Senegal: Regional Monitoring & Evaluation Advisor, Africa

Helen Keller International (HKI) is an international non-governmental organization whose mission is to save the sight and lives of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged by combating the causes and consequences of blindness and malnutrition. We do this by establishing programs based on evidence and research in vision, health and nutrition. Established in 1915, HKI maintains its Headquarters in New York City, with Regional Offices in Senegal and Cambodia to support the 22 countries offices in Africa and Asia. We are currently seeking a Regional Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Advisor for the Africa region.

Background

HKI implements the Essential Nutrition Actions (ENA) framework to deliver an integrated package of cost-effective nutrition actions that are proven to reduce maternal and child under-nutrition and associated mortality and morbidity. These ENAs include the promotion of optimal infant and young child feeding (IYCF), support for improved women’s nutrition, the nutritional care of the sick and malnourished children, and the control of micronutrient deficiencies. To this end, HKI provides high quality technical assistance to build the capacity of government teams, development partners and community health providers in designing and implementing nutrition relevant field programs. To address vitamin A deficiency, HKI works with governments and other partners to provide vitamin A supplementation twice a year to children 6-59 months of age; last year HKI delivered 67 million capsules in the 13 African countries where we work. HKI also promotes an integrated module that combines community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) into existing child survival and preventative nutrition programs in order to provide a holistic approach to prevent and treat malnutrition. Also central to HKI’s nutrition strategy are a number of nutrition sensitive programs including our signature Enhanced Homestead Food Production (EHFP) program targeting women with young children to enable them to grow and consume their own nutrient-rich foods. These women and their families are also supported to adopt optimal ENA (especially IYCF and women’s nutrition) and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) practices through targeted behavior change communication strategies that utilize interpersonal communication, community mobilization and mass media. In Africa, HKI also supports programs aimed to increase the production and consumption of biofortified vitamin A rich orange-fleshed sweet potato in which woman farmers are targeted as beneficiaries along with their families and receive both agricultural training as well as support to adopt optimal ENA practices. HKI also supports the large scale micronutrient fortification of cooking oil and wheat flour by building the capacity of local food companies and national governments to ensure quality standards in addition to supporting regional harmonization of these standards across West Africa.

In order to continue improving the quality of our programs, M&E systems and operational research, HKI’s Africa Regional Office (AFRO) is creating a new Regional M&E Advisor position.

Scope of Position

The Regional M&E Advisor will lead the development and implementation of a harmonized M&E approach for the region that conforms to HKI’s global M&E standards. The professional occupying this new position will be responsible to ensure high rigor and consistency in quality design and implementation of HKI’s M&E work in Africa.

The Regional M&E Advisor will be a member of the Regional Management Team and will report to the Vice President AFRO. S/he will work closely with the Regional Directors (RDs), the Regional Nutrition Advisor, the Senior Scientific Advisor, for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), Regional Program Managers, Country and Deputy Country Directors (CDs and DCDs) and country program teams in the 13 HKI countries in Africa. Initially the focus will be on the multi-country regional nutrition programs[1] and will, over time, expand to include other country specific nutrition projects to ensure alignment and capacity to implement a consistent M&E approach including quality assurance measures.The position does not currently have direct supervisory responsibility, however assists the RDs, CDs, and Regional Program Managers with technical supervision of program staff; interviewing applicants, appraising performance; providing training and development and the guidance and mentoring of national colleagues necessary to strengthen their capacity to deliver quality M&E and related research work. In time, the Regional M&E Advisor may also begin to support HKI’s work in NTDs, especially as new initiatives in NTDs come on board, and is expected to stay well informed of HKI’s NTD work in the region. S/he will lead the Community of Practise for all M&E staff in the Africa region.

The Regional M&E Advisor will collaborate with colleagues at headquarters and in Asia Pacific and contribute to the development of HKI’s new minimum program standards (MPSs) related to M&E. S/he will be the lead within the region to support the monitoring, evaluation and research elements of HKI’s Strategic Plan. Outside of HKI, the Regional M&E Advisor will represent HKI at relevant regional and global meetings.

The position will be based in the HKI Africa regional office (AFRO) in Dakar and requires at least 30% travel, primarily in Africa.

