Data, Monitoring and Research Jobs at Technoserve and Farm Africa


Deadline of this Job: 31 October 2022
JOB DETAILS:
Purpose of the role
• The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Associate is a technical post responsible for ensuring consistent and high quality data collection, and for use and reporting of results across the project. The post holder will ensure the project develop and implement appropriate MEL plans, based on robust logical frameworks, and adhering to Farm Africa’s core standards and approaches
• The MEL Associate will work with the Programme Manager (PM)/Project Coordinator (PC), to ensure management decision making is evidence based. The MEL Associate will work with the Project field team to ensure a clear understanding of the programme’s MEL framework at the field level, with all methods and tools clearly understood and communicated. The post holder will develop appropriate tools, systems and training to support field teams to understand and use robust evidence of project results as a vital input to management decision making. The MEL Associate will provide technical as well as capacity building support to partner organisations; ensure use of relevant Farm Africa standard data collection tools; provide critical analysis and technical input to project evaluation processes, ensuring Farm Africa can maximise the learning potential of all studies and evaluations undertaken within the project

Key tasks and responsibilities
Planning

• Coordinate and facilitate the development and use of appropriate MEL systems and plans for the project, and provide technical guidance and leadership to the programme PM/PCs in implementing them.
• Take responsibility for ensuring the programme’s MEL systems are fully compliant with the donor and Farm Africa’s requirements for reporting results. Ensure project teams are familiar with these requirements.
• At start-up, work with field teams, PM and PCs to ensure that the indicators and targets are SMART, and the methods for collection and analysis are clearly understood and will fulfil reporting requirements at all levels.
• Support PM/PC to ensure that MEL activities are scheduled into the work plan at times that are appropriate to achieving the highest quality data.
• Liaise with the PC/PM to adequately budget for and utilise resources to undertake MEL activities.
• Identify learning questions and plan for data collection to inform them

Implementation

• Coordinate and implement baseline surveys and evaluation exercises.
• Build capacity of field staff and local partner staff on data collection, management, analysis and results-based monitoring principles and ensure understanding of Farm Africa’s core standards and approaches.
• Work to ensure project team are able to disaggregate data by gender and age, where appropriate, by devising and disseminating simple data collection methods.
• Provide a ‘quality assurance’ function to ensure that data reported by all projects is relevant, accurate and verifiable.
• Undertake regular monitoring and assist the PM/PC and team at field level to ensure that project MEL activities are achieved as planned.
• Ensure the project’s log-frame and data collection plans are regularly reviewed and refreshed, and the project is collecting the breadth of indicators required at a frequency and timing in line with reporting purposes.
• Support the PM/PC that the project is keeping to its MEL plan. This involves organising and conducting MEL activities regularly and on time. Activities will include a mix of qualitative and quantitative approaches, including, but not limited to: Household surveys, KIIs, FGDs, community feedback sessions, SME records’ reviews, etc.
• Work closely with relevant staff and other project partners to ensure regular data collection, analysis and reporting.
• Lead on appropriate cleaning, storage, analysis and reporting of all data, including developing case studies and collating photos.
• Support to the PM/PC for adaptive management to ensure data reported by all projects is used for programme management and decision making.
• Participate in project quarterly review meetings. Participate and help facilitate biannual Project Performance Review (PPR) workshops.

Reporting

• Ensure regular and sufficient communication with other Farm Africa projects and staff on overall MEL development and coordinate and cascade any learning that will enhance MEL activities at the Country Office.
• Collate and consolidate data from all partners and field staff - ensuring required quality, and report to the PM/PC with specified deadlines.
• Support the PM/PC in ensuring that reports are informed by the relevant data.
• Ensure that the quarterly project reports have case studies, success stories and lessons learnt so that there is continuous information that will feed into the overall learning process.
• Work with the Regional MEL Team to develop tools and methods for capturing and documenting lessons learned from the programme’s implementation, and ensure that they are shared with the communities, partners and across the organisation.
• Together with the PM/PC participate in monthly project progress review sessions including: in-depth review of financial spend/burn rate; achievement against activity and output plan, and a forward look on whether the project is achieving against its objectives.

PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential

Education, qualifications & other knowledge
• MSc./MA in numerical/ analytical subject (e.g. statistics, economics, econometrics, research design, applied social science)

Desirable

• Academic qualification relevant to Farm Africa’s areas of operation (i.e. agricultural, rural business management, value chain development)
• Demonstrable knowledge of rural development issues in Tanzania Awareness of broader trends in international
• donor landscape, relating to MEL and results-monitoring Knowledge of value chain development and agricultural practices, policy and enabling environment in Tanzania and East Africa.

