Monitoring and Evaluation Manager

Job Description

BACKGROUND

Present in Sierra Leone since 1999, IRC supports Sierra Leonean institutions – government, civil society, community-based organizations, and private sector – to provide improved social services, decrease youth unemployment and mitigate gender-based violence. The IRC does this through programs and partnerships designed to improve the lives of women, youth, and children by implementing Health, Education, and Women and Girls’ Protection and Empowerment (WGPE) programming. IRC. IRC has a Country Project office in Freetown, a Regional Field Office in Kenema, Field Offices in Kono and Bo, and a satellite office in Kailahun. IRC will be working through civil society partners in Falaba district, and Karena district in the northern region of Sierra Leone. The IRC in partnership with UNICEF Sierra Leone will be implementing a whole-school approach project to support the achievement of ending School-Related Gender-Based Violence in Sierra Leone. This project will seek to address the problem of SRGBV using an approach that will be guided by recommendations from 6 domains for minimum standards for a whole-school approach to minimizing SRGBV based on the UNICEF report on findings from school-related gender-based violence action research in schools and communities in Sierra Leone as well as IRC’s long experience of working in schools and communities in Sierra Leone on GBV and its consequences, especially for school-aged girls. The project will align itself with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education’s objective 4 in its Education Sector Plan 2022 – 2026[1] which specifically seeks to “Provide safe, healthy, and conducive educational environments”. Job Summary The Monitoring and Evaluation Manager is responsible for technical supervision of and support to the establishment and maintenance of the routine project monitoring system. This will include data management (focusing on database design, quality, aggregation & data presentation at the overall level and across locations), facilitating routine data collection, analysis & action planning, assisting in evaluation & assessment, and promoting Project knowledge management. She/he will report directly to the Country Project & E Coordinator and will have technical guidance from the Country Project MEL Coordinator. She/he will directly supervise the IRC M & E Officers.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS Position Reports to: M & E Coordinator and WGPE Coordinator Position directly supervises:M & E Officers Other internal: National Education Coordinator, Country Project MEL Coordinator, WGPE Coordinator, Project Managers, Senior Project Officers, District Field Managers, Field Coordinator, Other IRC Departments – Supply Chain, Finance and Administration External: The Donor, Government and relevant ministries (MSWGCA, MoHS), INGOs, NGO, and other key partners and stakeholders

Specific Responsibilities

Program/Project Design and learning: With support from the M&E Coordinator, work with the Project Team and support staff to implement the Program’s M&E framework in line with IRC Monitoring for Action (MfA) standards, and ensure: (i) adherence to the matrix of indicators, (ii) roles and responsibilities of Project and support staff are mapped, (iii) ethical data collection, storage, sharing and securing of data are adhered to, (iv) documentation of data quality audits, (vi) analysis and harvesting of lessons learned from the project; and (vii) responsiveness to project clients’ feedback Support the M&E Coordinator to develop, pilot, and validate tailored project implementation monitoring tools, monitor the quality of implementation, check Project records for accuracy, provide support where necessary, and share data with project managers. With support from the M&E Coordinator as well as any other tools as required by the Project, establish, and maintain a project-level information management system; and collect project field-level information required by IRC, donors, and/or stakeholders. Coordinate synergy and cross-learning among different field project sites. Cross fertilizes learning among projects by regularly producing (compiling) summary monitoring data analysis reports/dashboards and sharing with staff and partners.

Monitoring Track progress against project result framework, including targets, monitoring work plans, and project internal reporting schedules, and clarify what level of information is needed and where with key responsibilities assigned. Ensure that the project work plan includes monitoring activities (and/or a stand-alone monitoring work plan is in place), is up-to-date, and keeps track of progress. Conduct regular analysis and action planning meetings to (1) compare data against project milestones, targets, and expectations on all project sites, including data verification exercises to ensure reporting and collection of quality data. Provide summarized monthly data analysis to support (i) making evidence-informed decisions; (2) identify issues requiring further attention, document and share challenges with project managers; (3) define the necessary actions and strategy to address challenges and assign responsibility and deadlines. Update the Project M&E plan timely and provide feedback to Project staff on the status and quality of implementation. This includes following up with the Project team on Project quality improvement action plans to ensure action points are followed up and relevant measures taken and incorporated into programming, verify entered data for completeness, correctness, and consistency, and following up on any data quality issues. Assist with monthly and/or quarterly performance indicator analysis, including generation of reports/dashboards as well as presentations during reflection forums for staff related to ongoing performance. Provide technical assistance to project team members on the information management system, proper data collection, and record keeping; and provide consistent, supportive supervision to strengthen staff performance as necessary to meet monitoring objectives. Conduct regular data verification exercises to ensure reporting and collection of quality data. Periodically lead in the presentation of M&E data trends during reflective practice forums and data review meetings at the field office/ project level and gather lessons from project implementation processes. Provide M&E inputs for reports written during project implementation at the field level and provide summarized monthly data analysis showing target against progress over time and conducting regular data verification exercises to ensure reporting and collection of quality data. Follow up with project teams on project quality improvement action plans. Ensure action points are followed up and relevant measures taken and incorporated into programming; verify entered data for completeness, correctness, and consistency and follow up on any data quality issues.

Reviews / Evaluation & Learning Under the technical leadership of the M&E Coordinator and with the support of the technical focal points, assist with the design, planning and implementation of on-time execution of projects major monitoring and evaluation events including field data supervision during baseline survey, mid-term evaluation, final evaluation. Support in the compilation and analysis of programme data at the field level and contribute into subsequent reporting through monthly MEL reports, flagging updates, successes, and issues from the MEL tracking tools. Coordinate the sharing of learning related to MEL practices across field offices, encouraging consideration of results both between and within sectorial teams, and providing support when internal/external reviews, evaluations, and lessons learned exercises should be employed. Organize learning meetings, events, and workshops for project team to document lessons learnt, good practices and areas of improvement. Support the implementation of processes to review the quality of existing project data, information collection methods and the suitability of the existing data for the provision of sound baseline information. Maintain a tracking spreadsheet for M&E activities and events – baselines, assessments, reviews, evaluations – tracking trends and recommendations, progressing their implementation where appropriate.

Database management, Information Management and Reporting Undertake preliminary data presentation & analysis. Facilitate, present, and maintain an action plan during routine Project reviews for data while identifying noteworthy indicator trends. Provide MIS content/requirements and feedback to project teams and document progress on indicators/achievement of targets using Indicator Performance Tracking Tables (IPTT) Support project staff and partners and build their capacity in M&E issues and in the management of information systems, such as the development of required formats, key indicators, needs assessments, frameworks for evaluation, qualitative documentation of outcomes and impact of projects. Submit data set to update country office-wide programs database, IPTT, & Comet monthly.

Qualifications