About CRS

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding.

For nearly 60 years, CRS has taken the lead in responding to natural and man-made disasters affecting Ethiopia's most vulnerable communities. Moving beyond emergency response, CRS' disaster mitigation and recovery projects in drought and flood-prone areas have rebuilt individual and community assets through non-food aid in the form of agriculture, livestock, health, nutrition, and water and sanitation assistance. CRS's humanitarian work in Ethiopia also provides livelihoods support to farmers and entrepreneurs, promotes gender equality, mobilizes for immunization and mitigates the impact of COVID 19.

As part of CRS family, you will join the more than 5000 strong and vibrant individuals working globally to accomplish the mission of CRS. CRS/Ethiopia invites you, the qualified candidate, to apply for the following position.  

Job Title:            Senior Project Officer – Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E SPO)

Department:         JEOP, Program Quality Unit

Band:                VIII

Required Number:     One

Employment Term:    Indefinite term contract contingent upon funding of JEOP

Reports To:            Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning

                      Manager - JEOP

Application Deadline:  March 31, 2022

Background: The Joint Emergency Operation (JEOP) is an emergency food assistance program targeting transitory food insecure households through a project participant targeting process led by the Government of Ethiopia’s (GoE) Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission (EDRMC). JEOP provides emergency assistance to protect their lives and livelihood where recurrent drought affected in significant harvest loss, livestock death and price increase of essentials. The consortium is led by CRS and includes consortium partners, CARE, Food for the Hungry, Relief Society of Tigray (REST), World Vision and Organization for Relief and Development in Amhara (ORDA). CRS also works thorough local implementing partners Hararghe and Meki Catholic Secretariat (HCS and MCS).

 Job Summary:

As a lead for Monitoring and Evaluation in JEOP, you will facilitate the achievement of project objectives through reporting on project activities and providing technical guidance and advice to staff and implementing partner(s) advancing CRS work serving the poor and vulnerable. Your coordination and relationship management skills will ensure that JEOP applies best practices and constantly works towards improving the impact of its benefits to those we serve. As part of the MEAL technical unit, s/he will facilitate the achievement of the M&E mechanism across geographic areas, responsible for planning for delivery of high-quality interventions, coordinating with partners to advance JEOP’s work serving the most vulnerable households. Her/his coordination and relationship management skills will ensure that best practices are applied in a consistent manner, and JEOP constantly works towards improving the impact of its benefits to those we serve. In particular, the SPO will support the following;

1. Post Distributing Monitoring – support JEOP partners on qualitative data collection (focused group discussion and key informant interviews) and engage with an external data collection firm on quantitative methods (household survey).

• Draft/review tools for data collection (paper based and online).
• Train partner staff on tools, support data collection firm mainstreaming crosscutting themes (gender, protection, safeguarding).
• Oversee data collection (qualitative) provide spot checks (quantitative).
• Ensure that data collection and analysis teams are gender balanced, trained on safeguarding and protection mainstreaming and understand CRS’ code of conduct.
• Review reports (partners and data collection firm).
• Facilitate dissemination sessions to share findings at partner level, including follow up on action plans.
• Create a database to hold information in an easily searchable manner in collaboration with CRS PM ICT4D and tech partners concerning PDM data.

2. Annual Results Survey – collaborate with external data collection firm on qualitative and quantitative data collection: household survey, focused group discussion and key informant interviews.

• Draft scope of work and lead procurement follow-up.
• Review tools for data collection (paper based and online).
• Ensure that data collection and analysis teams are gender balanced, trained on safeguarding and protection mainstreaming and understand CRS’ code of conduct.
• Undertake spot checks during data collection.
• Review data and report from consultancy firm.
• Ensure that data is consistently sex and age disaggregated.
• Facilitate a participatory dissemination session to share findings and galvanize commitment across partners to adaption of implementation approaches as required.

3. M&E field presence optimization – support partners to recruit and onboard M&E leads at woreda level as per their budgets and implementation plans.

• Review job descriptions, support with interviews, training, and onboarding to ensure a diverse team with gender balance and disability inclusion representation.
• Troubleshoot field issues and support partners to get the most out of increase field presence.
• Oversee an extended field technical working group using technologies to support regular sharing of information and ideas.
• Follow up on implementation of action points from the MEAL Technical Working Group.
• Support data collection and data management.

4. Field Monitoring – direct observation

• Conduct quarterly field visits to each partner to support MEAL staff and provide timely guidance on spot and in collaboration with MEAL PM.
• Archive field visit reports, share field trip notes with JEOP staff for discussion and action.
• Collaborate with leads for crosscutting themes (gender, safeguarding, environment, protection mainstreaming) to promote joint field visits.
• Support monitoring against disability inclusion plan with inclusion partner.

