Job Title: MEL Advisor – Itongo Ryanje, Itunga Ryanje, Burundi

Job Location: Ngozi, Burundi

Job Type: Regular, Full Time

Reports to: Chief of Party. You will also line manage program staff and work closely with the Programmes Director (PD), Country Finance Controller (CFC), Systems Director (SD), Desk Officer (DO) and Advisors, and consortium members.

About the role: This is a 60-month, new role with unaccompanied terms based in Ngozi, Burundi with a salary of Grade 4 €45,457 – €50,509.

*This position is contingent upon successful agreement award and USAID approval.

  Concern currently operates in 26 countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Middle East, and works in partnership with communities, public and private service providers, local government, academic institutions, and other local and international organizations to ensure sustainable delivery of effective services. Concern Worldwide has operated in Burundi since 1997, successfully implementing programs in health, nutrition, social protection, food security, livelihoods, and youth empowerment throughout the country.

Your purpose:

Concern Worldwide seeks a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Advisor (MEL Advisor) for an anticipated “Itongo Ryanje, Itunga Ryanje” activity in Burundi. This activity will help Burundian women secure access and rights to land, promote climate-smart agriculture, and strengthen economic empowerment. The activity will partner with local actors, including the private sector, to strengthen women farmers’ participation in market-driven enterprises and build their entrepreneurial, leadership and management skills to achieve greater economic independence.

The MEL Advisor will be responsible for the overall monitoring, evaluation, learning and accountability program cycle management. Learning will be critical to the program’s success, and leadership skills are required to ensure the program team is accountable for its successful management and delivering results. The MEL Advisor will adhere to Concern’s program quality standards and ensure compliance with Concern and donor MEAL requirements. S/he will maintain positive and productive relationships with the donor as well as local and international partner organizations throughout the co-creation process and program lifecycle. The successful candidate should possess substantial experience in managing MEAL on complex, multi-year USAID or other international donor-funded programs. A priority for the MEL Advisor role extends to capacity building and knowledge transfer to high performing Burundi team members with a view to empowering their success during the life of the project.

The MEL Lead’s responsibilities will be to:

• Lead the activity’s MEAL team to ensure tasks, deliverables, and responsibilities are met. Oversee quality control for MEAL deliverables, ensuring compliance with USAID policies and regulations as well as Concern Worldwide reporting requirements, including the production of timely and accurate reports.
• Lead and prepare MEAL annual work plans, learning products, and other MEAL-related communication and reporting.  Review program activities and ensuring CLA is integrated in Concern’s approaches.
• Provide technical expertise and leadership to generate and analyze quality evidence and data through monitoring, assessments, and evaluations.
• Provide leadership and oversee MEAL staff management including hiring, supervising, and mentoring program staff to achieve program goals. As needed, work with consortium partners to strengthen MEAL capacity.
• Manage MEAL deliverables from all consortium partners and ensuring partners’ MEAL activities adhere to the agreed workplan and budget.
• Represent the activity in all MEAL technical, policy, and programmatic fora at all levels (regional, national, and international).
• Oversee use of data and analytics to evaluate program outreach and engagement with wider audiences.
• Use an adaptive management approach, track performance-monitoring analysis and apply course correction in collaboration with the COP and DCOP. Provide support to ensure the activity employs data-driven decision-making.
• Oversee production of communications products, including learning notes, reports, articles, videos, etc. Ensuring products are well packaged for intended audiences.
• Work with Concern’s communications team, oversee proactive outreach through social media channels and ensure the Activity utilizes the most effective methods to reach intended audiences
• Support regular communication and nurture collaborative relationships with all program partners and Concern head offices. Ensuring a high level of coordination and maintaining productive working relationships with all key stakeholders (partner organizations, local government, civil society, program participants, etc.) on MEAL.
• Work with implementation teams, identifying possibilities for cross-program partnerships and collaboration throughout the sector.
• Lead the MEAL team to work collaboratively with the wider program team, including advocacy, partners, and others, to ensure cross learning and input into new program design based and delivery of the Country Strategic Plan.

Accountability

• Promote and ensure compliance with the CHS commitments and quality criteria.
• Ensure that all staff are familiar with the principles underpinning accountability, safeguarding and Concern’s FCRM and lead on ensuring that information about Concern’s commitments on accountability and safeguarding are disseminated among program participants and communities
• Ensure that the FCRM is functional, effectively implemented and accessible in all program locations, enabling safe reporting of both programmatic and sensitive complaints, including safeguarding concerns
• Ensure that complaints are welcomed, managed and responded to in a timely, fair and appropriate manner; ensuring that sensitive complaints, including safeguarding concerns, are handled with utmost confidentiality and that the safety of the complainants and those affected is prioritized at all stages.