MEL Specialist

Job Description

USAID/Colombia MEL Activity

The purpose of the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) activity is to provide USAID/Colombia with technical and advisory services for performance management of its projects and activities. This includes monitoring support services; designing and implementing performance and impact evaluations, as well as other studies and assessments; developing collaborating, learning and adapting (CLA) initiatives; and strengthening the Mission’s Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping and analysis capacities. These efforts will facilitate informed program management decisions, shape the long-term strategic direction of programs and decision-making within the Mission, and enable USAID/Colombia to comply with USAID’s Evaluation Policy and USAID Automated Directives System (ADS) 201 directives. The result will be to enhance the Mission’s MEL capability and to ensure empirical evidence for programming, learning and adapting.

Contingent upon award, ME&A is recruiting a MEL Specialist. This is a full-time position based in Bogota, Colombia. Candidates must be Colombian Citizens. Qualified candidates should send a copy of an updated C.V. with three references. Please include in the subject line: “Colombia”. Only finalists will be contacted. Compensation will be based on experience and qualifications, taking into account comparable positions at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota.

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in anthropology, sociology, political science/law, economics, agricultural economics, organizational development, or a related field, and at least 5 years of professional experience (or Bachelor’s degree with 7 years of experience);
• At least 3 years of experience conducting monitoring, evaluation and learning tasks and activities gained while working for USAID or other donor projects;
• Experience in capacity building on critical MEL topics;
• Fluency in written and spoken Spanish (FSI 4/4) and business proficiency (FSI 3/3) in written and spoken English; and
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Experience in preparation and review of performance indicators and targets, Indicator Performance Tracking Tables (IPTTs), Performance Indicator Reference Sheets (PIRS) and Data Quality Assessments (DQAs)
• Experience conducting performance and impact evaluation designs, methodologies and practical applications, including baseline data collection methodologies

About the Organization

ME&A is an international development firm based in the Washington, DC area, providing innovative solutions for economic development and social progress in more than 40 countries worldwide for over 30 years. ME&A is an SBA-approved Small Business with branch offices in Armenia, El Salvador, Georgia, and Puerto Rico.

Our services focus on producing measurable results in three core areas: Natural and Water Resource Management; Public Administration and Governance; Economic Growth through Regional and Local Economic Development Strategies, Business Development, Competitiveness and Entrepreneurship; and four cross-cutting areas: Evaluations and Assessments, Communications Strategies and Knowledge Management, Learning and Performance Enhancement, and Program and Grants Administration. These cross-cutting areas are creatively applied to projects in our core areas of concentration and to programming in other subject areas.

ME&A is an equal employment opportunity employer.