Purpose of the position
The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) and Strategic Information (SI) Manager will be the lead technical expert responsible for all MEL and SI activities for a large-scale USAID-funded program focused on reducing HIV risk and transmission and improving HIV care and treatment among key populations (KP) in Lesotho, including all monitoring, evaluation, analytics, reporting of performance and results, and facilitation of collaborating, learning and adaptation (CLA) efforts. He/she will develop and oversee MEL and reporting systems and processes that integrate appropriate indicators, baseline data, targets and a plan to evaluate performance and produce timely, accurate and complete reporting. Additionally, the MEL and SI Manager will lead efforts to strengthen capacity within the health system to monitor, document and analyze HIV, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), gender-based violence (GBV), psychosocial and other related services for KP and ensure data quality. The MEL and SI Manager will spearhead the proactive use of data and learning to maximize impact, both by the project team and external stakeholders, including health service providers and Ministry of Health (MoH) officials.
The position is contingent upon funding.
Key Accountabilities
- Develop and oversee the implementation of the Activity MEL Plan, including leading the development of MEL tools, platforms and methods that are appropriate to the scope, context, and technical requirements of the project.
- Supervise and support the project’s MEL and SI team and provide MEL and SI technical training, mentoring, and coaching to project staff, partners, and other health system actors as appropriate.
- Provide technical assistance to the MoH and other line ministries in areas such as establishing and regularly refining an M&E framework for KP services, developing and integrating KP focused indicators into national tools, improving KP cascade monitoring and ensuring the availability of national-level KP statistics in DHIS2, and establishing a national GBV monitoring and reporting system.
- Lead the collection, management and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, ensuring disaggregated data and the use of gender- and inclusion-related indicators to assess how the project is impacting different groups.
- Strengthen availability and use of high-quality data for decision-making at all levels of the project. Integrate data analysis, reflection and interpretation and use with ongoing project activities, including gender and inclusion analysis.
- Strengthen BroadReach and partners’ data management and quality improvement systems, ensuring that performance data is audit-worthy and readily available. Where problems exist, support the identification of solutions. Lead data quality assessments of project partners.
- Develop strong stakeholder, participant, and community feedback and response mechanisms to ensure that program interventions are effective and accountable.
- In collaboration with the COP, develop and oversee the implementation of the project’s CLA plan, learning agenda and knowledge management system across all project components and partners. Ensure that programmatic learning and results are fully documented, shared, and used to drive adaptive management processes.
- Oversee all assessments (baseline, midline, endline) and evaluation activities, including developing terms of reference and protocols for any externally commissioned work.
- Research, compile, write, and submit information, including results and their analysis, for project reports, including the quarterly and annual reports, and respond to requests for data from the donor and other stakeholders.
- Remain up-to-date on good practices and developments in M&E of HIV and related services to ensure program quality and impact.
Qualifications
Essential qualifications
- Advanced degree in public health, epidemiology, M&E, demography, biostatistics, statistics, analytics or a related field
Experience & Skills
- Minimum of 8 years of experience in designing, establishing, and managing MEL and SI systems in the health sector, ensuring data quality, and managing data-intensive, performance-based programs.
- Strong knowledge of Lesotho’s health information systems and M&E processes. Familiarity with PEPFAR and MoH indicators and reporting requirements, the eRegister system, DHIS2, and the Lesotho Output Monitoring System for HIV and AIDS (LOMSHA).
- Experience leading and managing MEL and SI teams and providing ongoing coaching, mentorship and technical guidance to team members.
- Experience deploying technology to improve MEL and SI, including platforms for mobile data collection and cloud-based data management. Knowledge and working experience in the use of GIS mapping and other similar tools to target program interventions and resources.
- Experience designing and implementing evaluations and assessments to further program performance, using both quantitative and qualitative research methods.
- Demonstrated analytical skills and ability to portray complex data sets in easy-to-understand formats, including visualizations.
- Previous experience working in Lesotho, with an understanding of the local health system and solid relationships at relevant government agencies. Lesotho nationals strongly preferred.
- Familiarity with adaptive management/CLA and demonstrated experience using a mix of informational sources and research methods to analyze project progress, communicate findings to a range of external and internal stakeholders, and apply learning to work planning.
- Excellent written, presentation and communication skills in English.
Personal Qualities & Behavioural Competencies
- Committed to high standards and continuous improvement
- Good influencing and interpersonal skills with people at all levels
- Confident and comfortable to challenge senior stakeholder thinking
- Ability to operate in a high-pressure environment with conflicting priorities and tight timelines
- Ability to speak and present proposals with conviction
- Resourceful, creative and innovative approach to work
- Collaborative nature of working across different teams
- Ability to effectively prioritize and plan work
- Good negotiation skills with the ability to navigate and relate at all levels
- Be solution focused
- Ability to build rapport and credibility with stakeholders
Capabilities
Winning, Enabling and Delivery of Projects
- Opportunity Development, Capture Management, Proposal Development, Organized, Disciplined, Analytical
People Leadership/Self Leadership
- Selections, Development, Delegation, Example, Self-Confidence, Independently responsible, Curiosity, Change Management
Strategic and Holistic Decision Making
- Governance and legal awareness, Financial acumen, Risk management, Strategic perspective
Relationship Management
- Institutional Representations, Taking the long view, Building common ground, Mutual respect, Responsiveness, Standing for the other, Engagement