Project Management Specialist (Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning)
I. GENERAL INFORMATION
- SOLICITATION NO.: 41/2021
- ISSUANCE DATE: October 22, 2021
- CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: November 11, 2021 (6 p.m. Bishkek time)
- POSITION TITLE: Project Management Specialist (Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning), FSN-11,
- MARKET VALUE: $33,686 – $47,160 gross per annum equivalent to FSN-11, In accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of USAID/Kyrgyz Republic Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.
- PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Full-time: 40 hours per week
- PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: USAID/Kyrgyz Republic, Bishkek
- ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: All HOST COUNTRY NATIONALS
- SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: FSN SBU
- STATEMENT OF DUTIES:
BASIC FUNCTION OF POSITION:
The USAID Project Management Specialist (Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning [MEL]) is located in the Health and Education Office and plays a lead role in the development of effective strategic information and monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems in support of the full range of Contracting/Agreement Officer’s Representative (C/AOR) managing Mission Health programs/projects/activities.
The Specialist applies evaluation research to the monitoring of program/project/activity implementation in order to document results, and to translate MEL and other data into meaningful policy and program improvements. The Specialist serves as a subject matter expert and key contributor to strengthening the capacity of information systems, providing senior-level technical guidance to Health and Education Office leaders, the broader USAID Mission, implementing partners (IPs) involved in program monitoring and evaluation, and within the cooperating country government. The Specialist serves as a C/AOR or Activity Manager, responsible for providing technical and programmatic guidance to assigned activities.
The Specialist is a key member of the Health and Education Office. The jobholder reports to the Health and Education Office Director and has no formal supervisory responsibility.
MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Program/Project/Activity Performance Management and Reporting – 60%
● Provides senior/high level technical guidance to Health and Education Office, Mission staff, IPs, and other USG agencies on MEL concepts, processes, design, training, and best practices.
● Provides advanced direction and technical guidance in the implementation of the Health and Education Office portions of the Mission Performance Management Plan (PMP), and Health and Education Office responsibilities from Mission PMP; and MEL services and support to IPs in the development and implementation of program/project/activity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plans.
● Provides guidance to IPs in understanding of the Performance Monitoring Plan systems, and their role in the process, and advises on specific measurement techniques appropriate for their programs/projects/activities.
● Provides technical monitoring and evaluation (M&E) expertise to the Program Office, USAID/Washington, and other USG agencies in order to plan and manage Health Office responsibilities related to the PMP, including collection, assessment of validity, and improving data quality.
● Develops innovative and cross-cutting monitoring tools, including Data Quality Assessment and Improvement (DQA/I) tools in coordination with the Program Office and MEL contractors; tracks and maintains multiple sets of key indicators, common indicators related to standard components in all USAID programs/projects/activities, indicators at the strategic objective level, and detailed indicators at the activity level; and, ensures proper collection of data, and that indicators serve is an appropriate measure of their corresponding result.
● Provides technical leadership to C/AORs and IPs to ensure activity work plans and monitoring plans include relevant and effective performance measures, which together provide greater results and more accurate measurements.
● Leads, designs, and performs assessments/studies/research requiring independent analysis and interpretation, on a regular and recurring basis; studies and research are cross-cutting, and include substantive and often sensitive Mission and Health Office topics. Briefs Health Office and Mission leaders on findings and makes recommendations to impact strategic, operational, and programmatic direction.
● Provides advanced guidance to Health Office technical staff on defining measurable indicators and targets for desired results addressed by their program/project/activity, and edits quarterly, semi-annual, and annual performance Reports.
● In collaboration with the Mission Program Office, leads the Health Office compilation and reporting on the annual Performance Plan and Report (PPR) to Congress and ensures all required indicators have appropriate targets and data are collected and reported on by IPs.
● Leads USAID’s support to the cooperating country government for the development and management of a national information system, and a central repository (data warehouse) for Health data; and, serves as USAID point of contact for health data and information systems.
Evaluation and Organizational Learning – 20%
● Provides technical guidance and leadership to ensure evaluations are properly planned and carried out in a high quality and professional manner, by aiding Health and Education Office C/AORs to draft appropriate Scopes of Work (SOWs) for evaluation Teams, by actual participation in and/or leading evaluation Teams, and by ensuring that Team comments on draft evaluation reports are reflected in final reports.
● Leads a team in the development and execution of an evaluation plan that ensures compliance with USAID Evaluation Policy. Advises thematic teams/working groups and technical specialists on planning, designing, and implementing appropriate Evaluation Plans.
● Provides technical guidance and leadership to other USG agencies in the development, preparation, and dissemination of results of Public Health and Education evaluations, Demographic Health Surveys, etc.
● Leads cross-cutting evaluations, and supports prioritization and implementation of recommendations, as required.
● Manages the Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) component of Health and Education Office activities.
● Organizes and leads roundtables and consultations with Health and Education Office staff, IPs, and other stakeholders to develop a Learning Agenda for Health and Education interventions; identifies mechanisms for implementing research; and, manages implementation of research and evaluation activities and dissemination of results.
● Provides technical leadership and oversight to the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education and other cooperating country government staff to ensure that national-level data is available and reliable and works with inter-agency Heads of Departments and senior technical staff to ensure that USG data contributes to an accurate picture of the situation on the ground, that double-counting is avoided, and that results are attributable to USAID (and USG) interventions.
Project Management – 10%
● Serves as an Activity Manager for MEL programs/projects/activities awarded through the Health and Education Office, providing financial and programmatic oversight to ensure contracts and grants achieve anticipated results, and are linked to and enhance attainment of the Health Office, Mission, and USG objectives.
● Conducts site visits and data quality audits, as required, in order to monitor progress, and to provide technical and programmatic recommendations to ensure effectiveness, efficiency and judicious use of USG funding.
