Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Specialist - Evaluation and Learning

Job Description

ProSidian Seeks a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Specialist (Time and Materials) in Mid Atlantic Washington Metropolitan Area (Northern Virginia | Washington DC | Maryland) to support an engagement for an independent agency of the United States Federal Govt. that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance.  ProSidian Team Members shall provide technical, management and program support services and deliverables supporting an international Economic Growth, Education and Environment (E3) Local Sustainability Institutional Support Contract (LS-ISC).  Under this contract, The ProSidian Engagement Team provides staffing, institutional, operational, technical, and administrative support to “E3/LS” present and future programs, including long-term technical assistance (LTTA) and short-term technical assistance (STTA).  ProSidian must provide these services in support of the E3/LS vision, development objective, and three Practice Areas (locally-led development | volunteerism | cooperative development).

MEL Specialist Candidates shall work to support requirements for PR0004 Monitoring, Evaluation, And Learning (MEL) Support and provide innovative approaches and build on best practices to create the foundation for and to promote civilian foreign aid and development assistance.  Working alongside global partners, public institutions, the private sector, and civil society, help build more effective, accountable, and responsive institutions and policies.  The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Specialist position works to increase the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of selected foreign aid and development assistance projects.

This will be achieved by strengthening systems to improve the delivery of services in three practice areas: (1) technical leadership, where locally led approaches to development are put to work in Agency programs and USG policies and strategies; (2) evidence and learning, where the Agency builds evidence for locally owned and sustained development through research, innovation, and evaluations; and (3) agency policy, capacity, and culture, where Agency staff and leadership are champions and practitioners of locally led approaches through uptake of new knowledge, skills, and mindsets.  The focus shall be to increase the efficiency of key governance operations (with a focus on Public Financial Management [PFM] and procurement, as well as monitoring and evaluation); increasing government’s responsiveness to citizen needs and priorities; and improving government and civil society capacity to manage conflict.

The Monitoring, Evaluation And Learning (MEL)  Specialist will be responsible for leading and managing the MEL activities for various foreign aid and development assistance projects.  S/he will establish systems for gathering, reporting and analyzing performance data for impact and sustainability of project implementation.  Candidate should possess strong management, administrative and communication skills (including report writing).

• Lead Project’s Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) knowledge management and capacity building objectives. This includes the design and implementation of a robust results, Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (PMEP), and Knowledge Management Framework to aggregate and disseminate useful and actionable information based on sound evidence generated from activities.
• Coordinate and manage all Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) tasks and deliverables for various foreign aid and development assistance projects.
• Establish systems for gathering, analyzing, and reporting performance data for impact and sustainability of project implementation.
• Coordinate and manage all Monitoring, Evaluation And Learning (MEL)  tasks and deliverables for various foreign aid and development assistance projects and ensure that all required reports and documentation for various foreign aid and development assistance project’s internal management systems and for external reporting are produced according to Agency guidelines.
• Oversee data collection processes and data quality; develops documentation of best practices; and facilitating the use of data to drive program design and decision making in support of a Collaborating, Learning, and Adaptive (CLA) approach to project implementation
• Facilitate learning from M&E findings with implementation teams and other relevant stakeholders. This could include facilitating regular reflection sessions both within various foreign aid and development assistance projects team and with the implementation partners to respond to evaluation findings where appropriate.
• Provide technical assistance to foreign aid and development assistance partners as required on monitoring evaluation systems capacity building and assessments
• Synthesize and analyze lessons to determine policy implications, distil and articulate best fit innovations for dissemination with community of practice for phased approach to project implementation
• Facilitate incorporation of research design and methodologies in the application of learning to project design and management.
• Directly supervise and mentor project M&E/knowledge management staff.  Build internal project staff capacity to implement Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) strategy.

Qualifications

The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Specialist shall have consecutive employment in a position with comparable responsibilities within the past five (5) years, Must be able to use a computer to communicate via email; and proficient in Microsoft Office Products (Word/Excel/Power point) and related tools and technology required for the position.  Work products shall be thorough, accurate, appropriately documented, and comply with established criteria. The candidate shall ensure that duties are performed in a competent and professional manner that meets milestones/delivery schedules as outlined.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty and responsibility satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required:  GS-13 Equivalent (e.g., program analyst, etc.):  Master’s degree or  equivalent from an accredited college or university in a relevant field with at least four years of experience relevant to international development, including at least one year of experience at the GS-12  equivalent level.

