Team: Programs | Commitment: Career | Location: Burkina Faso

Senior Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Manager

Program Description

The USAID Yidgiri Activity is a 5-year $19.4 million-dollar project implemented by Cultivating New Frontiers (CNFA in the Centre Nord, Est, and Sahel regions of Burkina Faso. As a key part of the second phase of USAID’s Regional Resilience in the Sahel Enhanced (RISE) Initiative, Yidgiri will strengthen market systems such that household incomes and nutritional status will be substantially improved. To achieve this goal, the Activity will implement interventions across the following mutually reinforcing results areas:  1) enhanced performance of commodity market systems; 2) increased utilization of quality inputs and services; and 3) increased local consumption of nutritious, safe food.  While predominantly focusing on the cowpea, small ruminants and poultry value chains, interventions will address barriers and constraints to progress across the broader market system, while also integrating market-based strategies to promote consumption of nutritious, safe foods. Taken together, these efforts will improve the resilience of market systems by establishing profitable market linkages between producers and buyers, with a particular emphasis on women and youth.

Roles and Responsibilities:

  • Lead the design and implementation the cloud – based Yidgiri MEL system (per the approved MEL Plan) including MEL strategy, theory of change, performance indicator reference sheets performance monitoring of program activities, knowledge management, etc. and reporting in compliance with USAID and CNFA standards;
  • Lead the design and implementation of Yidjiri indicator data collection methodology/tools, and data processing/analysis processes to ensure data capture, verification, analysis and reporting meet the five USAID data quality standards of validity, reliability, timeliness, precision and integrity;
  • Train Yidjiri and sub-awardees’ staff on their responsibilities for monitoring and evaluation and on  internal indicator data quality assessment to ensure USAID Yidjiri’s indicator data meet USAID and CNFA data quality standards;
  • Draft terms of reference (TOR) and scopes of work (SOW) for baseline study, periodic assessment of specific sub-sectors and special/case studies, impact assessments, mid-term and final evaluations,  gender analysis and needed local consultancy services with regard to USAID Yidjiri MEL;
  • Coordinate the conduct of baseline study, periodic assessment of specific sub-sectors and special/case studies, impact assessments, mid-term and final evaluations as well as , gender analysis;
  • Play a leadership role in facilitating workshops to develop/review MEL plans/indicator targets to ensure efficient implementation of program activities towards achieving quarterly, annual and LOP indicator targets;
  • Work closely with other technical units in establishing and managing a cloud-based MEL system and ensure data requirements are integrated into project management processes;
  • Undertake regular field visits to support implementation of MEL and identify where adaptations might be needed;
  • Provide continuous support to relevant project staff on data collection and analysis, and to ensure timely data collection, analyses, reporting, and completion of other M&E activities;
  • Regularly review and analyze monitoring data and help organize periodic learning days and annual learning summits with staff to help managers identify successes, lessons learned, and make decisions about adapting activities and approaches to achieve results;
  • Contribute to program reporting by submitting accurate and timely MEL reports measuring USAID Yidjiri performance and impact;
  • Contribute to any ad hoc report as requested by USAID and the Government of Burkina Faso;
  • Undertake any other tasks as assigned by the COP and DCOP to ensure that USAID Yidjiri objectives are met.
  • Complete other duties as necessary and assigned by the Chief of Party.

Qualifications :

  • Minimum 5 years of experience working on monitoring, evaluation and learning for donor funded projects; USAID experience is highly desirable;
  • Master’s degree required in relevant field, or equivalent combination of education and work experience in a relevant competency area, including statistics, international development, economics or other;
  • Experience using monitoring and evaluation systems with USAID-supported indicators;
  • Willingness to collaborate, innovate and ability to think systematically;
  • Demonstrated ability to interact and communicate with wide range of stakeholders both verbally and in writing;
  • Proven experience in managing multiple and competing tasks while maintaining quality of deliverables within deadlines; and
  • Strong communication skills and ability to present and write high quality technical reports in French and English.

Required Skills:

  • MEL systems development and implementation;
  • Methods and techniques of quantitative and qualitative data collection/analysis;
  • MIS management;
  • Information systems learning management.
  • Mastering of office software (word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, etc.) and data software analysis (SPSS, Sphinx, etc.)
  • French:                         Spoken: Fluent                  Written: Fluent;
  • English:                         Spoken: Fluent                  Written: Fluent.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or protected veteran status. CNFA takes affirmative action in support of its policy to advance in employment individuals who are minorities, women, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities.