Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist – Malaria Consortium Recruitment

Malaria affects most Nigerians and remains a public health problem despite progress in the last two decades. Between 2008 and 2018, even though the overall under-five mortality rate (U5MR) reduced by 15.9 percent, from 157 to 132 per 1000 live births, the reduction in infant mortality rate (IMR) during the same period was less marked: 10.7 percent (from 75 to 67 per 1000 live births), with no noticeable change in the neonatal mortality rate over the same period (NDHS 2019).

Intermittent Preventive Treatment in infants (IPTi) is the administration of preventive antimalarial drugs to infants to provide personal protection against malaria transmission. Under current WHO guidelines, the drug sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) is delivered to infants at approximately 10 weeks, 14 weeks, and 9 months of age during routine immunization services. IPTi is safe, costeffective, well accepted by health workers and communities, and has been found to reduce clinical malaria by 30%, and episodes of anaemia by 21%.

Despite the WHO recommendation to administer IPTi in areas of moderate-to-high transmission since 2010, there has been limited uptake to date. The intervention is not yet recommended as one of the interventions in the Nigerian Malaria Control Policy. A rapid assessment of stakeholders’ perspective on barriers to IPTi policy uptake in Nigeria revealed that providing evidence on feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of the intervention at field level will be key for policy uptake.

Malaria Consortium has been awarded a grant by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to carry out an effectiveness-implementation hybrid project on feasibility and effectiveness of on IPTi in Nigeria. It is aimed at generating the required evidence to inform policy and possible scale-up of IPTi in Nigeria, and ultimately contribute towards a reduction in under 5 mortalities in the country.

Job Purpose

• The M&E Specialist is responsible for developing the overall M&E framework, design and implementation of all M&E related activities, monitoring performance framework, as well as quality reporting on the SP-IPTi project outcomes. It is the responsibility of the M&E Specialist to work with
• National and Subnational government counterparts to develop a scalable M&E framework for delivery of SP-IPTi through the expanded programme on immunization (EPI) platform in Nigeria.

Scope of Work:

• The M&E Specialist is expected to provide timely and relevant information on the project’s progress against performance indicators and critical milestones.
• The post holder will coordinate, organise and supervise data collection, both routine or per specific requests of quantitative and / or qualitative assessments, which will be used to monitor and evaluate project activities, outcomes and impact in line with the project objectives.
• S / he will serve as the main focal person for all MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning) activities of the project and manage the database.
• The position holder will provide technical support to the Surveillance, M&E and OR branch of the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) and the national IPTi Research and Policy uptake subcommittee (NIRPUS) in conjunction with the Research Specialist and Senior Programme Manager. The post holder will be a member of Malaria Consortium’s M&E community of practice.

Key Working Relationships:

• The position holder will be expected to collaborate, coordinate and work closely with all involved in M&E design and implementation, including the Senior Programme Manager, Research Specialist, the Principal Investigator and Co-principal investigator for the SP-IPTi project.
• S / he will liaise closely with the surveillance and data management units of NMEP and NPHCDA to ensure coordination and harmonization of tools and processes.
• The post holder will provide on-going technical support and practical assistance to the state project team, communicating project monitoring outcomes primarily with the project team, serving as bases for strategic planning and programmatic review.

Key Accountabilities
Technical Contributions (30%):

• Develop and implement a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plan to ensure the achievement of project targets and guarantee the quality control of project activities.
• Prepare training materials and plan sessions for field teams to ensure the best achievement on data collection.
• Develop and implement a robust supportive supervision and mentoring framework for health workers at implementation facilities and communities.
• Develop a standard operating procedure (SOP) for sentinel surveillance at the study sites
• Recruit and train sentinel site data collectors on the SOP for sentinel surveillance
• Feed the Field Implementation Managers (FIM) with technical input and ongoing feedback on project outcomes ensuring quality implementation by the teams the FIM`s are supervising.
• Data / information management (30%)
• Organize internal implementation of M&E data collection, management and analysis and donor reporting functions
• Liaise with the respective national and sub-national stakeholders to ensure that the Malaria Consortium database is coherent with the National Program database (HMIS)
• Lead data collection and validation activities for the project
• Design and implement a data quality assurance system for the project
• Be responsible for the data collection, management, and analysis and reporting of any requested survey and of routine monitoring activities
• Design and manage the databases for all monitoring and evaluation activities in relation to this project in collaboration with the Malaria Consortium country office technical team and PI for the research.
• Provide the Field Implementation Managers, the Senior Management Team, the Senior Program Manager and / or Operation Research Specialist with any data needed for management decisions

Communications and Reporting (20%):

• Prepare timely consolidated progress reports, reports on M&E findings for internal as well as for external donor use on monthly, quarterly, semester and/or yearly bases
• Prepare and provide the regular sharing of the outputs of M&E findings with all project staff, implementing partners and stakeholders
• Prepare presentations as requested by Senior Management, Senior Management Team and / or Project team.

