Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Officer, Project Mesha – Aga Khan Foundation (AKF)

Apply by 10 Jun 2023

The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) brings together human, financial, and technical resources to address some of the challenges faced by the poorest and most marginalized communities in the world. Special emphasis is placed on investing in human potential, expanding opportunity, and improving the overall quality of life, especially for women and girls. The Foundation primarily works across seven thematic areas – agriculture and food security, climate resilience, economic inclusion, education, early childhood development, health and nutrition, and the strengthening of community institutions to lead development interventions. AKF is a member of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), a group of 11 development agencies addressing the needs of poor and marginalized communities in more than thirty countries where it operates.

AKF started its operations in India in 1978, and today implements programs in both rural and urban areas across six states (Bihar, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Delhi).

Project Details

Supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, AKF (India) is implementing an ambitious program in district Muzaffarpur, Bihar, to transform and improve the quality of life of landless and marginal farming households through improvements in small ruminant production, increasing and strengthening the role of women in the small ruminant value chain, and demonstrating an implementation model that can be expanded at significant scale through public investment. Project Mesha, as the initiative is called, proposes to work directly with over 50,000 women SHG members in four blocks of district Muzaffarpur, and demonstrate proof of concept of a model for small ruminant development, poverty reduction and women’s empowerment. In addition, Project Mesha is also supporting the state rural livelihoods mission (JEEViKA) for scaling up Project Mesha approaches in three additional blocks in district Muzzafarpur (Minapur, Motipur and Paroo blocks) benefiting an additional 20,000 women SHG members. In collaboration with JEEViKA, AKF has scaled-up Project Mesha approaches across 20 districts in the state.

Position Summary

AKF (India) seeks to employ a highly committed, result driven and articulate individual to coordinate and implement the monitoring, evaluation and learning framework of Project Mesha. The incumbent is expected to ensure smooth functioning of the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system and deliver timely reporting in accordance with donor reporting protocols. In addition, the position will support the conduct of internal surveys and evaluations contributing to project learning and strengthening implementation, and external surveys (e.g., outcome surveys, Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index, Lean Data surveys). The M&E Officer will coordinate the replication of the MIS/M&E approaches of Project Mesha across the seven blocks (four direct implementation blocks and 3 JEEViKA intensive support blocks) of Muzaffarpur. The M&E Officer will work in close coordination with the nodal person in JEEViKA (for the three intensive blocks) and under the guidance and supervision of the Sr. Programme Officer (M&E).

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the Project Mesha MIS and monitoring and evaluation framework across the project blocks of Muzaffarpur. In particular, support and oversee the work of the MIS Assistants at the cluster level.
• Be fully responsible for ensuring regular data entry in the project MIS, identifying and responding to challenges faced by the pashu sakhis/ MIS
• Assistants, and providing handholding support to pashu sakhis/ MIS Assistants as required.
• Undertake regular field visits to monitor and track data entry and identify/ resolve emerging challenges
• Work closely with the Team Leader and Sr. Programme Officer (M&E) to ensure the smooth functioning of the M&E system to measure achievement against the performance indicators
• Maintain and administer the M&E database; analyse and aggregate findings, generating learning to strengthen project implementation and assess project results and impact.
• Develop monthly, quarterly, half-yearly and annual progress reports, tracking progress against the approved workplan.
• Review the project Theory of Change and assess the extent to which the project has achieved the targets and key milestones. Under the guidance of the Sr.
• Programme Officer (M&E) assess the requirement of revisiting/ updating the project Theory of Change.
• Convene regular learning meetings with the project implementation team to share the results from the project MIS and M&E systems and discuss corrective action where there is a delay in the achievement of agreed targets and milestones.
• Design internal surveys and evaluations working in close collaboration with the Programme Officer (M&E) and support the conduct of external surveys and evaluations.
• Draft Terms of Reference for external evaluations and studies, working in close collaboration with the Sr. Programme Officer (M&E).
• Identify and document the best practices and key lessons learned in the project and ensure collection of qualitative evidence of project outputs.
• Develop database management systems as required for collection of data manually.
• Document reports on M&E findings and case studies and prepare presentations based on M&E data as required.
• Support the process of regular updation of the tablet-based MIS application.
• Regularly review the Project Mesha online MIS and support in ensuring real time data entry, data validation
• Identify and communicate the key issues reported in data management and support the resolution of these issues.
• Provide necessary support to the cluster offices for data collection, data aggregation, analysis and presentation.
• Regularly review the data entry and emerging results of the community goat breed improvement programme of Project Mesha
• Train and provide handholding support to Pashu Sakhis on all data collection templates in consultation with JEEViKA.
• Develop database management systems for collection of data manually in the three intensive blocks in consultation with the JEEViKA team.
• Gather and analyse pre and post training assessment data of pashu sakhis and JEEViKA staff before and after completion of training.
• Ensure timely data collection on incomes and services delivered by pashu sakhis to the goat rearers (in the intensive blocks) in consultation with JEEViKA.
• Conduct validation exercise of the data collected from the field on a sample basis in coordination with JEEViKA team under the guidance of the Programme Officer-M&E, Project Mesha, AKF
• Carry out any other duties as may be assigned from time to time.

Qualifications and Skills Required

• A postgraduate degree in Social Sciences/ Statistics or Rural Development will be desirable.
• Minimum of 3 years of professional experience in project monitoring & evaluation, MIS and database management with leading NGOs or Government programs.
• Preference will be given to candidates having a high degree of computer literacy and experience of working on livelihood projects
• S/he must have excellent documentation, analytical and interpersonal skills along with strong organizational ability; must be able to establish systems for gathering, analyzing and evaluating a range of data and converting them into useable information; learning and knowledge products:
• Proficient with MS Office, especially in MS Excel and/or Database Management
• Excellent documentation and communication skills English and Hindi (both written and verbal) is desirable
• Ability to work under pressure with multiple tasks, demands and deadlines with a positive and constructive attitude
• Willingness to travel extensively in the project area

How to apply

To apply

Please submit your updated CV, accompanied by a cover letter stating the reasons for your interest in the position by 10th June using the link below.

https://forms.gle/MfXaXEYaf9wE3hKo8

The Aga Khan Development Network is an international group of private, non-denominational development agencies and institutions that seek to empower communities and individuals, often in disadvantaged circumstances, to improve living conditions and opportunities. Visit us at www.akdn.org

The Aga Khan Foundation is committed to the principles of equal opportunity and will strive to ensure that all job applicants, staff and volunteers, do not suffer negative discrimination on the basis of their religion, race, caste, color, nationality, social class, sex, place of birth, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, HIV status, age etc. or any combination of these.