Job Summary

• TechnoServe highly encourages competent women to apply for this job. We commit to achieve and maintain 50% women staff at all levels of the organization and offer competitive and convenient work environment for women employees to thrive.

TechnoServe Background:

• TechnoServe works with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses and industries. We are a nonprofit organization that develops business solutions to poverty by linking people to information, capital and markets. Our work is rooted in the idea that given the opportunity, hardworking men and women in even the poorest places can generate income, jobs and wealth for their families and communities. With more than four decades of proven results, we believe in the power of private enterprise to transform lives.

Position Description:

The MEL Manager’s responsibilities are to:

• Manage and lead MEL team and support their professional development and learning
• Establish Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Systems and Processes
• Oversee data collection, ensure data quality & analyze data
• Support the application of data for evidence-based decision making, learning and dissemination of learning
• Support the design of causal logic frameworks for prospective new projects with TechnoServe Ethiopia
• Advance Gender Equality

Manage and lead MEL team and support their professional development and learning

• Recruit and manage MEL specialist, MEL Administrators and data entry clerks
• Help direct reports establish annual performance goals, including their own professional development goals and regularly track progress against those goals.
• Foster teamwork, a positive team culture and a learning mindset within the team
• Review and ensure the quality of the team’s deliverables
• Facilitate coaching, training sessions and other relevant learning opportunities for the team, either directly or working with colleagues/partners

Design and Establish Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Systems and Processes:

• Directly develop or support team to develop and update robust project theory of change, logical frameworks (LogFrames), results chains and Performance Management Plans (PMP); this should include MEL systems for use throughout project lifecycle
• Ensure that all MEL processes adhere to corporate, contractual, and donor standards
• Directly establish and maintain or help team to establish and maintain MEL calendars for the duration of projects. These calendars will lay out start and end dates for major MEL deliverables, regular periodic analysis of data to identify and communicate lessons-learned, and regular periodic presentation of data and analyses to program management;
• Develop standardized digital tools for performance monitoring, including software system design/ management and tablet preparation and deployment

Oversee Data Collection Ensure Data Quality & Analyze Data

• Support and manage team to create, disseminate, and support adaptation and use of standard templates and tools for performance monitoring
• Provide training, coaching and feedback on data collection tools to ensure that team and field based staff understand/ know how to accurately collect data
• Support team to plan and manage the recruiting, contracting and supervision of survey staff: data collectors and data collector supervisors, as necessary
• Oversee and ensure the collection and synthesizing of data from field for data verification, including regular visits to the field to support implementation of MEL activities;
• Project staff send data continuously to the MEL team; the MEL Manager ensures that the team is reviewing and providing feedback on the data and ensuring data integrity
• Consolidate, analyze and interpret survey results to develop narrative and reports for internal and external stakeholders; Analysis should focus on practical implications for project implementation and any modifications to the project’s theory of change; support team to do so
• Review, monitor, and analyze impact evaluation findings;
• Supervise and support the professional development of full-time staff, including the Monitoring & Evaluation Assistant and Monitory & Evaluation Administrator

Support the application of data for evidence-based decision making, learning and dissemination of learning

• Work with project management to integrate MEL data into project strategy modification, planning and decision-making processes;
• Share analyses and trends with project managers and team members to help synchronize program decision-making processes with M&E results;
• Work closely with the Project Managers, - and hold regularly meetings (at least once every two weeks) to coordinate work and ensure that project work plans are on target to meet deliverables in a timely and effective manner;
• Ensure results are shared and flows transparently within the project team and to other organizational levels, as appropriate;
• Supporting sharing of results externally, as required

Support the design of causal logic frameworks for prospective new projects with TechnoServe Ethiopia

• Work with Country Director and/or Deputy Country Director to design the theory of change and other causal logic frameworks for prospective new projects
• Develop budgets for MEL work within prospective projects
• Support overall project design as needed

Advance Gender Equality

• Support and promote the design, implementation and analysis of rigorous gender surveys in Ethiopia
• Provide coaching and support to PMs/MEL staff or other program staff who want to carry out a gender survey for their respective program· 
• Develop standard tools and practices for use by program managers and others in support of gender analysis and design, to be developed in coordination with the Africa Gender Advisor/Gender Director
• Contribute to continuous learning about gender, strengthening project performance around gender and help to shape institutional thinking about gender
• Actively participate in TechnoServe’s gender practice group, among others, and an internal dialogue that will shape and support institutional thinking on gender integration
• Support /guide program staff to learn from the completed gender assessments; helping them understand the most important gender issues relevant to the project.
• Support and facilitate Gender integration training for all managers and supervisors (new and existing), working together with the Africa Gender Advisor/Gender Director
• Supporting teams to implement gender integrated MEL so that we have all projects monitoring women's and men's participation and benefit and evaluating whether they are empowering women

Job Requirements

• BA Degree in business, economics, statistics or international development-related studies required;
• At least 7 years of experience with M&E methods and approaches, including designing, planning, and implementing M&E systems, analyzing and reporting using a logical framework and other strategic planning approaches;
• Robust analytical skills; ability to synthesize information and distill insights and conclusion
• Strong interpersonal and management skills required; Personnel management experience required;
• Demonstrated strong problem solving skills
• Very strong attention to details and commitment to high quality, error-free end products
• Experience supervising and managing staff, preferred
• Ability to develop well written, clearly structured, cohesive analyses and reports in English, quickly and efficiently;
• Strong analytical and financial analysis skills;
• Learning mindset and a passion for learning
• Strong planning skills and experience working to strict time-guidelines;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and project reporting skills a must; Fluency in Amharic and English required;
• Willingness to be based in Addis Ababa, and ability to travel to remote rural locations across Ethiopia.

