Senior Monitoring Expert/Facilitator, Assistance to Ethnic Tibetans Project Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan, Remote

Social Impact is a global development management consulting firm. We provide monitoring, evaluation, strategic planning, and capacity building services to advance development effectiveness. We work across all development sectors including democracy and governance, health and education, the environment, and economic growth. Since 1997 we have worked in over 100 countries for clients such as US government agencies, bilateral donors, multilateral development banks, foundations, and nonprofits.

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Project Objective:

The purpose of this Service Request is to facilitate to the development of a Project Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Plan for a Project entitled “the Assistance to Ethnic Tibetans in the People’s Republic of China (PRC)”. The Project started in May 2022 and has two new Activities, in addition to existing Activities that aim to support Tibetans in PRC. The Project MEL Plan will bring all Activity MEL Plans under alignment.

Through consultations and workshops, SI will lead the Tibet team in the USAID/Regional Development Mission for Asia (RDMA) General Development Office, the implementing partners (IPs), and relevant stakeholders through a process to collaboratively develop a Project MEL Plan that captures contribution toward the Project’s support to ethnic Tibetans in mainland China while accounting for the Activities’ disparate technical approaches.

Moreover, the workshop participants will jointly set expectations regarding MEL procedures, USAID oversight protocols and limitations, and higher-level reporting requirements in the PRC.

Schedule:

The planning and preparation phase will begin at the end of May through June 2022.

Consultations and workshops are expected to be held in the period from July to early August 2022. Work will conclude by September 2022.

Position Description:

SI is seeking a Senior Monitoring Expert/Facilitator to oversee the development of a full Project MEL Plan, including the facilitation of consultations and up to six virtual workshops involving the IPs (FHI 360 and Creative Associates), Agreement Officer’s Representatives (AORs), and other relevant parties. The Project MEL Plan will inform respective Activity-level MEL Plans. The Senior Monitoring Expert/Facilitator will be supported by an SI management team including a Program Director, Program Manager, and Program Assistant, and will receive high level guidance from a Senior Technical Advisor, all of whom have experience working with the client and IPs.

The Project MEL Plan will include, but not be limited to, the following topics:

1. Learning agenda of the Project that governs key MEL activities, including learning questions and potential methods to answer the questions;
2. Higher level reporting requirements and related necessary data collection such as indicators for annual reporting to USAID/Washington and key issues;
3. Key measurements, including Project indicators to capture contributions from individual awards to the progress toward the Project goal and targets of the Project performance;
4. Potential evaluations and/or other types of special studies to address relevant learning questions, to capture Project level result(s) that is beyond the responsibility of the IPs if any, and/or to fill knowledge gaps; and
5. Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) Plan that includes but is not limited to targeted CLA tasks to address relevant learning questions, MEL roles and responsibilities of each concerned party, and protocols and procedures for effective coordination and monitoring efforts that take into account the local operating environment including political and security considerations.

The Senior Monitoring Expert/Facilitator will be expected to available to begin June 1 and be able to commit to approximately 22 days over the course of 3 months.

Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with USAID/RDMA to design an approach/methodology for development of the Project MEL Plan.
• Coordinate day-to-day communication and consultations with stakeholders.
• Prepare an agenda for all workshops.
• Prepare and share a brief note on workshop outcomes.
• Draft the Project MEL Plan, including associated performance indicator reference sheets (PIRS) as needed.
• Work with each IP to identify key stakeholders to participate in the workshop and confirm their participation.
• Arrange appropriate virtual meeting platform(s) and tools/materials using an interactive and peer-to-peer approach for the workshops, with the option to use presentation as needed.
• Organize a series of virtual planning meetings with USAID/RDMA as necessary and as agreed with USAID/RDMA.
• Organize, coordinate, and facilitate up to six virtual workshop sessions for relevant IPs based on the agreed agenda, workshop objectives, and outputs. The Senior Facilitator must facilitate the workshop to reach a consensus on the selected indicators (including joint indicators) and their definitions, if any. Likewise, the Senior Facilitator must facilitate the workshop to reach a consensus on any other MEL components that require joint/collaborative efforts from different parties.
• Present key points of discussions/consensus from the previous day(s), i.e., run of show agenda, to ensure mutual understanding among participants for smooth transitions.
• In consultation with USAID/RDMA, develop a short survey to capture participants’ feedback on the Project MEL Plan development process, as well as recommendations for future such exercises.
• Arrange logistics as needed.
• (Optional) If time allows and funds are available, the Senior Facilitator may be asked to facilitate up to three additional virtual workshop sessions to align the MEL plans of pre-existing Activities that aim to support Tibetans in PRC to this Project MEL Plan.

Qualifications:

• Proven track record of facilitating the design of a MEL plan of a Strategy and/or Project with existing and new associated Activities with multi-disciplinary participants.
• Relevant experience in the Asia required, preferably in the PRC context.
• Minimum 10 years’ relevant experience with a Master’s Degree or higher and experience with facilitating and designing program activities and projects for international donors, preferably USAID, in Asia and/or sensitive topic areas.
• Ability to energetically conduct sessions in English, encourage participants to share their perspectives, and effectively facilitate discussions on technical and management approaches for a strong Project/Activity MEL plan.
• Sufficient level of expertise in relevant technical sectors, including capacity development, resilience strengthening, health literacy and health service utilization, and sustainable livelihoods, as well as monitoring and evaluation and collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA) to prompt/probe rather than being process-oriented.
• Familiarity with USAID’s MEL requirements and best practices.
• Ability to liaise with multiple stakeholders, exceptional organizational and communications skills, proven managerial/leadership skills on large teams on complex projects, etc.
• Ability to arrange appropriate virtual meeting platform(s) and tools/materials using an interactive and peer-to-peer approach for the workshops.
• A commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive work and learning environment.

Come join our energetic and innovative team! We offer you the opportunity to play a leading role in the growth of our company, work as part of a creative and committed team, and make a difference in the well-being of our world.

To learn more about Social Impact, please visit our website: http://www.socialimpact.com.

SI is an EEO/AA/ADA Veterans Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

Please submit your application by May 31st, 2022 to be considered. Only selected candidates will be contacted for an interview. Please, no phone calls.