Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Advisor

Job Description

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Advisor

Location: Kathmandu

Summary Job Description:

Jhpiego is implementing the Momentum Country and Global Leadership (MCGL), an innovative award funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to holistically improve family planning and maternal and child health in host countries around the world. The project focuses on technical and capacity development assistance (TCDA) to ministries of health and other country partners to improve outcomes in maternal, newborn, and child mortality and morbidity at scale. The project also contributes to global technical leadership, learning, and USAID’s policy dialogue to achieve global maternal, newborn, and child health; voluntary family planning; and reproductive health (MNCH/FP/RH) goals by supporting globally endorsed initiatives, strategies, frameworks, guidelines, and action plans. In Nepal, MCGL is implemented to support limited activities related to Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR), Comprehensive services for small and sick newborns (SSNB), and Implement Quality of Care metrics.

The post holder will provide leadership and strategic direction on all MEL activities to ensure MCGL achieves its objectives and targets. They will oversee the development and implementation of the Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP), ensuring accurate and timely data collection, reporting, and evaluation of project outcomes. The role includes managing routine service delivery data, baseline and end-line assessments, and ensuring alignment with national monitoring and evaluation protocols. The post holder will also lead results reporting to USAID, support the use of data for strategic decision-making, and ensure high-quality data through verification procedures, including routine audits. Additionally, they will foster collaboration with key stakeholders, lead targeted evaluations, and ensure compliance with ethical guidelines to safeguard participant confidentiality during the research process. 

The MEL Advisor will work with the team to define and determine the requirements for work, establishing actionable plans that support the mobilization of solutions. The MEL Advisor will be responsible for working closely with the MCGL Technical Leads-MPDSR and SSNB, M&E officer, and central and provincial technical officers. The position will work under the guidance of the MCGL Project Director and stationed in MCGL office at Jhpiego Corporation.

Timeframe

• 12 months

Responsibilities

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) (50%)

• Provide leadership and direction on MEL to ensure MCGL achieves its MEL goals and corresponding objectives and targets
• Oversee the development and implementation of the Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) to capture project performance and results, including routine service delivery data reporting, baseline and end-line assessments, and all monitoring for process and outcome evaluations
• Develop and oversee data flow patterns for project that will ensure timely data collection and reporting
• Develop data collection, management and use SOPs and ensure implementation of these SOPs
• Ensure high-quality implementation, consistent with national monitoring and evaluation guidelines, protocols, information and reporting systems
• Support in triangulating project data with the DHIS-2, HMIS and facilitate update/revision of the web-based data system including MPDSR Scorecard supported by MCGL
• Strengthen capacity in data use through organizing data review meetings, learning meetings, etc.
• Lead results reporting to USAID by providing written documentation on M&E activities and indicator results for progress and annual reports, as appropriate
• Lead strategic collaboration activities with key stakeholders to learn from project data and adapt interventions as appropriate
• Lead efforts to utilize training monitoring systems to track and monitor trainers and participants at training events to facilitate follow-up and recordkeeping
• Use data to contribute towards strategic decision-making and project planning with project leadership
• Oversee and/or conduct targeted evaluations and operations research, including design, data collection, management and analysis
• Ensure quality of data through periodic data verification procedures including routine data quality audits and that these are routinely carried out during the project lifecycle
• Maintain an Evidence Library to capture and store all data
• Ensure data is reported in the project database
• Cultivate strategic MEL relationships and alliances with government, provincial and local levels, and other USAID projects and represent MEL activities in public and professional circles through meetings, conferences, and presentations
• Contribute to the annual MCGL work planning process
• Work effectively with MEL backstops to ensure quality of MEL activities

Adaptive Management and Learning (20%)

• Drawing on experience and technical knowledge, designs or adapts technical approaches based on team capacities, analysis of program data, stakeholder needs and changes in context or environment
• Identifies important learning and opportunities to share technical knowledge across the organization
• Support MCGL team in design and implementation of the Adaptive, Management and Learning approaches for MPDSR and SSNB like Pulse Polls, learning meetings, and Most Significant Change techniques to encourage using information to adapt programming
• Produce materials for external and internal audiences on project activities for dissemination and advocacy
• Captures important learning and leads the development of technical updates to ensure the most up to date knowledge, best practices, success stories, and learning are widely shared and taken up and implemented into programs
• Documents AML examples effectively
• Contribute to writing technical briefs/reports relevant to program

IRB and ethical compliance (20%)

• Support the designated Internal Review Board (IRB) focal point in-country including maintaining current certification from 1) CITI human subjects ethics course and 2) CITI Good Clinical Practices (GCP) course
• Support in protocol development, tools development, and liaison with the JHU/IRB and NHRC for ethical approval
• Ensure protection of participant data and confidentiality during IRB process and implementation of study
• Support in data management and preparation of briefs, abstracts, and study articles, as required

Additional responsibilities (10%)

• Ensure MCGL branding guidelines are correctly used by program
• Represent MCGL/Jhpiego at provincial and national level, as and when required
• Update MCGL, Jhpiego, government counterparts, and related stakeholders about the project progress, challenges, and sustainability approaches of the key achievements
• Perform or assume other MCGL and Jhpiego activities as required and as assigned by the Supervisor to ensure the smooth functioning to achieve the organizational goals

Deliverables

• Progress reports and end of activities (event reports) 

Required Qualifications

• Advanced degree in public health (Mph), medical statistics, or social sciences
• Minimum of 5-7 years of progressively relevant experience in the design and implementation of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning activities, preferably in maternal and neonatal health programs in Nepal
• Knowledge of national reporting and information management systems
• Knowledge of Statistical packages, quantitative and qualitative data management, Microsoft package and virtual platforms
• Knowledge of competency-based training, performance and quality improvement approaches
• Ability to develop working relationships with counterparts of varying levels of seniority and backgrounds to implement program activities
• Strong decision-making skills, team player accustomed to building team capacity, delegating work to teams
• Excellent verbal and written skills in English and Nepali
• Willing and able to be based and travel to project/program areas.

Competences:

• Familiarity with Nepal health system and reporting structure
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with government-level officials to strengthen program implementation
• Demonstrated ability in working and collaborating with a wide range of local and international partner organizations.

Jhpiego offers competitive salaries and a comprehensive employee benefits package.

Please apply at Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Advisor | Careers at Nepal

Applicants must submit a single document for upload, including a cover letter, resume, and references.

For further information about Jhpiego, visit our website at www.jhpiego.org

Note: The successful candidate selected for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation.

Jhpiego is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to tough international child safeguarding standards.

Jhpiego, a Johns Hopkins University affiliate, is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, other legally protected characteristics or any other occupationally irrelevant criteria. Jhpiego promotes Affirmative Action for minorities, women, individuals who are disabled, and veterans.

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