Senior Manager - Design, Monitoring and Evaluation at Church World Service

Primary Purpose

This position will provide leadership and support to development and emergency response programs including planning and development of new programs, participating in the development of s concept notes and proposal development, designing, and overseeing monitoring plans for current and new projects, and designing and leading evaluations for targeted development programs and projects, conducting data quality assessments for programs, and conducting staff capacity building. The position will also support and manage consultants hired to conduct independent assessments and evaluations of CWS Kenya programs. The Design, Monitoring and Evaluation Senior Manager will also help guide and   assess a new CWS Africa development and emergency response monitoring software system. This position is responsible for developing and improving overall monitoring capacity with CWS Kenya staff and implementing partners. The Kenya Senior Manager Design Monitoring and Evaluation will work collaboratively with counterparts in other CWS Africa Country Offices when called upon.

Key Relationships

Internal to CWS

• Deputy Africa Program Regional Representative,
• Kenya Program managers,
• Kenya Country Representatives,
• HQ Business Development Unit,
• Program Technical Focal Point
• Regional Associate Director Design Monitoring and Evaluation

External

• Donors and Technical Consultants

Working Environment

• Office environment.
• Periodic travel to the region as may be required.

Responsibilities

Leadership and Management (35%)

• Strategic Planning: Develop and implement a strategic plan for designing, monitoring, and evaluating programs/projects in alignment with organizational goals and objectives.
• Designing Programs/Projects: Lead the design process of new programs or projects, including defining objectives, outcomes, indicators, and targets. Ensure that program designs are evidence-based, contextually appropriate, and contribute to desired impact.
• Identify, build and maintain strategic partnerships and alliances with project stakeholders and partners.
• Monitor effective and appropriate use of resources across the department within the approved budget.

Program Administration (30%)

• Oversee development of work plans, their implementation and reporting for the teams reporting to this position
• Monitoring Systems Development: Design and establish robust monitoring systems to track progress towards project goals and objectives. This may involve developing monitoring frameworks, data collection tools, and reporting mechanisms.
• Evaluation Framework Development: Develop evaluation frameworks and methodologies to assess the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, and sustainability of programs/projects. This includes designing evaluation plans, selecting appropriate evaluation methods, and determining evaluation criteria.
• Reporting and Documentation: Prepare and disseminate regular monitoring reports, evaluation findings, and recommendations to internal and external stakeholders. This may involve writing technical reports, briefs, and presentations.
• Knowledge Management: Facilitate knowledge sharing and learning within the organization by documenting lessons learned, best practices, and success stories from monitoring and evaluation activities. Promote a culture of evidence-based decision-making and continuous learning.
• GIS and Mapping Technologies: spearhead the integration of GIS tools and mapping techniques into program monitoring activities to improve spatial data analysis and enhance decision-making processes. Collaborate with program teams to identify opportunities for leveraging GIS technology to enhance data collection methods, spatial analysis, and mapping of program activities.
• Coordinates donor and headquarter program reporting ensuring robust impact indicators and reporting guidelines are met.
• Design and compilation of key lessons learned and best practices emanating from field implementation and research initiatives.

Capacity Building & Representation (10%)

• Conducts staff training on relevant M&E concepts. tools, reviews the application of M&E tools and progress toward project's annual targets.
• Supports recruitment and training of locally hired M&E Officers for partner agencies and/or provides training to build partner capacity and expertise in designing, implementing, and reporting on monitoring plans.
• Capacity Building: Provide training and technical assistance to staff and partners on monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) concepts, tools, and practices. Build the capacity of project teams to effectively use MEL systems for decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Implement RDP research/evaluation initiatives undertaken by external consultants including obtaining necessary ethical approvals.
• Represent RDP at M&E national and international forums including technical working groups, communities of practice, conferences, workshops, and meetings.
• External Engagement: Represent the organization in external forums, conferences, and working groups related to monitoring and evaluation. Build partnerships with donors, government agencies, and other stakeholders to promote collaboration and knowledge exchange in MEL

Compliance (10%)

• Liaises closely with CWS Africa Regional and CWS HQ program development colleagues ensuring that CWS Global program standards are respected.
• Quality Assurance: Conduct quality assurance reviews of monitoring and evaluation activities to ensure compliance with standards, protocols, and best practices. Identify areas for improvement and implement corrective actions as needed.
• Provides additional support around minimum standards, quality and accountability, and other technical areas as necessary.
• Provide input on effects of external policy updates on the department’s internal SOPs and workflow and implement changes due to these updates.
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting of suspected fraud, malfeasance, and data breaches and report any identified areas of significant compliance risk for the program.

Data Management and Analysis (10%)

• Data Collection and Analysis: Oversee the collection, management, and analysis of monitoring and evaluation data. Ensure data quality, integrity, and reliability throughout the data lifecycle.
• Ensure quantitative data provided in reports to stakeholders is accurate, represents the appropriate time period, and is not duplicative of or inconsistent with quantitative information provided in narrative form.

Additional Roles and Responsibilities (5%)

• Performs other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Qualifications

Experience:

• A minimum of eight (8) years’ relevant work experience is required.
• A minimum of (5) years of direct supervisory experience is required.
• Minimum of five (5) years’ work experience in the humanitarian or development field; program experience in community development, governance and/or education desired.
• Previous experience monitoring and evaluating projects funded by the U.S. Government, DFID, the EU, and other bi-lateral public donors desired.

Knowledge/Skills

• Experience designing and leading training and interactive workshops.
• Experience working with data analysis software and strong analytical skills a must.
• Experience working with and building capacity of partners an advantage.
• Experience mainstreaming GESI in programs.
• Strong commitment to teamwork and supporting fellow staff and partners.
• Excellent writing, oral communication, and analytical skills
• Fluency in written and spoken English required; spoken Swahili is an advantage.
• Previous experience in refugee assistance, development, and protection in Africa desired

Education & Certifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field (e.g., Monitoring and Evaluation Statistics, Public Policy, and Social Science)
• Master’s Degree is preferred.

Abilities:

The Senior Manager Design, Monitoring and Evaluation must have the ability to:

• Have a right to live and work in Kenya.
• Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Deal effectively and courteously with many associates, outside agencies, refugees, and members of the public.
• Conduct oneself in a professional and courteous manner to represent the best interests of CWS.
• Maintain a high-performance standard with attention to detail.
• Carry out all the duties of the position efficiently and effectively with minimal supervision.
• Work independently and contribute to overall operations of CWS.
• Take initiative in the development and completion of projects within the specified timeframe.
• Maintain strict confidentiality with CWS administrative and operational information.
• Manage a large and diverse workload under pressure with competing priorities.
• Work well as a team in a multi-cultural environment while maintaining a high level of motivation.
• Respect other spiritual traditions, both inside and outside of Christianity.
• Find the common purpose and values to enable effective collaboration, including the ability and willingness to engage with church member organizations that have different agendas, theological interpretations of social issues and approaches to serving others.
• Effectively manage CWS’ resources