Overview

The Monitoring & Evaluation Officer will work closely with Programme Staff in supporting a culture and practice of reliable planning, monitoring, evaluation, accountability and reporting for Malawi office. This includes developing, updating and coordinating monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activities and events within Sparkle Foundation and its partners, building the capacity of Sparkle staff, network members and partners in M&E, and promoting MEAL knowledge transfer internally and externally. The position will ensure that MEAL systems and capacity building effectively serve Sparkle, Network members and partners in the country, adhering to Sparkle Foundation guidelines and policies.

Key duties and responsibilities

• To develop and implement a robust monitoring and evaluation system that will ensure tracking of project/ programme results at different levels (outputs, outcomes and impact).
• To work in collaboration with the data processor/programme officers in conducting weekly data updates
• Work with programme officers to ensure relevant and appropriate data on nutrition, health and education data is collected needed for an effective MEAL system which will be utilized in monitoring strengths, weaknesses and gaps in existing in Sparkle programs and services and for reporting on donor commitments.
• Develop/review existing data collection tools for the current country programmes
• To maintain and update the overall indicator tracker based on programme data submissions from the pm, sparkle foundation Malawi programme
• Work closely with programme staff to collect community feedback and ensure that feedback to county offices implementing the programme is within time.
• Develop programme M&E plans for all projects and proposals and ensure the same is followed up during implementation;
• Ensure all grants have updated work-plan and performance management plan (PMPs) in tandem with all approved proposals, regularly reviewing and updating as needed
• Carry out data quality assessments/ audits regularly for MEAL data based on agreed indicators to guide decision making
• Provide alert to the respective programme officers on corrective actions required to avoid delays in implementation, including flagging operational issues and risks requiring timely actions.
• Review monthly progress reports from programme staff before submission to the Country Director and ensure they have evidence to back up and provide feedback to the respective staff
• Ensure that cross cutting issues such as participation, gender, age and disability are effectively addressed/ mainstreamed in all project implementations as an accountability issue.

To facilitate the designing and facilitation of Assessments, Surveys and Evaluation

• Assist in the development of TORs for external surveys and consultant recruitments/ selection
• Coordinate the review of all survey reports prepared to ensure quality and accurate reporting
• Liaise with the Country Director to ensure that existing projects and all new projects adhere to accountability requirements by initiating baseline surveys for new projects
• Coordinate all country quarterly and annual reviews across Sparkle programmes

To provide relevant evidence for learning from projects and share learning and provide constructive advice to programme staff in order to ensure quality programme delivery

• Lead programme staff in monitoring the implementation of activities and carry out periodical evaluations meeting laid down standards
• Share lessons learnt from mid and end-line surveys with the Country Director and Programme staff for decision making and improvement of project designs.
• Ensure Sex, Age, Disability Disaggregated Data (SADD), Accountability and Gender standards are consistently adhered in programme delivery
• Build capacity of staff through training to ensure adoption of new data monitoring tools and quality of data collected
• Keep abreast of new approaches and tools on M&E and provide training to Sparkle staff as requested. Enable staff to monitor and evaluate their own efforts, gather relevant data and produce required progress reports.
• Regularly collect data and analyze the Community Feedback to facilitate quality improvement.

education qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Development studies or project management
• Fluency in national language(s) and English (spoken and written).
• Minimum of three (3) years of professional experience in an M & E position responsible for implementing M & E activities in projects.
• Experience in strategic planning and performance measurement, including indicator selection, target setting, reporting, database management, and developing M & E and performance monitoring plans.
• Knowledge of the major evaluation methodologies (e. g qualitative, quantitative, mixed-method and impact) and data collection and data analysis methodologies.
• Experience in designing, implementing and operating project Monitoring tools

desirable personal attributes

• Reliable, accurate and systematic;
• Computer literate with a proven ability to use Microsoft Office Packages
• Goal-oriented, problem solving, independent, committed, innovative and motivated;
• Able and willing to learn and acquire new knowledge relevant to the function;
• Excellent social and interpersonal communication skills and team spirit
• Establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with others
• Understanding of and commitment to confidentiality.

• Develop and implement a robust monitoring and evaluation system that will ensure tracking of project/ programme results at different levels (outputs, outcomes and impact).
• Work in collaboration with the data processor/programme officers in conducting weekly data updates
• Work with programme officers to ensure relevant and appropriate data on nutrition, health and education data is collected needed for an effective MEAL system which will be utilized in monitoring strengths, weaknesses and gaps in existing in Sparkle programs and services and for reporting on donor commitments.
• Develop/review existing data collection tools for the current country programmes
• Maintain and update the overall indicator tracker based on programme data submissions from the pm, sparkle foundation Malawi programme
• Work closely with programme staff to collect community feedback and ensure that feedback to county offices implementing the programme is within time.
• Develop programme M&E plans for all projects and proposals and ensure the same is followed up during implementation;
• Ensure all grants have updated work-plan and performance management plan (PMPs) in tandem with all approved proposals, regularly reviewing and updating as needed
• Carry out data quality assessments/ audits regularly for MEAL data based on agreed indicators to guide decision making
• Provide alert to the respective programme officers on corrective actions required to avoid delays in implementation, including flagging operational issues and risks requiring timely actions.
• Review monthly progress reports from programme staff before submission to the Country Director and ensure they have evidence to back up and provide feedback to the respective staff
• Ensure that cross cutting issues such as participation, gender, age and disability are effectively addressed/ mainstreamed in all project implementations as an accountability issue.
• Assist in the development of TORs for external surveys and consultant recruitments/ selection
• Coordinate the review of all survey reports prepared to ensure quality and accurate reporting
• Liaise with the Country Director to ensure that existing projects and all new projects adhere to accountability requirements by initiating baseline surveys for new projects
• Coordinate all country quarterly and annual reviews across Sparkle programmes
• Lead programme staff in monitoring the implementation of activities and carry out periodical evaluations meeting laid down standards
• Share lessons learnt from mid and end-line surveys with the Country Director and Programme staff for decision making and improvement of project designs.
• Ensure Sex, Age, Disability Disaggregated Data (SADD), Accountability and Gender standards are consistently adhered in programme delivery
• Build capacity of staff through training to ensure adoption of new data monitoring tools and quality of data collected
• Keep abreast of new approaches and tools on M&E and provide training to Sparkle staff as requested. Enable staff to monitor and evaluate their own efforts, gather relevant data and produce required progress reports.
• Regularly collect data and analyze the Community Feedback to facilitate quality improvement.

• Reliable, accurate and systematic
• Computer literate with a proven ability to use Microsoft Office Packages
• Goal-oriented, problem solving, independent, committed, innovative and motivated
• Able and willing to learn and acquire new knowledge relevant to the function
• Excellent social and interpersonal communication skills and team spirit
• Establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with others
• Understanding of and commitment to confidentiality

• Bachelor’s degree in Development studies or project management
• Fluency in national language(s) and English (spoken and written).
• Minimum of three (3) years of professional experience in an M & E position responsible for implementing M & E activities in projects.
• Experience in strategic planning and performance measurement, including indicator selection, target setting, reporting, database management, and developing M & E and performance monitoring plans.
• Knowledge of the major evaluation methodologies (e. g qualitative, quantitative, mixed-method and impact) and data collection and data analysis methodologies.
• Experience in designing, implementing and operating project Monitoring tools