MEL MANAGER x1

JOB ADVERT

MEL MANAGER x1

Kwa Zulu-Natal

Project Description:

ACHIEVE is a USAID-funded global project whose primary goal is to reach and sustain HIV epidemic control among pregnant and breastfeeding women, adolescents, infants, and children. To reach this goal, ACHIEVE supports orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) and DREAMS service delivery, provides technical assistance to strengthen social welfare systems and improve service quality and reach, and supports capacity development for local partners to sustain services at the community level. ACHIEVE is led by Pact, in partnership with Jhpiego, Palladium, No Means No Worldwide, and WI-HER. ACHIEVE also has a network of resource partners, that are engaged on an as needed basis for technical support.

Within South Africa, ACHIEVE continues to expand on USAID/PEPFAR investment. Current activities can effectively be categorized into four service streams: OVC comprehensive, OVC DREAMS Family Strengthening, DREAMS Intensive Economic Strengthening (IES) and above site technical assistance. This includes a heightened focus on direct services to OVCAY, including monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activities to effectively record and report on service outcomes. 

Position Description:

The Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Manager will lead ACHIEVE’s MEL activities in KwaZulu Natal Province with a focus on the project’s orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) comprehensive case management (CCM) program. The MEL Manager will be responsible for establishing MEL processes and ensuring they are implemented with fidelity. Under the supervision of the MEL Director, s/he will conduct regular data quality audits, support CCM data use at the provincial and national levels, and contribute to reports on CCM. The MEL Manager may also support ACHIEVE’s DREAMS activities in KZN in collaboration with the DREAMS MEL staff, as needed.

Minimum Key Responsibilities and duties:

1. Contribute to the development and implementation of systems to track project activities, outputs, and results to ensure they are on track to meet targets.

2. Develop and update MEL tools for OVC comprehensive case management

3. Develop and implement standard operating procedures (SOPs), guidance, and tools for CCM MEL activities

4. Provide training, coaching, and mentoring to KZN-based data support officers (DSOs) on using the MEL tools and capturing data in the Community-based Intervention Monitoring System (CBIMS) database

5. Supervise KZN-based DSOs supporting CCM MEL activities

6. Coordinate with provincial programmatic and technical staff to ensure alignment and integration of MEL tools and processes with OVC CCM service delivery

7. Conduct monthly routine data quality assessments (RDQAs) of CCM data to ensure high-quality data are captured and reported

8. Support the MEL Director with analysis of CCM data and provide weekly updates using dashboards and written reports. Ensure the strategic and real-time use of data for program planning, monitoring, and reporting.

9. Contribute to donor reports, including semi-annual and annual DATIM reporting, narratives, and bi-weekly PowerPoint presentations

10. Develop and utilize analytical tools to inform and support decision-making at provincial, district, and site levels of the program

11. Ensure that CBIMS is used effectively by MEL staff, develop and use dashboards/reports within the system, and flag functional/operational challenges with the MEL Director if they arise

12. Provide technical support to program managers and the MEL team on OVC CCM interventions.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

1. A master’s degree in Social, Behavioural or Health Sciences with practical experience in developing and implementing monitoring and evaluation activities in the HIV/AIDS health sector.

2. 5 years’ relevant professional experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning design, data collection and analysis, indicator construction, curriculum development and computer software, i.e., Microsoft Suite, particularly Excel and donor database systems including CBIMS and DATIM.

3. Experience working on PEPFAR and/or USAID-funded programs; experience conducting MEL for OVC comprehensive case management programs highly preferred.

4. Proven leadership and inter-personal skills and ability to build and motivate diverse and talented teams.

5. Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.

6. Valid South African driver’s license.

7. Eligibility to work in South Africa.

8. Must be willing to travel within the KZN province.

Only applicants possessing the prescribed minimum qualifications and experience are invited to submit their electronic CVs and application letters with a subject line “MEL Manager - KZN” to

merlapps@pactworld.org 

Closing Date:  16 September 2024

Pact reserves the right to verify all information provided by candidates including credit rating. Please note that correspondence will be limited to short listed candidates only and if you do not hear from us within 3 weeks after the closing date kindly accept that your application was unsuccessful.