Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Manager – FTF Project

Project Summary:

The USAID Rwanda Feed the Future Activity is an anticipated five-year (2025 – 2029) Feed the Future project that will work with local partners and private sector actors in Rwanda to strengthen the animal sourced foods (ASF) market system.

The activity anticipates using a private sector oriented, market facilitation approach to sustainably increase livestock productivity and human nutrition, improve relationships across actors in the ASF value chains, build capacity of enterprises in the ASF sector, facilitate access to finance and increase private sector investments in ASF value chains.

Position Summary:

The Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Manager is responsible and accountable for all monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) activities for the project. With support from Venture37’s Global MEL team and in coordination with MSD and learning advisors, the MEL Manager will implement a robust MEL system that meets the requirements of USAID Feed the Future and utilizes both traditional and market systems measurement approaches.

Specifically, the MEL Manager will develop and oversee implementation of a MEL Plan for the project. This will include developing data collection tools, defining processes and responsibilities, overseeing data collection, ensuring data quality, and conducting analysis, reporting and learning activites. as defined in the project . The M&E Manager will participate in and, on occasion, lead learning and work planning meetings with the Rwanda Feed the Future Activity team and animal source food industry stakeholders. S/he will develop tools and processes for receiving feedback and for communicating with partners and USAID to demonstrate and apply the best practices in adaptive management and learning, i.e., analyzing critical inputs, feedback, and assessments to inform changes in program approaches and to scale sub-activities and interventions.

Primary Responsibilities:

Primary responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Develop the project MEL Plan with support from Venture37 Global MEL team and partners, including development of data collection tools.
• Update tools and the MEL Plan as necessary throughout the life of the project, integrating innovative approaches to measuring systems change in collaboration with relevant project staff
• Oversee the project MEL Plan implementation, including training staff and partners in their roles and responsibilities and coordinating and tracking the diverse work of members of the project team
• Support the development and enhancements of the IMPACTS system, an electronic, tablet-based data collection and storage system, and enter data into the system and/or oversee a team of data entry consultants.
• Collaborate with technical staff to develop results chains for each partnership to define the pathway to achieving project results and a partnership monitoring plan to define data collection needs for each partnership.
• Conduct internal surveys and learning studies, and support project evaluations. Lead the process of selecting and managing appropriate consultants and firms to complete surveys, studies, and required evaluations. Supervise or monitor these activities, overseeing quality control and timelines, and review and comment on content of evaluation reports.
• Regularly review data collection processes, perform data quality assessments, and adjust MEL processes as needed. Undertake regular visits to district offices and partner locations to support implementation of MEL activities and to identify where adaptations and improvements might be needed.
• Provide regular cleaning, analysis and interpretation of data for key metrics and contribute to or prepare indicator table and written explanations of progress for inclusion in quarterly progress reports, presentations, impact and success stories, work planning sessions, learning events, and/or other ad hoc reports.
• Participate and facilitate sharing and learning from the findings of quantitative and qualitative data with staff and partners. Lead meetings and make presentations about results and findings to facilitate adaptive management.
• Work with Human Resources staff to recruit, interview, select, hire, and employ an appropriate number of MEL employees and consultants as may be approved.
• Manage and develop MEL staff to ensure high levels of performance, motivation and continuous professional development, including the introduction of approaches, processes and systems new to the team.
• Plan and allocate resources to effectively staff and accomplish the work to meet departmental productivity and quality goals.
• Represent the project with partners and USAID, as needed.
• Demonstrate the highest degree of integrity throughout all activities.
• Utilize SharePoint document management software to store key documents and share key project and country related information with other staff.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in statistics, public policy, applied economics, or related area of study.
• At least seven (7) years of relevant and progressive professional experience designing and implementing MEL systems for donor-funded agriculture and/or food security development projects in Rwanda.
• At least (3) years of experience leading MEL implementation and managing a team of other MEL staff on a development project or similar.
• Demonstrated ability to implement, operationalize, and manage data collection and storage systems, and experience using, managing, and trouble-shooting databases using appropriate software applications for data entry, analysis, and storage of quantitative data.
• High-level of competency in the use of Microsoft Office software and skilled competency in quantitative data analysis software (preferably SPSS or Stata).
• Well-developed conceptual, analytical and innovative problem-solving capabilities.
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently with minimum oversight and proactively and collaboratively as team member, requiring skills to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate, and monitor task completion and achievements.
• Excellent diplomacy skills and proven ability to establish and maintain interpersonal and professional relationships internally and externally with USAID, partners and other key stakeholders.
• Proven ability to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing in English and Kinyarwanda.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience managing MEL systems for USAID-funded programs; experience on USAID Feed the Future programs and the related reporting requirements is highly beneficial.
• Experience in implementing MEL in a Market System Development project and in measuring systemic change highly desired.
• Experience conducting learning events and facilitating conversations to enable and encourage problem-solving and adaptive management.
• Experience training staff and teams in data collection and monitoring-related techniques and methods is desirable.

The position described above is contingent upon activity award.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. No phone calls will be accepted.

Land O’Lakes never requests money or payment from candidates for any position type. Please report any such requests to Land O’Lakes.

Land O’Lakes Venture37 is an equal opportunity employer and an organization striving to help global communities thrive through agriculture. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or veteran status, among other factors. Our culture values a diversity of voices. So bring us your unique experiences, your workstyle, and your dreams — they’ll only make us stronger.