Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Director - Sierra Leone Strengthening Integrated Health Services Activity (SIHSA)

IMA World Health, a member of Corus International, is seeking applications for the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Director for the anticipated 5 year $25-50 million USAID-funded Strengthening Integrated Health Services Activity (SIHSA) in Sierra Leone.

SIHSA's goal is to contribute to the Government of Sierra Leone's overarching goal of improving the health of adolescents, pregnant and postpartum women, and children less than five years old. SIHSA's objectives are 1) improve the quality of family planning, maternal newborn child and adolescent health, and malaria services sustainably; 2) promote adoption of crucial health behaviors, and 3) strengthen the stewardship and governance of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, both at central and district levels, so it is better prepared to plan, budget, allocate resources and monitor health programs. SIHSA seeks to promote the integration of health services, including malaria services, to rapidly scale-up evidence-based interventions to address preventable causes of maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent morbidities and mortality. SIHSA seeks to demonstrate innovative models to catalyze community-driven solutions and show models to promote private sector engagement.

Corus International was formed through the strategic merger of IMA World Health (operating as a public health organization since 1960), and Lutheran World Relief (operating as a livelihoods organization since 1945), and today includes the smaller entities of CGA Technologies, Ground Up Investing, and Farmers Market Coffee. Corus International works in over 20 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America, with a primary focus on health, livelihoods, and emergency response.

Today, IMA offers extensive expertise in managing and implementing highly successful and complex donor-funded programs in nutrition, maternal and child health, health systems strengthening (HSS), malaria, HIV/AIDS, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). IMA has managed an average of $100 million annually over the last four fiscal years, through grants and contracts from FCDO, USAID, BHA, CDC, World Bank, the Global Fund, UNDP, MCC, and private donors.

Based in Freetown, the MEL Director will provide leadership to the technical and programmatic implementation of the program. This position will oversee overall management and technical oversight of the monitoring, evaluation, and learning support and research efforts for the project. S/he will develop monitoring, evaluation, and reporting (MER) systems that include appropriate indicators, baseline data, targets, and a plan to evaluate performance and produce timely, accurate, and complete reporting. The MEL Director is responsible for designing and implementing monitoring and evaluation systems, information analysis, capacity strengthening, and development of program management plans and project monitoring. The position reports directly to the Chief of Party.

The MEL Director will be based in Freetown. Actual hiring is contingent upon successful agreement award and USAID approval. Sierra Leonean nationals and female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Duties:

• Coordinate with the COP and the headquarters based QuIL MERL Advisor in the design and management of the MEL components, ensuring strategic planning of activities is informed by project and relevant HMIS data sets.
• Lead the design and implementation of all monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities, including the development of the project's performance monitoring plan; development and monitoring of project indicators; implementation of project evaluation, quality assurance, and auditing of data.
• Design and implement mechanisms for continuous collaboration, learning, and adapting (CLA) for project staff, partners, donors, host country government counterparts, and other stakeholders.
• Oversee a project team of monitoring, evaluation, and learning staff and ensure clear roles and responsibilities and lines of communication are maintained amongst the team members.
• Ensure that lessons learned are integrated into project implementation to continuously improve quality of interventions and outcomes.
• Lead the design and implementation of operations research.
• Responsible for documenting and disseminating project successes and challenges to USAID.

Qualifications:

• An advanced degree in research methods, statistics, biostatistics, quantitative/qualitative data analysis, public health, social/behavioral sciences, or other relevant medical or health discipline.
• Minimum of 8 years working on monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning in the field of public health, maternal and child health, family planning, and/or other infectious disease programs, as well as knowledge of monitoring of results-based financing programs.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in collecting, analyzing, and managing donor-funded project data for health projects.
• Demonstrated experience managing M&E systems consistent with USAID protocols for data collection and reporting.
• At least 3 years of experience with USAID's CLA approach, including developing and integrating the CLA approach within project frameworks and leading CLA approaches across partners and technical focus areas to yield successful collaboration and integration.
• Familiarity with USG administrative, management, and reporting procedures and systems.
• Excellent English oral and written communication and presentations skills.
• Experience living or working in Sierra Leone is preferred.

IMA/Corus International prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability status, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by U.S. or International law.