Monitoring and Evaluation & Performance Tracking Systems Officer – Chipata - Zambia – USAID Let’s Read Project

  • Full-time

Company Description

Education Development Center (EDC) is a global nonprofit that advances lasting solutions to improve education, promote health, and expand economic opportunity. Since 1958, we have been a leader in designing, implementing, and evaluating powerful and innovative programs in more than 80 countries around the world.

EDC promotes equity and access to high quality education and health services and products that contribute to thriving communities where people from diverse backgrounds learn, live, and work together. We support an inclusive workplace culture that embraces many perspectives and broadens our understanding of the communities we serve, enhancing and enriching our work.    

Job Description

The USAID Let’s Read Project is a 5-year, $48.9 million project in the five target provinces of Eastern, Muchinga, Southern, Northwestern and Western Zambia that works to improve reading outcomes for approximately 1.4 million children attending pre-primary (kindergarten) through to Grades 3 and provide professional development for teachers to support reading interventions in Zambian public and community schools.

Position Description

The Monitoring and Evaluation & Performance Tracking System Officer (M&E PTS Officer), based in Chipata Eastern Province (no relocation allowances are provided for this position), will manage the overall Performance Tracking System at the provincial level and ensure tracking of M&E indicators and that data is fed into the central databases.  This entails collecting, entering and analyzing data for project M&E indicators and special studies, and working with project schools in the province to enter and verify student assessment results in a Performance Tracking System.   The M&E PTS Officer will be responsible for ensuring the timeliness and quality of data collection, entry, analysis and reporting in the province, as per the approved project M&E plan.

Essential functions include (but not limited to):  

  • Assist with establishing monitoring and evaluation system in the province ; 
  • Contribute to the implementation of the project’s M&E plan; 
  • Conduct both quantitative and qualitative monitoring and evaluation data collection activities;
  • Coordinate and assist in data collection by other project staff members or stakeholders, providing training and logistical support, as needed;
  • Verify, clean and enter data into databases; 
  • Analyze data for dashboards, reports and presentations;
  • Trouble-shoot issues with teachers’ use of paper forms and tablets for data entry into Performance Tracking System, and provide technical assistance as needed;
  • File forms according to security and compliance protocols; 
  • Coordinate internal communication on M&E progress and results; 
  • Coordinate temporary M&E staff or consultants;  
  • Conduct regular data verification and quality checks, as per approved plans;
  • Provide other support to M&E team as needed; and 
  • Other duties, as assigned.

Reporting and Organizational Relationships:

The M&E PTS Officer reports to the M&E Director.

Qualifications

The candidate for the position of M&E PTS Officer shall have at a minimum the following qualifications:

Education:

Bachelor’s Degree in the social sciences or related field. 

Skills and Experience:

  • At least 5 years’ experience working with M&E systems, data collection, report writing and operations research;
  • Experience with monitoring program implementation; 
  • Experience in electronic data collection, data cleaning and verification as well as data processing; 
  • Advanced knowledge of Excel for data analysis, including use of formulas, functions and calculations to analyze data required;
  • Knowledge of Excel + Power Query to clean, merge, pivot/un-pivot and transform data preferred;
  • Experience in training and mentoring others in electronic data collection, especially using tablets, preferred;
  • Ability to balance work within a team environment while working with minimal supervision in difficult work environments; 
  • Strong organizational, communication, computer, and interpersonal skills; 
  • Ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders;
  • Detail-oriented and organized; 
  • Must be able to work within a cross cultural setting, negotiate diplomatically, and function well under pressure; and
  • Willingness to travel to provinces covered by the project.

Language:

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of (and proficiency in) Chinyanja, Chitonga, Silozi, Lunda, Luvale, Kiikaonde and Icibemba languages highly preferred. 

Additional Information

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of (and proficiency in) Chinyanja, Chitonga, Silozi, Lunda, Luvale, Kiikaonde and Icibemba languages highly preferred. 

Additional Information

Please note: There will be no relocation allowance provided for this position.

Job Closing Date: 26 March 2020

Due to the volume of applications submitted, only finalists will be notified. No phone calls, please.

Applications submitted without a resume will not be considered.

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EDC is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to enhancing the diversity of its workforce and ensuring an equitable and highly inclusive work environment. EDC is a smoke-free workplace, and offers a supportive work environment, competitive salary, and excellent benefits. Women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.