Pool of technical experts – Nigeria Portfolio Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Programme (PMEL)

Pool of technical experts – Nigeria Portfolio Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Programme (PMEL)

The UK’s FCDO is currently tendering for the Nigeria PMEL programme which aims to:

• Analyse existing data from programmes and activities across the country portfolio
• synthesise evidence to form new knowledge products and
• use these to inform the strategic management of all HMG resources used in Nigeria.

PMEL will also fill some data gaps where required, by developing a set of shared indicators which can be used at the programme level and build consistency across the portfolio where possible, to help aggregate results.

PMEL will take a whole-of-mission view to understand the impact of our combined efforts towards development objectives. This will include questions on programme and diplomacy performance, contribution to change, which approaches work best and how we should allocate future resources.

Montrose are looking for a team of consultants to work on the PMEL programme. We welcome applications from MEL experts (quantitative and qualitative), economists value for money specialists, and data visualisation experts.

Experience, Skills, and Qualifications

• Evaluation and research expertise, particularly in the design and management of evaluation and research projects.
• Quantitative and qualitative methods expertise and experience in the development of a range of evidence products including evidence synthesis, systematic review, meta-analysis etc.
• Experience monitoring development programmes, including the development of monitoring systems, logical frameworks, data collection and VfM analysis.
• Experience leading capacity building/ technical assistance with government partners in developing countries.
• Strong knowledge and understanding of the economic, political and social context of Nigeria.
• Significant experience in designing MEL programmes.
• Demonstrated working proficiency in written and oral English is required.
• Experience working in Nigeria.

Programme Detail

The three components of the Nigeria PMEL programme are as follows:

Component 1: Improvement of Monitoring Across FCDO Nigeria Portfolio which will include the following:

• Reviewing available data across the portfolio (An existing Six-Monthly Review process which captures data across blocks against the Country Plan, programmes, independent MEL contracts, centrally managed programmes, block level frameworks, and any other data for other government departments), and mapping this to the Country Plan goals with a view to understanding aggregate impact and the potential for harmonisation of reporting across the portfolio.
• Proposing a set of key high-level qualitative and quantitative indicators which can demonstrate our portfolio level progress against the Country Plan. This will include all ICF indicators and any other centrally reported results. This will require close working with the Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) of PMEL and careful management with programme teams to avoid duplication with independent MELs and too much additional burden.
• Review existing processes for tracking performance and providing recommendations on how to improve existing X-HMG reporting (currently the SMR), including commissioning templates and presentation/ communication of findings and recommendations.
• Find the best formats for sharing results data from the MEL system at the portfolio level.
• Providing technical assistance to teams with regards to monitoring and data collection. This might involve providing support for the development of ICF indicator methodologies or shared indicators or facilitating the development of block level theories of change. This will be demand-led.
• The supplier will also have a role at the monthly Delivery Boards to share learning and discuss findings and recommendations, ensuring more frequent opportunity for lesson learning.
• They may also need to attend the Delivery and Country Strategy Boards (for part of the agenda rather than the duration), to share information and background to proposed changes to the portfolio.

Component 2: New knowledge products such as evaluations, synthesis or other analytical pieces. The contracted supplier will need to facilitate a review of potential questions in collaboration with teams across HMG to understand relevance and prioritise these, as well as help identify any further gaps. Component 3: Learning Agenda which comprises of:

• Mapping programmes and other activity across the portfolio to provide a framework for further analysis and challenge with a view to developing theories or theories of change around how the office is achieving aggregate impact. This will involve collating evidence of X-HMG activities and results (including relevant and prioritised CMPs), draw on existing evidence such as block level theories of change and gathering any other information which helps us understand our activity and change pathways at the office level, such as our Country Plan. (The supplier could also facilitate theory of change workshops for blocks without existing ones, but this will be in response to demand under the technical assistance). The mapping will highlight areas of potential links and synergies which can be further tested through analysis.
• Facilitate a process to regularly reflect on, re-asses and challenge to the office-wide theory of change and related assumptions.
• Being present at the Delivery Board to ensure staff are engaged and aware of PMEL activities, to seek feedback on plans and share learning as it is generated from PMEL activities.
• To deliver specific learning sessions based on PMEL activities including analysis undertaken through component 2. Other learning sessions such as learning from programme Annual Reviews at regular intervals or running sessions on new central strategies to understand what they might mean for Nigeria are also in scope.

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