MEL Specialists, USAID/DRC Monitoring, Evaluation, Coordination, Contract 2 (MECC 2), Democratic Republic of Congo

Social Impact is a global development management consulting firm. We provide monitoring, evaluation, strategic planning, and capacity building services to advance development effectiveness. We work across all development sectors including democracy and governance, health and education, the environment, and economic growth. Since 1997 we have worked in over 100 countries for clients such as US government agencies, bilateral donors, multilateral development banks, foundations, and nonprofits.

Proposal Objective:

The purpose of the five-year USAID/DRC Monitoring, Evaluation, Coordination, Contract 2 (MECC 2), based in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is to provide support MEL services and support to USAID/DRC and the Central African Regional Operating Unit (CAROU), through which MEL services may also be provided in other Central African countries including the Central African Republic (CAR), Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea.

Position Description:

For the DRC Monitoring, Evaluation, Coordination, Contract 2, Social Impact is seeking monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) specialists for short-term technical assistance (STTA) positions. The MEL Specialist must work to ensure that Social Impact is providing direct services and operational support to fulfill all requirements of the Contract and take into account USAID program cycle and other relevant principles and requirements during implementation. In addition to sector-specific expertise, successful candidates must work with I4DI to provide support/services that reflect the most recent and innovative techniques and approaches in M&E for the USAID Mission. These positions are contingent upon donor award.

**Qualified candidates with DRC citizenship are highly encouraged to apply

Responsibilities:

• Work with the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and other USAID technical staff to develop the methodologies necessary to meet the deliverables required in the SOWs for evaluation tasks.
• Develop M&E plans, define project indicators, and collect and review monitoring data.
• Contribute to performance and impact evaluations through questionnaire development, key informant in-depth interviewing, managing survey data collection, reviewing data, preparing datasets, analyzing quantitative or qualitative data, and report writing.
• Assist in the management of field monitoring, evaluation design, empirical and statistical analysis, environmental compliance, and management of information systems.
• Provide quality assurance/quality control for local subcontractors.
• Collect and verify data on technical implementation, coordinate with both technical and operation staff and contribute to overall project reporting requirements as per contractual agreements. This might entail, and not be limited to, quarterly and weekly reports, evaluation and case studies, success stories, etc.
• Work closely with project leadership and directly manage project efforts to effectively design and implement dissemination strategies and activities to communicate analytical products developed under the project as part of learning and/or strategic communications and public outreach agenda.
• Lead and/or participating in evaluation teams to implement the whole cycle of assigned studies such as assessment, evaluation, and testing of the development hypothesis, ranging from design and planning, development of methodology and tools, data analysis, report writing with constructive recommendations.
• Provide inputs into Mission’s PMP and/or Activity M&E plans, especially on the use of performance indicators and evaluations to reflect progress toward outcomes and impacts and conduct tasks related to M&E system strengthening for relevant Missions, IPs, and other stakeholders.
• Conduct participatory training, consultations, workshops and other capacity development sessions on M&E specific issues to mobilize M&E expertise in the country.
• The successful candidate will take the lead in supporting learning agendas, collaboration, learning and adapting, and knowledge management activities, all aimed at facilitating effective collaboration and promote learning and sharing among stakeholders.

Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant field, such as applied social sciences, development economics, or monitoring and evaluation.
• A minimum of eight years of progressive responsibility working in M&E for donor­funded development programs. Previous USAID experience is a plus.
• Experience in developing performance management plans (PMPs) and conducting data quality assessments (DQAs); analyzing both qualitative and quantitative data; using online M&E databases to collect performance indicators; conducting routine monitoring of data for a donor-funded project; and conducting participatory or impact evaluations.
• Experience writing findings and recommendations in assessment or evaluation reports.
• Experience in report writing, especially under USAID contracts, and development of dissemination, knowledge management and communication strategies.
• Strong organizational, writing and communication skills.
• Strong proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).
• Ability to coordinate well with personnel within and outside the project, meet deadlines and work with minimal supervision.
• Computer literacy, with ability to analyze and interpret data using Excel, online reporting tools, or statistical packages such as SAS, SPSS, or STATA.
• Previous experience in the region is strongly preferred.
• Professional proficiency in spoken and written English and fluency in French.