Monitoring & Evaluation Manager

BACKGROUND

Orbis International Zambia works to support the Ministry of Health in providing quality eye care to prevent avoidable blindness through training for eye health staff, support for equipment and medical supplies as well community engagement. The programmes are implemented in Lusaka, Copperbelt, North- Western and Eastern provinces.

JOB SUMMARY

As a member of the Orbis Zambia Programme Team, the Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Manager supports Orbis Zambia projects with technical M&E expertise. S/He is responsible for ensuring project data integrity and quality. From a project’s inception, the M&E Manager works with the programme team to build M&E into the project design. During project initiation, the M&E Manager develops data collection tools and carries out baseline data collection. S/He works with the Project Manager to set data-driven targets. S/He is responsible for conducting/overseeing special assessments, such as Data Quality Assurance, and supporting research. The M&E Manager liaises with the Orbis International (OI) Global M&E Team and implements continuously improving M&E methods, strategies and interventions. S/He reviews and validates all project data submitted to donors and headquarters. Frequent domestic and international travel is required. The ideal candidate will have direct experience creating and managing M&E plans for major international foundations, development organizations and government aid agencies.

REPORTING & WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

The M&E Manager will report to the Country Director and will participate in the OI Global M&E Working Group. S/He works closely with country Project Officers and-office staff, regularly coordinating with the Orbis Zambia Finance team throughout a project’s life-cycle. S/He plays a key role in project design for proposals, working closely with the Orbis Zambia leadership team to support development of new proposals.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS / KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

The M&E Manager is expected to provide leadership and technical expertise in accomplishing the following duties and responsibilities:

• Align regional operations with Global M&E processes by editing Concept Notes; leading the build of new projects’ logic frameworks; and editing M&E sections (Objectives, Indicators etc.) of project proposals.
• Develop and maintain trust and good relationships between Orbis and its partners in collaboration with the respective sector institutions, collaborating agencies, health care workers and volunteers, and communities in Orbis supported projects’ areas
• Liaise with HQ to troubleshoot Indicata M&E software configurations.
• Maintain open lines of communication with Global M&E by providing monthly regional M&E updates; attending quarterly Global M&E meetings; and engaging in M&E group chats.
• Support third-party project evaluations by attending mid-term and final evaluations, providing context, and writing executive summaries of evaluation reports. May also participate OI cross-collaborative mid-term and end-line evaluations in other OI countries.
• Develop beneficiary feedback mechanism for Orbis supported projects and support projects in data collection as needed.
• Maintain comprehensive Orbis projects’ files containing but not limited to project plans and amendments, budget and budget modifications, project agreements and annual addendum, monthly/quarterly/annual reports, midterm and final evaluation reports, surveys and baseline data, case stories, important communications and all other M&E records both in electronic format and in hard copies.
• Develop and periodically revise the M&E plan for Orbis supported projects’
• Develop and periodically revise Orbis supported projects’ data collection and reporting instruments
• Regular visit to Orbis supported projects’ sites to provide technical support to partners’ staff on M&E related issues
• Conduct regular data quality assessment in Orbis supported projects’ sites
• Review and compile quarterly progress and annual reports of Orbis supported projects
• Develop and maintain electronic database for Orbis supported projects
• Ensure quarterly/ annual reports are uploaded to INDICATA by the respective program/ project managers
• Train Orbis supported projects’ staff and partners’ staff in using data collection/ reporting tools and database and in understanding Orbis M&E system
• Provide technical support to Orbis staff for satisfactory and timely recording and reporting of project activities and case stories
• Ensure the implementation of field activities adheres to Orbis’ monitoring and evaluation system
• Provide feedback to partners and programme teams on Orbis supported projects’ performance based on monitoring data findings
• Share learning from M&E process with partners and Orbis projects’ team
• Promote awareness of preventable blindness by supporting various Preventable Blindness awareness campaigns.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Proficient in written and spoken English
• Master’s in international development, public health or a social science discipline (other degree possible if candidate has extensive experience in M&E)
• Minimum of 7 years’ experience working in the international development and/or health sector
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience as a full-time M&E professional
• Specialized experience in developing M&E components of projects such as project performance monitoring plans, baseline analysis, outcome indicators, and targets
• Experience managing and training project staff in M&E, both in-person and virtually
• Proficient at storytelling with data
• Formal experience working on an international team with irregular hours
• Experience in Outcome Mapping & Harvesting a plus

SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Ability to manage a diverse and growing portfolio of projects and side-projects
• Cross-cultural literacy, with a solid understanding of the international and national development and health sectors
• Ability to speak local languages, at least Bemba, Nyanja and Kaonde
• Time-management expertise
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to  develop and present data to a wide range of audiences (novice to experts)
• Demonstrated team-player who is also able to work independently
• Expert MS Excel skills, knowledgeable in basic database mechanics
• Literate in data, with a command of statistical measures and result-based data modeling
• Excellent in-person and virtual interpersonal skills
• Strong project manager
• Ability to travel up to 50% of the time

To learn more about Orbis, go to http://www.orbis.org

Orbis is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

As a global organization, we welcome qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds and cultures who reflect the five Orbis values of Trust, Caring, Commitment, Accountability, and Excellence.