‘Building Resilience in Ethiopia (BRE) is designed to strengthen Government of Ethiopia (GoE) systems so that they can deliver a more effective, self-financed and accountable response to humanitarian and climate shocks. One component of the larger BRE programme is the delivery ‘of technical assistance (TA) to the GoE to build capacity and systems for the purpose stated above.
The Technical Assistance work has been contracted to Oxford Policy Management (OPM). The BRE TA is organized into various sector teams, such as health (working with Ministry of Health and Ethiopian Public Health Institute), disaster risk management (working with the National Disaster Risk Management Commission - NDRMC), scalable safety nets (working on PSNP with NDRMC and related agencies) and Finance. In addition, there is a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) function.
The BRE M&E component
The Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) component can be split into three distinct functions:
· Internal programme M&E (i.e. M&E of OPM’s component of BRE)
· Building government M&E capacity
· Evidence generation (e.g. specific M&E studies)
The M&E component is currently led out OPM’s M&E Systems Unit in close collaboration with the programme management and the sector teams. The intention of the M&E Systems Unit is to develop systems that are useful and utilised, with an emphasis on supporting implementers and decision-makers to improve design and implementation to maximize programme impact.
Put differently, the M&E Systems Unit’s objective is to achieve impact through M&E, including on the BRE programme. Our current hypothesis is that a focus on decision-makers and implementers, such as programme managers, work-stream leads, and in BRE’s case also government counterparts, will help to achieve this. If we provide the information they need, they are more likely to improve what they do (e.g. their work-streams). This in turn will increase the chance of impact. Providing information so that implementers can improve what they do should also be of interest to the funders (DFID in this case). They too will want to know whether the programme is achieving what it set out to achieve.
This, at least, is the theory. Naturally, there are many challenges. The reality is usually messy. However, over the past years we have made good experiences with such an approach.
With respect to the BRE programme there are many ways in which this objective (impact through M&E) can be achieved. The task of the in-country M&E and learning lead is to contribute and eventually lead efforts of achieving it. The expectation is that this will happen together with OPM’s M&E Systems Unit and with more people in country performing M&E tasks, ideally led by the in country M&E and learning lead.
1. Programme internal M&E
As stated above, core to our approach to internal programme MEL is a focus on learning and impact. Our objective is to improve design and implementation of a programme, using monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) approaches.
We want to be able to address questions such as: ‘Are we on track of achieving what we set out to achieve?’ ‘Do we need to adapt in light of changed circumstances or new insights?’ These questions are not only of interest to us, but also contribute to reassuring the funder as to whether the programme is achieving its objectives.
Our approach also seeks to address two generic challenges related to M&E: (i) M&E is too often perceived as a chore or “tick-box” exercise, leading to low interest and engagement; and (ii) M&E is seen as an auditor, leading to anxiety, gaming and perverse incentives.
Our approach is implemented as follows:
1. Aligning programme objectives: We ask the relevant stakeholders (i.e. our programme managers, clients and funders) what they hope to achieve, what the main challenges are and how they want to address them. This develops into a theory of change, linked to the overall programme objectives.
2. Determining information needs: We then ask which information they need in order to know whether they are achieving what they set out to achieve. This in turn leads to a definition as to which information the M&E team needs to collect.
3. Reflection: We have found that it is useful for the implementing teams to reflect in regular intervals on whether they are achieving what they set out to achieve. This needs to happen in a ‘safe space’ where it is possible to admit mistakes and think freely about new ideas for a way forward. Such reflection can lead to changes in the design or implementation (adaptation).
In practical terms, when developing an M&E system, we start out with three questions:
1. What is success to you (as those designing and implementing the intervention) in this programme?
2. Which information do you need in order to know that you are achieving what you set out to achieve?
3. What do you want to do with the information so that they help you to achieve what you set out to achieve?
Question 1 is coupled with questions such as ‘how do you plan to achieve this? What are the main challenges?’ It leads to a narrative and eventually to a theory of change.
Question 2 leads to indicators, data sources, milestones, logframe etc.
Question 3 leads to clarity as to how any learning is meant to happen (e.g. refection sessions).
These questions will give us the information that allow us to see whether the programme is achieving what it set out to achieve. The intention that this information will improve design and delivery. It will also overlap with the information that the funder will want to know (‘are things working? Do they need to change?’). The MEL lead is expected to contribute and eventually lead these efforts in country. More information on this approach are available.
