Background

Family Health Services (FHS), has partnered with the government of Malawi through the Ministry of Health (MoH) in safeguarding the health of Malawians by using private sector approaches to reconfigure healthcare delivery– (i) through directly delivering innovative social and behaviour change communications, social marketing, and social franchising across a wide range of health areas including Reproductive Health, HIV, Malaria and water-borne disease prevention (ii) by playing a market facilitation role, approaching market challenges and opportunities with a system-wide lens that unlocks a self-sustaining market with multiple players that can prioritize, adapt and ultimately thrive without external assistance and funds.

FHS continues to leverage capacities, learnings, and best practices to enhance activities in Malawi. To accomplish its mission, FHS is inviting applications from suitably qualified candidates to fill the vacant position of Monitoring Evaluation Research and Learning (MERL) Officer.

Role Context

Reporting to the MERL Manager the MERL Officer will provide technical leadership to ensure that robust monitoring and evaluation systems, processes, and tools are in place and consistently adhered to for the accurate recording, capturing, analysis, and verification of data within the Reproductive Health programme. The role will be responsible for ensuring that performance against set targets, particularly in the provision of family planning services, is effectively tracked and well documented. The MERL Officer will work closely with programme teams to monitor implementation progress and generate timely reports to inform decision-making. Additionally, the MERL Officer will coordinate closely with district HMIS staff to strengthen data management, reporting, and use at all levels.

Responsibilities

Specifically, she/he will be responsible for the following duties and responsibilities.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Facilitate and participate in developing, updating and reinforcing consistent use of the standard M&E data collection tools, reporting templates and guidelines.
• Facilitate and participate in updating and maintaining the DHIS2 electronic data capture systems.
• Lead the design and implementation of research studies including review of study reports.
• Work with implementing partners to review their progress on monitoring and evaluation and provide technical support to them to implement any required M&E related changes.
• Carry out regular verification monitoring and supportive supervision of the ongoing program implementation to measure progress implementation of the projects/programs.
• Coordinate regular monitoring visits and joint verification visits with MOH, Partner (and donor) staff.
• With lead from the MERL Manager, perform regular data quality assessments.
• Facilitate and identify the challenges or trouble shooting issues that affect successful implementation of the projects/programs.
• Lead in the data analysis for internal qualitative and quantitative research studies.
• Share data to internal and external stakeholders to share lessons learnt.
• Facilitate training or orientation of all relevant program staff, partners on the standard M&E data collection tools, reporting templates and guidelines.
• Assist program managers and implementing partners to use data for decision-making and program adjustments.
• Train and supervise research assistants and data officers in data collection and reporting.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the MERL Manager.

QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE, ABILITY, AND SKILLS

• Bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Demography, Economics, Community Development, Public Health, or a related field.
• 2-3 years experience in Monitoring, Evaluation and Research of Health projects.
• Excellent ability in use of data systems like MS Excel, Access, STATA, SPSS, ODK and DHIS2 (desirable) for analysis and reporting.
• Ability to work collaboratively in team-setting.
• Proven knowledge and experience with qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis.
• Experience in developing mobile data collection tools.
• Proven ability in managing and providing training to program staff on M&E.
• Demonstrated ability to champion data use initiatives targeting project staff and partners.
• Desired prior data management and data analysis experience.
• Ability to travel to the project-supported districts as needed.
• NGO experience preferred.
• Experience in working in a team environment is preferred.
• Proficiency in standard Microsoft software.
• Must be able to work with minimal supervision and willing to take initiative to support team members.
• Strong writing skills and experience drafting reports required.
• Fluency in English required.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work efficiently and quickly in a fast-paced environment.
• Willingness to travel approximately 50% of the time.

• Facilitate and participate in developing, updating and reinforcing consistent use of the standard M&E data collection tools, reporting templates and guidelines.
• Facilitate and participate in updating and maintaining the DHIS2 electronic data capture systems.
• Lead the design and implementation of research studies including review of study reports.
• Work with implementing partners to review their progress on monitoring and evaluation and provide technical support to them to implement any required M&E related changes.
• Carry out regular verification monitoring and supportive supervision of the ongoing program implementation to measure progress implementation of the projects/programs.
• Coordinate regular monitoring visits and joint verification visits with MOH, Partner (and donor) staff.
• With lead from the MERL Manager, perform regular data quality assessments.
• Facilitate and identify the challenges or trouble shooting issues that affect successful implementation of the projects/programs.
• Lead in the data analysis for internal qualitative and quantitative research studies.
• Share data to internal and external stakeholders to share lessons learnt.
• Facilitate training or orientation of all relevant program staff, partners on the standard M&E data collection tools, reporting templates and guidelines.
• Assist program managers and implementing partners to use data for decision-making and program adjustments.
• Train and supervise research assistants and data officers in data collection and reporting.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the MERL Manager.

• Excellent ability in use of data systems like MS Excel, Access, STATA, SPSS, ODK and DHIS2 (desirable) for analysis and reporting.
• Ability to work collaboratively in team-setting.
• Proven knowledge and experience with qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis.
• Experience in developing mobile data collection tools.
• Proven ability in managing and providing training to program staff on M&E.
• Demonstrated ability to champion data use initiatives targeting project staff and partners.
• Proficiency in standard Microsoft software.
• Must be able to work with minimal supervision and willing to take initiative to support team members.
• Strong writing skills and experience drafting reports required.
• Fluency in English required.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work efficiently and quickly in a fast-paced environment.

• Bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Demography, Economics, Community Development, Public Health, or a related field.
• NGO experience preferred.
• Experience in working in a team environment is preferred.