Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Consultant at International Business & Technical Consultants, Inc. (IBTCI)

Department/Location:       SEAD/Nairobi, Kenya

Reports To:                         Project Director

Type:                                   Consultant

Classification:                     Consultancy

Overview:

The Nutrition Achievements within Resilient Institution (NAWIRI) program was awarded to Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and its partner agencies, including International Business & Technical Consultants, Inc. (IBTCI). The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) NAWIRI project is a multisector package of services to support local institutions to sustainably reduce persistent acute malnutrition among vulnerable subpopulations of Isiolo, Marsabit, Samburu and Turkana Counties in Kenya. CRS leads the NAWIRI consortium implementing in Isiolo & Marsabit Counties, while Mercy Corps leads a second and independent NAWIRI consortium implementing in Turkana and Samburu (Note that both consortiums share the USAID program name “NAWIRI”). The project is designed to have a robust research phase for the first two years (Years 1-2) that will inform subsequent implementation and scale-up in years 3-5. The program is funded by the USAID Office of Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) Development Food Security Activity (DFSA). Translating NAWIRI as Prosperous, Thriving and Flourishing, program will honor its name by delivering a multispectral package of services to support local institutions to sustainably reduce persistent acute malnutrition among vulnerable subpopulations of Isiolo and Marsabit Counties.

To move from the pilot to the scale up phase, NAWIRI will go through a process requiring revising the initial Theory of Change (TOC) guiding project activities. This revision will require doing a desk review of updated research findings on proximal and distal factors that contribute to the sustainable reduction of acute and severe malnutrition in arid and semi-arid lands. It will also require considering the research which guided the definition of six pilot activities that have been designed and are under implementation or will start implementation in the near future. These pilots are testing interventions that would be scaled up during NAWIRI’s Phase II.

IBTCI seeks a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Consultant to help the NAWIRI M&E team in Nairobi, Kenya to: 1) revise NAWIRI’s Theory of Change, and 2) set up and implement a data quality assessment (DQA) approach that can be used to ensure the monitoring and evaluation data collected by NAWIRI partners follows USAID’s data quality standards (e.g., validity, integrity, precision, reliability and timeliness). The period of performance is six (6) months with up to 35 days of level of effort.

Using your experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning, perform the following tasks on specific task orders and/or contracts. Tasks could include, but are not limited to:

Responsibilities

Scope of Work:  

• Conduct desk review of theory of change background materials
• Assess changes that may be required in existing TOC
• Interact with NAWIRI’s field office and home office staff to agree on TOC changes to be proposed by the NAWIRI M&E team
• Participate in workshops at the county and national level in Kenya to gauge the input from stakeholders to revise the existing TOC
• Contribute to the revision of the TOC based on all input from the desk review and the stakeholders at the county and national level involved in the workshops
• Validate data quality assurance approach proposed by IBTCI HO to be used in assessing quality of data collected via routine monitoring conducted by the Kenyan Ministry of Health in Marsabit and Isiolo counties
• Expend that approach to conduct DQAs for other data collection activities implemented by NAWIRI consortium partners, including IBTCI
• Train NAWIRI consortium partners in the implementation of the DQA approach
• Review DQAs conducted and propose corrective actions, if any
• Provide ongoing support to future DQA activities at the beginning of the implementation of Phase 2 of the NAWIRI project.
• Other duties as assigned.

Serve in the above consultant capacity to support the IBTCI technical practices of Crisis, Conflict & Governance, Agriculture & Food Security & Economic, Education & Growth and Global Health and/or Business Development divisions.

• This position does not authorize/require the consultant to directly communicate with IBTCI clients.
• This position does not authorize/require the consultant to have decision making authority on final work product.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements:

• 10 years of experience as a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning specialist, preferably in nutrition, agriculture, or rural development programs.
• 3-5 years of experience designing and conducting Data Quality Assessments, preferably in USAID-funded programs.
• 1-3 years of experience in defining theory of change for agricultural, nutrition or rural development programs.
• Excellent training skills.
• Ability to write clean and clear technical protocols and reports in English;
• Fluent English, both oral and written.

Education:  Graduate degree in nutrition, social sciences, agricultural economics, behavioral sciences, rural development or international development.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Familiarity with USAID food security indicators and Food for Peace policies;
• Understanding of donor expectations under cooperative agreements;
• Ability to multi-task within tight deadlines and with strong attention to detail;
• Strong collaborative and relationship management skills;
• Highly motivated, willing to learn, and able to work under high pressure and within limited time frames;
• Excellent communication skills.

Working Environment: The majority of work is performed in a typical corporate office environment but may also be performed in the field in Northern and Eastern Kenya.

Physical Requirements:  This is largely a sedentary position that requires the ability to speak, hear, see, and lift small objects up to 20 lbs.

Supervisory Responsibility: This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Travel: Travel will require submitting a negative COVID 19 PCR test at outbound and inbound legs of flights.  COVID 19 vaccination may be required. TOC support will occur from mid-March to mid-April 2021 and will require travel to Kenya, including travel to the counties of Marsabit and Isiolo and Nairobi.  TOC related travel may be limited to two weeks. DQA support will occur from mid-April to mid-September 2021 and may require an additional trip to Kenya. DQA related travel may be limited to one week.