Overview
Research Triangle Institute (RTI) has over 30 years’ experience assisting governments, communities, and the private sector. As a not-for-profit, independent research institute based in North Carolina, USA, RTI has roughly 6,000 employees with global experience implementing international development projects. RTI’s Sustainable Growth & Resilience (SG&R) technical unit within the International Development Group brings together RTI experts and capabilities across food security, agriculture, energy, environment, water, governance, and economic opportunity. SG&R will leverage RTI’s experience designing and delivering multisectoral programming and technical solutions to respond to climate change, build resilience, and promote economic growth around the world.

SG&R’s Global Food Security and Agriculture portfolio is working to strengthen agricultural markets, engage youth and women as critical leaders of the on- and off-farm workforce, and tackle the dual burden of malnutrition around the globe. RTI’s work is helping foster stronger food systems, reduce malnutrition in all its forms, build resilience and engage the next generation of food security leaders. RTI is currently partnering on nearly 30 projects in East Africa, including activities focused on private sector-driven agricultural growth in Rwanda and market systems development in Kenya.

Project Description
The purpose of the Feed the Future Liberia Food Security, Nutrition and Resilience (FSNR) activity is to improve Liberia’s food and nutrition security and households’ resilience. This is a five-year activity that targets smallholder farmers, subsistence farmers, cooperatives, women, and youth groups in rural and peri-urban communities. The program is based in Monrovia, Liberia and provides programming in Lofa, Bong, Nimba, Margibi, Grand Bassa, and Montserrado communities.

Position Description
RTI is seeking a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Manager for the Feed the Future Liberia FSNR activity. The MEL Manager will provide overall leadership, coordination, and technical supervision for all MEL aspects of the activity. This position will lead efforts to collect and analyze data related to activity performance, conduct and/or organize performance evaluations, and organize and conduct assessments, studies and other analyses to better understand local context.

This is a Key Personnel position that reports to the Chief of Party (COP) and is based in Monrovia, Liberia.

Responsibilities

• Develops, maintains, and oversees the implementation of Activity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan.
• Develop FSNR database in partnership with sub-partners
• Develop and test data collection and data collection/survey instruments, ensuring alignment with standard USAID and Feed the Future indicator definitions and methods
• Oversees and coordinates data collection for all indicators and design and implementation of qualitative assessments
• Develops and oversees data quality procedures at multiple levels, including data entry, data aggregation, and data reporting
• Ensure the set up or establish a MEL filing system for the proper storage of data and reports
• Analyze and interpret findings for regular reports to USAID, including events summary reports
• Coordinates development of indicator targets
• Oversees monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting
• Supports USAID to plan and facilitate FSNR DQAs and contribute to internal DQAs as needed
• Works with USAID to deliver Environment Mitigation and Monitoring Plan training for FSNR and partner staff
• Designs and helps delivers comprehensive MEL training to all relevant staff, including partner staffs, with program implementation activities and MEL responsibilities
• Leads FSNR’s learning agenda and oversees overall management of Collaboration, Learning and Adapting (CLA) activities including internal pause and reflect sessions and external learning events to ensure data and evidence is shared, discussed, and used for adaptive management
• Plays a coordinating role with other USAID projects, effectively sharing learning across the portfolio of USAID activities.
• Implements innovative digital solutions to data collection.
• Contributes to project efforts to build the MEL and CLA capacities of local partner organizations and other relevant stakeholders.
• Provides input into the annual workplan and supervises the implementation of MEL-related workplan activities to ensure that performance schedules are observed, and outputs are completed according to schedule.
• Works closely with the Communications and technical teams to Communicate results and lessons learned

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Arts (BA)/Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in statistics, economics, monitoring and evaluation, development studies or other relevant field and 12 years of experience, a Master’s degree and 10 years of experience, PhD and 6 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum five (5) years of work experience as a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Manager, Senior Specialist or equivalent position.
• Direct experience working on MEL for agriculture, food security, nutrition, and/or resilience programs is strongly preferred.
• Direct experience in Africa is strongly preferred.
• Prior experience working on MEL in alignment with the U.S. Feed the Future monitoring requirements is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to develop, manage and implement the activity’s M&E systems, including relevant performance indicators, baselines, and annual targets and ensure compliance to USAID requirements, specifically Feed the Future.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise the collection and analysis of data and reporting on performance indicators by other team members and project counterparts, with key responsibilities to work with technical staff members to manage their reporting inputs and contributions.
• Demonstrated ability to oversee project reporting, data collection and management, and indicator documentation in alignment with the activities approved Annual Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan.
• Experience with MEL that measures and promotes gender and social inclusion preferred.
• Experience in providing technical assistance to local partners, organizations, and grantees preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of reporting procedures, best practices, guidelines, methods, and approaches for MEL.
• Adherence to highest standards of ethics and data integrity.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated managerial skills.
• Professionally proficient and fluent in written and spoken English.