Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Technical Officer at Healthy Kids/Brighter Future

Healthy Kids/Brighter Future seeks a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Technical Officer for its health programs in Lusaka, Zambia. Our programs aim to improve the health of low-income school-aged children by making schools a focal point for health services through training selected teachers to provide preventive, monitoring, and curative services, as well as, to make referrals to government health facilities. Our goal is not only to improve the health of every Zambian child but also to substantially decrease illness-related school absenteeism, so that the health and education of the next generation of Zambians can help ensure a strong, vibrant society.

We aim to become a stronger organization by promoting innovation and learning to enhance the quality and impact of our work. We recognize the constant need to improve how we monitor resources, activities and results. We must continue to conduct standardized assessments and analyses to guide and inform program implementation and improve the performance of our model.

Job Overview

The MEL Technical Officer will report directly to the Director of Programs and will be responsible for the monitoring, evaluation, learning components of our programs, including collection, management and analysis both performance and impact metrics. The MEL Technical Officer will oversee the management of our digital diagnostic and data collection system, and s/he will contribute to the project’s information management by advising on the planning, design, and strengthening of program MEL systems at different levels.

Reports to: Director of Programs

Key Roles and Responsibilities

Management

• Oversee day-to-day operations of data collection, data entry, data analysis and reporting. Supervise members of the MEL team.
• Oversee our mobile diagnostic and data collection tool. Use the program data to help ensure program quality, monitor activities and analyze School Health Worker performance
• Maintain a comprehensive electronic database and physical files for all program areas. Maintain up-to-date knowledge manage system to ensure accurate source documents for all program indicators.
• Provide routine analysis of program data to enable staff to monitor program performance and strengthen program implementation.
• Use our Tableau data visualization software to identify and report on key performance indicators and program trends
• Synthesize and analyze data, document and prepare reports on MEL findings, lead periodic review sessions to present and discuss the data to inform our programs.
• Supervise data collection and analysis using qualitative research methods
• Maintain up-to-date and accurate source documents for all program indicators.
• Oversee the production of monthly, quarterly and annual reports of program indicators.
• Produce a variety of written documents, presentations and visual representations of data for different audiences.
• Supervise interns and fellows assigned to the MEL team.

Systems Development

• Support the Program Department to use program data, experiences and lessons learned to refine program guidelines and standard operating procedures
• Support the development and adoption of a standardized reporting system for sharing performance indicators with staff and partners.
• Strengthen our Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Framework based on the goals and objectives of our Strategic Plan
• Review, refine, and develop quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) policies and protocols. Identify areas of weakness and help to develop and implement effective tools and systems to monitor and control program standards as we scale
• Use program data and lessons to periodically evaluate our overall strategies and examine the core assumptions of our model
• Assist the Director of Programs and outside advisers to design and oversee data collection and analysis for impact evaluations
• Review key performance indicators periodically and suggest revisions as necessary
• Support the Program Department to develop monitoring, evaluation, learning and reporting systems for new programs. This is to include appropriate indicators, baseline data, targets and a plan to evaluate performance and impact and produce timely and complete reporting.
• Facilitate evidence-based learning through strong monitoring, evaluation and learning systems and rigorous research
• Train our program department and partners to use performance to identify programmatic and epidemiological trends and to respond as is necessary
• Other duties as assigned

Preferred Skills / Prerequisites

• Ability to thrive in a fast paced and growing organization where creativity, mutual respect, and adaptability are valued
• Demonstrated expertise in rigorous quantitative research and analytical methods; firm command of MEL issues with respect to improvements in service delivery
• Proven experience in research/study design and implementation, including design and data analysis of quantitative and qualitative studies, and rapid appraisals.
• Demonstrated hands-on practical experience setting up and managing monitoring and evaluation systems for health programs.
• Demonstrable analytical skills to measure the health impact of the project’s activities.
• Experience in management electronic data collection and visualization systems
• Experience with training others in data collection and analysis
• Strong interpersonal skills, initiative, good judgment, demonstrated team leadership and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent report writing, analytical, and communication skills, including oral presentation skills.
• Extensive experience in knowledge management and dissemination of research findings.
• Computer literacy (MS Word, MS Excel, Statistical Software).
• Experience with Tableau is a big plus.
• Experience in field operations in resource limited settings a plus.
• Knowledge in qualitative research methods is a plus
• Master’s degree in relevant field is a plus

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, Statistics, Social Sciences or relevant field.
• Five or more years of relevant professional experience in monitoring, evaluation, and research in the public health field, with progressively increasing levels of responsibility.

You can learn more about our work by visiting www.healthykidsbrighterfuture.org

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