Job Description
Project Description
Abt Associates, a global leader in implementing technical assistance programs and research in the fields of economic growth, agriculture, social and environmental policy, and climate change, seeks highly qualified candidates for the anticipated five-year USAID-funded Rwanda Facilitate Investment Required for Sustainable Export (FIRST) Activity which aims to increase agricultural exports through 1) facilitation of inclusive policy reforms using evidence-based analyses and strengthened advocacy capacity of private sector organizations; and 2) support local actors (government and private sector) to attract, mobilize and direct public and private financing resources towards productive priority projects.
Job Summary
The Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Director will be responsible for providing overall monitoring, evaluation, and learning management and direction to the FIRST Activity.
The MEL Director and project team will be based in Kigali, Rwanda, and the position is contingent upon project award to Abt Associates.
Key Roles and Responsibilities
- Manage life-of-project MEL Plan to meet the demands of regularly scheduled and ad-hoc information and reports required by USAID, including overseeing all routine monitoring data collection, survey design and implementation, and special assessments as required
- Lead the design, development, and implementation of the project MEL Plan, indicators, and learning agenda, including developing relevant indicators
- Foster a culture of learning and continuous improvement among all project staff and partners, including grantees
- Serve as USAID’s project point of contact for external Data Quality Assessments and mid-term, final and/or impact evaluations
- Chair portion of weekly project conference call to review progress. At quarterly meetings, lead team in reflecting on progress, present findings on learning questions, and facilitate evidence-driven decision-making when course corrections are needed.
- Ensure monitoring data is collected and presented in a timely manner for quarterly and annual report preparation
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree and 10 years’ experience (required) or Master’s degree and eight years’ experience (preferred) in statistics or a related field
- Experience supporting monitoring, evaluation and learning activities, preferably on USAID-funded projects
- Familiarity with quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques
- Demonstrated ability to work with a minimum of direction and supervision, as a member of a team, and as a team leader, with the ability to accept the inputs of other team members
- East/Sub-Saharan Africa work experience required, Rwanda experience strongly preferred
- Excellent interpersonal communication, organizational, and computer skills
- Fluency in English required
Minimum Qualifications
- (8+) years of experience and a master degree OR the equivalent combination of education and experience
About the Organization
Abt Associates is a global leader in research, evaluation and program implementation; driving innovation and measurable impact for more than 50 years. What sets us apart is our evidence-based and multi-disciplinary approach to solving tough challenges in health, social and environmental policy and international development.
Specific areas we work in include:
- Health
- Education and workforce development
- Climate change and the environment
- Food security and agriculture
- Housing and communities
- Survey and data collection
Abt is a mission-driven company with a staff of 2,600. Our focus is on using evidence and cutting-edge methods to improve the lives and economic well-being of people worldwide.