5. Data Quality Assessment (DQA) – desk review

• Conduct periodic DQA with JEOP partners, ensuring that each partner has a standardized DQA visit with checklist at least once per year.
• Create and maintain a data quality risk tracker – including focus on gender and protection mainstreaming.
• Collaborate closely with the Compliance and Risk Monitoring Team to cross-check findings.

6. Reporting and communications – quarterly and annual report compilation

• Create trackers for weekly / monthly achievements on crosscutting themes for use in quarterly and annual reports.
• Compile necessary data from PDMs and ARS for ad hoc requests by the SMT.
• Conduct the first round of review of partner reporting materials including data quality checks.
• Facilitate access to data for the Communications Manager for us on humanitarian interest stories, 1-pagers, and other communication channels.

 Alongside the tasks outlined above, the M&E SPO will support the following;

• Leadership updates: Prepare and share monthly M&E spotlight updates for JEOP SMT, which can be shared with JEOP consortium level program managers during monthly JEOP meetings to reinforce engagement with the system.
• Levering and layering: work closely with EWS/cash/protection mainstreaming /safeguarding /gender /operations staff to ensure efficiency and smooth integration of crosscutting themes.
• Liaison: Coordinate closely with the JEOP Compliance and Risk Monitoring Team and partner level counterparts. Build a strong cohesive team of focal persons.
• Innovation: participate in the CRS East Africa Regional Office (EARO) MEAL community of practice, sharing best practices and ideas for improvement. Actively seek out means of innovation, co-facilitate presentations.
• Training and tools: provide appropriate practical training for CRS and partner staff at all levels on the monitoring tools. Ensure availability of all standardized, approved tools, checklists, questionnaires, and formats to collect real time data.
• Learning: support partners to document ideas for humanitarian interest stories and lessons learned coordinate visits from the Communications Manager and support with dissemination of findings via appropriate channels.
• ICT4D: work closely with the ICT4D SPO on tool creation and trouble shooting. 

Job Requirements

Typical Background, Experience & Requirements:

Required Education and Experience.

• MA/BA degree, or equivalent, in Community or International Development, Statistics, Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Social Work, Rural Development, and/or other related field. Additional experience may substitute for some education.
• At least three years monitoring and evaluation experience, designing and developing tools, overseeing evaluations, training data collectors, analyzing data and report writing.
• Demonstrated commitment to mainstreaming gender, protection mainstreaming, safeguarding, disability, and inclusion.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, able to operate with local partners, local leaders, and communities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, and Outlook email essential. Ability to analyze data and compile in usable formats across multiple streams.
• Strong understanding of accountability, data security and information requirements.
• Quantitative and qualitative analysis skills, with proven ability to work with data collection.

 Desired Education and Experience

• Relevant experience with a large-scale project funded by USAID.
• Demonstrated familiarity with humanitarian, food assistance programming sector in Ethiopia.
• Strong capacity in partnership capacity building with a keen eye for subsidiarity.
• Previous experience in project implementation and reporting along the project cycle in multiple areas of Ethiopia.
• Proficiency in Commcare strongly desired, and SPSS or other analytic packages / data collection methods.
• Ability to deliver training and capacity building and oversee assessments.

 Personal Skills

• Ability to work under as part of a large team in fast-paced emergency environment according to CRS Standard Operating Procedures and CRS MEAL Policies.
• Analysis and problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment in a service-oriented way.
• Strong relationship management skills and the ability to work closely with local partners in a collaborative way, prioritizing subsidiarity.
• Attention to accuracy and timeliness in executing assigned responsibilities.
• Strong leadership and empathy skills.

Required/Desired Foreign Language: Amharic and English essential. Other Ethiopian national languages a plus.

Travel Required: 50%by road and air across Amhara, Oromia, SNNPR, Sidama, and Dire Dawa City Administration (subject to need and flexible to family commitments)

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)

These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

• Integrity
• Continuous Improvement & Innovation
• Builds Relationships
• Develops Talent
• Strategic Mindset
• Accountability & Stewardship

Supervisory: Initially none. Potential for supervision of 1-2 project assistants, officers or interns.

Key Working Relationships

• Internal: CRS/JEOP Accountability SPO, CRS JEOP Program Quantity Unit and Compliance Risk teams, ICT4D staff.
• External: MEAL staff across the consortium, woreda level partner M&E staff, data collection firms, other INGOs & NGOs.

 ***Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. We welcome as a part of our staff people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation

How to Apply

You should fill the application form through this link: https://form.jotform.com/220791572253557 and attach your up-to-date CV on / before the application deadline March 31, 2022.

Note: You will be contacted only if selected for written exam/interview. Phone solicitations will not be accepted. These job opportunities are open to Ethiopian nationals only. Qualified women are highly encouraged to apply.