Everyone deserves the opportunity to build a better future. This simple idea has been at the heart of TechnoServe’s work around the world for over 50 years. TechnoServe is a pioneer in leveraging the power of business and markets to create sustainable pathways out of poverty.

The low-income communities in which we work are full of enterprising people. Their small-scale farms and businesses are the keys to economic development. But they face many challenges: low literacy, lack of access to jobs and markets, unpredictable political dynamics and, increasingly, the effects of climate change. For many women and young people, the challenges are even more daunting. Working with TechnoServe staff, people around the world are lifting themselves out of poverty. The results are amazing…when incomes increase and living conditions for families get better, they are able to access health care and education previously out of reach. Communities and even whole countries are better off.

Job Summary:

TechnoServe seeks a Regional M&E Manager who will provide management of the M&E components of the APY Program in Ghana, which will focus mainly on poultry, soybean, tomato, and rice value chains.

S/he will work closely with the Deputy Program Director, other regional and country management, as well as TechnoServe’s East Africa Regional M&E Adviser. S/he will be responsible for enabling evidence-based decision-making processes by project leadership, timely development of project M&E systems, effective training and implementation of M&E activities and reporting on M&E results.

The M&E Manager will report to the Deputy Program Director.

Program Overview: 

Agriculture Productivity and Youth Program (APY) is a donor-funded program to improve the well-being and resilience of young women and men as a result of strengthened producers, processors, and agribusinesses in Agriculture & Adjacent Sectors. The program will implement a market systems facilitation approach that will leverage private sector actors to achieve more sustainable impacts. Program outcomes include a) Increased productivity of value chain actors in agriculture and adjacent sectors; b) Improved policy implementation to support growth in the relevant sectors; and c) Shift in mindset and fulfillment of youth towards employment and entrepreneurship in the sectors and rural futures.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

• Lead design, analysis, and execution of MEL activities for the program, tracking implementation and results and continually sharing learnings to strengthen the program’s approach.
• Design the initial baseline and subsequent evaluations; oversee baseline data collection and ongoing data collection and performance monitoring.
• Lead the development of the MEL Plan, encompassing a robust Learning Agenda, in close collaboration with the Program Director and donor.
• Drive the program Learning Agenda, including iterative updates based on relevant insights; lead and/or support research priorities over the life of the program, including conducting primary research and interviews with market actors, particularly members of the target group.
• Liaise regularly with the program team to ensure quality data collection and analysis, including ensuring that the program is consistently collecting and analyzing sex-disaggregated data, and tracking rights-based power dynamics to generate insights for gender and youth interventions.
• Facilitate in-depth monthly Learning Review meetings to track progress against the program’s Learning Agenda.
• Foster a culture of learning amongst the program team and partners whereby sharing failure and/or success in achievement of results and communicating learning from implementation challenges is not only encouraged but expected.
• Document and routinely share learning for internal and external audiences, including the donor and stakeholders.
• Develop and support team members in crafting program knowledge management and communications materials such as synthesized learning, technical reports, blogs, social media posts and success stories, etc.
• Liaise with and secure on-demand, strategic STTA from TechnoServe Global Impact Team and Regional MEL Lead, as needed, to leverage expertise and programmatic learning to strengthen ReGenerate program MEL and team capacity.
• Supervise and mentor two MEL Coordinators and generally develop staff and partner MEL capacity, as required.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree with7 years experience, Master’s Degree with 5 years experience in business, economics, statistics or international development-related studies required.
• At least 5 years of experience with M&E methods and approaches, including designing, planning, and implementing M&E systems, analyzing and reporting using a logical framework, results chain and other strategic planning approaches;
• Prior experience developing baseline, mid-term and/or final program assessments/ evaluations and research protocols.
• Demonstrated understanding of – and commitment to challenging – barriers that disadvantage the vulnerable, women and youth and exclude them from economic opportunities.
• Proven track record designing qualitative and quantitative measurement tools for comprehensive MEL, including indicators that advance gender inclusion; experience developing MEL system that tracks systemic and social norm changes that result from women’s economic empowerment considered highly desirable.
• Demonstrated experience monitoring the progress of interventions and using field observations and results management data to update program assumptions.
• Demonstrated experience leading and coordinating consultative planning processes that involve input from a range of sectoral experts and stakeholders toward strengthened evidence-based programming and decision making.
• Proven experience managing, influencing, and motivating internal and external teams and stakeholders.
• Prior work experience in West Africa; Ghana experience strongly preferred. Local candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Preferred Qualifications:

Additional qualifications that would make a candidate more desirable. We seek candidates who bring experience with:

• Experience using statistical analysis software (Stata or similar).
• Experience of developing Monitoring and Results Management (MRM) system for market systems development (MSD) programs.
• Familiarity with the Donor Committee for Enterprise Development (DCED) standards for results measurement.
• Prior experience with collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA) approaches and/or problem-driven iterative analysis (PDIA) and/or political economy analysis (PEA) considered highly desirable.
• Proficiency in Kinyarwanda or French preferred.

Required Languages: Fluency in English with excellent oral and written communication skills required.

Travel: Up to 30% travel to field offices and project sites.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills and project reporting skills a must;
• Strong critical thinking skills, foresight, and vision to actively analyze program activities, challenge assumptions, update theories of change, and make decisions.
• Robust analytical skills; ability to synthesize information and distill insights and conclusions.
• Strong interpersonal and management skills required; Personnel management experience required.
• Ability to develop well written, clearly structured, cohesive analyses and reports in English, quickly and efficiently; very strong attention to details and commitment to high quality, error-free end products.
• Learning mindset and a passion for learning.
• Strong planning skills and experience working to strict time-guidelines;
• Excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills and good computer skills in business software (Excel, MS Project, and PowerPoint); prior experience presenting content in a participatory way at conferences, forums, and workshops and a history of publishing articles/papers or developing blogs highly desirable.
• Detail orientation, including strong organizational, analytical and quantitative skills.
• Results-oriented, with demonstrated experience achieving program targets.
• Proven team player with strong interpersonal and cross-cultural skills.
• Excellent computer skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other administrative applications.

Supervisory Responsibilities – Typically, 4 to 6 senior and mid-level staff including M&E specialists, data collection coordinators, and data analysts. Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams is desired.