Back (RFP300381) – Senior Research Associate- MEL – Nairobi, Kenya

THE ORGANIZATION

The Alliance of Bioversity International & CIAT delivers research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people's lives. Alliance solutions address the global crises of malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.

The Alliance works with local, national, and multinational partners across Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and Africa, and with the public and private sectors. The Alliance is part of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future, dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources and ecosystem services.

About the Project

Building Equitable Climate-Resilient African Bean and Insect Sectors (BRAINS) project is a project funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and implemented by the Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA) within the Alliance of Bioversity & CIAT in partnership with the International Centre for Insect Ecology and Physiology (icipe). BRAINS is an initiative to promote low-carbon, climate-resilient economies in 15 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. The project will enhance climate resilience among women, youth farmers, and value chain actors through accelerated delivery of participatory climate-smart technologies/innovation development. It also aims to build enterprises that invest in carbon-neutral, climate- resilient and gender-responsive business development. Beans, fruit trees, and insect value chains offer opportunities for transformative changes in Africa. BRAINS will leverage PABRA and icipe network, products and past investments across Africa to scale up climate adaption impacts across the 15 implementing countries, directly and indirectly, benefiting 10 and 50 million people, respectively. 

Job Description
We are seeking to recruit a Senior Research Associate-Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) who will support BRAINS project MEL efforts, oversee collection, analysis, and utilization of data to track project progress, assess impact, and facilitate evidence-based decision-making. The Senior Research Associate-MEL will work closely with the BRAINS project coordination teams, Bean program & PABRA Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning  specialist, NARS and private sector partners, consultants on all MEL activities and reporting.

Responsibilities:

MEL System Development:

• Under supervision, support the design, development, and implementation of a comprehensive and participatory (partner-centred) MEL framework in alignment with the approved project objectives and donor requirements.
  
• Support development of develop digital MEL tools and protocols to guide data collection, analysis, and reporting throughout the project lifecycle.
  
• Co-establish data quality assurance procedures to ensure collected data is accurate, reliable, and complete.
  Data Collection and Management:
  
  • Collect data regularly with partners to measure achievement against the performance indicators. Subsequently, the Senior Research Associate- MEL will update activity dashboards to track project progress against indicators and targets.
    
  • Maintain and administer the M&E database; analyze and aggregate findings.  Ensure continuous updating of the project database and tools.
    
  • Manage databases and information systems for storing, organising, and analyzing project-related data.
    
  • Collaborate efficiently with all project partners across the provinces and ensure that everyone involved in the project components can access the database.
    Monitoring and Reporting:
    
    • Monitor the implementation of the project against planned activities, timelines, indicators, and targets while identifying any deviations and challenges.
      
    • Under supervision, prepare and share periodic progress reports, dashboards, and presentations on key performance indicators, achievements, and lessons learned for internal and external stakeholders.
      
    • Ensure timely sharing of MEL reports with project partners, donors, and other relevant stakeholders. Reports should highlight successes, challenges, and recommendations while ensuring accurate communication of project progress.
      Impact Assessment and Learning :
      
      • Support initiatives to evaluate the transitional impact and effectiveness of the BRAINS project interventions.
        
      • Carry out evaluations, surveys, and studies to assess changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours among project beneficiaries.
        
      • Organise learning workshops, reflection sessions, and knowledge-sharing events to encourage continuous improvement and adaptive management.
        
      • Co-lead impact assessments and evaluations to assess the effectiveness and outcomes of the project interventions.
        Capacity Building and Support :
        
        • Provide training and technical support to the BRAINS project staff, partners, and stakeholders on MEL concepts, tools, methodologies, and systems to enhance their capacity and understanding of MEL practices.
          
        • Enhance the ability of BRAINS project partners to collect, analyse, and utilise MEL data for decision-making and accountability.
          
        • Cultivate a culture of evidence-based learning and data-driven decision-making within the project team and partners to encourage continuous improvement and informed actions.
          
          

          Requirements

          • Postgraduate degree in Monitoring and Evaluation, Management, agribusiness, Economics, Development Studies, or related sustainable agriculture fields.
            
          • A minimum of three years of relevant experience in MEL, preferably within the context of gender-focused agriculture or rural development projects.
            
          • Familiarity with donor MEL requirements and standards, particularly those related to GAC, is essential, alongside excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with diverse teams and stakeholders.
            
          • Experience in supporting development and implementation of design, M&E systems from project initiation to closeout stages.
            
          • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret and synthesize complex data sets.
            
          • Proficiency in data management tools such as ODK and analysis software such as Excel, R, SPSS, STATA and programming. 
            
          • Familiarity with donor MEL requirements and standards, particularly those related to GAC.
            
          • Experience working with CGIAR or other international organisations and familiarity with working in Sub-Saharan Africa is desirable but not mandatory.
            
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            Terms of Employment