Assistant Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist Job Location: Accra Languages Required: English

Background

The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) is an independent, not-for-profit research and advocacy think tank, working to advance democracy, good governance, and inclusive economic growth.  CDD-Ghana works to complement the broader objectives of strengthening democratic governance, the principles of popular participation, and the demand for public accountability.  The Center harnesses the power of evidence-based research, ideas, and partnerships to encourage dialogue, inform and influence public policy.

The Assistant Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist will be part of the Center’s M&E team responsible for the Center’s overall strategic performance as well as learning culture through effective utilization of M&E information across its programs and projects.  Under the overall guidance of the Director of Programs & Operations and direct supervision by Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist, the Assistant M&E Specialist will be responsible for monitoring and evaluating the program and research outputs of CDD-Ghana and for ensuring that the strategic vision of the Center’s projects is maintained and that its activities result in the achievement of all intended outcomes in a cost-effective and timely manner.

Works with: Program Coordinator[s], Team Leaders of CDD-Ghana thematic program and operations clusters, Information and Technology Lead, and Communications Team Lead. Duties/Responsibilities 

• Collaborate closely with Program Coordinator[s] and Team Leaders of program clusters to ensure effective and timely reporting of M&E information; ensuring all MEL records are up-to-date before the end of the reporting period to enable correct and timely narrative reports;
• Develop/adopt an integrated database of all program/projects and ensure accountability through regular data updates, and data integrity;
• Track the performance of the project activities and outputs against expected results and adjust implementation processes to ensure projects are progressing towards the intended outcomes;
• Develop M&E plans for all projects and proposals and ensure the same is followed up during implementation;
• Ensure all projects/programs have updated work plans and performance management plans (PMPs) in tandem with all approved proposals, regularly reviewing and updating them as needed;
• Provide alerts to the respective Team Leaders on corrective actions required to avoid delays in implementation of projects activities, including flagging operational issues and risks requiring timely actions;
• Ensure that cross-cutting issues of inclusivity such as SDGs, gender, age, and disability are effectively addressed/mainstreamed in all project implementation;
• Develop and improve knowledge sharing, and learning mechanisms, for the organization;
• Analyze the impact of projects and promote learning by documentation of best practices. Use this information to support decision-making processes;
• Track program progress, projects’ expenditure against approved budgets, anticipate any deviations and recommend and act on relevant and required adjustments;
• Monitor all project activities, expenditures, and progress towards achieving value for money
• Monitor the sustainability of project results for securing multi-year grants;
• Suggest strategies for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the projects/programs by identifying bottlenecks in completing activities and developing plans to minimize or eliminate such bottlenecks;
• Report monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, and annual progress on all project activities to the Program Coordinator[s];
• Provide inputs, information, and statistics for quarterly, annual, and other reports to the Program’s Coordinator;
• Assist the Program Coordinator[s] in preparing relevant reports;
• Ensure accurate quality narrative and financial reports are submitted in a timely manner and in accordance with donor requirements;
• Assist project personnel with M&E tools as well as support them in their use  Perform other duties as required;

Functional Competencies

• Organizes and accurately completes multiple tasks by establishing priorities while taking into consideration special assignments, frequent interruptions, deadlines, available resources, and multiple reporting relationships;
• Extensive knowledge in Results-Based Management (RBM);
• In-depth knowledge in web-based M&E systems;
• Excellent communication skills (written and oral): Sensitivity to and responsiveness to all partners, respectful and helpful relations with donors and project staff
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
• Demonstrates strong oral, written and presentation skills

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

University Degree (Bachelor’s or Master’s) in Statistics, Public Policy, International Development, Economics, or related field.

Experience

• At least 5 years’ experience in the design and implementation of Results-Based Management for development projects implemented by national/international and local NGOs/donors/funding agencies;
• Experience in designing tools and strategies for data collection, analysis, and production of reports;
• Demonstrated experience of statistical packages and/or data analysis software (e.g. SPSS, Excel Strata) and advanced computer skills (word processing, spreadsheets, and databases are a must);
• Strong training & facilitation skills.