Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Director - Meru at Christian Health Association of Kenya (CHAK)

Job Profile

• CHAK seeks a highly motivated, dynamic, and self-driven monitoring, evaluation and learning director to provide technical leadership, oversight and strategic direction for monitoring and evaluation ensuring high-quality, timely, valid, and verifiable data collection, reporting and analysis in the USAID Jamii Tekelezi project in cluster 3 Counties (Embu, Meru Nyandarua & Tharaka-Nithi).
• The Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Director is a full-time position the provides provide technical leadership to develop project framework, M&E systems, and indicators to capture performance results and provide effective, accurate and timely monitoring, evaluation and reporting of all project activities. The M&E Director will supervise and manage the M&E team and oversee the collection, management, analysis, and use of project data, ensuring that lessons learned are integrated into project implementation to continuously improve quality of interventions and outcomes.
• The M&E Director is responsible for documenting and disseminating project successes, challenges and lessons learned to USAID. The Director will also be responsible for designing and conducting assessments, operations research, and evaluations to address project needs. The Director will liaise with and support consortium partners and the Ministry of Health to implement monitoring and evaluation (and learning) activities. S/he will link M&E data to a process of learning and iterative adaptation.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

• Provide leadership and direction on M&E to ensure the project achieves its goals and corresponding objectives and targets.
• Oversee the development and implementation of the Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) to efficiently track, use and disseminate performance indicators and results over the life of the project, including routine service delivery data reporting, baseline and end line assessments, and all monitoring for process and outcome evaluations.
• Supervise a team of M&E professionals, ensuring high-quality implementation of all monitoring, evaluation and learning activities.
• Develop and oversee implementation of robust context-appropriate systems for data collection, quality assurance, analysis and reporting on activity outputs/outcomes and program quality.
• Lead results reporting to USAID by providing written documentation on M&E activities and indicator results for progress and annual reports, as appropriate.
• Ensure alignment of project systems and approaches t with Kenyan national monitoring and evaluation guidelines, protocols, information, and reporting systems
• Cultivate strategic M&E relationships and alliances with monitoring, evaluation and learning counterparts in other USAID projects national institutions, and key stakeholders, leading initiatives to learn from project data and adapt intervention strategies as appropriate.
• Provide leadership in the field rollout of HIS systems and maintenance of data integrity, contributing to strategic decision-making and project planning with project leadership.
• Support project leadership to champion holistic approaches to collaboration, learning and adapting (CLA), including design and implementation of an action-oriented project research, and learning agenda, routine analysis of available health sector data sources, and application of best practices in knowledge management.
• Ensure quality of data through data verification procedures including routine data quality audits and that these are routinely carried out during the project lifecycle.
• Represent M&E activities in public and professional circles through meetings, conferences, and presentations.
• Ensure relevant data is entered into CHAK’s organization-wide performance management system designed to capture, analyze, and disseminate project data.
• Ensure project compliance with USAID monitoring, evaluation, research and open data policies and the Kenya national data protection act.
• Promote and support the dissemination of project information among the project team.
• Work with project and financial staff to prepare and track progress of project and activity budgets.
• Train and mentor project staff and implementing partners in monitoring and evaluation methods, tools, and systems.
• Ensure protection of participant data and confidentiality during all monitoring, evaluation and research implementation and dissemination processes.
• Any other lawful duties that may be assigned that is within the scope and nature of this position.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in biostatistics or Epidemiology or demography.
• Minimum of 8 years of experience in monitoring and evaluating on large, multi-year development projects with 5+ years in leadership roles USG-funded health sector projects focused on HIV/AIDS, and TB.
• Demonstrated experience in gathering, organizing, and analyzing large amounts of data as well as the ability to design manageable, transparent M&E systems that report progress against indicators throughout the life of the project.
• Proven expertise in quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methodologies, implementation research approaches, health management information systems, data visualization and reporting.
• Demonstrated strong management, coordination, teamwork, and planning skills with proven ability to function effectively with multiple County counterparts in both the public, NGO, and private sectors.
• Familiarity with Kenya HIS systems, KenyaEMR, and PEPFAR reporting platforms like DATIM.
• Demonstrable expertise and experience in the use of statistical software packages, preferably Stata, R, SAS, and advanced MS Excel
• Excellent diplomacy skills and a proven ability to establish and maintain interpersonal and professional relationships with USAID, County health leadership, and representatives from other key stakeholders such as NGOs, CSOs, and the private sector.
• Demonstrated outstanding leadership, strategic thinking, organizational, team-building, and representational skills.
• Expertise in research to practice—identifying and adapting best practices to specific project contexts.
• Excellent skills in facilitation, team building, and coordination.
• Excellent verbal, written interpersonal and presentation skills in English.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office