Senior Technical Specialist New Business Development Data Quality -AGILE Unit

Job Description

TERMS of REFERENCE - AGILE M&E Technical Advisor

LOCATION: Arlington VA UNIT: New Business and Data Quality Team, AGILE

REPORTS TO: Unit Sr. Director, AGILE

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Analytics, Gender, Inclusion Learning and Evaluation (AGILE) Units’ M&E Technical Advisor - New Business & Data Quality Team, is an active member of a high performing team focusing on the development and oversight of rigorous monitoring, evaluation and learning systems and practice for Winrock International. The AGILE M&E Technical Advisor provides training, coaching, and mentoring on AGILE functions to ensure state-of-the-art standards are met for M&E in new business proposals and through data quality assessments during project implementation. The AGILE M&E Technical Advisor provides support and guidance to targeted projects in the field relevant to AGILE/ M&E. The AGILE M&E Technical Advisor helps identify and interview and onboard new AGILE/ M&E staff and provides thought leadership to strengthen organizational and staff capacity to design and implement effective AGILE strategies. The AGILE M&E Technical Advisor interfaces with Winrock staff in Home Offices and in the field, working closely with the program teams, new business team, and to lesser degree the finance and corporate risks team.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1) Ensure that institutional standards and guidelines are in place for capture and new business proposal development, which maximizes AGILE knowledge for win strategies and lays the groundwork for establishing appropriate AGILE systems at the project level. (LOE 20%) Provide consistent thought leadership to the organization both in terms of Winrock’s internal evidence & industry knowledge in issues relevant to AGILE in proposal design.

• Provide specific written guidance for the capture/ reconnaissance phase, outlining the types of AGILE information that should be gathered before the proposal design phase; in collaboration with proposal teams, ensure there is a clear & customized approach to obtaining such information for each proposal.
• Develop a documented approach that outlines how AGILE is to be incorporated into the design process & how AGILE support staff are to be engaged in proposal design including outlining the institutional expectations for how much AGILE staff time should be allotted to proposal development.
• Develop guidance identifying the minimum AGILE technical & budget standards for what MUST be included in Tier I and II proposals relevant to M&E/MIS/GIS/GESI/ Surveys/ Baselines/DQAS etc. the staffing and budget required in the field and the technical assistance required from home office to support startup, and closeout and key deliverables (such as baselines and end-lines) and ensuring a data quality assessment is completed at least twice of over the LOP by how office AGILE staff.
• Ensure there is an institutional approach and minimum standards to developing a Theory of Change, and CLA approach during the proposal design phase and the proposal review process.
• Ensure there are training and onboarding materials relevant to how AGILE works on proposals including providing example of best practice on TOC’s logic models, indicators mgmt., CLA etc. In collaboration with Winrock’s New Business Services Unit, foster a shared understanding that TOC creation is a JOINT Technical & AGILE staff contribution, and both types of staff support the design process which occurs early, if not at the outset of proposal design.
• Train key staff on development of TOC and logic models, AMELP/ AMPs /M&E Plans, Learning Agendas and CLA Plans.
• Develop a stable of example scopes of work for consultants who might be hired to work on proposals relevant to AGILE and a process for onboarding them to Winrock’s approaches and expectations. Develop a list of known consultants who can be quickly mobilized and are trained in Winrock’s AGILE expectations.
• Coordinate with F&A/payroll to develop a report showing time charged by AGILE staff to proposal cost codes. Track hours charged against time allocations projected in proposal preparation budget.
• Collaborate with NBSU to integrate standards of evidence into existing technical proposal review process to ensure that all proposed interventions and solutions meet standards of evidence (e.g. evidence that is drawn from well documented project experience, evaluations and/or citations from the scientific literature and do not rely on anecdotal evidence).
• Provision of a quarterly report that reflects donor feedback on proposals (positive and negative) on sections of the proposal that are relevant to AGILE. Track AGILE staff contributions to specific proposals, proposal status (won or lost) and the comments provided. Also include reflection on how closely proposals are aligning to the standards and practices set out for AGILE.

