Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Assistant

Job Description

Safety and Quality Investment in Livestock (SQIL) Project

USDA Georgia Food for Progress (FFPr)

Tbilisi, Georgia

Job Title: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Assistant

Reports to: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager

Next Level Supervisor: Chief of Party (COP)

Location: Tbilisi

Project Description:

Land O’Lakes International Development (Land O’Lakes-ID) is implementing the 5-year Safety and Quality Investment in Livestock (SQIL) project funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) with an objective to:

Increase agricultural productivity in the dairy and beef sectors by disseminating farm management best practices and expanding private sector input and extension models through catalytic capital and business development support; and

Expand trade of agricultural products in the dairy and beef sectors by improving food safety and quality, product innovation and marketing across both public and private sector market participants.

SQIL will implement the following activities: (1) Expand Market Access through supporting the development of dairy and beef industries led Seal of Quality (SOQ) standards and certification, representing Georgian measures of excellence and international manufacturing best practices; (2) Improve Phytosanitary Standards through building the capacity of Georgian firms to provide food safety technical assistance to dairy and beef business operators through leveraging of the successful training model promoted by Michigan State University (MSU). The project will also work with government institutions to disseminate public extension content and food safety information and provide support to the National Food Agency to build the operational infrastructure and human resource capacity within the agency. (3) Improve Post-Harvest Handling and Storage analyzing the cold storage, transportation and logistics system across the targeted regions and identify areas for management and infrastructural improvements and subsequently provide training to build the capacity of local business development services and link cold chain and logistics operators to local business development service firms to develop and refine their business plans. Land O’Lakes-ID will forge linkages between selected firms and commercial banks offering loan products to facilitate lending for infrastructural improvements. (4) Improve Productivity through developing a livestock animal husbandry curriculum and embedding it in a communications technology platform. The curriculum will draw on globally accepted best practices for dairy and beef production and will align with industry quality and animal welfare standards. (5) Improve Access to Financial Services through establishing a co-investment innovation fund focused on increasing product, service and business model innovation –including embedded extension services. (6) Capacity Building to Inform Food Safety Policy Development through mobilizing policy experts to assess the Government of Georgia’s (GoG) food safety policy strategies and approximation plans and provide technical assistance to GoG ministries on policy formulation that enables Georgia to meet international standards.

Position Summary and Primary Responsibilities:

The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Assistant will be responsible for assisting the MEL Manager in development and implementation of MEL activities for SQIL. Specifically, the MEL Assistant will be responsible for assisting with the regular monitoring and semi-annual data collections from the field; supporting the MEL Manager in training delivery; conducting the data entry, aggregation and cleaning in MEL databases and IMPACTS system; verifying the data quality/accuracy and following the instructions provided by the MEL Manager; supporting the interpretation of the data for donor reporting, adaptive management, and learning purposes; participating in qualitative assessments, FGDs, in-depth interviews and cases studies lead by the MEL Manager; and assisting with the development of various communications materials as needed.

Responsibilities:

• Assist the MEL Manager in development of tools for monitoring and tracking of program activities and results;
• Assist with trainings organized for the project staff, partners and beneficiaries in monitoring, performance reporting and learning;
• Assist in management of a tablet-based data collection platform (IMPACTs system), including training of project partners and staff in data collection process;
• Work on data entry and cleaning in the M&E databases and IMPACTs system;
• Participate in regular field data collection and spot-check visits together with the MEL manager and/or independently based on project need;
• Assist the MEL manager in proper warehousing of project data and verifications;
• Assist with drafting learning and communications materials, such as case studies, learning briefs, and success stories;
• Take other duties as requested by the MEL Manager and project management.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in applied economics, statistics, sociology and/or related area of study;
• Previous work experience with United States government and/or other international donor projects is desired;
• General understanding of monitoring and evaluation systems, project results and indicators;
• Previous work experience with the local research institutions and/or survey firms operating in Georgia is preferred;
• Good understanding of survey implementation and field interview protocols, familiarity with survey instruments and data collection processes;
• Experience creating communications materials, such as case studies and success stories, is desired;
• Computer literacy and competency in use of Microsoft Office software such as Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint, as well as Internet-based applications such as SharePoint;
• Experience using a tablet-based data collection platform is desired;
• Competency in quantitative data analysis, with knowledge of software programs such as SPSS and/or Stata;
• Good working knowledge of English (both speaking and writing) and fluency in Georgian is required;
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to compile and interpret project data as needed;
• Good time management and willingness to travel to the various areas within Georgia as required by the project;
• Strong interpersonal skills, self-motivated and results-driven, with ability to become a good team player and communicate with project staff and beneficiaries as needed;
• Good analytic and communication skills, including training and facilitation skills and demonstrated experience working with multidisciplinary and multicultural teams;

Reporting & Supervision: The position will report to the MEL Manager.

Please note only finalists will be contacted. No phone calls please.

Application should include cover letter, current CV with 3 reference email and phone numbers. Applications are due March 3, 2019 by 18:00 hrs. Tbilisi time.

We are an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer

About the Organization

Background:

Land O'Lakes International Development is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit helping communities around the world build economies by strengthening agriculture from farm-to-fork, helping businesses grow, and linking farmers to markets. Since our start in 1981, we have been leveraging nearly 100 years of expertise in dairy, animal nutrition, crop inputs and agricultural insights from our close affiliate, Land O’Lakes, Inc., a farmer-owned agribusiness committed to fulfilling its purpose of feeding human progress. Our team is made up of nearly 350 employees who are committed to market-led approaches, and passionate about collaborating locally to create lasting inclusive economic growth. By unlocking the potential of agriculture for the last 36 years, the lives of more than 3 million people have been transformed through nearly 300 programs in more than 80 countries.