Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Nurturing Futures

THE ORGANISATION Founded in 1937, Plan International, Inc. ("PII") is a globally recognized non-profit dedicated to advancing children's rights and gender equality in both humanitarian and development contexts. With over 80 years of experience, Plan International addresses the root causes of challenges faced by girls and vulnerable children, working in 70+ countries. The organization collaborates with children, young people, supporters, and partners to create a just world, acknowledging that the potential of every child is often hindered by poverty, violence, exclusion, disasters, and discrimination.

PLAN INTERNATIONAL KENYA Plan International Kenya (PIK), operational since 1982, focuses on long-term development. Collaborating closely with local communities and governments, with a work force of 250 staffs and annual budget of $ 16 million, PIK implements programs to enhance the well-being of children, girls and young people in geographic focus of Nairobi, Machakos, Kajiado, Tharaka-Nithi, Siaya, Kwale, Kilifi, Homa Bay, Kisumu, Tana River, Turkana, and Marsabit.

Under the current Country Strategy (July 2021 – June 2026), PIK aims to end teenage pregnancies and gender-based violence against girls. This goal will be achieved through the following thematic pillars. strategic objectives:

1. Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR): Improve access to SRHR services and information to reduce teenage pregnancies and harmful practices in Kenya.
2. Prevention and Response to Gender-Based Violence: Ensure functional child and girls' rights protection mechanisms to prevent and respond to all forms of violence and abuse.
3. Protecting Girls and Young Women in Crisis and Climate Change Adaptation: Minimize the impact of disasters on girls, young women, families, and communities.
4. Youth-led and Innovative Partnerships for Job Creation: Build a stronger ecosystem for youth employment and entrepreneurship, particularly for vulnerable young women, fostering job seekers and creators.

Nurturing Futures (NF) is a 3-year project which aims to examine the Influence of Integrating Parenting Support in Food Security and Nutrition Initiatives on Infant Nutrition Outcomes. The link between PLW’s food security, nutritional status, wellbeing, breastfeeding practices, and nutritional outcomes in infants is a powerful connector between providing nurturing care for infants, and even more so in crisis situations. PLW, by being able to nourish themselves adequately during pregnancy and subsequently providing breastmilk, become the guardians of infant’s food security. There is currently insufficient attention in global Humanitarian Response Plans to promoting responsive and loving caregiving, play, and opportunities for learning, as well as protection from violence for children growing up facing high levels of acute and chronic food insecurity. There is also inadequate attention to the overall psycho-social wellbeing.

It is with this background and context that Plan Kenya, PlanBørnefonden, and SAPCONE are therefore proposing parenting interventions in combination with food security and nutrition interventions that can positively impact and save lives of infants in Kakuma refugee camp in Turkana, Kenya. The project is designed against 3 Outcome areas namely 1) Improved nurturing care practices for children and new-borns and enhanced parental psychological well-being, 2) Improved access to food and nutrition for infants, children, PLW and parents and 3) Improved service provision for early learning.

ABOUT THE ROLE The Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Officer will be charged with the responsibility of coordinating and managing the monitoring and evaluation activities of Nurturing Futures project related for Plan Kenya in Turkana. The role has an assignment to drive project Data Quality Assurance and specific data requirements for projects/programmes as well as tracking and reporting on project outputs, outcomes and impact of the Nurturing Futures project interventions. The M&E Officer will enable documentation of project best practices, lessons learnt and project learning. He/She will work towards profiling Nurturing Futures work and impact stories. The M&E Officer is also responsible for overall coordination of consortium MERL activities.

ACCOUNTABILITIES AND MAIN WORK ACTIVITIES

Monitoring Implementation and M&E coordination at strategic level (40%)

• Lead the participatory design and implementation of the monitoring and evaluation framework of the Nurturing Futures project, ensuring comprehensive oversight, coordination with consortium partners, and strategic use of data by the project.
• Ensure the timely delivery of the project M&E framework focused on tracking of project outputs, outcomes and impacts, including regularly following up with consortium partners on the project indicators they are responsible for.
• Collaborate closely with consortium partners and Plan colleagues to identify, develop and contextualise data collection tools to measure project indicators.
• Ensure consistent and quality data collection methods are used during data collection, as well as conducting data quality checks
• Use digital platforms and digitalised versions of data collection tools (e.g. Kobo Toolbox) for efficient data collection, aggregation and analysis.
• Ensure the project indicators are tracked and the information system is up to date for regular reporting and data utilization.
• Take steps to ensure quality of data collected and data cleaning before analysis.
• Lead the analysis of collected data, including calculation of indicators, assessment of progress, qualitative insights and identification of areas for improvement.
• Oversee project evaluations and studies. Take a lead role on establishment of Terms of reference, recruitment of researcher and quality assurance throughout the process (e.g. measurement tools, report drafts), including coordinating input from other consortium partners.
• Ensure results are entered into the Plan international PMERL system regularly, make the analysis and generate reports from the system.

Learning, project quality and standards (25%)

• Prepare data, and input into project reports in collaboration with the consortium’s MERL focal points and program managers.
• Present data in clear and visually compelling way to team and consortium, e.g. use of appropriate graphs and visualisation tools (e.g. using Excel and PowerBI dashboards) and sharing of qualitative insights.
• Coordinate learning events and activities, as informed by the project learning agenda, including inviting consortium partners to present.
• Contribute to learning products.
• Support Plan and consortium partners to use on-going project data and analysis to make data-backed decisions to improve the quality of implementation and adapt project design.
• Ensure adherence to Plan International’s M&E standards, Research and evaluation standards and Plan’s ethical guidance around MERL and MER Safeguarding
• Ensure all data is disaggregated by sex, age and disability and that all the M&E framework and project studies are gender responsive.

Documentation, Data management, Knowledge management (15%)

• Ensure safe data management practices including secure and confidential data collection and storage, and secure sharing in-line with partner data sharing agreements.
• Contribute to a consortium online sharing platform for sharing of projects documents, technical guidance notes and consortium joint working documents
• Disseminate project learning materials and reports to internal and external audiences
• Facilitate and support the documentation of best practices and lessons learned from project outputs for audiences within and outside Plan International
• Support the project team in developing case studies and change stories periodically.

Capability building through knowledge sharing and networking (10%)

• Support coaching and training needs of partner staff for improved quality M&E practices in response to needs, including facilitating access to existing Plan International MERL training and resources/guidance.
• Conduct trainings of the project partners in relevant M&E areas such as digital data collection, quality checking, analysis, and reporting, as needed and as requested by the consortium partner and Senior Program Manager and partner management.

Safeguarding Children and Young People (Safeguarding) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) 5%

• Ensure that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in MERL work. This includes but is not limited to conducting a Safeguarding Risk Assessment before any data collection activity.
• Follow PII’s Safeguarding of Children and Young People policy and Plan International’s Code of Conduct, ensuring that any suspected or actual Safeguarding breach or concern is reported on in accordance with appropriate procedures.
• Ensures that Plan Kenya contributes to Plan International’s global efforts to ensure safeguarding and GEI, including making sure that relevant reporting and data are submitted.

Other duties (5%)

• Any other assignment within the scope of work.

LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES

• Courageous in taking a lead, focussed on Plan International's purpose and making the most effective contribution within my own work context.
• Behaves in line with our values and safeguarding practices, inside and outside work.
• Challenges own attitudes, unconscious bias and behaviour and speaks up when they see wrong doing, especially by those who use their power over others to create fear or abuse.
• Understand and adhere to the policies, processes, practices and standards relevant to own work and keeps their knowledge and skills up to date.
• Honest and efficient in use of resources, including own time.
• Takes responsibility for own performance and development: reflecting; seeking and listening to feedback; learning from mistakes; finding people or resources to help them learn.
• Constructive and optimistic in facing setbacks, challenges and change, using own initiative to analyse issues and improve things.
• Good team player, communicating effectively and being open and supportive towards those around them.

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES

Understands relevant sectoral context including how the sector operates in terms of funding and governance and awareness of Plan's purpose, values, and global strategy

Manages legal and reputational risk including risk assessment, communication, risk management and reporting in full compliance with risk-related standards, including in areas such as Child and Youth Safeguarding and Protection, Gender equality and inclusion, Counter Fraud, Safety and Security.

Managing resources and delivery: -Knows the resources required for their role. Manages their own workload, avoiding under or overcommitting to delivery activities; -Works according to a budget and uses the relevant financial systems.; -Works according to principles of data protection; -Understands how information is used for reporting and decisions making; - Seeks to continually improve personal working practices

Digital working: Identifies ways to use digital to improve the effectiveness of work activities. Understands how digital enablers can contribute to achieving Plan International’s purpose. Utilises the digital tools available in line with privacy and safeguarding guidelines

Evidence-based management: Understands the importance of high-quality data and the implications of poor data. Understands what data Plan International needs to inform decision-making. Interprets a range of sources to inform evidence-based decisions relevant to their role.

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Qualifications/ skills / experience essential:

• Minimum of a University Degree Statistics, Monitoring and Evaluation; Project Management, Social Science, Economics, Development studies or any other related MERL field from a recognized university.
• At least 3 years of demonstrated successful coordination of M&E functions and experience
• Experience in the application of MERL systems and frameworks including theory of change and logical frameworks
• Experience coordinating and delivering on M&E frameworks and M&E Plans and/or project, evaluation or research management.
• Experience with database design and management including advanced use of Excel for data analysis and digital collection and management software including Kobo Toolbox or equivalent (e.g. ODK, Taroworks, Poimapper).
• Experience in building capacity / coaching of individuals, teams, or organisations in M&E system design, tool development digital data collection, quality checking, analysis, reporting
• Demonstrated experience on presenting and sharing complex data in clear ways (e.g. data visuals) and reporting on project data

• Experience working in multi-partner projects/consortiums

  Qualifications/ skills / experience desirable:

• Experience working with refugee populations including conducting data collection or research with refugee populations.

• Experience in climate change adaptation practice related to Nutrition, Food security, developing community-based adaptation, or integrating climate change issues into the design, monitoring, and evaluation of programs.
• Demonstratable knowledge of and experience with gender sensitive M&E and/or research design, performance monitoring, impact evaluation, and / or social and environmental research methodologies
• Use of analysis software such as SPSS, Stata, R, Epiinfo, Atlas-Ti, CSpro is an asset

Languages required

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. Strong knowledge of Kiswahili.
• Ability to communicate in the local languages for Northern Kenya will be an added advantage

Click on the below link to access the full Job Description:

JD Monitoring \u0026 Evaluation Officer_Nurturing Futures_Turkana Final.pdf

Location: Kakuma, Kenya Reports to: Senior Project Manager Closing Date: 02 August 2024

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International's Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Disclaimer: Plan International is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate applicants on any basis. We also do not charge Job seekers any fees at any point of the recruitment process.

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Added 3 hours ago - Updated 3 hours ago - Source: jobs.plan-international.org