ABOUT FREEDOM HOUSE

Established more than 80 years ago on the core conviction that freedom flourishes in democratic nations where governments are accountable to their people, Freedom House is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that works to defend and expand freedom globally to help secure a world where all are free. Around the world, repressive regimes are preventing billions of people from exercising their fundamental rights. We identify and analyze threats to freedom, mobilize decision makers to respond to those threats and seize opportunities for progress, and support activists and organizations working to defend and expand freedom. We are dedicated to ensuring that the United States serves as a positive model of democratic practice at home and a consistent champion of freedom globally. By gathering authoritative data and leveraging our global networks, Freedom House is an unwavering beacon in protecting human rights and promoting democratic governance.

POSITION SUMMARY

The USAID-funded Protecting Human Rights in Ethiopia (PHR-Ethiopia) is a five-year program to be implemented with the overall goal of increasing respect for human rights in Ethiopia. The program has four specific objectives: i) expand efforts to monitor securely and independently, document, and report on human rights violations; ii) advance accountability for human rights violations; iii) increase the number and capacity of new human rights actors and advocates throughout Ethiopia; and iv) address conflict-related gender and sexual violence. To realize these objectives, the program will engage key state and non-state actors and strengthen the institutional and operational capacity of local CSOs and justice and law enforcement bodies including judges, prosecutors, and police.

Freedom House is seeking a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Director for its PHR-Ethiopia program.  The MEL Director will work in close coordination with the Grants Officer and Program Officer to provide technical and management support for the program. The MEL Director will provide strategic guidance, vision, and management for successful monitoring, evaluation and learning of the award in keeping with the principles of collaboration, learning, and adaptation as outlined in the draft MEL Plan. They will lead in the development, implementation, and revision of the MEL Plan. They will oversee all MEL activities, provide technical direction and support, ensure the accurate and compelling reporting of results for activities. They will supervise a team of MEL- focused staff to ensure the strategic and functional integration of all MEL activities as well as actively collaborate with sub-awardees and USAID. This position will be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and will report to the Chief of Party.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide management, guidance, and technical oversight for the award system throughout relevant project cycles - project design, start-up, implementation and close-out - to ensure efficient and effective implementation in line with Freedom House’s program quality principles and standards, donor requirements, and good practices. 

• Leads on monitoring and evaluation (M&E) tools and processes, including but not limited to: develop and operationalize a comprehensive M&E plan, establish PIRS and indicator tracking system, design measurement tools and reporting processes, and execute data collection, analysis, and reporting. 

• Collaborate with the HQ MEL Specialist and the Program Manager to ensure MEL processes align with Freedom House’s MEL standards. 

• Support project teams and partner staff to use the appropriate systems and tools.

• Effectively manage talent and supervise. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, contribute to the recruitment process of project staff, and complete performance management for direct reports.

• Develop participatory MEL Plan system and lead key MEL activities in coordination with project staff and technical advisors including assessments, evaluations, and learning events.

• Champion learning with project staff and partner teams. Identify opportunities for learning, promote application of learning, facilitate learning within the project team and integration of best practices and innovations, and communicate learning to relevant country, regional, and global fora.

• Act as a key resource person in MEL components of project design and reporting. 

• Oversee project communications materials in coordination with relevant staff.

• Support the identification of staff capacity and technical assistance needs of partner organizations in MEL and lead or contribute to the required interventions to support quality project implementation.

• Coordinate and monitor financial and material resources relevant to MEL with thorough planning and oversight, ensuring efficient use of project resources.

• Develop an information management system for the Ethiopia program to electronically store, manage, and regularly update data/information generated by programs.

• Conduct actor mapping and regularly update CSO actors database.

• In close coordination with the Program Officer, develop indicators for context monitoring, provide regular analysis of context monitoring indicators, and produce summary context analysis reports, as needed.

• Provide training, coaching, and mentoring to CSO partners to implement MEL activities and produce required information/reports.

• Supervise implementation of assessments/survey to evaluate programs activities and outcomes.

• Develop tools, collect data for project indicators, and regularly update the indicator tracking tables.

• Serve as the focal point in the implementation of MEL tools and processes, including indicators, data collection, methodologies, measurement tools and analysis, and reporting protocols.

• Prepare progress update reports and quarterly narrative reports, and special reports to concerned government bodies in collaboration with the Program Officer and Grants Officer. 

• Promote learning and knowledge sharing of best practices, and dissemination of lessons learned.

• Support the interpretation and presentation of MEL findings for activity planning, decision-making, course-correction, and communication of successes.

• Serve as primary manager of external evaluation processes.

• Other duties as assigned by the Chief of Party.

Work Location Type: On-site

Job Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:     

• Master's Degree in International Development, International Relations, or in a related field is required. Additional experience may substitute for some education.

Experience:    

• A minimum of 8 years experience with 2 years of relevant field-based experience in coordinating or managing light to moderately complex projects required, preferably with an international NGO.

• Leadership experience in MEL is required.

• Experience engaging with partner organizations.

• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), standard Statistical data analysis packages of SPSS, Stata or R, Web Conferencing Applications, information management systems.

• The MEL Director must have language skills at the following Foreign Service Institute proficiency level or equivalent: English and Amharic fluency.

• Experience with qualitative and quantitative MEL data collection and analysis methods, including tracking outcome indicators and conducting program evaluations.

Technical Skills and Abilities:

• The MEL Director must have language skills at the following Foreign Service Institute proficiency level or equivalent: English and Amharic fluency.

• Ability to plan, organize, prioritize work, and multitask to meet tight deadlines.

• Ability to consistently apply good judgment in problem solving and decision making.

• Ability to apply interpersonal skills and collaborate with others and successfully work as an effective team member.

• Ability to maintain the highest degree of confidentiality regarding all aspects of work at all times.

Attributes and Characteristics: 

• Exhibit strong and sustained commitment to the mission of Freedom House.

• Show good stewardship in the use of Freedom House resources. 

• Respond promptly to stakeholder needs and solicit stakeholder feedback to improve service quality.

• Exhibit excellent phone etiquette, pleasant demeanor, and ethical conduct. 

• Consistently use good judgment when dealing with all contacts and constituents.

• Exhibit high work standards, adherence to procedures, and responsibility for assigned tasks.

• Assess own strengths and weaknesses, pursue training and development opportunities, and strive to continuously build knowledge and skills.

• Work as an effective team member, successfully balancing individual and team responsibilities.

• Comply with all policies and procedures.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION  

• Diversity makes our work stronger. We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all background to apply. Diverse backgrounds relevant to the countries in which we have programming are a welcome asset.

• Applicants are required to complete our online application form and to submit a resume and a cover letter that outlines interests and qualifications for this position. 

• Travel to some countries, for business or in some cases personal reasons, while a Freedom House employee, may not be advisable or even possible due to high security risks.  

• Candidates must possess authorization to work in Ethiopia independent from Freedom House sponsorship.   

Working Environment and Conditions: 

• Generally conducive working office environment in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Disability-friendly accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform their essential functions.

• Some evening and weekend hours to complete tasks or attend events.

• Travel within Ethiopia outside of Addis Ababa.

• Exposed to outside weather conditions when required to complete assigned tasks outside the office;

• May involve work in regions that are remote and lack basic modern infrastructure, and in regions under U.S. travel advisory due to threats of armed attacks, civil unrest, kidnappings, disease outbreaks, etc. 

Work Environment and Physical Demands:  

• Essential functions are typically performed in an office setting or remote work. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.  

How to Apply

Interested applicants can apply using THIS LINK

Freedom House is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, or protected veteran status, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factors.