2) Support proposal development relevant to AGILE (LOE 25%)

• Develop AGILE sections for proposals being sure to cite the evidence base for the approach.
  • Coordinate with proposal teams to ensure that key staff responsible for the technical design are involved in developing the TOC’s and review draft TOC’s during technical proposal reviews (take the lead or joint lead on TOC/ Logic Model design).
  • Participate alongside technical staff in indicator & target setting for proposals, if non-AGILE staff change targets in a manner that isn’t what AGILE is recommending document and report issue to AGILE SR Director.
  • Develop proposal narratives and associated AMELP/ AMEP/ M&E / MIS/ GESI sections to be included in the proposal relative to AGILE.
  • Recommend for each proposal an appropriate AGILE staffing & budget allocation (in line with AGILE NBD guidance).
  • Ensure the proposal review and decision-making process is tracked and elevated to supervisors as needed to ensure that proposal teams adhere to AGILE technical and budget standards. The AGILE Unit documents when a proposal does not follow AGILE guidance in terms of what is needed, and this is discussed with the new business and executive team and results tracked over time to see if assumptions hold true.
  • In collaboration with NBSU, the AGILE Unit develops a proposal debrief review process and tracks comments on proposal feedback relevant to M&E/MIS/GIS/GESI, sharing information quarterly; and develops strategies to respond to criticism or encourage broader application of winning feedback.
• Help recruit and interview the key AGILE field staff assignments for various proposals.

3) Ensure that institutional standards and guidelines are in place for Data Quality Assessments and conduct DQAs, ensuring corporate risk relevant at Winrock is identified, documented and addressed successfully (LOE 25%)

Provide consistent thought leadership to the organization both in terms of data quality assessment and risk

• Ensure all country programs practice sound data quality management procedures and have quality data at both the output and outcome/impact level. Establish a system so that all key data sets can pass an external audit review.
• Working with the DSV AGIEL Team ensure data management systems are established and data entry is current, and collection are ethically and effectively structured to protect participant privacy and capture impact.
• Work together with other corporate teams conducting oversight to develop processes that allow for triangulation to help them verify results using M&E data.
• Track all internal and external DQAs and ensure projects have actions plans to respond and these actions are completed in a timely manner, reporting on these findings annually.
• Specific written guidance for standards for conducting and reporting on internal DQAs.
• A template for follow up action plans for projects to address shortcomings of DQAs and a process for checking these changes have been made
• A schedule for conducting DQAs, ensuring that the AGILE NBD DQ Team (two people) conduct at least 6-12 DQA’s a year in the field and conduct spot audits (may include virtual data audits) as needed
• Guidance to project teams when they are selected for IG audits and how to prepare (relevant to AGILE)
• Guidance to project teams for when they are selected for donor DQAs and how to prepare
• Training materials for AGILE project staff on data quality and their roles in reducing corporate risk
• Training materials for COPS on data quality and their roles in reducing corporate risk
• Training materials for home office staff and data quality and their roles in reducing corporate risk

Support a portfolio of projects assigned to you

• Once a project is in BAFO and or has been awarded, immediately engage in the launching of projects Monitoring Evaluation and Learning System as per AGILE Project support guidance.
• Talk with project M&E Directors weekly and Project COPS monthly about schedules, challenges result etc. Ensure ongoing vibrant communication between HOME OFFICE/DC and each project M&E team. Talk to PAs monthly on M&E issues relevant to their projects.
• Trouble shoot M&E issues encountered during program implementation on a case-by-case basis.
• When faced with ongoing issues make sure they are documented and report them to your supervisor and the COPs supervisor.
• Support the transfer of data to the DEC/DDL clearinghouse and make sure Winrocks data is retained as an official deliverable (and kept within the institutional system
• Travel to the field regularly to work directly on MEL improvement with staff.

5) Complete other tasks as assigned to you support of sound AGILE practice and institutional teamwork in Winrock, routinely participate in team meetings, and invest time in your own professional growth, participating in professional conferences and publishing opportunities (LOE 5%)

• Ensure the AGILE or project staff pursues at least one peer reviewed journal or magazine article a year or signature learning products relevant to AGILE
• Ensure AGILE staff presents, or supports projects to present, on AGILE topics at professional meetings at least twice a year.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Current US work authorization.
• Bachelor’s degree in statistics, economics, international development or social sciences or related field.
• At least 6 years of experience in monitoring evaluation and learning with quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research and ideally at least three of those years in the field setting supporting international development projects
• Ability and willingness to travel internationally up to 25% of year, for 1-3 weeks at a time, often to developing countries.
• Experience in M&E new business design, theories of change and data quality assessment
• Fluency in English required.

Desired

• Graduate level degree in statistics, economics, international development or social sciences or related field.
• Professional competency in at least one other language
• Experience in teaching, training, and building capacity with a wide range of learners
• Experience working or living in developing countries and supporting international development projects.
• Demonstrated aptitude in MERL technologies.

About the Organization

Winrock International is a nonprofit organization that works with people in the United States and around the world to empower the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity, and sustain natural resources. By linking local individuals and communities with new ideas and technology, Winrock is increasing long-term productivity, equity, and responsible resource management to benefit the poor and disadvantaged of the world.