DRAFT Scope of Work

USAID Ukraine New Workforce Development Activity

Proposed Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, & Adaptation (MELA) Director

1.    Project Background

DAI is recruiting candidates for the anticipated USAID-funded New Workforce Development Activity in Ukraine. This five-year award, which is expected to be valued in the range of $100-299.99 million, will support the upskilling and retraining of Ukraine’s labor force to adapt to the demographic and workforce shocks caused by war. The award will help adapt employers and employees to structural changes in the labor market and will be a major component of USAID’s Economic Stability and Recovery Initiative (ESRI) for Ukraine.

 

2.    Position Description

The Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, & Adaptation (MELA) Director leads the MELA team and is responsible for the development, implementation, and management of the project’s monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems and activities, ensuring effective, quality, and timely response to the project’s MEL needs. S/he manages information collection, analysis, and dissemination to ensure effective internal and external reporting of the project’s progress toward achievement of key results. S/he is responsible for promoting collaboration and effective knowledge exchange among project partners and external stakeholders and ensures that the project produces and disseminates high-quality knowledge products.

 

3.    KEy Duties & Responsibilities

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL): Develop and, as necessary, refine MEL frameworks, including appropriate indicators (output, outcome, intervention, and impact levels, as applicable) to track the project’s progress toward intended results. Update and maintain the project’s MEL Plan, capturing qualitative and quantitative components based on the project’s contract and work plans and USAID quality standards. Contribute to the development of annual work plans to ensure the integration of appropriate MEL components, including indicators, baselines, and targets. Establish and coordinate effective mechanisms of monitoring project implementation, developing and institutionalizing relevant evaluation tools and processes. Establish and coordinate methods and protocols for systematic data collection and analysis for accurately measuring project achievements against performance indicators. Provide overall quality assurance and control, coordinating and overseeing proper data collection and verification, data entry and cleaning, and data and metadata maintenance to ensure accurate and up-to-date information. Oversee maintenance of the project’s MEL information database, working with project team members and specialists (including the DAI TAMIS team, as necessary) to ensure regular and timely update to facilitate the access of information for data-based decision-making. Provide expert technical support to ensure timely, accurate, and quality measurement of changes in project geographies and intervention areas, including monitoring relevant trends and contextual information, to facilitate effective planning and assess impacts. Provide expert technical support during development of new interventions and work planning to define expected outcomes, outputs, and indicators. Oversee development of quality, dynamic data visualization and reporting, integrating a range of formats for effective planning and reporting. Ensure the quality and accuracy of data and information regarding project progress and results presented to USAID and other stakeholders in donor reports and communications materials. Identify and address challenges in data and information collection, analysis, and management that may impact the quality of project monitoring and reporting. Lead the design and implementation of innovative solutions to address challenges in data collection and monitoring. Ensure that evaluations, assessments, and other MEL products and processes are designed and implemented in accordance with established DAI’s quality standards, and the results are disseminated in a timely manner to stakeholders in order to improve performance and contribute to wider learning. Ensure mainstreaming of gender equality in all aspects of MEL and reporting, facilitation of gender-responsive communications based on corporate principles, and promotion of a safe and enabling environment free of discrimination and abusive behavior. Knowledge Management and Capacity Building: Promote shared responsibilities of MEL tasks and functions among all project staff members and partners through communication, training, and learning and development opportunities. Design and deliver training and capacity building materials for project staff, local partners, and grantees to build their capacity to implement and support MEL functions while upholding USAID and DAI best practices and guidelines for effective, quality MEL. Support project staff and partners to effectively utilize relevant tools and methodologies for planning, monitoring, measuring, and reporting outcomes and progress towards key performance indicators. Coordinate with the grants team to support the implementation and monitoring of grants activities to ensure appropriate data collection and assessment of grant awards’ impacts. Coordinate and collaborate with USAID and other USAID-funded projects, government agencies, other donor organizations and implementing partners, and other relevant organizations to monitor and evaluate evolving challenges and to keep abreast of the latest developments in professional norms, standards, tools, and methodologies. Identify and formulate evaluation and audit findings and lessons learned from evaluations and studies to be integrated into broader DAI knowledge management. Communications and Reporting (in coordination with the communications team): Coordinate data and information inputs for and contribute to the preparation of activity updates, success stories, newsletters, performance reports, and other contractual deliverables and communications products. Ensure the accurate and timely reporting of up-to-date data regarding progress against key performance indicators. Represent the project in professional events and other contexts to present prepared data and information on project progress and results. Serve as the primary point of contact for all official communication and coordination with the MELA team regarding relevant needs and requests. Foster ongoing positive cooperation among project staff, partners, and other stakeholders.

4.    Qualifications

A bachelor’s degree, preferably in a relevant field of study, such as communications, monitoring and evaluation, or international development, is required; master’s degree preferred. Substantive relevant professional experience, demonstrating progressive responsibility, in monitoring, evaluation, learning, and knowledge management, including past experience designing, implementing and managing MEL systems and processes for donor-funded development programs. Applied knowledge of USAID MEL best practices and guidelines, including standard development indicators, is required. Applied knowledge of USAID collaboration, learning, and adaptation (CLA) best practices and guidelines, is strongly preferred. Demonstrated experience in data collection, management, and analysis, plus experience with learning and reporting.

 

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or status as a protected veteran.

DAI and its employees are committed to confronting discrimination in all forms, nurturing respect for our interpersonal relationships, and holding ourselves accountable for positive change within the company and in the communities, cultures, and countries in which we live and work.  DAI is committed to attracting and retaining the best employees from all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds in our continued effort to become a better development partner.

DAI upholds the highest ethical standards. We are committed to the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment as well as other ethical breaches. All our positions are therefore subject to stringent vetting and reference checks.

 

DAI ORGANIZATION AND VALUES

DAI is a global development company with corporate offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, EU, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Palestine and project operations worldwide. We tackle fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability. DAI works on the frontlines of global development. Transforming ideas into action—action into impact. We are committed to shaping a more livable world.

DAI and its employees are committed to confronting racism and holding ourselves accountable for positive change within the company and in the communities, cultures, and countries in which we live and work. DAI is committed to attracting and retaining the best employees from all races and backgrounds in our continued effort to become a better development partner. DAI upholds the highest ethical standards. We are committed to the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment as well as other ethical breaches. All of our positions are therefore subject to stringent vetting and reference checks.

DAI is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer with a commitment to diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

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