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Job Title: Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Officer (PME&L Officer)

Organisation: Terre des Hommes Netherlands (TdH-NL)

Duty Station:  Kampala, Uganda

About US:

Terre des Hommes Netherlands (TdH-NL) is an international NGO committed to stopping child exploitation. In East Africa, Terre des Hommes Netherlands works in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia. We support child victims of exploitation with education, psychosocial support, legal assistance, shelter, job opportunities and medical care; while at the same time targeting highly vulnerable children, who are at risk of being exploited, in our prevention activities. We launch public and media campaigns to create awareness on our focus issues and carry out local research into the extent and nature of abuse and exploitation of children.

Job Summary:  

The Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, Research and Learning (PME&L) Officer is expected to support the implementation of the PMEL system and processes in the Uganda Country Office. Where applicable, s/he will be required to strengthen and enhance the PMEL system and for effective knowledge management.

The PME&L Officer will be responsible for the coordination of the research, monitoring, evaluation and learning for projects and programmes in Uganda. With guidance of the Regional PME&L Coordinator, the incumbent will contribute to the development, and implementation of PMEL policies and systems to ensure the quality management of Uganda Country projects and programmes. The post holder will be responsible for data verification, analysis and utilization with an aim of providing management with relevant and timely information for decision making and programme improvement. S/he will support quality programme design ensuring country plans incorporate key PME&L information for adaptive programming or management. The PME&L Officer will work together with the Regional PME&L Coordinator and Uganda team to ensure strengthened knowledge management, effective performance management as well as quality and timely reporting. The officer will provide oversight at country level in issue identification and research linked to the strategy five phases.

The PME&L Officer reports to the Country Manager and provides functional guidance and support to the country team in relation to quality programme/project planning, monitoring, evaluation, research, learning and reporting. He/she will receive technical guidance from the Regional PME&L Coordinator (based at the Regional Office East Africa in Nairobi).

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Programme design and planning

• Provides high quality technical input into inclusive ideation, programme and project development processes, particularly on logic of intervention (Theory of Change, logical frameworks and PMEL plans), with an emphasis on ensuring sound understanding of how changes happen and sound programme logic and objective setting that is informed by contextual information.
• Provides guidance to Uganda Country Office (KCO) team in ensuring that programme quality is embedded in new programmes and projects and that TdH NL quality standards are met.
• Supports TdH NL Uganda Country Office team and partner teams on quality information gathering and analysis at country level to facilitate informed and evidence-based programme and project design.
• Supports programme and project managers to design and monitor PME&L budgets and spending in line with donor requirements.
• Results: Quality project design and implementation planning with sound understanding of how change happens.

Set up and implement monitoring, evaluation research and learning system

• Supports in the development and implementation of a PME&L system and strategy in accordance with TdH NL standards, regulations and instruments – including the definition of specific processes, methodologies and tools– for an optimal accountability process with regard to implemented policies and programmes and/or projects.
• Provides technical advice, training, coaching and support to TdH NL UCO staff, and partner teams in various aspects of planning, monitoring and evaluation to ensure the overall quality of TdH NL and partner teams’ field data collection, data management, and analysis processes.
• Attends M&E country meetings convened by the Regional R&PMEL Coordinator for collective analysis and interpretation of PME&L information.
• Leads in information and knowledge management to ensure appropriate information is collected by project teams and aligned to TdH NL’s Strategic Objective areas and progress on KPIs, which is needed for an effective M&E system.
• Promotes the utilisation of the collected data at country level in monitoring of strengths, weaknesses and gaps in the implementation of the TdH NL’s programmes, adaptation of monitoring plans to ensure achievement of envisaged outcomes and strategic use of information for improvement of programme impact.
• Signals and analyses any improvement points regarding the accountability of the programmes/projects implemented by the organisation, taking into account the applicable laws and regulations.
• Facilitates local analysis and interpretation of PME information as an input to regular narrative reports covering progress of the TdH NL programme. This includes ensuring regular updates of the PRIMAS system.
• Oversees quality assurance of feedback and complaint mechanisms and sharing of accountability findings with programme teams and senior management.
• Exchange of PME expertise and experience between the countries and partners and within the TdH NL organisation.
• Result: PM&E system supported in such a way that standards, regulations and instruments have been developed, data have been analyzed and the UCO project/program activities can be accounted for in a timely and accurate manner.

