Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Specialist at International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)

The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is currently recruiting a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Specialist (MELS) for a two-year, FCDO-funded project entitled the Kenya Elections Support Programme (KESP). The program is expected to build upon electoral reforms previously supported by FCDO/DFID in Kenya to contribute to a credible, peaceful and inclusive 2022 general election in Kenya. The program will support:

• Meaningful electoral reforms early in the electoral cycle and effective coordination between relevant institutions; 
• Improvement on standards achieved in the 2017 election, and incorporation of lessons learned for more effective planning, management, strategic communication and stakeholder engagement to build public trust; 
• An enabling environment that leads to more women, youth and persons with disabilities (PWDs) turning out to vote and elected to representative posts; and, 
• Strengthened domestic election observation and monitoring. 

PRIMARY FUNCTION/PURPOSE:   

The MELS will oversee monitoring systems for the IFES-Kenya field office and will work with the Country Director and/or their designee to provide technical leadership for project evaluations, risk mitigation and learning initiatives. 

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manage, oversee and coordinate the collection of performance data throughout the life of the project.  
• Develop and maintain a database of performance indicators and ensure that the database is up to date in terms of baseline, targets, and actuals in line with the project’s logframe and/or Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP).  
• Liaise regularly with the program implementing team and maintain a calendar of events to anticipate and plan for any monitoring and evaluation (M&E) data collection needs.  
• Liaise regularly with the IFES M&E team in HQ to ensure data collection tools are appropriate and meet requirements for specific data collection efforts.  

• Plan and help with the implementation of data collection efforts such as pre- and post-training surveys, special population surveys, and other data collection efforts that feed into periodic evaluations of different components of the program as well as the program’s risk mitigation efforts.  
• Write periodic reports for the IFES Kenya office to document M&E data findings and report the progress of the project in relation to the logframe/PMP to IFES HQ and FCDO. 
• Assess logframe/PMP indicators every fiscal year or more often, if necessary, to ensure relevance to planned results; suggest revisions or additions to PMP indicators if needed. 
• Maintain and safeguard the electronic and hard copies of files to serve as backup related to the logframe/PMP.  
• Develop and maintain a database of minutes of meetings, photos, and various reports produced by different staff in the office.  

• Participate in meetings, training events and capacity building activities to collect data in relation to reporting and M&E.  
• Monitor the media and other sources of information to collect information for reporting and provide evidence to support the verification of the PMP indicators.  
• Join the Country Director and other staff at important meetings, write minutes of these meetings for filing and reporting purposes.  
• Conduct other activities as may be requested by the Country Director or designee. 

SKILLS and SPECIFICATIONS: 

• Experience in the drafting of program implementation plans and performance monitoring plans (PIP/PMP). 
• Experience with data collection, data analysis, and effective data presentation techniques.  
• Experience with developing and maintaining program performance and implementation tracking tools, such a M&E dashboards. 
• Demonstrated ability to produce substantive and clear reporting documents. 

• Demonstrated capacity to work with senior program staff to assess and report on program performance. 
• Knowledge and experience with FCDO grant and contract proposals, regulations, and procedures. 
• Ability to remain highly organized while handling multiple tasks under tight deadlines. 
• Ability to complete tasks with limited supervision. 
• Excellent reporting and document handling skills. 

• Excellent communication skills in order to be able to work with IFES program and administrative staff to identify and resolve issues. 
• Willingness to adhere to all principles of confidentiality. 
• Must value operating in a collaborative and cooperative environment. 
• Ability to show initiative, good judgment, and resourcefulness. 
• Ability to handle sensitive issues and address inclusion matters with integrity 

EDUCATION and QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Bachelor’s Degree in social science, research methodology or related required. 
• Minimum of 6 years of experience working with international NGOs on monitoring and evaluation of international technical assistance programs. 
• Experience working on donor-funded programs. 

• Experience working on democracy and governance programs, especially in electoral assistance projects, preferred. 
• Demonstrated professional experience and knowledge in the gender and inclusion field. 
• Training/facilitation skill/qualification is an advantage. 
• Proficiency in Word, Power point, Outlook and Excel.