Senior Short Term Expert for Qualitative M&E for RIDP Component 1

Job Description

Human Dynamics is a leading European provider of consulting services for the public sector with more than 120 projects implemented in 30 countries worldwide. Currently, Human Dynamics and its 300 experts and consultants advise more than 40 ministries and public/government agencies worldwide. You are welcome on our website for more details: www.humandynamics.org

Project title: Technical Assistance to the Rural Infrastructure Development Programme in Malawi

Brief description: RIDP Component 1 is aiming to improve livelihoods of rural and peri-urban populations in 15 districts in Malawi. It is doing so by using different interventions:

• Upgrading rural roads and bridges through contractors using labour intensive methods. The contractors are required to employ local labour, including women, youth and vulnerable groups.
• Maintaining rural roads through village based Road Maintenance Clubs
• Implementing small-scale irrigation systems through contractors using labour intensive methods. The contractors are required to employ local labour, including women, youth and vulnerable groups. The benefits of the irrigation systems are subsequently optimised by organising Village Irrigation/Agriculture Clubs.
• Implementing reforestation and forest management through Village Forestry Clubs
• Capacity building activities targeted at district councils.
• Training of the roads, forestry and irrigation clubs that have been established in the beneficiary communities.

To obtain a more coherent, comprehensive and dynamic understanding of the effects and impacts of these interventions, the M&E system is expected to provide relevant information that consists of a balanced mix in terms of the perspectives of the key stakeholders (e.g. farmers, clubs, youth, council), and therefore a combination of quantitative and qualitative data is probably most appropriate for RIDP to achieve that level of understanding in a timely and efficient manner.

Duration and of the assignment: 20 work days, starting October 2012

Requirements:

Qualifications and skills

- An appropriate higher level university degree in rural development, agricultural extension, education or equivalent advanced studies

General professional experience

- Not less than 10 years of work experience in development planning, M&E and/ or capacity building programmes

- Field level experience, ideally gained in a broad range of sectors and institutional environments, such as government, international organisations or NGOs

- Previous work experience in developing countries and or Sub-Saharan Africa would be an asset

Specific professional experience

- At least 5 years experience in the design and implementation of M&E systems, including MSC and other participatory methodologies. The expert should have demonstrated experience in the following areas:

- In depth experience in use of the MSC or similar techniques, including demonstrated experience in capacity building of local staff and stakeholders and qualitative methodologies, preferably in a development context

- Intimate knowledge of facilitation methodologies; institutional and social development issues (including decentralisation, good governance, local institutional capacity building, poverty reduction strategies, mainstreaming of gender concerns and HIV/AIDS, and rights based approaches to development)

- In depth experience and knowledge of Government and or donor supported programmes, and issues related to rural development, institutional development and/or poverty reduction or economic development

- Experience with skills development for staff to work in a multi-sectoral team environment involving a variety of stakeholders

- Fluency in the English language