MEL Specialist - Plan International Ghana

The MEL Specialist will be responsible and ultimately accountable for developing and implementing the project’s MEL system, including the management of the project MIS, in close collaboration with Plan International Canada counterparts, providing capacity development in MEL to partner organisations, and implementing the project’s knowledge management system with the objective of improving program effectiveness.

The MEL Specialist will work closely with community organisations, NGOs, the Private Sector including Association of Ghana Industries, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, other decentralized agencies of the Government, private stakeholders, and Plan programme staff to implement appropriate tools and data collection techniques to systematically measure project progress and ensure continuous learning.

The incumbent should possess a passion for working for women’ rights and/or improving their socio-economic standing.

The post-holder will be based in Tamale but travel to project districts where the WISE project operates for approximately 50% of her/his time.

Typical Responsibilities - Key End Results of Position:

Management of MEL System: Lead the participatory development and implementation of the project’s MEL system. A strong understanding of results-based management, gender transformative programming and measurement, and technical proficiency in mixed methods, data collection, analysis and presentation is essential.

Expected Outcomes:

• Monitoring and evaluation system, tools and processes are developed in a participatory manner with implementing organizations and structured for measuring the results of the project.
• The project’s Performance measurement framework and detailed M&E plan are finalized and validated with relevant stakeholders; and are inclusive of women’s socio-economic empowerment domains and indicators.
• Routine project monitoring of project processes, beneficiaries, outputs and outcomes is undertaken. This includes qualitative and quantitative tool design and development; data collection, cleaning and compilation; analysis, validation and sharing with relevant stakeholders.
• Ability to integrate indices designed as composite measurements that aggregate, rank and summarize multiple indicators and data points related to women’s empowerment, agency and decision-making.

• Oversight of the Management Information System for the project provided, including hiring and management of the database development consultant, and overall management of the established cloud-based MIS, ensuring completeness and accuracy of the data collected and stored.
• Technical oversight and direction for baseline, midline and endline studies is provided, inclusive of developing Terms of Reference and ensuring consultants deliver high quality reports (support in verifying the methodology, the relevance of the tools, and the quality of the report submitted) and value for money.
• Ensures MEL strategies in gender equality and women’s economic empowerment are responsive to the context, implemented consistently across all project activities (start-up to close-out), and adhere to best practices in the sector. 
• Responsible for ensuring all monitoring and evaluation activities are conducted in line with Plan International’s child protection/safeguarding and ethical principles and promote accountability to beneficiaries.
• Capacity Development & Relationships: Through participatory approaches, the MEL Specialist will provide capacity development and ongoing coaching to project staff and implementing partners. Cultivating strong and respectful relationships with partners, women’s groups, and entrepreneurs will be an essential component of this accountability.

 Expected Outcomes:

• Provide capacity development and ongoing coaching directly to implementing organizations, specifically in using the project’s MEL system and / or strengthening their MEL systems to monitor activities, outputs and beneficiaries.
• Facilitate and guide the project team and implementing organizations in determining data sourcing, collection and reporting protocols, procedures and mechanisms.
• Provide inputs and support in developing tools, guidelines and capacity building modules and reviewing all the material developed through the project and share its cutting-edge competencies in gender equality and evidence based economic empowerment programming with implementing organizations.
• Foster strong coordination and collaboration with implementing organizations through open and transparent communication, participation and joint decision-making, and respect for their agency and technical expertise.
• Knowledge Management & Reporting: Best practices and lessons learned are documented, shared, and integrated into programming.

