Senior Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Specialist

Senior Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Specialist

No. of Vacancy: 1
Location: Kathmandu
Department: MEL Department

Background

Guided by the remarkable legacy of its co-founder, Helen Keller, Helen Keller Intl partners with communities striving to overcome long-standing cycles of poverty. By delivering the essential building blocks of good health, sound nutrition, and clear vision, we help millions of people create lasting change in their own lives. Working in 20 countries – across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the United States – and together with a global community of supporters, we are ensuring every person has the opportunity – as Helen did – to reach their true potential.

USAID Integrated Nutrition’s primary goal is to improve the nutrition status of women, adolescents, and children in Nepal’s underserved and marginalized communities. The activity will tackle direct and underlying determinants of malnutrition in Nepal while strengthening the national and local enabling environment to implement multisectoral nutrition programs through four synergistic intermediate results. Achievement of the purpose will be measured by improvements in indicators of nutrition status among women of reproductive age, adolescents, and children. Helen Keller Intl implements USAID Integrated Nutrition in partnership with FHI 360, Center for Environmental and Agricultural Policy Research, Extension and Development (CEAPRED), Environment and Public Health Organization (ENPHO), Nepali Technical Assistance Group (NTAG) and Kaboom Social Impact Pvt. Ltd. and through local partners in over 400 municipalities, across seven provinces, where the burden and prevalence of malnutrition is high.

Position Overview

The Senior MEL Specialist works closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Lead, and USAID Health Learning, to ensure effective monitoring and reporting of ongoing and upcoming program activities. Key responsibilities include developing monitoring plans, tools, and processes to ensure timely data collection, analysis, and reporting in compliance with USAID requirements. The role focuses on ensuring routine program monitoring and delivering accurate, timely information on program progress by collaborating with technical and finance teams.

As part of overseeing program monitoring, the Senior MEL Specialist will lead in synthesizing data, identifying trends, and providing actionable recommendations for program improvement. The Specialist will maintain and update key MEL documents, such as the IPTT and PPR, ensuring accuracy and alignment with program goals.

The Senior MEL Specialist will also regularly coordinate with government and non-government stakeholders, development partners, and private sector actors to enhance the implementation and outcomes of USAID Integrated Nutrition programs across central, provincial, district, and local levels. The position ensures that Gender and Inclusive Development (GID) principles are integrated into monitoring and reporting processes.

Direct Line Supervision: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Lead

Collaboration with:

Internal: All Staffs, IR Leads, Deputy Chief of Party (Programs), Chief of Party
External: USAID, Governmental and non-governmental agencies at the province, districts, and local levels, program partners, and stakeholders

Description

Specific Responsibilities

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

DHIS2 Implementation: Collaborate with and support Sr. MIS Specialist and MEL Coordinator to ensure routine data collection and reporting systems (e.g., DHIS2) are functioning effectively at district and national levels, including providing technical support to district teams in using dashboards for monitoring progress.
Participant Feedback System: Lead the design and implementation of a beneficiary feedback survey system, analyze the data, prepare comprehensive reports, and present findings on the Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) platform to inform program improvements and enhance stakeholder engagement.
Organizational Capacity Assessment Tool (OCAT): Working with the MEL lead and identified regional and global technical advisor, lead the design and implementation of capacity assessment, using OCAT of PNGOs and other partners as needed; analyze the data; and prepare comprehensive reports and action plan recommendations based on the findings.
Data for Governance: Collaborate with the Integrated Nutrition Governance team to generate data for decision-making by government stakeholders and contribute to strengthening MSNP and HMIS systems.
Data Oversight and Analyses: Manage and oversee all Integrated Nutrition data, ensuring compliance with USAID requirements, analyzing and synthesizing data including identifying trends.
Quality Assessments: Work closely with Integrated Nutrition thematic teams to develop and implement Quality Assurance tools, ensuring activities meet program standards Lead Data Quality Assessments (DQAs) at the provincial level and support provincial teams in conducting periodic DQAs of PNGOs, as outlined in Integrated Nutrition workplans.
Reporting: Write comprehensive quarterly and annual program reports for USAID, working closely with managers, thematic lead, COP and DCOP programs.
Collaboration and Representation: Represent USAID Integrated Nutrition and Helen Keller at international, national, provincial, and district levels, fostering strategic relationships with stakeholders and development partners.
Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA): Integrate CLA approaches within the project, ensuring lessons learned are applied throughout the project lifecycle, including providing actionable recommendations for program improvement based on data analyses and synthesis.

Required Qualifications/Competencies

• Education: A minimum Master’s degree in nutrition, public health, social science or a related field.
• Experience: Minimum 7 years of experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning, within development programs, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Strong expertise in designing and implementing research and monitoring activities, with a focus on high-quality data collection and analysis.
• Proficient analytical skills for managing and interpreting monitoring and learning data to support evidence-based decision-making.
• Proven ability to prepare comprehensive quarterly and annual reports for USAID, using MEL data to highlight program progress, challenges, and impact.
• Demonstrated experience in capacity building, training, and mentoring individuals and teams on monitoring and evaluation practices.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with diverse groups, demonstrate active listening, and solve problems collaboratively to build trust and confidence.
• Strong understanding of the integration between programmatic, operational, and financial components of development projects.
• Exceptional time management, organizational, and coordination abilities, with a track record of effective team-building.
• Excellent proficiency in written and spoken English and Nepali languages.
• High computer literacy, with proficiency in software of both qualitative and quantitative data management and analysis.
• Commitment to maintaining high professional ethical standards.

Source: Kantipur Dainik, 26 October, 2024