Monitoring and Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Manager at Palladium International

Activity Overview and Role

Palladium seeks a MEL Manager for the Regional Agriculture and Market Systems (RAMS) activity, a 5-year, $23 million task order under USAID’s Regional Integration and Stronger Economics (RISE) IDIQ mechanism. RAMS is designed to promote increased agricultural production, trade, improved policies, finance and investment, and resilience to shocks and stresses in the East Africa region by addressing agricultural issues that can only be solved on a regional basis. RAMS will collaborate closely with USAID/Kenya and East Africa’s regional intergovernmental partners, including the East African Community (EAC), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) region. The Activity is organized under four objectives: 1) Strengthening cross-border agricultural market systems, 2) Accessing and scaling technologies, 3) Strengthening regional resilience, and 4) Strengthening the regional agriculture policy and regulatory environment. The RAMS geographic area of focus includes the East African countries of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, and Zambia.

The MEL Manager will be responsible for tracking and aggregating all project data to support the team in evaluating the project’s progress. S/he will train project staff in data collection and reporting, and regularly conduct visits to the field to supervise and validate data collection processes. S/he will report to the Deputy Project Manager.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop a flexible monitoring system across objective areas, supporting the adaptive management approach of a large, cross-cutting, regional program.
• Employ an evidence-driven and collaborative approach to MEL to attribute change, leading qualitative and quantitative data collection and rigorous analysis to evaluate impact.
• In coordination with RAMS staff, USAID, and other stakeholders, ensure that the RAMS MELP is updated as needed to reflect learning, changes in priority, adaptation in strategy, or unanticipated external events.
• Promote the use of new technologies for electronic data collection to inform program design and implementation in real-time.
• Ensure data are entered into the Palladium RAMS MEL system in a timely manner.
• Complete regular reviews of data collection processes, performing data quality assessments, and making adjustments as needed.
• Coordinate and consistently report on program results in coordination with the Project Manager, Objective Leads, and teams at Palladium Home Office.
• Design and implement systems to track program progress against indicators; collect and verify information and maintain performance monitoring plans, reports, work plans and monthly reports.
• Coordinate closely with partners and external stakeholders to build cohesive measurement and results systems.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Statistics, or related area of study; Master’s degree preferred.
• 5-7 years of relevant monitoring and evaluation experience on donor-funded projects within the agricultural and economic development sector; experience on a market systems project a plus.
• Understanding of USAID reporting requirements and approaches to MEL and CLA.
• Proven ability to design manageable, transparent MEL systems for reporting progress against indicators throughout the life of the project.
• Demonstrated expertise in gathering, organizing, and analyzing large amounts of data.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to write effectively and persuasively and to present information in a variety of settings and formats.
• Demonstrated ability to work under pressure with limited guidance.
• Strong Preference for Kenyan and East African citizens.