Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Officer - Kitale at Water Mission

What is the opportunity?

The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Officer (MEL) will report to the Community Development Manager in Kenya. The MEL Officer will be responsible for designing, managing, and implementing MEL activities for Water Mission programs in Kenya. The role will ensure that Water Mission Kenya achieves intended program results through strong oversight, management and implementation of performance and impact measurement and learning activities.  The position will be based in Kitale.

A successful Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Officer will:

General Responsibilities:

• Align with Water Mission’s Statement of Faith and core values of Love, Excellence, and Integrity.  

• Maintain a strong Christian witness and model servant leadership to colleagues, partners, the communities we serve, and the public. 
• Engage and participate in prayer before and after team meetings.
• Lead and participate in biblically based staff devotions.
• Have a personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

Program Monitoring and Evaluation System Design

• Assist Water Mission in establishing key performance indicators, collecting performance information, planning, and implementing evaluation programs assigned. 
• Manage the development of performance monitoring and impact management systems for Water Mission’s projects in Kenya, including the development and validation of program impact strategy, logical frameworks, measurement indicators, and data collection tools.
• Provide input into the design, implementation, and dissemination of evaluations, special studies, and assessments.
• Manage the creation and review of global and country-level monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning budgets to provide adequate financial resources for evaluations, special studies, and assessments. 

Data Collection, Compliance, and Quality Assurance

• Manage the implementation of data flow activities for Water Mission’s projects in Kenya. 
• Supervise all data collection activities. Work closely with Water Mission’s Community Development Officers, Project Managers, and Engineering teams to ensure timely and continuous collection of data using Water Missions data collection tools including Household, Church Congregation, and Community based Surveys.  
• Manage development and implementation of data flow improvements for the Water Mission program in Kenya that will ensure efficient data collection and reporting and support scalability.  
• Ensure data quality through data verification procedures, including routine data quality audits, and work with various teams to resolve discrepancies and improve processes. 
• Develop and implement training on data collection, storage, quality assurance, and retrieval processes, as needed. 

Data Analysis & Visualization

• Support activities to transform quantitative and qualitative data sets into compelling reports and visuals for different types of audiences. 
• Develop and implement plans, methods, and tools for analyzing data. 
• Perform qualitative and quantitative data analysis as needed. 
• Monitor and respond to relevant data points from the MAP - Water Mission’s innovative Monitoring and Alerting Platform 
• Manage analytical reports to provide direct and real-time insights to inform the project design and implementation in Kenya. 
• Develop standard protocols, templates, infographics, and procedures to ensure data analysis and visualization needs are met. 

Research Practices

• Implement strategies to improve Water Mission and the broader WASH sector's ability to use data to drive future program design, implementation, and decision making.  
• Regularly develop performance reports and share program outcomes and learnings with Water Mission’s International Programs team and all key stakeholders in Kenya (UNICEF, etc.) including reports, training, briefs, commentary, and visuals. 
• Facilitate reflection, learning, and adapting meetings regularly in the country.  
• Work closely with the communications team to help promote Water Mission’s content including reports, briefs, commentary, and visual data. 
• Cultivate strategic M&E relationships and alliances with partners and represent Water Mission’s M&E, data analysis, and visualization activities in public and professional circles through meetings, conferences, and presentations. 
• Other duties as assigned. 

What is required?

• Alignment with Water Mission’s Statement of Faith and core values of Love, Excellence, and Integrity.
• Bachelor's degree in Demography, Statistics, Mathematics, Public Health, Environmental Health, or related field; or equivalent experience.  A Master's degree will be an added advantage.
• At least 3-5 years of experience designing, managing, and implementing program monitoring and evaluation activities including:
  • Theory of change and M&E framework.
  • Community needs, baseline, endline, and data quality assessments.
  • Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research & evaluation studies.
  • Surveys, focus group discussions, observational data collection tools.
  • Learning and adapting processes and mechanisms.

• Domain expertise in data science, statistical analysis, and data visualization.
• Working knowledge of one or more data analysis and visualization libraries and packages used today, including PowerBi, R, Tableau, SQL Python, JavaScript, SPSS, Stata, MS Access.
• Excellent analytical skills and the ability to summarize disparate information in a clear and concise manner.
• Demonstrated ability to build consensus, solve problems, and work collaboratively and effectively with other leaders, volunteers, and employees at all levels.
• Ability to thrive in a highly fluid environment and respond to changing requests.
• Good written and verbal cross-cultural communication skills.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English is required.
• Ability and willingness to travel in-country for up to 20 weeks per year. Most in-country trips require this person to ride long car rides on rough terrain and stand for extended periods of time.
• Commitment to ending the global water crisis.
• Authorization to work in Kenya.