Vacancy: Senior Monitoring Specialist, USAID Ghana MEL

Job Description

Position Description

EnCompass  seeks (Senior) Monitoring Specialist candidates for an anticipated five-year United States Agency for International Development (USAID) monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) program in Ghana. This anticipated project will provide USAID/Ghana with services focused on supporting and facilitating USAID’s capacity to utilize MEL approaches in service of improving development outcomes, and on strengthening the organizational capacity of USAID/Ghana’s strategic partners.

The position will be full-time and be based in Accra, Ghana with travel throughout the country.  

Position Duties and Responsibilities

The (Senior) Monitoring Specialist likely role will support the MEL team by assisting the Mission with its Performance Management Plan (PMP), Data Quality Assessments (DQAs), reviewing implementing partner monitoring and evaluation plans and providing assistance to strengthen them. The (Senior) Monitoring Specialist will also assist in compiling and analyzing performance data for the Mission and presenting that data back to Mission staff to support conversations about the implications of the data for management

Essential functions include:

• Work closely with Mission staff to design and implement the Mission’s PMP.


• Support the Mission in conducting DQAs and developing Performance Indicator Reference Sheets (PIRS).


• Develop data collection tools and oversee collection of accurate, high-quality data.


• Design and implement standardized and specialized training on monitoring for Mission staff and implementing partners.


• Perform regular field visits to implementing partners for on-site mentorship and coaching.


• Supervise other MEL staff working on monitoring and supporting the Mission’s shift to a new performance indicator database.


• Engage fully as a member of the EnCompass staff team, including participating in staff meetings and other EnCompass events, and providing administrative support to other team members as needed


• Other duties as assigned

Required Skills or Experience

Qualifications

• A Master’s degree in a social science, organizational development, development studies or a related field highly preferred


• Minimum of six (6) years of demonstrated experience developing and implementing PMPs and Activity MEL Plans (AMELPs), monitoring instruments, baseline data collection and M&E storage systems on donor-funded projects

Experience and Skills

• Experience conducting and ensuring data quality assessments; setting targets for indicators as well as setting definitions for indicators; and conducting field work/data collection in Ghana


• Advanced degree in statistics, demography, social sciences or a related area


• Strong communication, facilitation and collaboration skills in working with other organizations


• Working knowledge of English required; additional local languages preferred


• Experience supervising staff working on monitoring tasks


• Understanding of knowledge management as it relates to USAID programs an asset


• Ability to work with host-country governments at different levels


• Strong communication, supervision, and management skills required


• Working knowledge of and experience with USG-funded program management, policies, regulations and procedures


• Familiarity with USAID/Ghana Mission is preferred


• Superior skills in written and verbal English required


• Ghanaian citizens are strongly encouraged to apply