2. Building government M&E capacity
The sector teams are working directly with the relevant government stakeholders. They will be best placed to determine what kind of M&E capacity building is required. The role of the M&E function is a liaising role to support the sector teams in finding the right people for the M&E related pieces of work in the ministries and/or to provide capacity building (likely in the form of training, but possibly also mentoring, on the job support, if feasible) where required and feasible.
3. Evidence generation
The client has articulated various research pieces that are considered to be important and the sector teams are in charge of leading on them with support by the M&E team. In addition, there might be research pieces that need to be led by the M&E team.
The expectation is that the M&E team will need to manage these research pieces (e.g. commission them, oversee quality etc.) or carry out the data collection, analysis and reporting itself.
An important aspect of this work will be to explore interest for these pieces among government stakeholders at the beginning and then to disseminate results and findings among stakeholder (government, client and wider world).
Role of the in-country MEL lead
The above states the vision for the BRE M&E component. The specific allocations of tasks and functions to people is still open and will partly depend on the availability and strengths of team members. For example, it is possible that the in-country MEL lead takes on a variety of the tasks outlined above and helps to find a person to take on some of the other roles.
Main Responsibilities include:
· Design, implement and strengthen M&E: facilitate the development of theories of change for interventions of programmes; determine information needs, potential indicators, data sources, and analysis. Integrate these into processes for reporting, feedback, learning and adaptation; develop an understanding of systems already in place and how they can be strengthened, support implementation of new/improved systems
· Support distillation and dissemination of learnings from work streams
· Lead analysis, distillation and dissemination from M&E project
· lead programme learning agenda, including facilitation reflection sessions, act as a critical friend to work streams
· Build relationships with relevant stakeholders (sector leads, client, government stakeholders) to understand their needs and to be able to build systems and provide information that are useful for them
· Manage projects, such as evaluations requested by the client, to high quality standards, budgets and time for evidence generation pieces that are managed through the M&E team. Most evidence generation pieces are expected to sit with the sector teams and are likely to require inputs from the M&E team, but some may also be directly managed out of the M&E team. This includes managing and quality assuring sub-contractors on M&E projects under the M&E team.
· Identify suitable people to deliver and organise project related training sessions and government capacity building and/or do so directly.
· The task may include design and implementation of quantitative surveys and qualitative studies.
· Overseeing/contributing to the development and implementation of a system for managing information as part of the M&E work.
As part of your application process, please respond in a separate word/PDF document to the following application questions:Please note that applicants who don't submit their answers for the questions will not be considered for the position.
1. Why do you apply for this position?
2. What motivates you about BRE?
3. What is success to you on BRE? If you have to explain to a friend or relative in simple words what you hope to achieve in BRE, what would you say?
4. Why are you interested in M&E systems/programme monitoring?
5. What are typical challenges in setting up programme monitoring/M&E systems? Do you have a preferred approach?
6. What is your experience with respect to setting up M&E systems?
7. What is your experience in setting up workshops that allow participants to reflect on what has worked well and what can be improved?
8. What is your experience with respect to quantitative data analysis?
9. What is your experience with respect to Stata (or SPSS)?
10. How do you deal with a situation where you are close to a deadline and co-workers do not provide inputs on time in the necessary quality? Could you give an example?
We are looking for Senior MEL advisor with experience of the following:
· Degree and post-graduate qualification in relevant discipline (appropriate social science discipline, including economics, development economics or other)
· Experience with leading design of M&E systems projects, incl. developing theories of change, log frames, indicators, data sources, reporting and feedback processes
· Experience with sharing information with government stakeholders in such a way that they are interested in them and, ideally, adapt their actions and policies on that basis.
· Experience with quantitative data, such as design and implementation of quantitative surveys, impact evaluations. This is ideally coupled with field experience in managing data collection activities
· Strong Stata (or SPSS) skills, or ability to direct more junior staff to do data analysis
· Experience working with Ethiopian government stakeholders
· Experience in working closely with stakeholders (such as government ministries, NGOs) to design and implement useful and utilize M&E systems
· Experience in working with international stakeholders (e.g. donors) to design/implement M&E systems
Let Employers Find You
Upload/Update Your CVFeatured Jobs