Specific Responsibilities

****Harmonization and coordination of M&E systems and tools****

• Collaborate with other M&E experts within HKI - including colleagues at headquarters and in Asia Pacific – in the development of HKI’s global Minimum Program Standards (MPS) related to M&E.
• Develop a harmonized M&E framework for AFRO to be used by regional and country program staff which builds on existing systems, including the new MPS for M&E. This will include a core set of SMART indicators for nutrition programs using, wherever possible, current international recognized indicators (e.g. the World Health Organization) as well as quality assurance measures.
• Support and guide the implementation of the harmonized M&E framework, tools and indicators at regional and country levels.
• Design and maintain a M&E database for the region that describes HKI’s programs and reach, and is in alignment with similar formats being used at headquarters and in APRO.
• Serve as regional lead for specific data collection and collation activities including HKI’s annual Strategic Metrics data collection and other specific initiatives (e.g. Charity Navigator results compliance).
• Establish and oversee a Community of Practice of M&E managers and officers in AFRO.

****Program development, program quality and technical assistance****

• Assist in the identification of new program initiatives, including operations research, that are innovative, evidence-based and in line with HKI’s mission and organizational Strategic Plan.
• Provide technical assistance to support country and regional programs in design of programs/projects, their related M&E aspects, and operations research.
• Support regional and country program teams to adopt program/project management formats consistent with MPS including, for example, performance monitoring frameworks, program impact pathways, GANTT charts and related reporting structures.
• Work with program teams to design and implement monitoring systems to detect and improve program quality issues including:
• identification of key quality assurance and performance improvement questions related to their field programs;
• designing field strategies and tools to monitor these quality and performance issues; and
• establishing a process for program managers to regularly review the data collected and information generated so as to trigger timely remedial action.
• Using HKI’s approval guidelines related to surveys and research, provide guidance and support to country and regional program staff in design of baseline, midterm and endline surveys to ensure quality and alignment to project proposals and donor requirements. This will include a review of sampling methodology, questionnaire design, analysis plans, and final reporting.
• Guide and coordinate annual project reviews, participatory impact assessments, process monitoring, operations monitoring and lessons-learned workshops for the regional projects.

****Dissemination and use of information****

• Encourage an M&E culture of ‘*data for decision-making*’ with regional and country colleagues to foster the use of information generated for program management, quality and performance improvement, and advocacy.
• Assist program teams in the accurate and timely reporting of program results.
• Proactively share information across countries and expand lessons learned to other countries (including Asia Pacific) where HKI has similar programs.
• Assist country offices to document and publish relevant programmatic findings and lessons learned.
• Analyze and interpret data, provide guidance on data visualization for decision-making, assist in drafting reports and implementation briefs, and contribute to manuscript preparation for publication.
• Contribute, with headquarters teams and APRO M&E Advisor, to the development of global knowledge management systems for M&E and operations research.
• Represent HKI at appropriate global and regional meetings related to nutrition M&E or HKI nutrition research findings.

****Staff development****

• Work with relevant colleagues to ensure regional and country program staff have the necessary capacity to implement rigorous M&E, design operations research, perform quality assurance, oversee data collection and analysis.
• Develop a plan for capacity-building on M&E and for any computer-based support that may be required; when relevant, organize and undertake specific training in M&E skills at country or regional level.
• Promote integration of M&E issues and lessons learned in all relevant meetings.
• Provide input to hiring of M&E staff in country programs and feedback for their performance evaluation.

****Qualifications & competencies****

• Master’s degree in Epidemiology, Nutrition, Public Health or equivalent, plus at least seven years’ related work experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Doctoral degree an added advantage.
• Demonstrated experience in M&E methods and approaches including impact assessment and project/program monitoring and evaluation
• Demonstrated strong analytic skills and a mastery of study designs, protocol development, quality control and data analysis and interpretation
• Technical knowledge of nutrition programs and gender mainstreaming in the developing world and technical knowledge of public health preferred.
• Demonstrated track record in undertaking and supporting data collection, analysis and report and article writing, including publication in peer-reviewed journals.
• Experience in capacity building in M&E development and implementation essential.
• Knowledge of various software to be able to undertake data analysis, prepare presentations and other work documents. Familiar with mobile-platform data collection and data visualization programs such as DHIS2
• Strong interpersonal skills in dealing with external contacts, as well as internal colleagues. Ability to mentor small technical teams.
• Excellent communication and language skills: Excellent oral and written English and French.
• Ability to read, analyze and interpret the most complex documents, and to write/deliver presentations and articles using original or innovative techniques or style.
• Ability and willingness to undertake extensive field travel (at least 30%).

Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to HKI.Recruitment@hki.org noting the job title in the subject line. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.