Experience

• Demonstrable understanding of monitoring, evaluation and learning principles and practices, including the application of the log frame approachA
• minimum of 3 years proven experience of conducting quantitative and qualitative field research and analysis for large, multi-purpose projects
• Experience in working with data including analysis, and drafting clear written reports/briefingsProven experience in training and capacity building in MEL practices
• Proven experience in training and capacity building in MEL practices


Deadline of this Job: 26 October 2022
JOB DETAILS:
Description
Title: Monitoring & Evaluation Associate
Reports to: VISA Foundation Program Manager
Location:
Nairobi, Kenya or Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Grade:
5

Technoserve Background
Everyone deserves the opportunity to build a better future. This simple idea has been at the heart of TechnoServe’s work around the world for over 50 years. TechnoServe is a pioneer in leveraging the power of business and markets to create sustainable pathways out of poverty
The low-income communities in which we work are full of enterprising people. Their small-scale farms and businesses are the keys to economic development. But they face many challenges: low literacy, lack of access to jobs and markets, unpredictable political dynamics and, increasingly, the effects of climate change. For many women and young people, the challenges are even more daunting. Working with TechnoServe staff, people around the world are lifting themselves out of poverty. The results are amazing…when incomes increase and living conditions for families get better, they are able to access health care and education previously out of reach. Communities and even whole countries are better off.

Program Description
TechnoServe is implementing a three-year (August 2022-September 2025), Inclusive Growth Strategies for Gender Diverse Food Processing SMEs program with grant funding from VISA Foundation. With an overarching mission to reduce poverty and increase resilience in the countries where we work (Tanzania and Kenya), this grant will help achieve two long-term goals: 1) Catalyze inclusive growth, both up and downstream, of gender-diverse SME agri-businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa; and 2) Close gaps between women-led and men-led businesses’ access to resources (capital, technical knowledge/skills) and profitability to fuel women’s economic empowerment across Sub-Saharan Africa.
TechnoServe will provide customized technical assistance and cost share funding to gender-diverse SME food processors in East Africa to catalyze inclusive growth through targeted upstream and downstream interventions. Specifically, we will work with 20+ SMEs from our installed base of nutritious food processors under AINFP in Kenya and Tanzania to drive inclusive growth through two approaches: strengthening smallholder farmer sourcing models using the Inclusive Business Plan (IBP) tool; and penetrating base-of-the-pyramid (BoP) markets using the Inclusive Marketing Plan (IMP) tool.
As part of knowledge management and learning, data management is a critical aspect of the program, including data collection, data capture, analysis, and dissemination. The program intends to engage a keen, analytical, and methodical M&E associate who will support the Program in quality data collection and reporting in liaison with the AINFP Tanzania and Kenya program managers.

Key Responsibilities
Specifically, with the direct support of the Visa Foundation Program Manager, and advisory support from AINFP Regional M&E manager, Tanzania, and Kenya AINFP Program managers, the selected candidate will:
• Support in data collection (both qualitative and quantitative), validation, cleaning, and analysis.
• Support in the maintenance of an up-to-date clients’ database and program metrics.
• Merge different data sets (both qualitative and quantitative data) and undertake statistical analysis of program data, identify relevant trends, and visualization over different periods (quarterly, after 6 months) as may be required.
• Support in undertaking research, and providing relevant evidence in the identified program learning agenda (from primary and secondary data sources) to inform project learning.
• Support in undertaking field visits, donor report compilation, and documentation of learnings.

Desired Qualifications and Experience
• Bachelor’s Degree in Statistics, Economics, Monitoring & Evaluation, or related field.
• At least 2 years of experience in program monitoring and evaluation, data collection, large and complex data management, and analysis.
• Advanced computer skills, including analytical software (e.g. Advanced Excel, SPSS, STATA) and data visualization programs (e.g. Advanced Excel, Tableau, Power Bi)
• Strong analytical and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated experience in data processing and management of large-scale and complex data sets.
• Knowledge of web-based surveys (e.g ONA, google forms,Power Bi) is desirable.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work well within a multi-cultural team environment.
• Must be result-oriented and be able to work under pressure and tight deadlines.
• Working experience with donor-funded / development projects will be an advantage.
• Ability to travel across the country and internationally to support data collection.

1. VI. Job Specific/Technical Competencies include:
• Communication Skills: Ability to present concise ideas/ findings, translate the data into an understandable document, and easily communicate complex ideas.
• Critical Thinking: Ability to look at the numbers, trends, and data and get to concise conclusions based on the findings.
• Attention to Detail: Data is precise hence the ability to be vigilant in data analysis to arrive at correct conclusions.
• Analytical Skills: Ability to work with large amounts of data and analyze large datasets: facts, figures, and number crunching.

We encourage all qualified individuals who share TechnoServe’s vision of improving the lives of others through proven business solutions to apply.
With our commitment to diversity, we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and affirmative action employer and do not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, HIV/AIDS status, protected veteran status, disability and all other protected classes.