Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Director

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.

Management Sciences for Health (MSH) is seeking a Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MERL) Director for a potential five-year USAID project, Accelerating Elimination of Tuberculosis project in Indonesia, to help accelerate achievement toward 2030 tuberculosis (TB) elimination targets.

This position is subject to project award and funding.

OVERALL RESPONSIBILITIES:

The MERL Director (“the incumbent”) will be responsible for the monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning components of this project. The incumbent 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 and complete reports. The incumbent will be responsible for the overall management of the monitoring, evaluation, and research system for the project.

The incumbent 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 incumbent 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 incumbent will ensure adherence to monitoring of project activities using developed tools and indicators. The incumbent will also be responsible for building the capacity of the Government of Indonesia, Ministry of Health (MOH) and other stakeholders in the collection, utilization, and dissemination of data as well as ensuring that all monitoring and data collection activities are harmonized, and information is shared. The MERL Director will also assist the MOH to monitor programs and assess the robustness of implementing organizations’ data collection and MEL mechanisms.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide in-country technical leadership and support for MERL.
• Ensure the integration of M&E activities into all project components.
• Lead the design and implementation of operational research.
• Collect and analyze information and report on project activities.
• Ensure timely and complete reporting from in-country executing partners in accordance with approved reporting formats, especially supported health facilities reporting into the national health database and reporting into USAID reporting formats
• Monitor and evaluate progress towards annual work plans, expected outputs, including selecting and monitoring progress in meeting indicators.
• Assist the project director in the preparation of work plans/selection of indicators and annual implementation plans in line with the project’s M&E requirements.
• Coordinate the preparation of all quarterly progress reports, annual project report, inception report, ad-hoc technical reports, and success stories for USAID funding in line with the required formats.
• Collect data for annual M&E plan and use that data to improve project performance.
• Adapt and implement tools and techniques to improve the quality and use of data for decision making.
• Assist the project director with decision-making on resource allocation based on project priorities and performance.
• Participate on behalf of the project in appropriate technical meetings and conferences.
• Provide support to institutional and human capacity building activities at the national, provincial, district and community levels.
• Lead the write up of operation research finding and routine M&E data for peer reviewed journals publication
• Assist the project director in organizing national annual learning review meetings to bring all actors on TB for sharing research and programmatic findings.
• Carry out any such duties as may be assigned by the Chief of Party.
• Design and implement the Project’s MEL system, including the development of indicators, setting targets, monitoring project progress, ensuring timely data collection, writing quarterly and annual reports, and liaising with the project financial team to track the budget in relation to all project results and outcomes.
• Provide technical inputs to the technical team in order to assist in developing program goals and objectives as well as MEL tools and strategies and provide monitoring data to strategically inform the decisions on project performance and future direction to the project, for enhanced adaptive management.
• Oversee the development, maintenance, and use of the project technical information management system, and its interoperability with the national health information management system. Support the MOH to develop a health sector MEL framework and monitor health system strengthening interventions.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Advanced degree (Master’s and/or PhD) in epidemiology, biostatistics, research methods or related field. An MD degree is a plus.
• At least 8 years of relevant work experience in monitoring and evaluation and research in large health projects preferably in TB and HIV/AIDS.
• Published a minimum of five original articles as primary author in well recognized peer reviewed journals.
• Demonstrated progressively increasing level of responsibility.
• Excellent analytic skills coupled with proven ability in using visuals like graphs, chart, maps, and GIS.
• Excellent ability in using data systems like EPI-Info, SPSS, SAS, DHIS2 or other software for reporting or analysis.
• Must have extensive knowledge in collaboration, learning and adapting concepts to health projects.
• Demonstrated decision making ability operating in a management culture built on consensus and results. Ability to work as part of a team and as an individual.
• Experience working in USG supported projects
• Knowledge of and experience in training and capacity building.
• Experience establishing data quality assurance systems.
• Experience in Indonesia is highly preferred.
• 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 Bahasa Indonesia is a distinct advantage.
• Experience leading and building the capacity of MEL officers, including remote, field-based staff, to meet program needs and deliverables is desired.

Qualified local, female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

MSH is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, religion, creed, citizenship, national origin, age, veteran status, or disability unrelated to job requirements. MSH will take affirmative action to ensure that qualified applicants are employed and that employees are treated without regard to their race, age, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran and disability status. In compliance with U.S. Department of Labor Executive Order 11246, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Section 4212 of the Vietnam Era Readjustment Assistance Act, MSH has developed and maintains an affirmative action program and plan.