• A minimum of a master’s degree in social science, international development, or a relevant field, with 7 years of experience in international development program design and implementation. 4 years’ experience in program monitoring and evaluation.
• Ability to resolve sensitive and complicated work issues with senior high-level country counterparts, donor representative and senior-level staff.
• Demonstrated team player with effective cross-cultural interpersonal skills; able to develop and communicate a common vision among diverse partners and lead multidisciplinary teams.
• Demonstrated understanding with knowledge management programs, facilitating communities of practice and social networking, and knowledge of Foreign Aid And Development Assistance Agency Collaboration, Learning and Adaptation (CLA) approach preferred.
• Experience in Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL), knowledge management and communications, particularly for research.
• Knowledge of and experience with M&E frameworks, and reporting systems. Experience with Foreign Aid And Development Assistance Agency programming highly preferred.
• Proficiency in Excel, Word, and other MS Office software; data analysis software (such as SPSS or Stata);
• Skills in qualitative and quantitative analytical methods, data collection and analysis, and establishing M&E systems. Demonstrated ability to lead baseline data collection and analyses.
• Verbal and written fluency in the English language along with strong communications, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
• Ability and willingness to travel frequently.

Work products shall be thorough, accurate, appropriately documented, and comply with established criteria. The candidate shall ensure that duties are performed in a competent and professional manner that meets milestones/delivery schedules as outlined.

Experience in international development, including work with USAID, a USAID implementing partner, and/or a local organization. Strong preference to candidates that have spent meaningful time working in a developing country who understand such environments.

• Experience in international development or social change is a strong plus.
• Familiarity with community-led development is a strong plus.
• Experience tracking changes in complex systems (which may include local communities or large organizations) over time, using short, medium, and long-term indicators.
• Experience overseeing or assisting with the development, implementation, and analysis of qualitative and quantitative indicators, in partnership with individuals with varying degrees of familiarity with monitoring and evaluation concepts.
• Experience analyzing and presenting monitoring and evaluation data to be used by a wide range of stakeholders, including program managers, policymakers, and local stakeholders.

TRAVEL:  Travel as coordinated with the technical point of contact and approved in writing by the Contracting Officer in advance, is allowed, in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations.  LOCATION:  Work shall be conducted at the Mid Atlantic Washington Metropolitan Area (Northern Virginia | Washington DC | Maryland)

• U.S.  Citizenship Required
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Products (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, & Adobe)
• All ProSidian staff must be determined eligible for a “Facility Access Authorization” (also referred to as an “Employment Authorization”) by the USG’s designated Security Office.

Additional Information

As a condition of employment, all employees are required to fulfill all requirements of the roles for which they are employed; establish, manage, pursue, and fulfill annual goals and objectives with at least three (3) Goals for each of the firms Eight Prosidian Global Competencies [1 - Personal Effectiveness | 2 - Continuous Learning | 3 - Leadership | 4 - Client Service | 5 - Business Management | 6 - Business Development | 7 - Technical Expertise | 8 - Innovation & Knowledge Sharing (Thought Leadership)]; and to support all business development and other efforts on behalf of ProSidian Consulting.  

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Teamwork – ability to foster teamwork collaboratively as a participant, and effectively as a team leader
• Leadership – ability to guide and lead colleagues on projects and initiatives
• Business Acumen – understanding and insight into how organizations perform, including business processes, data, systems, and people
• Communication – ability to effectively communicate to stakeholders of all levels orally and in writing
• Motivation – persistent in pursuit of quality and optimal client and company solutions
• Agility – ability to quickly understand and transition between different projects, concepts, initiatives, or work streams
• Judgment – exercises prudence and insight in decision-making process while mindful of other stakeholders and long-term ramifications
• Organization – ability to manage projects and activity, and prioritize tasks

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OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• Business Tools –  understanding and proficiency with business tools and technology, including Microsoft Office. The ideal candidate is advanced with Excel, Access, Outlook, PowerPoint and Word, and proficient with Adobe Acrobat, data analytic tools, and Visio with the ability to quickly learn other tools as necessary.
• Business Tools – understanding and proficiency with business tools and technology, including Microsoft Office. The ideal candidate is advanced with Excel, Access, Outlook, PowerPoint and Word, and proficient with Adobe Acrobat, data analytic tools, and Visio with the ability to quickly learn other tools as necessary.
• Commitment - to work with smart, interesting people with diverse backgrounds to solve the biggest challenges across private, public and social sectors
• Curiosity – the ideal candidate exhibits an inquisitive nature and the ability to question the status quo among a community of people they enjoy and teams that work well together
• Humility – exhibits grace in success and failure while doing meaningful work where skills have impact and make a difference
• Willingness - to constantly learn, share, and grow and to view the world as their classroom

