Back (Senior) Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, USAID Nepal MEL

Position Description

EnCompass seeks (Senior) M&E Specialist candidates for an anticipated 5-year United States Agency for International Development (USAID) monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) program in Nepal. The anticipated USAID/Nepal MEL Activity is expected to be a follow-on to a current contract that assists USAID/Nepal in planning, designing, conducting, disseminating, and learning from more rigorous monitoring and evaluation of development activities aligned to the mission’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy and development objectives.

The (Senior) M&E Specialist should possess expertise in designing and executing quantitative and qualitative data collection and analytical methods to support evaluation design and implementation, ideally in complex environments. S/he will lead the design and implementation of performance and impact evaluations, as well as all assessment activities and the required analysis therefrom. The (Senior) M&E Specialist will finalize evaluation reports and facilitate presentations and briefings to disseminate learning among project stakeholders. S/he may be responsible for leading and/or directing evaluation teams and conducting field research.

The position will be full time and based in Kathmandu, with travel throughout the country. Citizens of Nepal are encouraged to apply.

Position Duties and Responsibilities

The (Senior) M&E Specialist will have prior experience serving as a team lead for evaluations in Nepal and/or within South or Southeast Asia, as well as managing a portfolio of simultaneous evaluative activities, and ensuring quality of evaluation team members and subcontracting partners.

S/he will lead the design and implementation of performance and impact evaluations, and all assessment activities with the resulting required analysis. S/he will also manage the dissemination of learning from these evaluation and assessment activities. The (Senior) M&E Specialist will make sure the recruited evaluation team members are of a high caliber and possess the required technical expertise. S/he will work with the chief of party and other team members to ensure that learning from evaluations and assessments is shared and fully used to speed up innovation, and improve impact and investments of USAID’s work in country.

Essential Functions

• Lead/manage evaluation, analysis, and assessment activities, including coordination and oversight of local partners engaged in these activities
• Design quantitative and/or qualitative data collection and analytical methods and tools to support evaluation design and implementation
• Liaise with the chief of party to inform the design of each study/evaluative activity and support quality assurance activities throughout each study, including the review of milestone deliverables and final reports prior to submission to USAID
• Support the selection and engagement of local partners and experts for activities, and support team development, training, and execution of activities
• Employ strong collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA) practices throughout the work, with an understanding of the USAID Program Cycle

Position Requirements

Qualifications

• A graduate degree in a social science, organizational development, development studies, or a related field highly preferred
• Minimum of 6 years of demonstrated experience leading complex portfolios of evaluative and learning activities for improved development outcomes

Experience and Skills

• Experience designing and implementing various types of mixed-methods evaluations (impact, performance, meta, etc.), analyses, and assessments required
• Strong communication, supervision, and management skills required
• Previous work experience in Nepal required
• Superior skills in written and verbal English required
• Significant data analysis skills, including command of statistics, sampling methodologies, statistical analysis software, and data validation techniques
• Extensive experience drafting and finalizing evaluation reports
• Experience applying systems thinking in evaluation design, participatory data collection methods, and protocols, and facilitating participatory data validation and analysis exercises
• Experience designing and training on theory of change/logical frameworks
• Experience building evaluative and learning capacities of USAID staff, implementing partners, and government counterparts highly preferred
• Experience managing complex relationships with a variety of stakeholders
• Strong familiarity with USAID’s Evaluation Policy and CLA practices
• Understanding of knowledge management as it relates to USAID programs an asset
• Ability to work with host-country governments at different levels
• Working knowledge of and experience with U.S. Government-funded program management, policies, regulations, and procedures
• Familiarity with USAID/Nepal is preferred
• Proficiency in Nepali preferred
• Citizens of Nepal are strongly encouraged to apply

The employer will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required of personnel so classified.

The incumbent must be able to work in a fast-paced environment with demonstrated ability to juggle and prioritize multiple, competing tasks and demands and to seek supervisory assistance as appropriate.