Director for Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning, USAID/Nigeria Health Project

Management Sciences for Health (MSH) saves lives and improves health by helping public and private organizations throughout the world to effectively manage people, medicines, money, and information. Working from more than 30 country offices and our Arlington, Virginia and Medford, Massachusetts US headquarters, our staff from 65 nations is highly regarded for its technical expertise, integrity, and commitment to making a lasting difference in health. We live our mission to save lives and improve the health of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people by closing the gap between knowledge and action in public health.

MSH is seeking a Director for Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) for a USAID-supported health program in Nigeria. The proposed program will support USAID’s approaches to health systems strengthening (HSS) and reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) to improve the capacity of the Federal and State Ministry of Health (F/SMOH), local organizations, and communities to deliver quality, integrated health services. Building on the achievements of current and past USAID-supported activities, MSH will work through partnerships with the Government of Nigeria (GON), civil society, and local implementers to 1) increase resiliency, responsiveness, and accountability of the health system; 2) increase coverage and equitable access to essential primary health care interventions; and 3) work to increase the quality of evidence-based primary health interventions, toward the ultimate goal of sustainable improvements to the health status of the Nigerian population.

This position is contingent upon project award and funding.

OVERALL RESPONSIBILITIES:

The MERL Director will be responsible for the monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning components of this project. The MERL Director will develop monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) systems and design research. The MERL Director will be responsible for designing the M&E system in alignment with the MoH HMIS system, leading the project data collection, conducting data analysis to inform the project implementation, and producing timely, accurate project reports. The MERL Director will be responsible for the overall management of the monitoring, evaluation, and research system for the project.

The MERL Director will ensure the smooth operation and quality performance of technical efforts and field activities by coordinating and overseeing quality programmatic reporting, quality of data management, and strategic information. The MERL Director is responsible for leading the development and implementation of a plan to monitor progress, evaluate effectiveness, and disseminate results, as well as overseeing operations, research, and other data analysis to facilitate evidence-based improvements in project performance and expand understanding and lessons learned. The MERL Director will ensure adherence to the monitoring of project activities using developed tools and indicators.

The MERL Director reports to the Chief of Party (COP), participates in the project leadership team, collaborate with the Technical Directors and provides direct supervision to other technical staff.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide in-country technical leadership, and support for monitoring, evaluation, and knowledge management. These tasks include, among others:
• Ensure the integration of M&E activities into all project components.
• Collect, report and analyze information on project activities.
• Ensure timely and complete reporting from in-country executing partners by approved USAID and MOH reporting formats.
• Monitor and evaluate progress towards annual work plans, expected outputs, including selecting and monitoring progress in meeting indicators.
• Support the development and regularly update detailed annual work plans and selection of indicators and annual implementation plans with a view toward the project’s M&E requirements.
• Coordinate the preparation of all quarterly progress reports, annual project reports, inception reports, ad-hoc technical reports, and success stories for USAID funding in line with the required formats.
• Collect data for the annual M&E plan and use those data to improve project performance.
• Adapt and implement tools and techniques to improve the quality and use of data for decision making.
• Compile information on lessons learned and expertise within and outside the project.
• Provide capacity-building activities on M&E to selected stakeholders and sub-contractors participating in project activities, including Federal and State Governments, Local Government Authorities, Ward Development Council, and local NGOs, faith-based organizations, and civil society:
• Provide capacity building, including reporting and management use of periodically collected health information, Data Quality Assurance, DHIS2, and LQAS through monthly seminars, hands-on training, mentoring, and coaching.
• Lead the design and implementation of operational research.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in management, M&E, health sciences, public health, or related subject with at least 8+ years of relevant work experience in M&E donor-funded public health programs in Nigeria or West Africa: USAID experience required, andM&E training and capacity-building experience required;
• Proven experience establishing data quality assurance systems with software applications related to project planning and monitoring.
• Experience designing and conducting operations research.
• Demonstrated ability to lead M&E staff and consultants within a consortium of international and local sub-contractors to achieve measurable results within an integrated health program.
• Proven experience in engaging M&E staff of the host country government, civil society organizations, international development organizations, and NGOs to support project implementation and/or to provide complementary resources.
• High levels of diplomacy, conflict management, team building, written and oral communication, and negotiation skills.
• Fluency in written and spoken English, and demonstrated capacity to effectively communicate and document, including the writing of quality reports and detailed analysis of strategic information. Fluency in a local language is a distinct advantage.

Qualified local female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.