Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Officer - Kenya Country Office at Terre des hommes (TDH)

Objective of the position

The Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Officer (PME&L Officer) is responsible for the coordination of the planning, monitoring, evaluation and learning systems of TdH-NL KCO projects with a particular focus on a 2 year GFEMS-TdH-NL project to be implemented in Kilifi and Kwale counties within our sexual exploitation of children programme in Kenya. To ensure the quality of the PMEL of the project, the Officer will assist in the implementation of policies and systems. He/she will also be a resource person to the country team and partners for project/programme planning, reporting and analysis. This is an anticipated position to be filled subject to funding from GFEMS.

Position within the organisation

The PME&L Officer reports to the Project Manager - CSEC Coast and provides functional guidance and support to the project teams in Kenya in relation to quality programme planning, monitoring, evaluation, learning and reporting. He/she will receive technical guidance from the Regional Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator (based at the Regional Office East Africa in Nairobi) and the Project Back Office in the Head Office in the Netherlands.

Result areas

• Set up & implement a planning, monitoring, evaluation and learning system for the project
• Develops PME&L system and standards, regulations and instruments for optimal accountability process with regard to implemented policies and programs and/or projects.
• Coordinate implementation of MEL plan within the Building a Future project
• Monitor progress and effects of project interventions against set strategic priorities;
• Support teams to monitor and evaluate progress and effect of the project in respective localities as well as coherence with the overall strategic priorities;
• Facilitate monitoring of cross cutting issues by all stakeholders at all levels.
• Ensuring quality and accountability of MEL:
• Signals and analyses improvement points regarding the accountability of the project and other programmes implemented by the organisation;
• Ensures the systems used to collect data on indicators and to generate relevant MEL reports comply with established quality standards and donor requirements;
• Analyse lessons learned for quality and accountability and facilitate reviews (project, internal and external evaluations) at project level and audits as per agreed standards.
• Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing on MEL:
• Leads on the analysis, interpretation and reporting of MEL results; a key input to regular narrative reports covering progress of the TdH-NL programme;
• Identifies and formulates MEL findings, lessons learned and recommendations and avail results for decision-making processes and further project development;
• Promotes the utilisation of the collected data at country level in monitoring of strengths, weaknesses and gaps in the implementation and proposed adjustments in PMEL;
• Facilitates dissemination of lessons learnt across the organisation/ programme/ project and with partners, donors and other stakeholders as need arises.
• Information Management:
• Facilitate capacity building for the implementing partners to enable them to monitor and evaluate their own efforts to gather and analyse relevant data and produce required progress reports;
• Assists the country office, local partners and major stakeholders in the strategic use of data and information so as to improve the impact of the country programme;
• Convene and chair M&E country platform meetings with country and partner PMEL focal points for collective analysis and interpretation of PMEL information.

Result: PM&E system (co-)setup, with standards, regulations and instruments developed, data analysed and the project activities accounted for in a timely and correct manner.

• Give technical advice and provide information on M&E related issues for the project
• Is the point of contact for substantive questions regarding the MEL focus area.
• Provides solicited and unsolicited advice, information, and support regarding the policies pursued and programmes/projects within the organisation and their accountability.
• Generates (management) information for annual plans, the budget, and budget monitoring for the project

Result: Quality and Timely PME&L Management information is provided guiding key decisions within the organisation.

• Co-develop quality policy
• Follows, signals and analyses relevant bottlenecks, trends and developments, within the project, inside and outside the organisation.
• Translates these into consequences, opportunities and/or improvements to the quality policy for the benefit of the entire project, TDH-NL and implementing partners organisation.
• Advises management regarding the development or adaptation of the quality policy pursued.
• Evaluates the developed policy, identifies possible bottlenecks/deviations, and makes suggestions for improvement.

Result: Quality policy co-developed in such a way that developments have been timely signalled, analysed and translated to the organisation with quality improvement proposals have been brought forward.

• Maintain contacts
• Maintains internal and external contacts associated with the function.
• Builds and maintains a network of stakeholder organisations.
• Initiates and develops information and knowledge transfer in the applicable policy area and provides information and advice to internal and external stakeholders.

Result: Contacts have been maintained in such a way that the organization is well represented in external circles.

Education, experience and skills required

• Must be a graduate of statistics, social sciences or other relevant social science degree.
• Must have a minimum of 5 years experience in programme planning, monitoring, evaluation and learning.
• Proven capacity to build the MEL skills of colleagues and/or partners;
• Knowledge of and experience in project cycle management, including the use of logical framework, theory of change, outcome mapping and monitoring and other planning tools.
• Knowledge of and experience in setting up and implementing planning, monitoring, evaluation and learning systems;
• Knowledge of principles and current approaches to MEL;
• Strong skills in collecting, analysing, interpreting qualitative and quantitative data;
• Experience with Child Rights based programming especially in the area of child exploitation with a bias in trafficking and sexual exploitation CSEC is an advantage.
• Experience with Lobby & Advocacy.
• A high level of written and verbal communication, including an ability to write clear and concise reports.
• Verbal and written fluency in English and verbal capability in Kiswahili.

Personal profile

Analytical capacity

Understanding the essence of complex issues by logical reasoning, investigation of potential causes, separation of key messages from the mass of detail and acknowledgment of their interdependence.

• Innovative: documents and analyses innovative strategies and new approaches for purposes of updating the MEL plan.
• Initiative taker, makes sound judgment, creates synergy and manages conflict and open to learning and sharing knowledge.
• Supports and involves others in the immediate vicinity in issue analysis while demonstrating exemplary behaviour.

Driving for quality

Setting stringent requirements for the quality of your own or other people’s work; striving for continuous improvement.

• Sets high standards for the quality of work within the organisational entity and encourages continuous quality improvement.
• Skilled at multitasking and prioritising, working independently with minimal supervision, leading and designing projects autonomously.
• Flexible and adaptable: willing to work irregular hours in accordance with the needs of the role.

The power of persuasion

Expressing opinions convincingly, demonstrating interaction and debating effectively, thereby generating acceptance of viewpoints and ideas.

• Defends and argues points of view with tact and in a clear and convincing manner while taking other opinions into account.
• Team player, facilitating open communication in the team and building relationships.

Networking

Builds relationships and networks that are helpful when realising objectives and utilises informal networks to get things done.

• Excellent interpersonal and intercultural skills and ability to interact professionally with partners, donors, stakeholders and staff at all levels of the organisation.

Stakeholder orientation: establishes, builds and sustains effective relationships within the work unit, partnership, and with internal and external stakeholders; anticipates the needs of partners and addresses them promptly