Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Specialist

Job Description

Chemonics seeks candidates for a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Specialist for the LIVE proposal, a five-year, USAID-funded initiative focused on Afghanistan Women and Men in Agriculture Activity (WAMA) in Afghanistan. This $60 million activity aims to enhance food security, build household and community resilience to climate change shocks, particularly water stress, and generate income for households. The activity places a strong emphasis on women’s participation, especially women-headed households, farmers, and women-owned and led businesses, ensuring they benefit from the agriculture sector. Additionally, the activity will support farmers and communities transitioning away from poppy cultivation to sustainable, USAID-supported value chains, as well as recent returnees seeking livelihood opportunities in the agriculture sector.

The fundamental objectives of this activity include:

• Objective I: Food Security Improved through Increased and Inclusive Resilience, Productivity, Diversification and Stability of Agricultural Value Chains
• Objective II: Enhanced Communities’ Resilience to Climate Change-induced Shocks, specifically Water Stress
• Objective III: Women’s Economic Empowerment strengthened, and
• Objective IV: Selected Emerging Agricultural or Economic Growth Issues and Challenges are Addressed Across Afghanistan

This position will be based at Kabul, Afghanistan.

Responsibilities:

• Coordinate preparation and implementation of the WAMA activity’s Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan (MEL Plan) of all MEL components undertaken by the prime and all WAMA partners.
• Oversee and assure effective environmental compliance for WAMA’s activities.
• Apprise COP and DCOP of program monitoring and evaluation issues while providing recommendations for adaptive management as needed.
• Design and manage processes for tracking achievement of the MEL Plan in collaboration with any WAMA field offices.
• Provide leadership in the compilation and consolidation of information and data from site-based activities that address key drivers and threats to Agriculture in targeted areas.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in relevant field including, monitoring and evaluation, international development/social studies, business administration or economics, or closely related field. An additional 5 years of relevant technical experience can substitute a Master’s Degree.
• Minimum eight (8) years of professional-level experience with MEL systems.
• Minimum (5) years of demonstrated experience in MEL program development and management for international development assistance programs.
• Excellent understanding and interpretation of environmental, economic and social indicators.
• Experience facilitating improved capacity of local partners to implement, report and comply with MEL systems.
• Proven ability to plan and carry out baseline and periodic programmatic assessments to track performance and make necessary adjustments to enhance program performance and reorient MEL systems.
• Proven ability to interact with multidisciplinary team of professionals on large and complex international development programs.
• Experience managing and mentoring a multicultural team of MEL staff.
• Experience building and maintaining relationships with host country professionals working on MEL systems, including implementing partners and grantees.
• Preference will be given to Afghan nationals.

Specialized Knowledge/Skills:

• Excellent verbal communication skills, strong writing and analytical skills are required. This includes ability to obtain, organize, and draft clear and concise reports; analyze and evaluate data and reports, and provide accurate assessments.
• Conversant with basic techniques in statistical, biophysical, political economy and econometric analysis.
• Strong computer skills are required. Knowledge of relevant statistical packages (e.g., SPSS, STATA, R-programming, etc.)
• Able to create and maintain MEL databases.