Position Overview
The Senior Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Officer, YEFFA Multi-Country Support, will be responsible for the coordination and implementation of the Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) countries program’s MEL, results data monitoring, reporting, and quality systems, in line with YEFFA’s theory of change and results frameworks. The position will ensure hands-on and onsite technical support and capacity building to YEFFA countries to strengthen performance data tracking, verification, reporting, and compliance, supporting evidence-based decision-making in liaison with the YEFFA Program Management Unit (PMU) and AGRA’s Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Unit.
The ideal candidate will coordinate YEFFA country investments (including consultancies and convenings) performance and results data quality tracking and verification, including accompanying field-facing and problem-solving technical support to strengthen the quality, credibility, and use of YEFFA results across countries. The position holder will lead data verification and provide direct, hands-on M&E support to YEFFA country teams and grantees, troubleshooting M&E implementation challenges through routine country missions and data quality verifications. He/she will serve as a key operational link between country implementation, the YEFFA Program Management Unit (PMU), and AGRA’s M&E Unit. He/she will work closely with the Senior M&E Officer, Continental Programs, who has oversight of YEFFA MEL performance and results data. The position will report to the Head of YEFFA Program Delivery with matrix reporting to the Head of Monitoring and Evaluation.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
- Provide ongoing M&E support to the YEFFA PMU in collaboration with the Senior M&E Officer, YEFFA, and Continental programs.
- Provide technical oversight, aligning country results, program design with YEFFA theory of change and Results Framework, ensuring compliance with YEFFA objectives.
- Provide a consolidated analysis and practical insights on YEFFA country performance to the Head – YEFFA PD and the Director – GYI to inform decision-making.
- Generate quarterly YEFFA country program/investments performance and milestones dashboards, including an analysis of compliance.
- Provide technical support to the design of YEFFA investments and integration of YEFFA MEL plans into workplans, budgets, and grant agreements to ensure clear results linkages.
- Lead data integration of YEFFA with continental pillar data to demonstrate YEFFA achievements in coordination with the Senior M&E Officer, YEFFA, and Continental programs.
- Lead YEFFA country M&E support needs identification, working closely with the Senior M&E Officer, country teams, and the M&E unit.
- Coordinate and support planning and delivery of MEL technical support and troubleshooting to YEFFA country teams and implementing partners on data capture, documentation, and reporting challenges.
- Lead routine and ad-hoc data quality checks, verification, and validation exercises.
- Strengthen source documentation, audit trails, and evidence standards for YEFFA indicators.
- Provide technical guidance and training to implementing partners on results reporting, indicator definition, and data management systems.
- Lead grantees onboarding as well as validation of data reported on AMIS on YEFFA to ensure quality and accuracy.
- Lead implementation and backstopping of the digitized tool used by country teams.
- Lead implementation of YEFFA results and reporting protocols at the country level, in liaison with in-country and regional M&E Officers.
- Monitor and support follow-up actions arising from DQAs, spot checks, and validation missions.
- Lead in-country portfolio reviews, field monitoring, quarterly performance reviews, and learning sessions.
- Analyze country and portfolio-level results and performance data to identify trends, risks, and implementation bottlenecks.
- Provide evidence-based impact stories and inputs to YEFFA PMU for management discussions and decision-making, including mapping of tertiary youth work opportunities created.
- Lead the review of YEFFA countries' impact pathways as required.
- Contribute to the preparation of YEFFA Annual Results Reports and data-driven presentations for the Mastercard Foundation and AGRA Board.
- Work closely with YEFFA and AGRA’s MEL focal Points, particularly the Senior M&E Officer, Continental Programs, to harmonize performance indicators and streamline data reporting requirements.
- Collaborate with YEFFA countries to ensure MEL integration within their workstreams.
- Facilitate cross-country learning through synthesis of field insights and best practices.
- Facilitate cross-country learning through synthesis of best practices in MEL and adaptive management.
- Lead continuous improvement of YEFFA MEL systems, processes, dashboards, and tools.
- Document program lessons and support countries in alignment with contributing to the YEFFA learning agenda.
- Contribute to the ongoing integration of program learning questions into program implementation and country objectives, as well as country learning events.
- Lead evaluations, surveys, and MEL-related consultancies as required in collaboration with the AGRA MEL Unit.
Qualifications and Experience Required:
- Master’s degree in Monitoring & Evaluation, Development Economics, Statistics, Data Science, or related discipline.
- Professional certification in MEL, Results-Based Management, or Data Analytics is an asset.
- Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in monitoring, evaluation, and results management in large-scale, multi-country programs in Africa.
- Proven experience with donor-funded initiatives, particularly Mastercard Foundation or equivalent development partners.
- Expertise in results framework design, performance tracking, and data visualization tools (Power BI, Tableau, or equivalent).
- Demonstrated ability to synthesize data into actionable insights and communicate results effectively to technical and non-technical audiences.
- Experience supporting adaptive management and institutional learning.
- Demonstrated strong ownership and responsibility for results management processes, ensuring the accuracy, completeness, and reliability of monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) data.
- Exhibits the ability to adjust MEL frameworks, tools, and methodologies in response to changing program contexts, emerging priorities, and evolving stakeholder needs.
- Demonstrated ability to maintain a strong focus on measuring performance outcomes and assessing progress against defined targets and indicators.
- Experience in delivering high-quality MEL outputs promptly, supports evidence-based decision-making, and contributes to improved program effectiveness through actionable insights and performance feedback.
- Ability to proactively capture, document, and disseminate lessons learned, best practices, and evaluative insights to support organizational learning.
- Ability to facilitate knowledge-sharing processes and promote a culture of reflection, learning, and continuous improvement to enhance program design, implementation, and impact.
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