Organization Overview
Abt Associates (Abt) is a mission-driven global leader in research, evaluation and program implementation in the fields of international development, health, and social and environmental policy. Known for its rigorous approach to solving complex challenges, Abt is regularly ranked as one of the top 20 global research firms and one of the top 40 international development innovators and is a top-5 USAID contractor. Across the globe, Abt pioneers research on what causes some of the world’s most challenging health problems and delivers solutions. We work with private and public providers to ensure access to quality care for medical issues ranging from reproductive and maternal health to health governance and systems strengthening to infectious disease control. Our one goal: improving people’s health.
Abt has long been at the vanguard of health systems strengthening and innovation. Since 1989, Abt has worked with USAID and private and public sector stakeholders to modernize approaches for sustainable health financing. Abt’s technical expertise in health systems strengthening includes health resource tracking, human resources for health policy and strategy, developing clinical guidelines, and working with private health providers. Abt has a legacy of working in the Latin American and Caribbean region. Abt has worked with a variety of government, private sector, and international donor agencies to address development issues that include health systems strengthening, climate resilience, economic growth, the Zika response, and progress against non-communicable diseases. For more information see: https://www.abtassociates.com/.
Job Summary
Abt Associates seeks a qualified MEL director for the USAID-funded Local Health System Sustainability (LHSS)[1] Colombia Activity. This Activity will support the Government of Colombia (GOC)’s efforts to achieve a financially sustainable integration of Venezuelan migrants into the Colombian health system. To this end, LHSS will provide assistance to strengthen the governance and implementation capacity to all levels of the health system to respond to the health needs of migrants and receptor communities, support the government to develop new mechanisms to sustainably finance health services for migrants as part of their integration into the health system, and provide assistance so that the migrant’s receptor communities have access to quality health care. The four main objectives of this activity are to provide assistance to the Ministry of Health of Colombia (MSPS) to: 1) strengthen governance and implementation capacity to respond to the needs of migrants and receptor communities; 2) sustainably finance the provision of health services for migrants and receptor communities; 3) increase access to high quality, appropriate health care services for migrants and receptor communities; and 4) strengthen the health system to respond to current and future shocks, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
The LHSS Colombia Activity will be a 4 year program, based in Bogota, Colombia with other territorial offices.
Key Roles and Responsibilities
The MEL director will have the following specific duties and responsibilities:
- Lead the design, development, and implementation of the project MEL plan, indicators, and learning agenda, including developing relevant indicators for LHSS Colombia Team
- Work with MEL stakeholder groups in MSPS and its partners, and the LHSS Home Office MEL team to create LHSS’s results framework for Colombia that establishes a causal pathway from activities and outputs, to intermediate results, and ultimately to the program’s desired outcomes and impact
- Coordinate stakeholders and partners in Colombia to select a set of common indicators and measurement approaches that will align LHSS activities with the needs of Colombia
- Manage a rigorous approach to M&E to measure performance toward specific goals and objectives, including quantitative, qualitative, and participatory methodologies
- Design data collection tools, schedules, analysis methods in line with project-wide work plan management and monitoring system and interactive platform
- Ensure data accuracy for reporting indicators across the LHSS Colombia Activity, and timely reporting on indicators against expected project results
- Lead efforts to strengthening a culture of learning at local levels with local stakeholders, including during trainings and other facilitated stakeholder engagements
- Contribute to quarterly strategy reviews as well as drafting core components of program progress reports to USAID
- Oversee local research activities conducted by Abt and LHSS project partners, including providing quality assurance of research design, methods, and analysis, and ensuring adherence to ethical research practices and compliance with Institutional Review Board (IRB) requirements
- Drive the project’s overall learning agenda to derive lessons learned and best practices from project activities, and contribute to quarterly program evaluations
- Support the interpretation of MEL findings for project planning, decision-making, course-correction, and communication of successes
- Collaborate with the LHSS Home Office MEL team to ensure alignment with project-wide MEL processes and reporting requirements
- Provide technical guidance and mentorship to LHSS Colombia territorial offices, and, if applicable, supervise territorial LHSS MEL officers/assistants to ensure timely and accurate reporting on MEL indicators, and successful implementation of MEL systems at the territorial level
Within the LHSS project, the MEL director will be supported by LHSS home office-based operations, finance and technical expertise and will report to the LHSS Colombia Activity chief of party.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree in statistics, social science, development economics or a related field and 8 to 10 years of experience in data management and analysis for M&E, learning, and adaptive management
- Demonstrated experience designing and implementing MEL systems on complex donor-funded development projects
- Experience implementing MEL activities on health system strengthening projects and/or projects that integrate health care for vulnerable populations is desirable
- Demonstrated expertise in both quantitative and qualitative research methods, and experience conducting statistical analysis
- Experience leading and managing research projects that adhere to rigorous methodological and ethical standards
- Skills in qualitative and quantitative analytical methods, data collection and analysis, and establishing MEL systems
- Demonstrated ability to lead baseline data collection and analyses
- Knowledge of and experience with M&E frameworks, and reporting systems
- Expertise in adaptive management, organizational learning/development, systems mapping, development of Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA)-related tools, CLA thought-leadership, and providing inputs on how CLA may lead to improved development outcomes
- Experience managing MEL for USAID programs is desirable
- Proficiency in Excel, Word, and other MS Office software; data analysis software, e.g. SPSS or Stata
- Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to work collaboratively and independently
- Proficient English and fluent Spanish writing/speaking skills required along with strong communications, interpersonal, and presentation skills
- Colombian nationals are encouraged to apply.
Minimum Qualifications
- (8+) years of experience and a master degree OR the equivalent combination of education and experience