Chief of Party
• Utilize established sharepoint system to store key documents and share key project and country related information with other staff.
• Other duties as requested.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree; Master’s preferred
• At least seven (7) to ten (10) years of increasingly senior roles designing and implementing MEL systems for agricultural programs, specific to the roles above
• Experience managing a MEL system for US government-funded projects, experience on a USDA-funded projects preferred
• Experience overseeing rigorous mixed methods evaluations for agricultural programs
• Experience in implementing mobile or tablet-based data-collection systems for data entry, analysis and storage of quantitative data
• Experience managing and training staff
• Professional proficiency in English and Swahili required
• Computer literacy and competency in use of Microsoft Office software
• Competency in quantitative data analysis software (ex: SPSS or Stata)
• Highly developed conceptual, analytical and innovative problem-solving ability
• Ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor tasks
• Good time management and willingness to work occasional long hours and travel to the field as required
• Ability to independently and proactively work as a team member with minimum day-to-day oversight
• Strong interpersonal skills, self-motivated and result-driven, with ability to effectively build and manage networks and relationships for program promotion and issue-resolution