Senior Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Advisor- Maternity Cover

About the role

Fixed Term Contract – This role is a 12-month maternity leave cover

Technical delivery

• Provide high quality advice and support to live programmes on MEL tools and approaches, including theories of change, results frameworks (incl. indicator development), MEL plans and MEL resourcing requirements.
• Ensure that MEL approaches designed for programmes are context appropriate, build in learning & adaptation, assess value for money (where applicable), and reflect best practice.
• Lead the development and implementation of high-quality MEL approaches and tools to enable CA to track its programme’s progress in order to make informed decisions about implementation, complying with external donors/clients reporting requirements.
• Implement MEL quality assurance processes (incl. around data protection) to ensure the delivery and integration of MEL across the portfolio is to a high standard of professionalism.
• Ensure that sound analysis informs programme design and management and identify strategic actions to be undertaken to improve the quality of programme implementation.
• Support teams in collecting sex, age and disability disaggregated data and using gender-sensitive data collection methods to understand and respond to programme results with diverse participants.
• Advice on technology for data management systems and real-time data flow, using appropriate software platforms
• As required, manage MEL assignments and programmes undertaken by Crown Agents. This will involve project management responsibilities, client liaison, and support to and technical leadership of delivery teams.
• Business development Work closely with the business winning team and programme teams by providing technical MEL input for bids, including;
• Provide high quality advice and support to bids on MEL approaches and design, including theories of change, results frameworks (incl. indicator development), MEL plans and MEL resourcing requirements.
• Ensure that MEL approaches designed for programmes are context appropriate, build in learning & adaptation, assess value for money (where applicable), and reflect best practice.
• Identify opportunities to ‘build-out’ from live programmes you manage.

Support the Head of MEL to deliver the following;

• Input into the development of MEL tools and processes that can be adapted across programmes and that can be used to develop corporate MEL dashboards to track corporate level indicators.
• Provide technical support and mentoring in MEL to in-house programme/project staff and consultants and to ensure they have the skills, tools and capacities to integrate MEL effectively in their design and delivery of programmes.
• Contribute to the development & maintenance of a network of MEL experts which can be called upon to support the design and implementation of programmes.
• Contribute to the MEL Community of Practice and share learning with other teams and technical leads across Crown Agents.
• Stay informed on global best practices and trends in MEL to ensure that they are incorporated into the development of priorities and innovations.
• Collaborate with communications colleagues to share impact, success stories and lessons learned with external stakeholders in appropriate formats (e.g. publications, reports, blogs, video etc).

Safeguarding

• Be aware of and compliant with all the standards following Safeguarding procedures and policies. Promote Crown Agents’ speak up culture to protect the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults

Any other duties as appropriate to the position, as requested

About you

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree and/or Professional Qualification (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline such as social science, data analysis desirable
• 10+ years working on donor-funded projects and programmes in developing countries, including working with governments
• 5+ years of work experience in MEL
• MEL for complex, adaptive programmes with a focus on the use of evidence to inform programming
• Strong conceptual knowledge about theories of change, results frameworks, indicator development and reporting, data quality assurance, mobile data collection, and identifying lessons learne
• Experience in developing and operationalizing a comprehensive MEL plan and developing and operationalizing routine monitoring system designed to track both output and outcome indicators.
• Strong quantitative background and expertise – study design, tool design, data management, analysis, and presentation of findings.
• Strong qualitative background and experience in qualitative and participatory approaches to MEL, qualitative data collection (focus group discussion & interviews), data analysis and presentation.
• Experience in capacity building, training and mentoring, including facilitating and managing MEL workshops and participatory events.
• Experience in gender, equity and social inclusion in relation to MEL is desirable