Success Factors:

Competency is a combination of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) directly related to successful performance on the job.

Core Competencies include:

• Integrity and honesty: Is widely trusted; seen as a direct, truthful individual; presents truthful information in an appropriate and helpful manner; keeps confidences; admits mistakes; does not misrepresent himself or herself for personal gain.
• Team Work/ Relationships: Works co-operatively and flexibly with other members of the team with a full understanding of the role to be played as a team member and/or leader, to achieve a common goal. Ability to build and maintain effective relationships and networks.
• Learning attitude: Proactively takes advantage of opportunities to learn. Actively identifies new areas for learning; applies and shares new knowledge and skill appropriately.
• Diversity/Inclusiveness: Demonstrates an understanding and appreciation for diversity and supports diversity efforts. Interacts effectively with and inclusively with people of all races, cultures, ethnicities, backgrounds, religions, ages, and genders.
• Communication: Expresses ideas effectively in individual and group situations. Listens effectively; shares information, ideas and arguments; adjusts terminology, language and communication modes to the needs of the audience; ensures accurate understanding; acts in a way that facilitates open exchange of ideas and information; uses appropriate non-verbal communication.
• Decision making/Problem Solving: Is able to analyze situations, diagnose problems, identify the key issues, establish and evaluate alternative courses of action and produce a logical, practical and acceptable solution. Is able to make effective decisions on a day-to-day basis, taking ownership of decisions, demonstrating sound judgement in escalating issues where necessary.
• Results Oriented/ High Quality Deliverables: Stays focused on the efforts necessary to achieve quality results consistent with programmatic or departmental goals. Demonstrates the ability to achieve effective results; works persistently to overcome obstacles to goal achievement. Accomplishes tasks by considering all areas involved, no matter how small; showing concern for all aspects of the job; accurately checking processes and tasks.
• Planning & Time Management: Establishes a course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a specific goal. Effectively plans, schedules, prioritizes and controls activities; identifies, integrates and orchestrates resources (people, material, information, budget, and/or time) to accomplish goals. Prioritizes work according to the program or department’s goals, not just own job responsibilities; manages own time effectively.
• Business Acumen: The ability to use information, ask the right questions and take decisions that make an impact on the overall business performance.

 Job Specific/Technical Competencies include:

• Computer Literacy: Demonstrates knowledge and ability to use specific computer programs or applications for own functional area. Has the ability to improve performance by integrating new and existing technology into the workplace.
• Donor/Partnership Management: Identifying opportunities and taking action to build strategic relationships between one’s area and other areas, teams, departments, or organizations to help achieve business goals.
• Analysis, Research, Report Writing: Experience in business planning and analysis, modeling for feasibility and execution. Able to analyze and express oneself clearly in business writing.
• Innovative Mindset: Curious inquiries, asks questions and seeks out information from multiple sources, learns from mistakes, sees change as an opportunity.

Managerial Competencies

• Emotional Intelligence: The act of knowing, understanding, and responding to emotions, overcoming stress in the moment, and being aware of how your words and actions affect others. Emotional intelligence consists of 4 attributes: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.
• Strategic Thinking: Managers should recognize key actions, underlying problems, make connection and patterns, see consequences and implications. Anticipates obstacles realistically and plans ways to deal with them.
• Staff Development: managers are required to work with employees to plan on the development of skills and abilities so that they can fulfill current or future job/role responsibilities more effectively.
• Trust to Delegate: managers should have trust and willingness to assign responsibilities to direct reports and give them discretion and authority to carry them out.
• Feedback/Coaching (mentoring): managers should give instructions, suggestions, explanations, and feedback to subordinates. (SPI+R)

How to Apply

Qualified and interested applicants should Click here to apply for this position and submit a cover letter resume as a single document (either Word or PDF) by March 25, 2021. Applications will be reviewed and considered as received/on a rolling basis. Please identify the position for which you are applying in the subject line. Only applicants meeting minimum qualifications will be contacted. Please note that we are not accepting CVs that are not sent through the indicated link.

The position initially has a duration until December 2022 with the possibility of extension

TECHNOSERVE ENCOURAGES DIVERSITY IN ALL LEVELS AND ACROSS ALL FACETS OF OUR ORGANIZATION. WITH THIS COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, WE ARE PROUD TO BE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER AND DO NOT DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF GENDER, RACE, COLOR, ETHNICITY, RELIGION, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY, AGES, DISABILITY, AND ALL OTHER PROTECTED CLASSES. 

TechnoServe has the right to cancel this advertisement. Women are highly encouraged to apply