Representation – 10%
● Represents the Health and Education Office, Mission, and USG at national and/or international technical and programmatic meetings, and in consultations with other social sector donors, government officials, and IPs.
● Provides technical and strategic leadership in the preparation of key annual and mid-term planning reporting documents including Congressional Budget Justifications, Technical Notifications, Quarterly, Semi-Annual and Annual Progress Reports.
● Drafts talking points and/or speeches for the Office Director, Mission Director, Ambassador and others, as required, and prepares briefing papers, presentations, and coordinates site preparations for VIP site visits.
Supervision Received: The Specialist works under the very general supervision of the Health and Education Office Director. The supervisor makes assignments in terms of overall objectives and resources available. Completed work is reviewed in terms of achievement of program/project/activity goals, effectiveness in meeting cooperating country and USAID objectives, and integration with other initiatives in the Office and Mission portfolio. Some technical direction may come from other professionals in the Office; in general, however, the Specialist will be expected to exercise considerable autonomy and best judgment in discharging the duties of the assignment.
Supervision Exercised: Continuing supervision of other Division and Office staff is not anticipated.
- PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.
- POINT OF CONTACT: USAID/Central Asia Human Resources Office, e-mail: [email protected] (with autoreply) and/or [email protected]
- FOR THIS POSITION
a. Education: Bachelor’s degree or local equivalent from an accredited program in social science, statistics, mathematics, economics, computer science, epidemiology, health informatics, public health, infectious disease, zoonotic disease, biology or other quantitative discipline, or the local equivalent, is required.
b. Prior Work Experience: Five years of progressively responsible job-related professional-level experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) and other surveillance systems, evaluation of program/project/activity implementation, in direct program/project/activity management, or in a closely related activity is required. At least two years of this experience in a development-oriented workplace, or a related field, for other donor agencies, cooperating country organizations, or private-sector institutions, and which included project design, performance monitoring, and/or the analysis and interpretation of large amounts of data, is required.
c. Language Proficiency: Level IV fluency in both oral and written English and Russian.
d. Job Knowledge: The Specialist must have in depth, professional-level knowledge of development approaches and methods for performance analysis, data visualization, and program design, monitoring and evaluation. The Specialist must have excellent knowledge of MEL systems, public health programming, and international donor operations in the sector. The Specialist must have knowledge and understanding of the economic, political, social, and cultural characteristics of the cooperating country; development problems in the health sector in the cooperating country and the region; an understanding of the resources, resource constraints, and overall development prospects and priorities of the cooperating country and the region. The Specialist must have working knowledge of USG legislation, policy, and practice relating to monitoring, evaluation, and learning, and working knowledge or the potential to acquire knowledge of USAID programming policies, regulations, procedures, and documentation, and of the objectives, methodology, and status of assigned activities.
e. Skills and Abilities: The Specialist must have the ability to plan, organize and execute complex MEL activities, including the ability to provide technical leadership and apply this ability to programming in the cooperating country and the region. The Specialist must have the ability to issue precise and accurate factual reports using rigorous analytical and interpretive skills. Excellent communication skills both writing and speaking, especially in being able to communicate technical subjects to individuals with nontechnical background. This role requires the ability to respond professionally and adjust in fluid situations in order to meet deadlines in the face of competing priorities and time pressures. Excellent computer and software skills including ability in Excel, SPSS, STATA, R and/or other analytical databases.
- EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS
Applicants will be evaluated against the following criteria:
1. Education
2. Prior Work Experience
3. Language Proficiency
4. Job Knowledge
5. Skills and Abilities
IV. PRESENTING AN OFFER
- Eligible Offerors must fully meet the minimum qualification requirements. Qualified individuals are requested to submit a cover letter and curriculum vitae addressing each selection criterion detailed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting each item; and names, contact numbers, and addresses of three professional references.
Packages should be received by COB Thursday, November 11, 2021 via e-mail: [email protected] and/or [email protected]
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. No late submissions will be accepted.
USAID/KR reserves the right to obtain from previous employers relevant information concerning the applicant’s past performance and may consider such information in its evaluation. If an applicant does not wish USAID to contact a current employer for a reference check, this should be stated in the applicant’s cover letter, and USAID will delay such reference check pending communication with the applicant.
2. Offers must be received by the closing date and time specified above and in Section I, item 3, and submitted to the Point of Contact in Section I, item 12.
3. To ensure consideration of offers for the intended position, Offerors must prominently reference the Solicitation number in the offer submission.
V. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS FOR PSC HIRES
Once the CO informs the successful Offeror about being selected for a contract award, the CO will provide the successful Offeror instructions about how to complete and submit necessary forms.
VI. BENEFITS/ALLOWANCES
According to Local Compensation Plan.
VII. TAXES
The contractor is solely responsible for all taxation obligations in accordance with cooperating country laws.USAID reserves the right to request proof of payment of taxes by the employee.
VIII. USAID REGULATIONS, POLICIES AND CONTRACT CLAUSES PERTAINING TO PSCs
USAID regulations and policies governing CCN/TCN PSC awards are available at these sources:
- USAID Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR), Appendix J, “Direct USAID Contracts With a Cooperating Country National and with a Third Country National for Personal Services Abroad,” including contract clause “General Provisions,” available at https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/aidar_0.pdf.
- Contract Cover Page form AID 309-1 available at https://www.usaid.gov/forms .
- Acquisition & Assistance Policy Directives/Contract Information Bulletins (AAPDs/CIBs) for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals available at http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs .
- Ethical Conduct. By the acceptance of a USAID personal services contract as an individual, the contractor will be acknowledging receipt of the “Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch,” available from the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, in accordance with General Provision 2 and 5 CFR 2635. See https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/OGE%20Regulations .
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