Mid-Level Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Advisor

Macfadden, an Amentum company, is seeking a Mid-Level Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Advisor to support the Office of Technical and Program Quality (TPQ) in USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA). BHA leads and coordinates the U.S. Government’s humanitarian assistance efforts overseas in response to natural disasters and complex emergencies. The Bureau also supports early recovery efforts that restore and protect basic systems and services and invests in risk reduction programs that prevent or reduce risks associated with chronic and recurrent hazards.

The M&E Advisor will be a member of BHA’s M&E Team, which leads the Bureau’s efforts to monitor activity performance systematically and effectively evaluate the full spectrum of the Bureau’s programming. The M&E Advisor must have significant training in quantitative methods and have hands-on experience in monitoring methods and tools, evaluation approaches and methods in the humanitarian context, experience, and expertise in remote monitoring/data collection techniques. The work of an M&E Advisor requires a high level of technical competencies and professional experience in performance monitoring and performance and evaluation as practiced in humanitarian response, early recovery, risk reduction, and resilience programs. The M&E Advisor and greater M&E team are a part of TPQ’s Design, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Applied Learning (DMEAL) Division, which leads BHA’s efforts to ensure high-quality programming, rigor, and innovation through strategic planning and activity design, consistent and effective performance monitoring, comprehensive and appropriate evaluation, and learning across the full spectrum of BHA responses and programming. The M&E Advisor’s day-to-day work assignments and oversight will be provided by the M&E Team Lead, with formal supervisory and evaluation functions performed by a Macfadden contract supervisor.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

In support of and in close coordination with the M&E team, the M&E Advisor will perform a combination of the following duties and responsibilities:

Technical Assistance

• Provide technical assistance to third party monitoring (TPM) contracts for the design and implementation of monitoring systems.
• Review monitoring approaches, indicators, and evaluation methods proposed in proposals for humanitarian response, early recovery, risk reduction, and resilience programs.
• Review semi-annual and annual results reports submitted by implementing partners; identify challenges and lessons learned, synthesize and aggregate data, and prepare summary reports.
• Assess needs for remote monitoring when necessary; advise appropriate remote monitoring approaches and tools; review third-party statements of work; provide technical support to third-party monitoring contracts; review appropriate and relevant reports.
• Independently lead and advise on and contribute to the development and implementation of evaluations, indicators, surveys, measurement approaches, and learning practices, including assisting with evaluation and selection of prospective monitoring and evaluation awards.
• Provide technical assistance to BHA, Missions, and partners’ staff to design and implement monitoring systems for humanitarian response, early recovery, risk reduction, and resilience programs.
• Provide technical assistance in defining relevant qualifications and design and implementation of monitoring systems for the acquisition of TPM contracts.

Capacity Building

• Develop checklists and other tools for humanitarian assistance officers to improve capacity and objectivity in field visits.
• Develop the capacity of BHA and implementing partner staff to implement BHA monitoring and evaluation requirements, and monitor BHA programs.

Data Analysis

• Analyze quantitative and qualitative data as tools in assessing program performance; discerning lessons learned, and making recommendations for improved outcomes. Synthesize evidence and best practices into written and oral learning products, including training materials, to build capabilities of Agency staff and partners.
• Answering key questions in analytic and learning agendas through designing, managing, and disseminating findings from analyses, research, and evaluations.
• Using various data mining tools, explore plausible relationships among different variables based on the theory of change of early recovery, risk reduction, and resilience programming. Provide technical assistance to BHA contractors and partners on data analysis and presentations;

Data Management

• Review and edit performance data and reporting materials, submitted by BHA awardees; provide feedback to awardees or contractors as appropriate, and upload data to Feed the Future and other databases as requested by the M&E Team Lead.
• Manage performance data and update the M&E database regularly; ensure that BHA contractors and awardees comply with USAID and BHA data privacy and security policy; track submission of data to USAID data library.

Evaluation

• Review evaluation scopes of work submitted by BHA awardees, research partners, and contractors; review proposed evaluators; design and participate in evaluations.

Coordination and Collaboration

• Contribute to BHA internal and external documents, such as planning documents, BHA technical guidance, and internal guidance.
• Coordinate with the other members of the M&E team; DMEAL division; geographic offices and other relevant offices such as the Office of Global Policy, Partnerships, Programs, and Communications; and TPQ, for technical support, training, data utilization, knowledge capture and sharing.
• Coordinate with the M&E teams in other USAID and State bureaus, such as the Bureau for Policy, Planning, and Learning (PPL); Bureau for Resilience and Food Security (RFS), Bureau for Conflict and Violence Prevention (CVP), Bureau for Global Health (GH); Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation (DDI); Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM); and with other key interagency partners on evaluations, best practices, and harmonization of indicators.
• As advised by the M&E team lead, participate in USAID and BHA events, as well as externally.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Requires a Bachelor’s degree and 8 years of experience, a Master’s degree and 6 years of experience, or a PhD and 4 years of experience; preferably with significant study in or pertinent to the specialized field, including but not limited to, economics, agricultural economics, biostatistics, statistics, international development, sociology, and anthropology.
• A minimum of 3 years of experience working in monitoring and evaluation as it is practiced in the field of humanitarian assistance or resilience programs.
• Coursework and experience in quantitative techniques or analysis preferred

QUALIFICATIONS

• Demonstrated ability to exercise performance monitoring methods and tools—both remote and in-person—as they are practiced in humanitarian assistance or resilience programs, including developing indicator reference sheets, and designing and implementing quantitative surveys.
• Demonstrated ability to develop monitoring and evaluation guidance, checklists, and other tools for humanitarian assistance officers to improve capacity and objectivity in field visits.
• Demonstrated ability to train and mentor staff to implement monitoring and evaluation guidance and tools using standard methods.
• Ability to analyze quantitative and qualitative data, discern lessons learned, and make recommendations for improved outcomes.
• Ability to review performance data and reporting materials and provide feedback to awardees or contractors as appropriate.
• Demonstrated ability to review evaluation scopes of work, review proposed evaluators, and design and participate in evaluations.