Project Title: USAID Resilience ANCHORS

Directly reports to: MEL and Programs Specialist

Location: South-East Low-veld based in Chiredzi

Type of Contract: 1 Year Renewable

About/

ECODIT is an international development firm working with governments, businesses, and local communities to advance environmentally and socially responsible development around the world. We provide technical assistance services ranging from quick-turnaround assessments and evaluations to design and implementation of long-term multi-million-dollar projects. Since its founding in 1993, ECODIT has provided professional services through more than 250 projects/contracts to diverse clients in more than 50+ countries. Building on our track record of success, we have continuously expanded the depth and breadth of our expertise in the energy, water, environment, and urban and local governance sectors.

Project overview

The purpose of the USAID / Zimbabwe RESILIENCE ANCHORS Activity is to increase the capacity of communities to sustainably protect and manage community-based natural resources and the wildlife economy in anticipation of future shocks and stresses. This will be done through the provision of technical assistance focused on three key areas: (1) improving economic benefits from strengthened community-level governance and oversight of conservation enterprises; (2) increasing sustainable supplies of water of sufficient quantity and quality to meet human, economic, and ecosystem needs; and (3) strengthening locally led development and increased private sector engagement.

Duties & responsibilities

The Project Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Officer will be responsible for all MEAL deliverables; S/he will be based in the SEL and will technically report to the MEAL and Program Specialist and operationally reports to the program manager for support and guidance, ensuring seamless integration with the implementing organization’s MEL and knowledge management systems; This position will be an integral part of the project technical team in the SEL Landscape ensuring regular planning, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of the performance of the project activities and outcomes; This includes working with the MEAL and Programs Specialist to coordinate MEAL activities in addition to the promotion of MEAL knowledge transfer internally and externally to the project.

Responsibilities of the MEAL Officer include but are not limited to:

Setting up the Resilience Anchors Project Performance Management Plan (PMP)

Rollout the project PMP to be able to effectively track project activities according to the logical framework; Ensure that project database including all needed datasets can capture monitoring data; Summarize all project monitoring and evaluation data for the project and facilitate its update into the Project Management Systems on time; Coordinate M&E implementation, capacity building, and learning of RA and partners deliverables; Develop a plan for project-related capacity-building on M&E and for any computer-based support that may be required; Prepare and train staff, primary stakeholders and implementing partners, as necessary, on project / program design, monitoring and evaluation concepts, skills, and tools; Provide technical guidance to project staff in incorporating appropriate M&E tools into projects / programs based on needs and donor requirements, resources, and capacities. This includes: Adequate needs assessment to inform relevant programming, the use of project and program log frames / results chain (framework) according to donor guidelines, and the development of SMART indicators that are supported by clear and concise indicator guidelines that define the indicators, data sources, data collection methods, frequency and audience.

Facilitate effective implementation of project MEAL

Liaise directly with the MEAL and program specialist to ensure the project has updated work-plans and PMP; Work closely with the MEAL and Program specialist to plan for the project quarterly monitoring sessions, annual reviews, and evaluation in a timely manner by ensuring that the requisite tools for these studies are in place on time; Support the development of periodic project progress reports by ensuring that all evidence is provided on time and archived in a central database as per RA project management guidelines; Work closely with the project teams to utilize the collaborative, learning and adapting (CLA) approach to continually assess project progress and inform project management decision-making; Ensure that lessons learned from the project implementation is used to improve future project selection, design, and implementation. This includes liaison with external organizations to identify and distribute good M&E practices in M&E and contribute to knowledge sharing; Provide project data for presentation to different audiences in appropriate fora in a timely manner; Develop good working relations with sectoral M&E focal persons in the Resilience ANCHORS project to ensure that M&E remains a high priority in the SEL.

Project quality

Lead the adaption or implementation of specific planning, assessment, monitoring and evaluation and reporting tools for consistent and quality data collection, coherent with and reinforcing RA guidelines for M&E and reporting; Routinely perform quality assurance and data quality checks for M&E work, overseeing the recording and reporting of progress and performance of the operation compared to targets; Ensure that ECODIT learns from all evaluations of completed project activities for decision making and improvement of project designs; Ensure that all RA project management tools are in place for the different teams. These include relevant Standard Operating Procedures, Project Guidelines, Terms of References for various studies etc; Collaborate with Resilience ANCHORS partners in planning, designing, and undertaking project quarterly and annual reviews and evaluation; Foster learning within the project and ECODIT, through sharing lessons learnt, evaluations results, as well as playing a key role in Technical Working Groups among other ways; Work closely with the MEAL and Program Specialist to ensure standardization of project MEAL tools and methodologies across implementing partners; Commit to respect, protect, and always promote Human Rights irrespective of ethnic group, gender, race, sexual orientation, age or class by adopting a rights-based conservation approach.

Qualifications

A Bachelor’s degree or higher in Monitoring and Evaluation, social sciences such as Natural Resources Management, Economics, or related fields; Minimum of three years’ relevant MEAL experience both in the field in conservation environment or development work; Experience working with PMPs, CLA and Gender and youth analytic methodologies in the context of USAID; Familiarity with USAID MEAL procedures, rules and regulations, operating environment is a distinct advantage; Detailed knowledge of theory of change, log frame, and results chain-based project design, development of strategies, monitoring, and evaluation; Demonstrable experience in conducting and / or supervising needs assessments and surveys, and quantitative data analysis; Social research methodologies, including highly developed analytical and communication skills and the ability to assimilate and process information for wide-ranging audiences; Ability to train project / program staff on various project MEAL aspects; Professional competency in the following computer and database programs: Microsoft Windows, Outlook, Word, Excel and Access, at least one other statistical analysis / programming software such as SPSS, SAS, R-Studio, Python or STATA; Professional fluency in English, Shona and other local languages; Self-motivated, with good judgment and initiative, and the ability to work with and manage others; Strong interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate with and motivate colleagues to achieve shared goals; Strong capacity to handle complex tasks independently, multitask and prioritize, and meet multiple deadlines on time; Good verbal and written communication skills required; Good time management and organizational skills with very close attention to detail; Ability to work in a stressful environment sometimes with limited access to basic facilities.