Senior MERL Advisor Pact Zambia

Pact Overview

At the heart of Pact is the promise of a better tomorrow. A nonprofit international development organization founded in 1971, Pact works on the ground in nearly 40 countries to improve the lives of those who are challenged by poverty and marginalization. We serve these communities because we envision a world where everyone owns their future. To do this, we build systemic solutions in partnership with local organizations, businesses, and governments that create sustainable and resilient communities where those we serve are heard, capable, and vibrant.

Pact is a recognized global leader in international development. Our staff have a range of expertise in areas including public health, capacity development, governance and civil society, natural resource management, poverty, fragile states, monitoring and evaluation, small-scale and artisanal mining, microfinance and more. This expertise is combined in Pact’s unique integrated approach, which focuses on systemic changes needed to improve people’s lives.

Project Overview

Led by CIDRZ, the Services Delivery for HIV Prevention (SDHP)   supports the Government of Zambia to reduce new HIV infections through increased adoption of high impact HIV services and protective behaviors among at-risk populations, using evidence-based and locally owned solutions. The project will be implemented in 9 districts in Lusaka, Copperbelt and Southern Provinces. The overall scope of work for Pact is primarily to provide Technical Assistance (TA) in the overall implementation strategy for DREAMS activities, Community HIV prevention and capacity building for local consortium member organizations.

Position Summary

The Senior MERL Advisor will report to the Pact’s Team lead under SDHP project and SDHP’s MERL Director (under CIDRZ) and lead SDHP monitoring, evaluation, research and learning efforts. S/he shall develop and maintain monitoring, evaluation and reporting systems that include appropriate indicators, baseline data, targets and a plan to evaluate performance and produce timely, accurate and complete reporting. S/he will collaborate with the program team leads to ensure that program objectives are met, all activities are responsive to the needs of the project, and the project continues to advance and play a key role in contributing to the reduction of new HIV infections in Zambia.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide MERL technical leadership and guidance on MERL to SDHP project staff and provincial and district governments on monitoring and evaluation of program implementations and their outcomes.
• Responsible for all oversight of monitoring, evaluation and reporting-related activities and requirements of the project. This includes the development and subsequent annual revisions of the Project’s M&E plan, the development of a monitoring system, and overseeing the maintenance of monitoring data collections systems (including developing and maintaining a project data base).
• Assist partners to develop strong M&E systems to track programming for reporting to SDHP project and the donor.
• Provide M&E training and mentoring to partners and staff to ensure the implementation of strong M&E systems.
• Provide technical oversight and input to the design and implementation of program assessments and evaluations and promote a culture of evidence-based decision making.
• Collect, aggregate, analyze and present data about the project for learning and reporting to the donor and key stakeholders.
• Manage SDHP’s Pact MERL staff directly and coordinate with MERL staff from CIDRZ and other partner organizations.
• Manage the DREAMS Database and training and mentor other MERL staff on the use of the database.
• Coach and train others in designing and utilizing M&E methodologies and tools.
• Liaise with external evaluation team and donor on protocols, tools, and evaluation processes.
• Contribute to quarterly, semi-annual and annual PEPFAR reports and any other MERL related reporting requirements.

Basic Requirement

• A Master’s Degree or higher in Public Health, Social Sciences, or other relevant discipline.
• Minimum 5 years working on monitoring, evaluation and research in the public health and HIV fields with progressively increasing responsibility.
• Hands-on practical experience setting up and managing MER systems for health programs in developing countries, and the ability to coach and train others in their use.
• Knowledge of M&E issues and indicator development for HIV prevention and service delivery strengthening related to HIV/AID
• Familiarity with PEPFAR indicators and reporting requirements
• Excellent report writing, analytical and oral presentation skill
• Experience in knowledge management and dissemination of research findings.
• Demonstrated expertise in designing and implementing rigorous quantitative and qualitative research, rapid appraisals, bio-behavioral surveillance, and methods for data analysis (added advantage).

Preferred Qualification

• Proven leadership in the design, management, implementation, and monitoring & evaluation of large and complex international donor-funded programs. Leadership roles in implementing USAID-funded projects strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience with gender and social inclusion (GESI) mainstreaming approaches strongly prefer.
• Knowledge of USAID policies and procedures preferred.