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BENEFITS AND HIGHLIGHTS

ProSidian Employee Benefits and Highlights: Your good health and well-being are important to ProSidian Consulting. At ProSidian, we invest in our employees to help them stay healthy and achieve work-life balance. That’s why we are also pleased to offer the Employee Benefits Program, designed to promote your health and personal welfare. Our growing list of benefits currently include the following for Full Time Employees:

• Competitive Compensation: Pay range begins in the competitive ranges with Group Health Benefits, Pre-tax Employee Benefits, and Performance Incentives. For medical and dental benefits, the Company contributes a fixed dollar amount each month towards the plan you elect. Contributions are deducted on a Pre-tax basis.
• Group Medical Health Insurance Benefits: ProSidian partners with BC/BS, to offer a range of medical plans, including high-deductible health plans or PPOs. ||| Group Dental Health Insurance Benefits: ProSidian dental carriers - Delta, Aetna, Guardian, and MetLife.
• Group Vision Health Insurance Benefits:ProSidian offers high/low vision plans through 2 carriers: Aetna and VSP.
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan: 401(k) Retirement Savings Plans help you save for your retirement for eligible employees. A range of investment options are available with a personal financial planner to assist you. The Plan is a pre-tax Safe Harbor 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan with a company match.
• Vacation and Paid Time-Off (PTO) Benefits: Eligible employees use PTO for vacation, a doctor’s appointment, or any number of events in your life. Currently these benefits include Vacation/Sick days – 2 weeks/3 days | Holidays - 10 ProSidian and Government Days are given.
• Pre-Tax Payment Programs: Pre-Tax Payment Programs currently exist in the form of a Premium Only Plan (POP). These Plans offer a full Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Plan and a tax benefit for eligible employees.
• Purchasing Discounts & Savings Plans: We want you to achieve financial success. We offer a Purchasing Discounts & Savings Plan through The Corporate Perks Benefit Program. This provides special discounts for eligible employees on products and services you buy on a daily basis.
• Security Clearance: Due to the nature of our consulting engagements there are Security Clearance requirements for Engagement Teams handling sensitive Engagements in the Federal Marketplace. A Security Clearance is a valued asset in your professional portfolio and adds to your credentials.
• ProSidian Employee & Contractor Referral Bonus Program: ProSidian Consulting will pay up to 5k for all referrals employed for 90 days for candidates submitted through our Referral Program.
• Performance Incentives: Due to the nature of our consulting engagements there are performance incentives associated with each new client that each employee works to pursue and support.
• Flexible Spending Account: FSAs  help you pay for eligible out-of-pocket health care and dependent day care expenses on a pre-tax basis. You determine your projected expenses for the Plan Year and then elect to set aside a portion of each paycheck into your FSA.
• Supplemental Life/Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance: If you want extra protection for yourself and your eligible dependents, you have the option to elect supplemental life insurance. D&D covers death or dismemberment from an accident only.
• Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance: Disability insurance plans are designed to provide income protection while you recover from a disability.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION - See Below Instructions On The Best Way To Apply

ProSidian Consulting is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants foremployment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, or Vietnam era, or other eligible veteran status, or any other protected factor. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

ProSidian Consulting has made a pledge to the Hiring Our Heroes Program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the “I Hire Military” Initiative of The North Carolina Military Business Center (NCMBC) for the State of North Carolina. All applicants are encouraged to apply regardless of Veteran Status.

Furthermore, we believe in "HONOR ABOVE ALL"  - be successful while doing things the right way. The pride comes out of the challenge; the reward is excellence in the work.

FOR EASY APPLICATION USE OUR CAREER SITE LOCATED ON http://www.ProSidian.com/ OR SEND YOUR RESUME’S, BIOS, AND SALARY EXPECTATION / RATES TO CAREERS @ PROSIDIAN.COM.

ONLY CANDIDATES WITH REQUIRED CRITERIA ARE CONSIDERED.

Be sure to place the job reference code in the subject line of your email.  Be sure to include your name, address, telephone number, total compensation package, employment history, and educational credentials.