Representation and Documentation (20%)

• Participate in relevant meetings at national and sub-national levels and where possible, present results and experiences of the project
• Provide effective support to monitoring visits of donors and / or partners related to both project planning, review and fundraising.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Experience
Essential:

• A postgraduate degree in Statistics, Project Management, Public Health, or a related subject
• Advanced training and vast experience in Monitoring and Evaluation
• At least 5 years of direct work experience in M&E
• Experience with performance monitoring and evaluation for health projects, including developing performance indicators, data collection and analysis
• Experience in developing monitoring and evaluation plans, and supporting documents, including data collection and management guidelines
• Experience with sentinel surveillance and routine immunization
• Experience in HMIS data validation, analysis and evaluation
• Experience in translating data into accessible reports and comprehensive presentations / compilations for diverse audiences
• Experience conducting quantitative and qualitative surveys and its supervision and analysis
• Experience in writing high quality project reports
• A team-oriented individual who demonstrates inclusivity and transparency in their ways ofworking and sharing information. Motivating colleagues working on M&E related tasks

Desirable:

• Experience in working in malaria-related projects/programmes
• Familiarity with DHIS2
• Experience in M&E of routine immunization programmes
• Experience in writing high quality project reports

Work-based skills:
Essential:

• Analytical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Excellent planning and organising skills
• Excellent communication skills both written and spoken in English
• Excellent interpersonal skills and good team spirit
• Excellent knowledge in the use of data management and analysis software
• Willingness to participate in field activities / surveys and travel to remote areas within the project implementation sites
• Ability to follow deadlines, accuracy and attention to detail

Desirable:

• Excellent report writing and presentation skills
• Capable of working with minimum supervision
• Innovative and ideas driven
• Knowledge of project management techniques and tools

Core Competencies

Delivering Results:
LEVEL C – Supports others to achieve results:

• Displays a positive and enthusiastic approach and is not deterred by setbacks, finding alternative ways to reach goals or targets.
• Supports others to plan and deliver results
• Supports others to manage and cope with setbacks

Analysis and use of information:
LEVEL C – Works confidently with complex data to support work:

• Interprets complex written information
• Works confidently with data before making decisions: for example, interpreting trends, issues and risks
• Acquainted with the validity, relevance and limitations of different sources of evidence

Interpersonal and communications:
LEVEL C – Adapts communications effectively:

• Tailors communication (content, style and medium) to diverse audiences
• Communicates equally and effectively at all organisational levels
• Understands others’ underlying needs, concerns, motivations and communicates effectively in sensitive situations
• Resolves intra-team and inter-team conflicts effectively

Collaboration and partnering:
LEVEL B – Collaborates effectively across teams:

• Proactive in providing and seeking support from expert colleagues
• Raises difficult issues with teams/ partners and stakeholders with a view to positive resolution
• Proactive in building a rapport with a diverse range of people

Leading and motivating people:
LEVEL B – Manages own development and seeks opportunities:

• Actively manages own development and performance positively
• Learns lessons from successes and failures
• Seeks and explores opportunities within Malaria Consortium which develop skills and expertise

Flexibility / adaptability:
LEVEL C – Supports others to cope with pressure:

• Responds positively to change, embracing and using new practices or values to accomplish goals and solve problems and supports others to do the same
• Adapts team approach, goals, and methods to achieve solutions and results in dynamic situations
• Sets realistic deadlines and goals for self or team

Living the values:
LEVEL C – Supports others to live Malaria Consortium’s values:

• Demonstrates personal integrity by using position responsibly and fairly
• Cultivates an open culture within the wider team, promoting accountability, responsibility and respect for individual differences

Strategic planning and thinking and sector awareness:
LEVEL B – Is aware of others’ activities and vice versa in planning activities:

• Takes account of team members and others’ workloads when planning.
• Maintains awareness of impact on other parts of the organisation, keeping abreast of other’s
• activities, objectives, commitments and needs
• Has a good understanding of the sector in which Malaria Consortium works

Application Closing Date
19th February, 2021.