Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MERL) Manager, CDC Funded Health System Strengthening Activity

Job Description

About the Job: IMA is seeking a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Manager to monitor and evaluate project activities for an anticipated CDC-funded public health project in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The 5-year project will focus on:

• Improve prevention of avoidable epidemics including naturally occurring outbreaks and intentional or accidental releases of dangerous pathogens;
• Improve ability to rapidly detect threats early, including detecting, characterizing, and reporting emerging public health threats;
• Improve capacity of rapidly and effectively responding to infectious diseases and public health threats of international concern.

In coordination with the Project Director and under the supervision of Corus International’s Director of Technical Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning Services based at headquarters in Washington DC, the MERL Manager will:

• Design the project’s monitoring, evaluation, and performance measurement plan.
• Design and direct the development and daily monitoring of the project in collaboration with the Program Director, national technical partners, and health authorities at the central office level in the zones using on-site sampling and HMIS (DHIS2) data.
• Lead the analysis and interpretation of project data.
• Document and disseminate lessons learned, best practices, and other project deliverables.
• Actively participate in project coordination mechanisms.

The position will be based in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo and will report to the Project Director and will regulary make visits to project sites in both provinces. Actual hiring is contingent upon signed agreement and CDC’s approval.

Key Responsibilities:

• Oversees and implements all daily monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities for the project.
• Designs and implements quantitative and qualitative data methods and tools for project activities, as well as a robust and context-appropriate system for data collection, quality assurance, analysis, and reporting of activity outputs/results and program quality.
• Organizes and trains project staff on monitoring and evaluation systems and tools to strengthen their monitoring and evaluation capacities.
• Ensures the collection, entry, verification, analysis, and reporting of data on actual achievements against set objectives, highlighting emerging trends and providing clear reports on findings and conclusions.
• Ensures data quality through regular data quality audits, verification, and validation of accuracy and reliability to inform decision-making.
• Works closely with project management and local stakeholders to develop and implement a robust learning program that promotes continuous learning, collaboration, and adaptation to advance the project’s learning agenda.
• Supports the recruitment of consultants and temporary field staff for monitoring and evaluation activities (as needed).
• Ensures that data integrity and security standards and procedures are in place and comply with national monitoring and evaluation guidelines, protocols, information systems, and reporting requirements.
• Conducts analyses and contributes to the preparation of mandatory and ad hoc project reports (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, end-of-project) by capturing performance results and ensuring that lessons learned are integrated into project implementation to continuously improve the quality of interventions and results.
• Monitors the implementation of the learning program to identify best practices and lessons learned, as well as for adaptive management and knowledge.
• Provides training, mentoring, and coaching on data use to project staff, consultants, and other local stakeholders (as needed).
• Uses the DHIS2 platforms of the Ministry of Health and IMA World Health to ensure regular data flow and use by providing information on performance and areas of activity, thereby contributing to strategic decision-making and project planning with project management.
• Participates in relevant technical working groups and monitoring, evaluation, and learning coordination mechanisms, and collaborate with the CDC, relevant ministry departments, and project staff on project-related M&E, as appropriate.
• Contributes to the development and sharing of information and knowledge products with all relevant stakeholders in a timely manner.
• Organizes quarterly coordination and data review meetings with the various project stakeholders to ensure clarity and harmonization of activity progress and data provided.
  

Qualifications:

• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree (BAC+5) in monitoring, evaluation, and learning, public health, statistics, demography, social sciences, mathematics, economics, or a similar field. Extensive training in the field of health, international development, and/or program monitoring and evaluation is an asset. Previous experience in an CDC-funded project is highly desirable.
• Significant experience (5 years or more) with the DHIS2 platform is highly desirable.
• Experience in managing DHIS2 and other databases, proficiency in IT tools and MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• In-depth understanding and expertise of the CDC’s integrated health services and performance monitoring, logical frameworks, and reporting plan indicators is desirable.
• Proven experience in data analysis using statistical and qualitative software.
• Experience working with CDC-funded projects in monitoring and evaluation is desirable.
• Strong quantitative, qualitative, and analytical skills, and ability to present technical information clearly and effectively to technical and non-technical audiences.
• In-depth knowledge of the political, social, and economic context and experience working in the Democratic Republic of Congo are required.
• Excellent communication skills, including written and oral presentation; proven ability to develop and communicate a common vision among various partners.
• Ability to travel to project sites.

About the Organization

About Corus: Corus International is the parent of a family of world-class social impact organizations that collaborate in the world's most vulnerable communities to deliver the holistic and sustainable solutions needed to address the interconnected challenges of poverty, access to healthcare, and climate change. Corus is a new model in the international space, creating a consortium of specialized nonprofit and for-profit entities for greater impact.

Corus combines more than 150 years of experience from our nonprofit and for-profit affiliates-IMA World Health, Lutheran World Relief, CGA Technologies, Ground Up Investing, and LWR Farmers Market. Together, these organizations take a systematic approach to developing rural economies, eliminating extreme poverty, ensuring access to quality healthcare, and responding to urgent humanitarian needs in fragile contexts.

Further details about the organization can be found at: https://corusinternational.org