Position overview
Based in the coastal town of Fort Dauphin in the southeast of Madagascar, this post will provide specialist knowledge of MEL to support the implementation of an urban water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) initiative in southeast of Madagascar. The successful candidate will work within a combined Malagasy and international team to coordinate and implement a MEL strategy for Project Malio, Phase II, an initiative that aims to improve town-wide WASH outcomes through education, institutional capacity-building, infrastructure-provision, and the establishment of faecal sludge management services. This exciting post would suit an early-career MEL specialist seeking essential in-country experience for developing and deploying innovative MEL methods that inform wider WASH and community health strategies.
Title: MEL Specialist
Timeframe: 12 months
Probationary period: 3 months
Reporting to: Head of Programmes – Community Health, WASH and Education Infrastructure
Project background
Project Malio, Phase II is an urban WASH project that intends to improve the health of 60,800 people in Fort Dauphin, a city in southeast Madagascar, by creating and promoting use of the WASH services. In collaboration with the regional government, SEED will build the capacity of local latrine emptiers to develop a scalable faecal sludge management enterprise, whilst mobilising households to construct safe sanitation facilities. Combined with town-wide WASH education, this initiative aims to reduce open defecation, which contributes to the transmission of WASH-related diseases, amongst 6,400 community members by project end.
Primary responsibilities
Coordination of MEL strategies to ensure progress toward project outcomes; supervision of annual evaluations of project activities; capacity-building with SEED project staff to ensure high-quality data collection; completion of MEL reports analysing data and summarising findings.
Duties and Responsibilities:
· Oversee the implementation of a rigorous MEL strategy that incorporates stakeholder feedback, adapts to local needs, and supports high-quality implementation.**
· Ensure that MEL findings align with indicators for a variety of stakeholders, including donors, national ministries, and international organisations.**
· Develop and adapt MEL instruments, such as knowledge, attitude, and practice surveys and focus group discussion guides, to maximise effective data collection. **
· Analyse data regarding WASH capacity and behaviours and demand for WASH services from qualitative and quantitative sources, conducted with community members, latrine emptiers, and other stakeholders.**
· Compose technical MEL reports and integrate findings into regular activity reports for donors and other stakeholders.**
· In collaboration with the implementation team, manage the establishment of beneficiary feedback mechanisms, including community forums and a beneficiary hotline, using input to inform project strategy and address emerging needs.**
· Manage databases of project findings in line with MEL best practices.**
· Lead the implementation of mobile-based data collection platforms in MEL processes, including training SEED staff in using these tools, when feasible.**
· Conduct literature reviews on best WASH practices to support ground-level research, as needed.**
· Work closely with the staff in other community health projects to exchange information and provide mutual support.**
· Any other tasks that the Head of Program deems necessary within the broad outline of the role.
Person specification:
· Master’s degree in community health, international development, research methods or related field.**
· Experience of working/volunteering internationally in a research or MEL capacity; WASH or related community health capacity desirable.**
· Experience in the design and implementation of MEL frameworks for international development and/or community health sectors, including for quantitative and qualitative data.**
· Experience in participatory approaches to MEL is desirable.**
· Experience using STATA, SPSS, or R is desirable.**
· Experience using data collection platforms, such as Open Data Kit, is desirable.**
· Clear demonstrable understanding of research ethics.**
· Ability to work with and build the capacity of staff and partners to implement MEL systems.**
· Demonstrable experience of data analysis and report-writing.**
· Have the ability and desire to work with teams from different economic and cultural backgrounds and across multiple language barriers.**
· Have excellent communication skills, including a sound ability to adapt material for different audiences and across sensitive topics, such as menstrual hygiene management.**
· Be able to work both independently and as part of a multicultural and multilingual team.**
· Have passion and motivation for the work and to enthuse staff and volunteers.**
· Demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to SEED’s ethos and approach and be a good ambassador for SEED at all times.**
· Demonstrate proven ability to recognise and appropriately deal with challenging situations.**
· Demonstrate an awareness of and comfort with increased social and professional responsibility, working at all times with cultural sensitivity and respect.**
· Demonstrate the ability, social skills, and confidence to give clear guidance and support to other members of the team in respect of the philosophy and procedures of SEED in order to protect both their safety and the reputation of the NGO.**
· Be able to work to and advocate for all of SEEDs policies and procedures, safeguarding those that SEED works with and reporting any concerns appropriately.**
· Be punctual and be able to work to tight deadlines in an organised manner and to a high standard.**
· Have a flexible and patient attitude.**
· Have excellent problem-solving skills.
· Knowledge of or willingness to learn French and/or Malagasy is desirable.**
Allowance and practicalities
The post attracts contributions to the living expenses of the post holder. This consists of:
· 1,200,000MGA/month
· £1,000 towards the cost of flights;
· £400 towards the cost of insurance
· The successful candidate will need to bring their own laptop computer (non-tablet).
This vacancy is archived.