Performance Monitoring Specialist

Job Description

TITLE: Performance Monitoring Specialist

SUPERVISOR: Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist/M&E Team Leader

STATUS: Full-time, life of project (10 months)

II. Introduction

DevTech Systems is the prime contractor under the Program Cycle Service Center (PCSC) contract with USAID’s Bureau for Policy, Planning, and Learning (PPL). The purpose of the PCSC contract is to support PPL in building the capacity of USAID Missions to implement the Program Cycle, including strategic planning, project design and implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and learning, as defined in new policies and guidance. The Service Center contract assembles learning related to implementation of these policies, and assists PPL to update policies, guidance, tools and mechanisms in order to promote USAID as a learning organization.

The Performance Monitoring Specialist(s) on the PCSC contract assist PPL in building USAID Mission capacity and facilitating a process of change management in support of its performance monitoring reforms across the Program Cycle. The Specialist also provides direct technical assistance to USAID Missions implementing ADS guidance on performance monitoring.

II. Background

In 2010 PPL began developing a series of reforms to operationalize USAID Forward and improve the effectiveness of its development programs. Organized around the “Program Cycle” framework, these reforms seek to revitalize Mission strategic planning (known as the Country Development Cooperation Strategy or CDCS process), ensure that USAID projects are designed to align with these strategies, and systematically monitor implementation and performance so that USAID continues to improve its policies and practices, reinforcing ongoing learning and adapting to achieve better results.

These reforms imply changes in the way the Agency considers performance monitoring. While in the past performance monitoring was often segregated by implementing mechanism, now Missions are asked to develop a Mission-wide Performance Management Plan (PMP) that aggregates indicators across instruments and across projects to assess combined progress toward achievement of the Mission’s strategy.

After five years of implementation of the Program Cycle, PPL is currently updating its Program Cycle policies and guidance based on the experiences of staff in Washington and Missions in applying the Program Cycle framework.

III. Roles and Responsibilities

The Performance Monitoring Specialist will support PPL in a number of different ways, including:

• Communicating with Missions on Program Cycle-related issues.
  • Supporting USAID to institutionalize performance monitoring practice and policy as part the Program Cycle.
  • Routinely liaising with PPL/LER, and USAID/PPL/SPP as appropriate, to stay current on USAID’s latest performance monitoring policies and practices, as well as their relationship to broader program cycle issues.
  • Coordinating and providing support to Missions on Performance Monitoring (PM) and operationalizing their PM Standardized Mission Order
  • Supporting ADS 200 compliance and best practices by Missions
  • Providing training and direct technical assistance on PM to Missions
  • Creating tools and checklists to help guide Mission staff through the process of daily performance management from the activity to project and strategy levels in the Program Cycle
  • Updating Performance Monitoring guidance to reflect updates to Performance Monitoring policy.
  • Supporting communication efforts to ensure that updates to Performance Monitoring policies are understood across missions and Washington Bureaus.
  • Other tasks as assigned

IV. Qualifications

• Experience on indicator selection and Performance Management Plan or Monitoring and Evaluation Plan development
• Knowledge of the USAID Program Cycle, the USAID ADS 200 series, and industry standard performance monitoring methodologies required
• Skills in promoting process improvements and maintaining client confidence while facilitating a process of change management
• Demonstrated flexibility, a problem-solving attitude, capacity to work within complex teams, and ability to thrive in a fluid environment
• Ability to travel and work remotely in coordination with multiple stakeholders in different geographic locations
• Previous USAID experience that encompasses performance monitoring and reporting, responsibilities is desired
• Extensive experience with Excel required.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, protected veteran status or other status protected by applicable law.