Expected Outcomes:

• As an integral member of the project team, ensure high quality data and learnings are available to inform project planning, implementation and decisions; as well as organizational learning.
• In collaboration with the project team, stakeholders and consultants (when relevant), compile raw data, produce data representations, lead validation processes (such as annual data analysis workshops), and document lessons learned and best practices.
• Design and implement dissemination plans to share knowledge and findings with relevant stakeholders, including entrepreneurs and VSLAs, implementing organizations, government, donor agency, etc.
• Contribute to regular project narrative reports, ensuring high quality and accurate data and learnings are available to complete reports on time. 
• Identify and develop / improve opportunities for continuous improvement of systems, processes and overall learning and development with Plan International Ghana.
• Ensure that Plan International’s global policies for Child and Youth Safeguarding, Child Protection, and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant implementation standards and guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan
• International’s Code of Conduct, their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures. 
• Perform any other tasks required to effectively implement the M&E requirements of the project

Team Leadership: Lead and manage a MEL Coordinator, ensuring high levels of motivation, commitment, capacity and teamwork. 

Expected Outcomes:

• Roles, responsibilities and expectations are clearly communicated and understood by the MEL Coordinator team and tasks are appropriately delegated.
• Internal planning meetings are organized regularly to provide direction and guidance.
• MEL Coordinator receives mentorship and coaching to achieve their full potential and results of the project.

Staff performance reviews are conducted in line with Plan International Ghana’s performance management system.

Communications and Working Relationships:

Working contacts inside and outside the organization; include the purpose and level (high, medium, low) of the contact

High level contact: Internal: the Project level program team, implementing partner organizations, entrepreneurs and VSLAs, and Plan International Canada

Medium level contact: the Project operations team, the CO based technical advisors

Low level contact:  Maintains low contact with other staff from the Program Unit and country offices to offer support for understanding and implementation of the WISE related activities

Knowledge, Skills, Behaviours, and Experience Required to Achieve Role’s Objectives:

Qualification and Experience

• Advanced degree in statistics, measurement, planning, monitoring & evaluation, development research, or other relevant fields.
• A minimum of 7 years’ experience in program planning, monitoring, evaluation, learning and research of complex development projects.
• Strong understanding of results-based management tools and approaches
• Demonstrable expertise and experience in developing and implementing MEL systems, inclusive of Management Information Systems
• In-depth knowledge of the processes, procedures and systems in project planning, management, monitoring and evaluation.
• Proven experience in leading quantitative and qualitative tool design and data collection techniques, statistical analysis, and data presentation and validation of results.   
• Coaching and mentoring skills for building the capacity of partner organizations in MEL inclusive of design, implementation and reporting.
• Proven experience in developing, facilitating and delivering various trainings using participatory approaches.  
• Experience in in directly managing staff ensuring high levels of motivation, commitment, capacity and teamwork. 
• Knowledge in women’s economic empowerment programming and working with different stakeholders (the private sector, government and non-profit organisations) is an advantage.

Demonstrated behaviours needed by the postholder to successfully perform the role:

• Passion for gender transformative programming and women’s economic empowerment, mission driven work and personal values aligned with Plan International.
• Commitment to working transparently and with integrity.
• Inclusive and empowering approach to leadership and MEL.
• Demonstrated creativity and willingness to innovate.
• Flexible and adaptable work style to respond to an evolving context.
• Ability to work under pressure, prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Communicates clearly and effectively

Skills Specific to the post needed to put knowledge into practice.

• Demonstrable experience in implementing MEL frameworks in multimillion-dollar institutional grants through donors such as Global Affairs Canada, USAID, DFID and European Union. 
• Strong understanding of feminist principles, gender equality, and women’s economic empowerment.
• Strong understanding of monitoring and evaluation, and results-based management tools and approaches.
• Strong understanding and proven application of project cycle management.
• Skills in the design, entry, analysis of data in Microsoft Excel and Access as well as for Microsoft word and PowerPoint; knowledge of statistical software (e.g. SPSS) preferred
• Experience in SAP is an advantage
• Solid writing skills (report writing etc.)
• Self-starter takes initiative and works with minimal direct supervision.
• Strong inter-personal and cross-cultural skills.
• Flexible, able to shift directions quickly and occasionally work long hours to meet tight reporting deadlines.