Independent Contractor, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Monitoring and Learning Solutions

Position: Independent Contractor, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Monitoring and Learning Solutions

Location: Mexico (preferred) or Central America (specifically: El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama) (must already be based in the region)

Employer: The Vitamin Angels Alliance, Inc. (VA)

Apply by: Until filled.

Vitamin Angels (VA) is a US-based, international, non-governmental organization whose mission is to help at-risk populations in need – specifically pregnant women, new mothers, and children under five – gain access to lifesaving and life-changing vitamins and minerals. To fulfill this mission, we provide annual grants of vitamin A supplements, deworming medication and multivitamins to NGOs that work with children 6-59 months old and/or pregnant women.

Role or Purpose of Position

Vitamin Angels (VA) seeks to continue its monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and Learning Solutions (LS) efforts in Latin America. To support this, VA is engaging a daily rate Consultant to manage the onsite and remote monitoring and training of its network of indigenous, non-governmental (NGO), or community-based organizations (CBOs), and other entities that make up its program partner base in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1) Programmatic engagement. Consultant will**:**

1. Engage with program partners and increase knowledge of national guidelines/protocols in the country.
2. Engage in quarterly check-ins with LS, M&E and program officer team to plan strategically towards the next quarter and review progress, expectations and goals,
3. Have access to Salesforce and Dropbox (LS, M&E, etc.) for necessary program partner information,
4. Have meetings with M&E and program officer on suggested actions for unique in-the-field scenarios.

2) Monitor activities of distribution partners. Consultant will:

1. Coordinate and conduct on-site monitoring visits of a random portion of program partners throughout Latin America consistent with annual targets set by VA’s HQ office and in coordination with other local monitors,
2. Submit monitoring data through a mobile technology-based application,
3. Coordinate all logistics and create a budget for each monitoring trip to be approved by the M&E Unit, and
4. Support discrete monitoring, evaluation, and data collection activities designed by headquarters.
5. Debrief with M&E after monitoring visits.

3) Conduct regular trainings consistent with toolbox selection for program partners. In order to ensure timely and smooth trainings to program partners, Consultant is expected to:

1. Review Training Toolbox and develop Training Plans with program partners during grant cycle,
2. Work with US-based Learning Solutions team and Senior Program Officer to organize a training plan for priority locations and organizations,
3. Identify course participants based on VA’s participant selection criteria,
4. Maintain continued communications with the organizations, individual participants, and facilitators scheduled for training,
5. Coordinate travel and/or travel reimbursement for the course facilitator(s) and course participants (if approved and required),
6. Provide electronic copies of relevant course materials to participants in advance of each course, and ship training materials to the training site,
7. Promote the use of eLearning and mobile learning tools
   • Schedule, arrange, and complete at minimum 1 on-site monitoring visits during probationary period with program partners located across Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) countries across rural and/or urban areas;

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Based in a major metropolitan area in Mexico or Central American country;
• B.A./B.Sc degree from an accredited four year university with a relevant area of discipline;
• Strong understanding of maternal and child health and nutrition in the region;
• Minimum two years of experience performing consultancies with INGOs, bilateral, or multilateral agencies;
• Strong understanding of monitoring and evaluation.
• Prior experience performing on site monitoring of maternal and child health and nutrition programs;
• Prior experience facilitating training/learning for groups of individuals
• Computer literacy, including experience with Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint, Dropbox and ability to input data to an online database;
• Willing and able to travel domestically and internationally during the consultancy;
• Willing to work from home, with own personal laptop/computer and in possession of reliable telephone/internet connectivity;
• Advanced written and oral communications skills;
• Advanced organizational skills and attention to detail; and
• Fluent in English and Spanish
• Ability to collaborate and work independently

Note: This is a Daily Rate consultancy with a maximum of 11 working days per month. Daily rate of $200 – $236 USD.