MEL Specialist – Community Health

SEED Madagascar is a British Charity working in partnership with communities in southeast Madagascar. We integrate high quality community health, sustainable livelihoods, education infrastructure, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), and conservation programmes to support long term, sustainable change and add to international best practice through research and publication across all of our programmatic areas.

Position Overview

Based in the coastal town of Fort Dauphin in the southeast of Madagascar, this post will provide specialist knowledge of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) to multiple community health projects, likely including sexual and reproductive health and rights, maternal and child health and emergency food distribution. The successful candidate will work within a combined National and International staff team to develop and lead MEL strategies across select projects within the Community Health Programme as well as contributing to MEL within the broader organisation. Predominantly office-based in Fort-Dauphin, the MEL Specialist will travel occasionally to engage with partners and visit project sites. This exciting post would suit an early-career MEL specialist seeking in-country and leadership experience for developing and managing MEL systems.

*Location:*Fort Dauphin, Anosy Region, Madagascar

*Duration:*12 months, with the possibility of extension and 3-month probationary period

*Contract:*Local stipend covering reasonable living expenses; contribution to flight; contribution to insurance; unaccompanied post

Reporting to: Head of Programmes – Community Health

Programme overview

SEED’s Community Health Programme works across sexual and reproductive health and rights; maternal, newborn and child health; HIV/AIDs; food security; and health system strengthening. SEED believes in building the capacity of local communities to achieve their goals. SEED’s programmes are rooted in evidence, led by the needs of local communities, and centred around the promotion of human rights. SEED works with a range of partners to ensure health interventions in the Anosy region and throughout Madagascar are coordinated and impactful. Working with local, regional, and national government departments and organisations, SEED seeks to influence policy and build an enabling environment for health.

Primary Responsibilities

Coordination of MEL strategies to ensure progress toward project outcomes on select projects; development of MEL systems and tools for select community health projects and for projects within the broader organisation; completion of reports, papers and other documents analysing data and summarising findings and support on project reporting; capacity-building for SEED staff and local partners to ensure high-quality data collection that aligns with international indicators.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Oversee the implementation of rigorous MEL strategies for select projects and organisational initiatives that incorporates stakeholder feedback, adapts to local needs, and supports high-quality implementation in line with ongoing and emerging initiatives.
2. Develop and adapt MEL tools, such as knowledge, attitude, and practice surveys and focus group discussion guides, to maximise effective data collection.
3. Ensure that MEL findings are in accordance with and reporting across indicators for a variety of stakeholders, including donors, community groups and the Government of Madagascar.
4. Coordinate the collection and lead the analysis of data from surveys and other sources to assess the impact of project activities and progress towards outcomes.
5. Manage the storage and dissemination of findings to support the continued development of SEED’s programmes and project partners.
6. Support the Heads of Programmes to formulate future research strategy, ensuring project MEL captures data adhering to international development indicators.
7. Identify technical needs and the resources required for successful MEL and make appropriate recommendations given locational and budgetary limitations.
8. Lead the implementation of MEL tools, particularly using the Open Data Kit (ODK) platform.
9. Provide capacity-building for SEED staff and local partners in using key tools, ensuring quality of project data while promoting a sustainable MEL approach across the organisation.
10. Support other SEED staff to develop tools, conduct analysis and write up findings.
11. Work closely with the Community Health department and other programme departments to exchange information and provide mutual support.
12. Ensure all of SEED’s policies and procedures are evident throughout the work of the department, including those for safeguarding, whistleblowing and anti-corruption, and undertake continual training to ensure these are promoted at all times
13. Other tasks within the broad outline of the role to support the development of MEL capacity across SEED, agreed in partnership with the Heads of Programmes.

Person specification

• Master’s degree in Community Health, International Development, Research Methods or related field
• Experience of working/volunteering internationally in a research or MEL capacity; community health experience desirable
• Experience in the design, development and implementation of MEL frameworks for international development and/or community health sectors, including for quantitative and qualitative data. Experience in participatory approaches to MEL is desirable
• Clear, demonstrable understanding of research ethics
• Demonstrable experience of data analysis and report writing.Experience using STATA, SPSS, or R is desirable
• Experience using data collection platforms, such as Open Data Kit, is desirable
• Strong ability and desire to work with teams from different economic and cultural backgrounds and across multiple language barriers, and to build capacity across cultures
• Excellent communication skills, including a sound ability to adapt material for different audiences
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a multicultural and multilingual team.
• Demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to SEED’s ethos and approach and be a good ambassador for SEED at all times
• Demonstrate the ability, social skills and confidence to give clear guidance and support to other members of the team in respect of the philosophy and procedures of SEED in order to protect both their safety and the reputation of the NGO
• Be able to work to and advocate for all of SEEDs policies and procedures, safeguarding those that SEED works with and reporting any concerns appropriately
• Be punctual and be able to work to tight deadlines in an organised manner and to a high standard
• A flexible and patient attitude
• Excellent problem-solving skills

Practicalities

The successful candidate will need to be equipped with their own laptop computer (non-tablet).