Strategic research support

• Supports identification of CE issues in Uganda.
• Guided by the strategic plan, provides support on research, evidence generation and use of research products in lobby and advocacy.
• Supports identification and on-boarding of strategic research partners including academia, research think tanks, policy institutions, research NGOs and other local research partners
• Coordinates strategic research components with TdH NL research and advocacy teams in Uganda and the regional office, providing the contextual elements.
• Supports research activities, including advising on methodology, sampling and tool development for relevant research initiatives aligned to TdH NL’s policy and project needs.
• Supports identification of research activity spinoffs from ongoing projects.
• Contributes to program development by monitoring the changing research, identifying opportunities in line with TdH NL strategy and monitoring international best practices and development trends.
• Monitors and follows up on utilisation of recommendations from researches and surveys including establishing key learning and recommendations to inform future research work.
• Result: High quality research in line with the 2021 – 25 strategic plan is generated and informs the strategy phases and actions. Interventions are developed informed by high quality data and evidence.

Evidence based Learning and Reflection

• Promotes evidence based learning through undertaking assessments, baselines and evaluations including operational/action research and documentation at country level in compliance with TdH NL’s evaluation policy.
• Supports the programme teams and partners in extracting lessons learnt and good practices, and documenting case studies which demonstrate qualitative and quantitative changes.
• Analyses and provides monitoring data generated from PMEL systems and used for management purposes in line with appropriate decision making, course adjustments and future designs through reflection and learning forums, events and periodical reviews organised on a regular basis.
• Supports Kenya Country Office in documenting and disseminating innovations and new research findings in line with TdH NL learning framework.
• Synthesises and summarises trends in country monitoring data and data generated from evaluations that can be used to inform global level programming.
• In consultation with the Regional R&PMEL Coordinator takes lead in disseminating Evaluation and Outcome Level findings and track Programme/Project utilisation of Evaluation findings.
• Identifies, tests and rolls out approved innovative PME&L approaches and methods.
• Results: A system for evidence based learning and reflection is in place and utilised by staff and partners to craft and steer interventions. Knowledge generations well anchored in the country and with clear links to the TdH NL research and knowledge hub.

Give advice and provide information

• Is the point of contact for substantive questions regarding the own focus area.
• Provides solicited and unsolicited advice, information, and support regarding the policies pursued and programmes/projects within the organisation and their accountability.
• Generates (management) information for annual plans, the budget, and budget monitoring.
• Result: Advice given and information provided in such a way that those involved have been informed and advised in an expert manner.

Maintain contacts

• Maintains internal and external contacts associated with the function.
• Builds and maintains a network of stakeholder organisations.
• Initiates and develops information and knowledge transfer in the applicable policy area and provides information and advice to internal and external stakeholders.
• Result: Contacts have been maintained in such a way that the organisation is well represented in external PME&L circles.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• The ideal applicant must hold a degree or equivalent in Monitoring and Evaluation, Project Management, Statistics, Demography, or a related field is required. (Masters degree will be an added advantage).
• At least four years practical experience with an INGO/child rights agency in managing data intensive programmes and designing, monitoring, and evaluation methodologies.
• Knowledge of designing and managing PMEL systems at a national level for effective generation of monitoring data used in tracking programmes and improved service delivery and support related to development programming.
• Experience in designing and guiding high level research and evidence based advocacy with ability to translate knowledge into practice is desirable.
• Good understanding of implementing results based monitoring, evaluation and learning systems, results frameworks and theory of change methodology.
• Skills in developing, implementing and evaluating policies.
• Experience in designing PMEL methodologies and tools, and the ability to coach and train others in their use is desirable.
• Experience with qualitative and quantitative PMEL data collection and analysis methods, including tracking outcome indicators, is desirable.
• Experience measuring change in lobby and advocacy and campaigning work is desirable
• Ability to work with interdisciplinary teams and a wide range of program/project activities
• Proven conceptual and analytical skills, ability to take an evidence-based approach to programming.

Competence profile

Analytical capacity

• Understanding the essence of complex issues by logical reasoning, investigation of potential causes, separation of key messages from the mass of detail and acknowledgement of their interdependence.
• Supports and involves others in the immediate vicinity in issue analysis while demonstrating exemplary behavior.

Driving for quality

• Setting stringent requirements for the quality of your own or other people’s work; striving for continuous improvement.
• Sets high standards for the quality of work within the organisational entity and encourages continuous quality improvement.

The power of persuasion

• Expressing opinions convincingly, demonstrating interaction and debating effectively, thereby generating acceptance of viewpoints and ideas.
• Defends and argues points of view with tact and in a clear and convincing manner while taking another opinion into account.

Networking

• Builds relationships and networks that are helpful when realising objectives and utilises informal networks to get things done.
• Actively builds relationships and maintains contacts related to the achievement of personal objectives.

How to Apply:

All interested candidate please send your motivation letter and curriculum vitae by e-mail to: recruitment.africa@tdh.nl clearly demonstrating how you meet the qualifications for this position. The application email subject should be: PME&L Officer Uganda.

The selection procedure will also include an assessment test, and checking of recent professional references.

Deadline: Monday 18^th April 2022 at 1500hrs

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