Meal Specialist- Market System Development- W4R

Job Description

Requirements

• Minimum BA + 5 years or MA + 3 year of relevant professional experience.
• Demonstrated institutional experience in conducting market systems/value chain/GESI assessments, especially in fragile or rural economies.
• Strong academic record in international development, public administration, public policy, public health, or related discipline
• Experience coaching, managing or being involved in directly implementing technology projects.
• Strong understanding of how data, evidence and learning can be used to support design decisions in the implementation of technology projects.
• Understanding and experience of working on projects which have adopted agile project management methodologies.
• Clear understanding of scope and objectives and appropriateness of proposed methodology (qualitative/quantitative balance, market systems frameworks, gender and inclusion lens).

Responsibilities

• Conduct MSD MEL Capacity Assessment and Develop Capacity Strengthening Plan for all MEAL and Program staff
• Review of current MEL systems and practices (including institutional MEL and tech platforms)
• Provide ongoing technical advisory and operational support to apply systems in real time, troubleshoot implementation challenges and strengthen consistency and quality of MEL practice.
• Provide hands-on support to design, adapt, and operationalize MEL systems and tools, ensuring:
• Design and facilitate applied learning session(s) that establishes a foundational understanding MEL for MSD. Introduce and explore core MSD MEL concepts aligned with the DCED Standard, including:
• Systemic change and results chains
• Market actor performance and incentives
• Adoption, behavior change, and sustainability pathways
• Adaptive management and evidence-based decision-making
• Provide coaching and mentoring (individual and small group) tailored to identified gaps
• Integration with DRC existing institutional MEL systems and technology and applicable across the full program portfolio
• Support development and refinement of practical deliverables, including:
• Results frameworks, results chains and key performance indicators
• Measurement and management systems for partnerships and systemic change
• Lead and manage the Monitoring & Evaluation team (including people planning, performance, well-being and development)
• Provide technical support to field-based Monitoring & Evaluation staff with a view to ensure coherence in data collection and analysis to support program development and quality
• Coordination and oversight of all aspects of the Monitoring & Evaluation processes
• Lead all market systems assessment and evaluations
• Conduct periodic activity monitoring and site visits to the field to monitor data collection/implementation
• Capacity building through training, feedback, coaching of the Monitoring & Evaluation and programme staff in data collection, monitoring and analysis
• Enhance Monitoring & Evaluation capacity among staff to ensure accountability, facilitate planning and strengthen service delivery
• Lead the development of an internal MSD MEL Toolkit that captures tested approaches, tools, and lessons for ongoing and future programming, contextualizing and integrating key aspects
• Lead the development of Monitoring & Evaluation strategies, tools and ensure coordination of the Monitoring & Evaluation teams input to the country strategy, proposals and reports.
• Analyze the data gathered and write baseline and impact assessment reports
• Continuously improve and update data collection tools, so they can be used in the Guide creation of an internal MSD MEL Toolkit, including:
• Adapted templates, that enable teams to apply MSD MEL approaches in practice
• Practical guidance notes that clarify how to measure and interpret system-level and attributable change
• Conduct Frequent meetings to revisit and refine the theory of change .
• Support partners to implement agile and adaptive learning approaches into their work
• Guide partners and change agents on how to conduct evaluation and learning experiments and collect and analyse data using the right-level-rigour for the stage of the project. Oversee implementation of learning experiments (such as lean testing, rapid experimentation). Support teams to integrate evidence and learning into project decision making.
• Design and implement research and adaptive learning projects. Identifying appropriate levels of rigour, and appropriate qualitative and quantitative research methods.
• Collect, clean and analyse data and prepare findings for reports, presentations and other outputs. Deliver findings and recommendations which support data driven decision making.
• Deliver high quality presentations internally and externally to implement teams, partners, and funders
• Write research briefs, presentations, and papers that effectively communicate results and program/policy recommendations for a variety of stakeholders (such as funders, implementing partners, external audiences)
• Support outreach activities, including drafting blog posts and coordinating social media campaigns