About PCI

Founded in 1961, PCI is an international non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing health, ending hunger, overcoming hardship, and advance women and girls around the world. In 2018, PCI served more than 12 million people in 15 countries across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. During the past 50 years, the organization has served millions more in 14 additional countries.

PCI has been working in Ethiopia since 2005 and now secured a funding from US Agency for International Development (USAID) in Ethiopia for its project Resilience in Pastoralist Areas (RIPA) that will improve resilience to enhance food security and inclusive economic growth for lowland pastoral communities. 

Job Summary:

The MLE Manager will be responsible for overall leadership and management relating to the development and implementation of RIPA’s monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system. S/he will work closely with the project leadership team, M&E staff, and local partners to design and implement monitoring systems that are responsive to all programmatic and organization/donor reporting needs. The MLE Manager will also support the development and implementation of the project’s resilience learning agenda in close collaboration with the project and external stakeholders, including the Government of Ethiopia (GOE), civil society, the private sector, USAID, and other donors and development projects – to disseminate evidence-based learnings related to food security, inclusive economic growth, nutrition, and resilience in Ethiopia; and contribute to collective impact.

The execution of these duties requires a high level of analysis, project management, staff capacity building, familiarity with technology, and independent and critical thinking.  The M&E Manager will be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and serves as the primary point of contact for PCI headquarters while supporting a team of M&E staff located at four project Zonal offices.

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

Design and implement a project-wide monitoring and evaluation system

• Design and facilitate the implementation of an effective project-wide M&E strategy for PCI RIPA programme in Ethiopia
• Establish/strengthen M&E systems to ensure projects are moving towards achieving the intended goals and objectives
• In collaboration with project leads, establish appropriate indicators, targets, data collection tools, documentation systems and management information systems for reporting to the key stakeholders on progress towards achievement of targets for process, output and outcome indicators
• Develop and implement internal data control systems and quality improvement processes that ensure quality and timeliness of all project data, including facilitating routine data quality assessments and verifications, identifying deficiencies, and implementing corrective actions to ensure data quality
• Provide oversight and technical assistance to programmatic learning activities, ensuring that assessments, studies, and learning initiatives are carried out according to the agreed plan and protocol ethically and with rigor.
• Facilitate and support the external USAID-led evaluation (baselines, midterm, final evaluations)
• Assist in writing, developing, and/or reviewing project proposals, detailed implementation plans, activity plans, and abstracts for submission to conferences and publications
• Actively engage in PCI’s effort to embed continuous improvement and innovation to MLE systems and support the project team in doing so as well.
• Serve as the lead contact point for and collaborate closely with headquarter office M&E staff; hold regular check in calls with headquarter staff and facilitate check in calls with other PCI Ethiopia project and M&E staff

Oversee data analysis and reporting

• Oversee and coordinate the collection, management, analysis, and presentation of M&E data for various audiences
• Design and implement effective mechanisms for timely sharing of quality data to various internal and external audiences for the purposes of data-driven decision making, quality improvement, and program management
• Manage all activities related to the production /compilation of well-organized quarterly, semiannual and annual indicator reporting, and ensure timely submission to relevant stakeholders.

Support Collaboration, Learning and Adaptation (CLA)

• Contribute data and evidence and participate in joint program reviews, after-action reviews, documentation and dissemination, knowledge exchange, mentorship and accompaniment to facilitate knowledge uptake and applied learning
• Contribute to the development of a knowledge management repository/system to ensure program information, best practices, and evidence are accessible to all staff and partners
• Support a culture of learning and evidence-based decision-making through systematic inquiry, analysis, and data-driven quality improvement
• Contribute to the identification, documentation and sharing, both within PCI and externally, of best and promising practices
• Work with COP, DCOP and other project staff and partners to develop and implement systems to use data to drive decision-making at all levels
• Encourage, facilitate and foster organizational learning of, and commitment to, M&E as an integral part of quality programming and organizational development

Build Capacity in Monitoring, Learning, and Evaluation

• Provide oversight and support to program staff and implementing partners to ensure quality and timely execution of project M&E activities.
• Build the capacity of implementing partner organizations in M&E functions by conducting M&E related training
• Strengthen M&E capacity of relevant PCI internal and partner staff, including data management, analysis, reporting and utilization of findings for program improvement.
• Facilitates the development of a supportive team culture, empowering M&E staff through effective delegation of duties and ensuring staff are empowered to make decisions at an appropriate level.

Support Project Accountability

• Support the design of context-specific accountability system for the RIPA programme
• Improve understanding and strengthen practice of accountability and quality management among RIPA staff and partners
• Develop an accountability measurement and monitoring plan for the program.
• Ensure various stakeholders and beneficiaries have a process to raise complaints and receive appropriate response
• Draft guidelines for handling complaints and monitor complaints, alerting project leadership of complaints or issues.
• Develop and implement processes that ensures relevant information is shared with beneficiaries throughout the program cycle

Position Parameters/Special Responsibilities Required:

• Interested and able to travel locally and internationally at least 25% of the time
• Ability to work overtime during peak periods
• Training in agile approaches and implementation of agile principles in all aspects of work
• Participate in PCI’s innovation efforts and in teams on innovation initiatives

Reports to: Collaboration, Learning and Adaptation (CLA) Team Lead

Qualifications and Competencies:

• A Bachelor’s degree in relevant field plus at least five years of relevant work experience in development or emergency programming
• Minimum five years professional experience in monitoring and evaluation for international NGOs/aid organizations
• Proven capacity to effectively manage processes and programs, as well as manage and mentor staff with various levels of skills and experience
• Experience with and demonstrated passion for data-driven decision-making
• Extensive knowledge of USAID monitoring and evaluation requirements and strategies
• Excellent computer and technology skills including Microsoft Office Suite (Excel and PowerPoint), statistical analysis software packages (e.g. STATA, SPSS, or similar), mobile data collection platforms (e.g. Commcare or ODK)
• Experience using dashboard and analytics packages, such as Power BI, and relational database systems and web technologies
• Strong writing skills to prepare evidence-based narratives for reports, success stories, lessons learned, guidance documents, promotional materials and research proposals, including proven capacity to write for publication  
• Experience communicating effectively and working with public agencies, NGOs, external stakeholders, and community representatives  
• Excellent communications skills, both written and verbal
• Strong writing and editing skills for a variety of audiences
• Experience supporting and coordinating proposal preparation or other writing teams
• Experience and capacity in institutionalizing systems and standards throughout an organization
• Fluency in English is required. 
• Proven team leadership skills and ability to work as part of a team
• A passion for the mission and values of PCI