MEL Specialist

Information

Common information

The Kyrgyz Republic Agro Trade Activity is a USAID program implemented by Chemonics International in the Kyrgyz Republic. The goal of the Activity is to support job creation, strengthen value chains , and improve the business enabling environment through interventions that boost productivity, upgrade processing, build international business-to-business linkages, facilitate access to finance, and support private sector–informed policy reform. The project is being implemented in Osh, Batken and Jalal-Abad regions,  with assistance to vulnerable groups, women and youth.  In cooperation with local enterprises, the Agro Trade Activity has made a significant contribution to food security and agricultural development in the South of Kyrgyzstan

Qualification requirements

The MEL (monitoring evaluation and learning) Specialist will support the project’s MEL efforts across all technical areas of the Activity to ensure monitoring and evaluation procedures are done in compliance with the projects approved MEL plan and USAID standards and regulations. The MEL Specialist will be responsible for implementing the MEL plan and working with the MEL Team Lead to design and populate the project’s MEL systems. The MEL specialist will work with technical staff to develop and oversee tools for data collection, storage, and analysis. The Specialist will assist in training staff and partners on MEL system operations, collection methods, and tools. In collaboration with the COP and project leadership, the specialist will analyze and report on lessons learned from project interventions to aid the design and implementation of future project activities.  

Duties

·        Assist the MEL Team Lead to implement the Activity MEL plan, ensuring it aligns with contract requirements and client objectives   

·        Develop data collection tools necessary for capturing and reporting on project indicator data, and coordinate development and utilization of tools   

·        Maintain project data in Chemonics’ Monitoring and Evaluation Software (DevResults)   

·        Assist with high-quality, timely, and complete submission of work plans and technical and performance reports   

·        Identify opportunities for integration of new technology into MEL tasks  

·        Ensure that project staff are considering and applying data to maximize learning from data and using data in making project decisions    

·        Participate in training project staff on general MEL concepts and terms, data collection, and reporting procedures   

·        Contribute to the development of annual work plans and regular project reports, and reviewing the MEL plan accordingly  

·        Compile and analyze data on project indicators for contractual reports to show the progress against project objectives and targets, and report findings to project senior leaderships, as well as prepare reports for submission to USAID   

·        Respond to ad-hoc requests from USAID to provide MEL data in a timely manner   

·        Support the technical teams in refining and finalizing the project’s results framework, theory of change, and other MEL frameworks during work planning sessions   

·        Collect and disseminate lessons learned and best practices to internal (home office) and external stakeholders, as appropriate   

·        Review MEL systems periodically to evaluate effectiveness, and adjust tools and procedures as necessary to provide the project with accurate and useful data  

·        Attend data verification and data quality assurance meetings with USAID’s third-party MEL auditors  

·        Collaborates with MEL Team to conduct ongoing monitoring and analysis, ensuring program data is sufficiently disaggregated (e.g., by sex, age, ethnicity, social class, disability, location) for the purpose of reporting program progress against indicators. 

Conditions

·        A Bachelor’s degree or higher in the relevant subject area(s), preferably in gender, social work, international development, or community development required; Master’s degree preferred; 

·        Five (5) years of experience with monitoring and evaluation functions, or a related field; experience in the Central Asia required and experience in the Kyrgyz Republic strongly preferred   

·        Computer skills in Word, Excel and other program required, familiarity with relational databases preferred; experience with mobile data collection (tablet or phone-based application) preferred   

·        Ability to navigate culturally sensitive terrain and maintain constructive and collaborative relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders 

·        Relevant computer software skills (including, at a minimum, the standard applications in MS Office) 

·        Prior USAID experience preferred 

·        Experience with mobile data collection (i.e. tablet or phone-based applications) preferred 

·        Solid writing and communication skills in English  

·        Ability to meet tight deadlines and prioritize effectively 

·        Exposure to USAID’s managing for results approach desired 

·        Proficiency in English and Kyrgyz language. Uzbek language skills an advantage 

To apply, please send a CV, recommendation letter(s) with the subject line "MEL Specialist” to the email: susmanova@kyrgyzagrotrade.com, cc: ftalipov@kyrgyzagrotrade.com

 The deadline for applications is COB, September 19, 2024